Jatenzo (testosterone undecanoate) is a prescription drug used to treat low testosterone levels caused by certain conditions. This drug can interact with some other medications and supplements. For example, Jatenzo can interact with corticosteroids and insulin.
Jatenzo is used in adult males* to treat testosterone deficiency that’s caused by a problem with the testicles, pituitary gland, or hypothalamus. Jatenzo comes as an oral capsule.
An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.
Keep reading to learn about Jatenzo’s possible interactions. And for more information about Jatenzo, including details about its uses, see this article.
* In this article, we use the term “male” to refer to someone’s sex assigned at birth. For information about the difference between sex and gender, see this article.
Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Jatenzo. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Jatenzo for you. These are known as contraindications. The list below includes contraindications of Jatenzo.
If you have breast cancer or prostate cancer. Jatenzo may worsen breast cancer and prostate cancer. Your doctor will not prescribe Jatenzo if you have a history of breast or prostate cancer. Before starting treatment with testosterone, your doctor will likely evaluate you for any signs of prostate cancer. This is because taking testosterone can increase your risk of prostate cancer.
If you have low testosterone levels related to aging. If you have low testosterone levels caused by natural aging (not a medical condition), your doctor will likely not prescribe Jatenzo for you. This is due to the risk of increased blood pressure with Jatenzo. The drug has a
If you’d like to learn about managing low testosterone caused by aging (sometimes called male* menopause), talk with your doctor.
If you’ve had an allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Jatenzo or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Jatenzo. This is because taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.
If you’re pregnant. Jatenzo is not approved for use in females.* It should not be taken during pregnancy because it could cause harm to a fetus.
Before you start taking Jatenzo, talk with your doctor if any of the factors above apply to you.
* In this article, we use the terms “male” and “female” to refer to someone’s sex assigned at birth. For information about the difference between sex and gender, see this article.
Jatenzo is not known to interact with alcohol. However, Jatenzo and alcohol can cause some similar side effects, such as nausea and headache. You may be more likely to have these side effects if you drink alcohol during your Jatenzo treatment.
If you drink alcohol, ask your doctor how much may be safe to consume while you’re taking Jatenzo.
Before you start taking Jatenzo, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Jatenzo interacts with supplements, herbs, and vitamins, see the “Are there other interactions with Jatenzo?” section below.)
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
The table below lists drugs that may interact with Jatenzo. Keep in mind that this table doesn’t include all drugs that may interact with Jatenzo. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.
| Drug group or drug name | Drug examples | What can happen |
| corticosteroids | • prednisone (Rayos) • prednisolone (Orapred) • methylprednisolone (Medrol, Depo-Medrol, Solu-Medrol) | can increase the risk of side effects from Jatenzo and corticosteroids |
| diabetes medications | • insulin (Humalog, Lantus, Novolog, others) • glipizide (Glucotrol XL) • metformin (Glumetza, Riomet) • dapagliflozin (Farxiga) | can increase the effect of diabetes medications |
| warfarin (Jantoven) | — | can increase the risk of side effects from warfarin |
| decongestants | • pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) • phenylephrine | can increase the risk of high blood pressure with Jatenzo |
| stimulants | • amphetamine/ dextroamphetamine (Adderall) • modafinil (Provigil) • methylphenidate (Ritalin, others) | can increase the risk of high blood pressure with Jatenzo |
| nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs | • ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) • naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve) | can increase the risk of high blood pressure with Jatenzo |
Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Jatenzo.
Interaction with corticosteroids
Jatenzo may interact with corticosteroids. These are medications prescribed to reduce inflammation (swelling) caused by many different conditions.
Examples of corticosteroids include:
- prednisone (Rayos)
- prednisolone (Orapred)
- methylprednisolone (Medrol, Depo-Medrol, Solu-Medrol)
What could happen
Jatenzo and corticosteroids can both cause edema (fluid buildup). Taking Jatenzo with a corticosteroid can raise your risk of this side effect.
If you have heart disease, liver disease, or kidney disease, you may have a higher risk of edema if you take Jatenzo with a corticosteroid.
What you can do
If you take Jatenzo with a corticosteroid, tell your doctor if you notice any symptoms of edema. These may include:
- swelling of your hands, feet, ankles, or legs
- shortness of breath
- swelling in your abdomen
- sudden weight gain
If you have edema, your doctor may reduce your dosage of Jatenzo or the corticosteroid. Or they may have you stop taking Jatenzo until your edema goes away. In some cases, your doctor may prescribe a diuretic medication to treat the edema.
Interaction with diabetes medications
Jatenzo can interact with diabetes medications, which help control your blood sugar levels. If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, your doctor may prescribe Jatenzo with your diabetes medication.
Examples of diabetes medications include:
- insulin (Humalog, Lantus, Novolog, others)
- glipizide (Glucotrol XL)
- metformin (Glumetza, Riomet)
- dapagliflozin (Farxiga)
What could happen
Diabetes medications lower your blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, taking Jatenzo may change how your body responds to insulin, which may also lower your blood sugar levels. This could raise your risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
What you can do
If you take Jatenzo with a diabetes medication, your doctor may recommend checking your blood sugar levels more often. If needed, your doctor may lower your dosage of diabetes medication to help prevent hypoglycemia.
Decongestants
Jatenzo can interact with decongestants. These are medications used to treat a blocked or stuffy nose or sinuses. Some decongestants are prescribed by a doctor, while others can be bought over the counter (either on their own or in combination medications for colds, flu, or hay fever).
Examples of decongestant medications include:
- pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
- phenylephrine
- phenylephrine/ibuprofen (Advil congestion relief)
What could happen
Jatenzo and decongestants can both increase your blood pressure. So taking these drugs together could raise your blood pressure even more. It’s important to note that Jatenzo has a
What you can do
While you’re taking Jatenzo, check with your doctor before taking any decongestant medications. Whether these medications are safe to take with Jatenzo may depend on your blood pressure. It may also depend on whether you have other risk factors for cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) problems, such as high cholesterol.
Jatenzo may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below doesn’t include all other possible interactions with Jatenzo.
Does Jatenzo interact with supplements?
Before you start taking Jatenzo, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.
For example, it’s possible that taking Jatenzo with soy isoflavones may make Jatenzo less effective. Talk with your doctor before taking this supplement with Jatenzo.
If you have questions about other interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Jatenzo interaction with herbs
Taking Jatenzo with saw palmetto may make Jatenzo less effective. Talk with your doctor before taking this or any other herb with Jatenzo.
Jatenzo and vitamins
There are currently no reports of Jatenzo interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.
For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Jatenzo.
Does Jatenzo interact with food?
There are currently no reports of Jatenzo interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods during your treatment with Jatenzo, talk with your doctor.
Does Jatenzo interact with vaccines?
There are currently no reports of Jatenzo interacting with vaccines. If you have questions about getting certain vaccines while taking Jatenzo, talk with your doctor.
Does Jatenzo interact with lab tests?
There are currently no reports of Jatenzo interacting with lab tests. If you have questions about getting certain lab tests while taking Jatenzo, talk with your doctor.
Does Jatenzo interact with cannabis or CBD?There are currently no reports of Jatenzo interacting with cannabis (commonly called marijuana) or cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD). However, both Jatenzo and cannabis can increase your blood pressure. So using them together can raise your blood pressure even more.
Jatenzo has a
boxed warning for the risk of increased blood pressure that could raise the risk of heart attack and stroke. To learn more, see the “Boxed warning” section above.As with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis with Jatenzo.
Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.
Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Jatenzo. Before taking Jatenzo, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Jatenzo is right for you.
Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Jatenzo include:
High blood pressure and other cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) risk factors. Jatenzo can increase your blood pressure, which can raise your risk of heart attack and stroke. If you already have high blood pressure or heart disease, including a past heart attack or stroke, talk with your doctor about whether Jatenzo is right for you.
If you have other cardiovascular risk factors, talk with your doctor before taking Jatenzo. Examples of these risk factors include high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and smoking.
Jatenzo has a
Breast cancer or prostate cancer. If you have breast cancer or prostate cancer, your doctor will not prescribe Jatenzo for you. For more information, see the “When should I avoid Jatenzo?” section above.
Enlarged prostate. If you have an enlarged prostate gland, Jatenzo could worsen your urinary symptoms. It may also raise your risk of developing prostate cancer. Talk with your doctor about whether Jatenzo is right for you.
Low testosterone levels related to aging. If you have low testosterone levels caused by natural aging and not a medical condition, your doctor will likely not prescribe Jatenzo. To learn more, see the “When should I avoid Jatenzo?” section above.
Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Jatenzo or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Jatenzo. For more information, see the “When should I avoid Jatenzo?” section above.
Pregnancy. Jatenzo is not approved for use in females.* It should not be taken during pregnancy because it could cause harm to a fetus.
Breastfeeding. Jatenzo is not approved for use in females. It should not be used by someone who is breastfeeding.
Liver or kidney disease. Jatenzo can cause edema (fluid buildup) and could worsen edema related to liver disease or kidney disease. If you have one of these conditions, talk with your doctor about whether Jatenzo is right for you.
Sleep apnea. Jatenzo may worsen sleep apnea. It may also raise the risk of sleep apnea in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or obesity. If you have these conditions, talk with your doctor about whether Jatenzo is right for you.
High red blood cell count. Jatenzo can increase your red blood cell count, which can raise your risk of blood clots. If you already have a high level of red blood cells, your doctor will likely not prescribe Jatenzo for you. Talk with your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.
Mental health conditions. In rare cases, Jatenzo may cause depression and raise the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. If you have a mental health condition, talk with your doctor about whether Jatenzo is right for you.
* In this article, we use the term “female” to refer to someone’s sex assigned at birth. For information about the difference between sex and gender, see this article.
Help is out there
If you or someone you know is in crisis and considering suicide or self-harm, please seek support:
- Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
- Text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
- Not in the United States? Find a helpline in your country with Befrienders Worldwide.
- Call 911 or your local emergency services number if you feel safe to do so.
If you’re calling on behalf of someone else, stay with them until help arrives. You may remove weapons or substances that can cause harm if you can do so safely.
If you are not in the same household, stay on the phone with them until help arrives.
Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Jatenzo. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:
- Whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis.
- Other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you fill out a
medication list . - What to do if you start taking a new drug during your Jatenzo treatment.
It’s also important to understand Jatenzo’s
If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.
Taking Jatenzo exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.
If you still have questions about Jatenzo and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.
Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:
- Does my risk of interactions depend on my dosage of Jatenzo?
- How often will my blood pressure need to be checked while I’m taking Jatenzo?
- When should my blood sugar be checked if I take Jatenzo with diabetes medications?
To learn more about Jatenzo, see these articles:
To get information on different conditions and tips for improving your health, subscribe to any of Healthline’s newsletters. You may also want to check out the online communities at Bezzy. It’s a place where people with certain conditions can find support and connect with others.
Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.
