Clomiphene citrate treatment for late onset hypogonadism: rise and fall.

OBJECTIVE: Previous series have demonstrated that Clomiphene Citrate (CC) is an effective treatment to increase Total Testosterone (TT) in Late Onset Hypogonadism (LOH) patients. However, what happens to TT levels after ending CC treatment is still debatable. The objective of this study is to evaluate TT levels 3 months after the discontinuation of CC in patients with LOH who were previously successfully treated with the same drug.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with LOH that were successfully treated (achieved TT levels >11nmol/l) with CC 50mgs daily for 50 days were prospectively recruited in our Andrological outpatient clinic. CC was then stopped for 3 months and TT levels were measured at the end of this period.

RESULTS: Mean TT level before discontinuation of CC was 22.7±8.1nmol/L (mean±SD). Three months after discontinuation, mean TT level significantly decreased in all pa¬tients, 10.2±3.9nmol/l (p < 0.01). Twenty-one patients (78%) decreased TT levels under 11nmol/L. Six patients (22%) had TT levels that remained within the normal recommended range (≥11nmol/l). No statistical significant differences were observed between both groups.

CONCLUSION: In the short term LOH does not seem to be a reversible condition in most patients after CC treatment. More studies with longer follow-up are needed to evaluate the kinetics of TT in LOH.