Drug & supplement interaction

Androstenediol + Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone

Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone brand name: Estratest.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone falls into 2 drug categories that Androstenediol can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Androstenediol is a precursor to estrogen and can increase levels of estradiol and estrone.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Androstenediol and Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Androstenediol interacts with whole categories of medication. Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Androstenediol in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ESTROGENS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone

Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone falls under ESTROGENS — the group Androstenediol interacts with.

Androstenediol is a precursor to estrogen and can increase levels of estradiol and estrone. There is some concern that taking androstenediol with estrogens might increase estrogenic effects and potential side effects. However, androstenediol is converted to estrogen in low estrogen environments. Patients who are taking supplemental estrogen do not have low estrogen levels. Therefore, androstenediol might not be converted to estrogen in these patients. It is unclear how this might alter the effects and side effects of androstenediol. Until more is known, use with caution or avoid using with estrogen-containing drugs. Some of these drugs include CombiPatch, Estraderm Transdermal, Kestrone, Vivelle Transdermal, and others.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the basic idea. Your body can turn androstenediol into estrogen-type hormones like estradiol and estrone. Estratest already contains both an estrogen and a testosterone-like hormone (methyltestosterone), so layering a prohormone on top could, in theory, add to your overall estrogen load. If that happened, you might notice more estrogen-related effects such as breast tenderness, bloating, nausea, or mood changes.

That said, this is a theoretical concern based on how the hormones work, not on strong human studies. Interestingly, androstenediol tends to convert to estrogen mainly when your estrogen is low, and on Estratest your estrogen is not low, so the real-world effect is genuinely unclear. Because androstenediol also carries its own hormonal risks, I'd play it safe and check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining the two.

References
  1. Broeder CE, Quindry J, Brittingham K, et al. The Andro Project: physiological and hormonal influences of androstenedione supplementation in men 35 to 65 years old participating in a high-intensity resistance training program. Arch Intern Med 2000;160:30
  2. Brown GA, Martini ER, Roberts BS, et al. Acute hormonal response to sublingual androstenediol intake in young men. J Appl Physiol 2002;92:142-6. PubMed
Moderate

TESTOSTERONE

2 of 2

Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone also falls under TESTOSTERONE.

Androstenediol is a precursor to testosterone and can increase levels of testosterone. There is some concern that taking androstenediol with testosterone might increase therapeutic and adverse effects of testosterone. However, androstenediol is converted to testosterone in low testosterone environments. Patients taking supplemental testosterone do not have low testosterone levels. Therefore, androstenediol might not be converted to testosterone in these patients. It is unclear how this might alter the effects and side effects of androstenediol. Until more is known, use with caution or avoid using with testosterone-containing drugs. Some of these drugs include Androderm Transdermal, AndroGel, Depo-Testosterone, Testex, Testoderm, and others.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Estratest already contains methyltestosterone, which is a man-made androgen, plus estrogen. Androstenediol is a prohormone that your body can turn into testosterone. So the worry here is simple: you would be stacking an extra source of androgen on top of the testosterone you are already getting. In theory that could push your total androgen load higher, which may mean more testosterone-type side effects like acne, oily skin, mood changes, unwanted hair growth, or in women voice deepening, plus possible strain on the liver since methyltestosterone is taken by mouth.

Honestly, this concern is theoretical and based on how the hormones behave, not on strong studies, and androstenediol may not convert well when your testosterone is already adequate. Still, since this is a controlled prohormone with real risks, please check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining them.

References
  1. Broeder CE, Quindry J, Brittingham K, et al. The Andro Project: physiological and hormonal influences of androstenedione supplementation in men 35 to 65 years old participating in a high-intensity resistance training program. Arch Intern Med 2000;160:30
  2. Brown GA, Martini ER, Roberts BS, et al. Acute hormonal response to sublingual androstenediol intake in young men. J Appl Physiol 2002;92:142-6. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Androstenediol Also Interacts With Other Medications

Androstenediol has 46 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Androstenediol

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Androstenediol. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone

This page covers Androstenediol only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone page lists 221 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 177 moderate · 38 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone page

“Start with grapefruit. For anyone taking Estratest (esterified estrogens, methyltestosterone) for menopausal symptoms, grapefruit juice blocks the enzyme that clears these hormones, letting levels and side effects climb, while St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Androstenediol and Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Androstenediol
Steady interest

#1,136 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone
Steady interest

#2,741 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Androstenediol

What is Androstenediol?

Androstenediol
  • Boosting testosterone
  • Building muscle and strength
  • Enhancing athletic performance
  • Anti-aging / general vitality
  • Bodybuilding cutting or bulking cycles

Androstenediol is a prohormone (a precursor the body can convert into testosterone and other hormones) marketed to raise testosterone and build muscle, but solid human evidence for these benefits is lacking and it carries real hormonal risks. In the United States it is a Schedule III controlled substance and is banned in most competitive sports. Talk with a doctor or pharmacist before considering any product containing it.

Read the full Androstenediol monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Androstenediol

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Androstenediol — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
46Moderate
0Minor
2,783No known interaction
Moderate

46 interactions

No interaction 2,783 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Androstenediol and Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone Together: Common Questions

Can you take Androstenediol with Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Androstenediol and Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone?
Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone belongs to more than one drug category, and Androstenediol interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Androstenediol and Esterified Estrogens, Methyltestosterone interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.