How did you ask GP for testosterone?

[Veryfullon]

I’m 47 and feel way too young to have zero libido. I really want to see if testosterone can help even just a little bit but I feel awkward and even a bit ashamed to approach my GP about this. I’m just not sure the best way to approach it and would really like some advice please.

My GP said they don’t offer it on NHS - may be a postcode thing so worth asking but you may have to go private.

id maybe say that you’ve heard that testosterone is also lower at your age and that including it on your treatment can improve energy levels and libido. How do you go about adding that in. They’ll probably say you can’t, because hey, we’re only women so why would we need to WANT sex or have energy - we’ll just push ourselves to do it all anyway! Good luck.

I spoke to my private Dr on Wednesday this week about testosterone and she said that the NHS do not prescribe it. She did say something else about it not being approved in the UK (or something along those lines). Anyhow, after a long chat she has prescribed me two tubes (from a European supplier) and I will see how I get on with it. I think these days with any hormone treatments it is best to go Private if you can. Generally it is not as expensive as you may think.

It is not true that the NHS don’t prescribe it.

In some places, GPs insist that women see a sepecialist [NHS menopause clinic) and they prescribe it and moniotr it and then GP takes over prescribing.

In some places GPs will prescribe direct.

In other places GPs say they don’t prescribe and there is no clinic available. However, if someone pushed them on this and the NICE guidelines which say it should be considered for women who have already tried HRT for a period of time and had no libido improvement, they would struggle to hold that line. Some women will be confident to challenge them on this kind of thing and others won’t.

Personally I spoke to my GP about it just recently. I’d researched beforehand and knew about the NICE guidelines and that I should make clear I have low libido and had been on HRT for several months with no improvement. I knew the slight risks and that Its off licence. My GP was happy to prescribe and gave me Tostran.

so, I ended up with a bottle that will last almost a year for just the £9.35 prescription charge. Fab!

I talked about this on another thread because there was a downside. My GP was happy to prescribe and said she had done it befor not regularly so needed to check the dose…and then proceeded to instruct me to take the male quantities. This would have had the bottle run out after 28 days - a huge overdose for a woman. I picked up the prescription from Boots and then read up on Tostran online and could see how wrong the quantities I’d been told to take were. So, that want good and I’ve had to go back to the GP to tell them their error. I referred to it and ‘clarifying the dose’ as I was loathe to discourage them prescribing it to women…but it shows the potential issues of GPs prescribing unlicensed drugs. No excuse really, as I found correct female doses within about 3 mins and the British Menopause Society website which should be their go-to is very clear. So I saved all that money and got what I needed, but I did have to put time into research before my appointment and also after. That was fine by me, but that was the ‘cost’ I faced by going NHS and not private. I was confident enough to research and spot an error, but not everyone will be. It will also be asking for a 3 month blood test to check my testosterone is within normal female range. I’ve seen that recommended online but GP didn’t mention it.

Anyway, it’s worth trying the NHS. It isn’t true they wont prescribe. Perhaps some private practioners say this to keep their numbers up?? I think it was probably largely true a couple of years ago, but things are improving, if slowly.

My area - north Oxfordshire, I could not get hold of it. Went private for the HRT firstly with Newson Health in Stratford upon Avon, then she got my doctor to take on the prescription and I will have to buy the testosterone privately from Newson Health. (£85) a tube Have noticed a slight interest in sex, or rather using my vibrator, im much quicker getting there! shall we say. not much interest in husband tho.... Im now considering a bone scan, re the osteoperosis question, have never broken a bone in my life, I do not have a bird like frame, HRT is a preventative measure

I just asked for it after my GP recommended listening to a couple of podcasts by Louise Newsome. Got it on the NHS. It’s prescribed ’off licence’ as its only designed for men.

I’ve not noticed a huge difference myself, libido wise, but I have much less brain fog and better energy. But I’m taking the full monty of progesterone and oestrogen.

I had it prescribed last week by my doctor - no problem whatsoever. It has been prescribed off licence and I had to have a blood test done just to check everything was normal. I got the blood test results back and started on Tostran yesterday. I'm also on Oestrogel and have the Mirena coil fitted. I asked for it for lack of libido and brain fog.

Sonofagun, please could I ask how you were told to take Tostran? Regularity? Amount?

Thanks. I’m on oestrogel, Utrogestan and now Tostran too. Early days with the Tostran, but I did think that at about a week in I was more engaged in a technical discussion at work than I’d been for along time. Might have been related to Tostran or not. Someone on another thread said they’d turned into a raging nympho (their words not mine) and had to reduce their dose! Where I am at moment, that’s hard to imagine!

Have you tried Tiboline/Livial OP? It's more in the HRT camp but is known for helping libido. Helped me when I was 47 and thinking I was far to young to have sex disappear from my life, fwiw.

WombatChocolate I've been instructed to take one pump on alternate days. I checked this against the British Menopause Society after reading your post above and this seems to be correct.

I only started yesterday I should add......so not impact yet!

I'm a GP and I prescribe it however it is currently unlicensed for women.
Varying results - some love it, some no benefit and some develop side effects such as excess growth (despite the female dose) and therefore stop it

SunnyDay, please could I ask if you’d tell women to have a blood test after being on testosterone a while to check their levels are within female range?

I have read that on the BMS website and on various CGC advice sheets which are clearly issued to women who are prescribed testosterone in some areas. However my GP states no HRT needs blood test monitoring unless there’s an issue. I understood that was right for standard HRT but testosterone is different and blood tests should be taken to check levels, to ensure it doesn’t get too high and the risks of deeper voice, hair growth etc aren’t raised.

Thanks.

When I spoke to my GP again (after she had prescribed me male dosage of Tostran) to clarify, she was very pleasant, but also a bit flustered. She said she didn’t know which website she had looked at and perhaps I shouldn’t take it and go to the gynaecologist. I mentioned the BMS pages, which she looked up there and then, and could see the dosing that I’d read about so easily, and was reassured and happy to agree with it and tell me to use that dose, instead of the amounts which were about 8x the weekly amount which she’d said before. I wasn’t critical in any way, as I didn’t think it would be helpful and also because I could see she was already anxious about this. It just made me think again about how difficult it is for GPs in prescribing off licence. The key info doesn’t readily pop up, they are taking a risk of getting it wrong and people complaining or worse, and I can see why lots just aren’t willing to go down this route.

Roll on the day when these drugs are on licence for women with clear dosages in the leaflets for women and it’s all easier, or a woman-only product like Androfemme is licensed for NHS to prescribe women.

Sonofagun, have you been asked to take blood tests? Either before you started on Tostran, or at some point in future? Just interested to compare experiences.

Thanks.

WombatChocolate Yes, I had a blood test last week as per my Doctors request. When it came back "normal" I was prescribed Tostran which I collected and started yesterday. I have to go back to the doctor in 3 months' time for follow up. Not sure what this follow up will entail (e.g. whether I will need a further blood test to check levels).

Hello. I am 48 and I have been on HRT for 2.5 years. Originally to settle swinging moods. In last 6 months my libido and general sexual pleasure has disappeared. I have also felt really tired, and muscles have been weaker (not able to lift weights as before).

I asked my GP to prescribe testosterone but she was uncomfortable to do it so i asked whether there was another GP in the practice who was more knowledgable on the subject - think this is a fair question to ask your GP if they don’t want to prescribe

Thankfully there was and the new GP requested a blood test which determined I was low in testosterone (had my levels been normal she said she would recommend increasing oestrogen first to see if that helped). She prescribed Tostran, one pump every other day ( she said the sachets were a pain to eek out over a week).

I started it yesterday. She has asked me to have a blood test to check my levels are within normal range in 9 weeks.

I am hopeful that this works!!

She also said that she thought that testosterone would become licensed soon in UK.

Hope this helps.

Got private consultation with Bupa menopause specialist who recommended it and wrote to the GP asking them to prescribe it. I now have it on repeat prescription on my NHS app. 🤩

I’m on testosterone which is prescribed by my GP.
You say you’d like to try it and why. Read nice CKS guidelines on menopause and print them off if necessary.

Don’t let gp’s fob you off.
ask to see the GP or nurse practitioner who specialises in woman’s health.
You will need a blood test at 3 months to check levels.

Can I just ask- are people using one full pump every other day? Is there a link to the dosage website you mentioned?
I was also prescribed to use it daily, but knew this was too much, but am a bit of a loss as to the right amount
Thanks

If you look on the British Menopause Society website and look at the testosterone pages you will see the dosage.

After I queried the dosage with my GP she looked again and rectified it. She said that she was confused because the dosage of liquid is different to the amount of testosterone in it. I know what she means as the Tostran leaflet expresses quantities in terms of pumps, amounts of liquid and amounts of the medication within the liquid.

I also asked if I should have blood tests. She said that wasn’t usual for HRT. I pointed out this wasn’t for HRT but testosterone and I had read that levels should be monitored to ensure it remains in female normal range. She said she didn’t know about this. a I said it was on British Menopause Soc website. She had quick look but couldn’t see it. I insisted it was there so she asked me to send her a link. I did. A week later she replied to say that she would like to monitor my testosterone levels and I should book a blood test for 3 months after being on it and then yearly.

Basically, I did all the work on this! The right outcomes in terms of dosage and testing are now in palace, but I worked hard to make it happen and if I had been more deferential and uncomfortable about querying and pushing, I probably would be on far too height a dose with no testing regime in place. Poor.

I’m using about half a pump every other day.

It is new thing in England. I spoke with my dr today and he said all gps are having to learn loads and try and keep up with the NICE guidelines which are constantly changing. It is available now through your dr in England. I am going for blood test in a couple of weeks to check both oestrogen and testosterone levels. Lenzetto spray has been awful for me- I suspect i am not absorbing it. I could also do with having my libido propped up as that has suddenly taken a nose dive- that is really unusual for me.

@sunnydaysmiles my gp told me that it has just become licenced for women in England. Surely you would know that?

Hi, I was prescribed testosterone from Newson Health. After I'd been on it a couple of months, I phoned my GP to ask if they would take over prescribing and they did without any problem whatsoever. My GP just asked the dose I was on and continued with that on a future repeat prescription. I'm still going back to Newson for a 3 month blood check to ensure that the levels are within normal female range but otherwise, it's been very straightforward.

I asked about testosterone at my last review except that oestrogen was too low so it could only be a query till I've raised my patch.

They tend to like to have oestrogen levels at a good level before they will prescribe.

She said she had "but the women hadn't got on with it well. The the same as given to men; there's a female version but currently privately prescribed."

It sounded like I'd have to prove I'm doing everything else right (right patch, use Ovestin cream etc) and wait a good 3 months before she'd consider it. My oestrogen was around 120 and she'd prefer around 600.

It's sounds like Newson tends to prescribe testosterone earlier and more freely. She says women make x3-4 more testosterone than oestrogen and it dives in peri. I wouldn't be surprised if the guidelines change in a few years.

My libido has gone suddenly, 4 months after covid along with worsening meno symptoms. But I want it for joint issues as much as libido.

I'm on Testim, Newson Health prescribed it privately, and my GP practice won't take over the prescribing. I've had my blood tests after 3 months on it, and am apparently at optimal levels. It comes in little tubes, and I use a baked bean size blob every day.

Costs about £30 for a year's supply.