Testosterone

[FifiChi]

Has anyone ordered testosterone from the Internet? My GP can't prescribe it. I have to be referred to a menopause specialist. Unfortunately the NHS waiting list has been closed until next year! I will have to go private.

My GP cannot give it to me. I was referred to a menopause clinic at the hospital where I had my cancer treatment but the waiting times are so long.

I went private and got it no issues

@Chesneyhawkes1 do you mind me asking where you went privately? My GP is not being particularly helpful getting testerone despite my blood test showing low.

@Winter789Mermaid I went to H3 Health and had an online consultation.

My friend had the same last week too after private blood tests showed her testosterone was really low too.

Thanks I’ll look into it.

Just adding to this now as it looks like you can now get testosterone from Superdrug! Who’d da thunk it!

Is that as a women though? You could get it if you were a man but when you put in female it declines and sends you back to your GP…

https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/testosterone-for-women.html

Absolutely for women 🙂

I have tried to buy it through that link, but have heard nothing back. I think they send your request to your GP for approval.

[I would be very happy to get it via my GP but it is not possible to get an appointment - I was told to call each week and see if there were any appointments, but there never are any, not since mid-December]

I got a blood test via my GP which indeed showed low testosterone back in November but have yet to get any as “only one GP in the practice is doing a trial with a few women” ffs - I did however get a higher dose progesterone due to the Mirena not working fully and dropped my oestrogen which has made me feel a lot better?!

I got very little menopause help. I believe my marriage ended because all my GP said to me was, I don't have time for this today, I can't give you testosterone and don't know where to send you, its part of getting older etc ad nauseam.
By the time I'd been sweaty and sexless for 2 years my H went off with a younger woman.
This wouldn't happen with ED would it? Yet our libidos mean nothing to anyone in the medical profession.

I was lucky, and was referred to menopause clinic as a follow-up from my hysterectomy. They couldn't give me HRT (endometrial cancer survivor) but prescribed testosterone (Tostran), and ever since that time my GP has been able to prescribe it ongoing. It has definitely given me more energy, and I am no longer dead from the waist down.

Terrible that provision in the UK is so patchy and area-dependent.

I’ve just been given a testosterone that is made for women, it’s licensed in Australia according to my menopause doctor (private). It’s called Androfeme 1 it’s a cream and has a lower amount of testosterone only 1.0%, I believe male version is 2.0%.
it was expensive £85 but should last me 3 months, my doctor said about 50% of her clients have an uplift in their libido the rest didn’t notice much change, can take up to 3 months to work 🤞🏻

I got testogel using the Superdrug service. Consultation is free. How it works is that you fill in online questionnaire which is reviewed by a Superdrug medical gmc registered doctor. In my case she asked me to confirm I was already on HRT and if I had had a blood test for testosterone levels (which my gp had done) and she asked to see print out of result which I sent via a photo. Superdrug also offer the test for £50 if you haven’t had one already. Superdrug approved my order and sent a letter saying thdy had done so to my gp. Cost for testogel was £18 for 3 sachets which is 24 days worth so I will need to click on the reorder button in 3weeks

I'm wondering if the initial testosterone level blood test should be done on a particular day of the cycle?
Presumably the levels fluctuate in the same way as with Oestrogen and Progesterone and you'd want a snapshot of when the testosterone is at its lowest point?

Thanks for the update - I had my testosterone level checked by GP 6mths ago and yes it’s really low but we can’t help you at the moment was the answer. Interestingly I’ve since halved my oestrogen dose but increased my progesterone as coil wasn’t working properly and I’ve felt a lot better with it. My 2-weekly migraines have gone and I’ve had more energy. I’m waiting for another medical thing to be sorted first then I’ll go back again to try the testosterone.

Newson Health do a Testosterone quick start service which is excellent. I've been using Testim for over week now and although it's early days...they say minimum of 3 weeks to notice any difference...I've slept better than I have for years! Maybe a placebo like effect but I don't care if I sleeeeeep!!

@Barelyable how much does that service cost please?

I've been on hrt (novofem tablets) for about 3 years now. At first everything was great and I was sleeping so much better, but now I'm waking in the night again and feeling flat and lacking energy so asked my gp for testosterone. She said they only prescribe it for libido (not a problem though I could have fibbed) and sent me for a blood test to check my oestrogen levels instead. That test came back as higher than normal and I still can't have testosterone.

@CosyCoffee the initial consultation was £195 and you pay £70 per year for them to write your prescription. Testosterone itself ranges from £26 ish for 100 days worth (Testim/Testogel) or £95 for Androfeme which is a larger tube and more creamy than gel. The gel is fiddly as it's dispensed in either packets or small tubes but I'm willing to put up with that for the price!

Tristram is another testosterone. It comes in a pump dispenser a bit like Oestrogel does. The dose for women is one pump every other day. Therefore it isn’t fiddly or difficult to measure. One canister would last nearly a year and that’s for the price of one prescription.

I have it on the NHS.

Sorry…iPad somehow adjusted my typing. The brand is Tostran.

Thank you for that info @Barelyable

@WombatChocolate did you get it prescribed on the nhs because of low libido? My GP told me that is the only symptom she can prescribe it for. As though sleep, energy and drive are unimportant!

Yes, I told them about low libido and mentioned that NICE guidelines say the NHS can prescribe off licence for those who’ve been on HRT for at least 3 months and have not seen their libido improve.

Some GPs still won’t prescribe.

If they won’t, you can ask to be referred to a specialist. If you have low libido, you have a right to be seen by someone who can address this for you and if the GP doesn’t feel confident to, they need to refer you on. Be polite but firm.

Once a specialist has prescribed it for you, they write to GP who will continue to do so.

Different local areas will choose different ones from Tostran, Testim and Testogel.

For those using Testogel, I've been prescribed it this week but haven't collected from the chemist yet. Any tips on how best to use it?

My doctor told me that I'd get 3 sachets per monthly prescription so I need to make each sachet last 10 days. Does it not sort of go 'off' after you've opened it?? She didn't have any to hand in her office otherwise she'd have shown me, but I'm a bit worried about administering the dose myself I'd far rather a patch or even gel in a pump? I didn't want to be negative about it though in case she decided not to give it to me!

I am resurrecting this thread!

I think my gp would be open to it and I've thought about it, but at this point there's no point in getting a test as I'm currently taking some steroids via bodybuilding sources. I have done it in the past and had fantastic results, although the level of libido might be a bit excessive for many husbands to deal with!

I have taken the anabolic oral steroid Anavar twice before and I'm now on my 3rd cycle. First two times were fantastic and I had no unwanted side effects. The second time I did it I added in a bit of testosterone via injections. That was the time the libido was possibly TOO high. Again, no negative side effects.

I do lift weights and I enjoyed feeling stronger and effortlessly losing belly fat whilst building some muscle. (By "effortlessly" I only mean that I didn't diet. I worked out as I always had.)

This time I've had a bit of a palaver finding genuine Anavar. This is basically stuff made in underground labs bought either from people you know or on the Internet. It's dodgy as hell, but lots of people do it.

If anyone is curious, I'll describe the experiences in more detail, although I won't give specific information about where to buy it. It is not illegal to buy it, possess it or use it in the UK, but it is illegal to sell it or import it. But I don't think mumsnet would appreciate my encouraging it!

Interesting thread for me currently been taking testosterone 18 months with great results (n along with Estriogen & Prog GP now prescribes ) but its expensive with Newson so just deciding on whether to switch to Superdrug, would have to switch from androfemme. My GP says that he can't prescribe me testosterone or even test because of local CCG who make theses decisions. I hate having to do the blood test privately the nurses can be crap privately whereas GP nurse or hospital painless and easy this is all so complicated to organise and decide!