Testosterone on HRT: PLEASE share your experiences (should I start?)

[oxymomon]

Hey,
So I'm on HRT oestrogen patches + utrogestan, and it has helped with my anxiety and night sweats. But I still have low energy.
Should I seek testosterone to help with my energy? I really feel like an old woman with such a lack of energy, and I'm not getting as much done as I'd like to. Should I start testosterone, and will it help my energy?
I should note that I am seeing a private UK menopause dr, so I can get testosterone if I want it. The dr is going to do a testosterone blood test first.

are there markers outside of blood testing? So- if someone has always been fairly blessed in the body hair dept and no change to that since HRT- does that mean that their testosterone hasn’t dipped yet? Therefore no need to try testosterone? Asking for a friend…

I want instant results!! Hahah

I dont think so, afaik you dont suddenly lose body hair when testosterone drops. Im dont have lots of body hair but got extra - the lovely meno moustache - and my T was under 1 so it dropping didnt stop me getting extra hair.
I was prescribed testogel months ago but only started it last week, histamine and Covid messed up my hrt for a while was was waiting for that to settle and levels be established again before adding in the 3rd hormone.

I want instant results!! Hahah

Me too, first available appt at my Gp is Jan though

That will have been 4 mo on this patch level though so I'll have a good overview on symptoms.

Your oestrogen and progesterone (if you are taking it too) levels do need to be balanced before adding testosterone - otherwise it can throw things out of whack by converting to oestrogen (i think?) so you are as well to have a good 4 months done on your higher dosage patch.

Thanks Milly - I'm actually going to switch to continuous with 3 day break for a bleed. Gp said I could go to continuous in summer but I spotted/ bled a lot. Went back to cyclical and don't feel as good. Need some stability- and am definitely better on utro (though take vaginally.) try for some stability before I seek next steps.

Covid also messes me up for a good 3-4 months. Happened twice this year.

Oh covid can be a disaster with HRT, I think because of the histamine issue with it maybe.
Also fyi, in case your GP isnt aware/hasnt mentioned it, the BMS has recently recommended that women on a higher oestrogen dose be on a higher dose progesterone than was previously osly used to be sure theres no issue with lining build up in the womb.

You're telling me 😖

My friend who is a Gp and had recent Dr curry training mentioned it - is a 100 patch seen as high? I've seen some women on much higher; even 250 patches. Based on previous blood tests and symptoms I doubt my oestrogen will even be hitting 400.

At the moment though I've been using vaginally as I found it made me groggy in the am orally. I'm not sure I'm that keen on x2 continuously oop there...!

My Gp suggested anti histamines a couple of months after covid but I'm not sure it did much.

Thanks Milly it’s confusing- hair falls out of head and brows and goes into overdrive everywhere else! 😂

I think 100 does but im on gel so not certain . Im on 3 pumps and 200 continual seems to be the new recommendation for that amount
Sometimes you need a particular antihistamine or a higher dosage for it to be helpful, histamine is a bit of a minefield tbh. Im an asthmatic with food and other allergies for decades and thought i had it fairly figured out then perimenopause threw a spanner in the works, then menopause/hrt/covid complicated it further but seem to be on an even keel again now (heres hoping testosterone doesnt bugger it all up again!)

Ok thanks, have seriously considered mirena. But prefer idea of body identical.

Balancing allergies is hard enough then meno comes along with histamine etc! Bloody minefield. I thought I had ibs but looking back it was mostly histamine.

Gp couldn't work out why I reacted to spag Bol and dark chicken meat. Thought I was a loon.

I developed IBS like symptoms too, omg never experienced bloating and pain like it, hunched over the counter top at work not able to move on occasiin. At the time my GP suggested I look at the FODMAP lists and that does seem to have helped, crisps, which are my favourite food ever, is a big trigger as is fried food. HRT has definitely made it much much more manageable

I asked for it for reduced libido and it was taking me 3x longer to have an orgasm. I bloody love it - not only is my sex drive etc back to normal, but my focus and energy have also improved markedly too. I have gel and use a pea-sized drop every other day. No difference to my hair.

@DillDanding May I ask how long it took to kick in?

Following for advice.

I've taken Androfeme for almost a year. For me took 3 to 6 months to kick in properly. Good for concentration/organisation, brain sharpness, endurance re exercise, muscle build gradually there, general confidence. Sex drive slightly better but not main benefit. My second favourite hormone after estrogen. Slightly more hair. No other side effects. Re starting it's not a biggie. Try for 3 to 6 months. If you don't benefit, stop.

Thanks parson. Those things are what I know I need.

As an aside l, Im tolerating progesterone much more now too (been on 100 patches nearly 3 months.) . I don't think I need to avoid food with it. I also noticed it's helping achy feet a bit.

I have a review in jan so will ask if Gp will consider a trial. Libido still isn't as it was 10 months ago, though slightly better. I'm not sure I want more oestrogen. Possibly more progesterone!

I've marvelled at how much extra hair I have on oestrogen. I became hypothyroid around 20 and i don't think I've had as much now as I did since late 20s.

I've been v hot this year on b12 and ferritin too though and got private tests to check for the first time ever, having always vowed never to. Oestrogen brought a definite extra fringe layer though.

NHS gynae prescribed testosterone for me when put in Mirena .(as I’d not been tolerating oral progesterone) . Oestrogen gel too, 2 pumps. I pump to strang every other day. 3 months in not noticed any real difference. Didn’t have bloods done.

asked for testosterone as poor libido…

That’s interesting about GPs prescribing Testosterone. Mine said in our region they weren’t allowed to prescribe it at all and just recommended that I go private. That’s really shocking to me. Its not some fun extra thing that women are frivolously demanding is it.

I’m massively struggling at work every day due to brain fog and ultimately can be sacked if I can’t perform. The stress of that is definitely making me feel ill and shattering my confidence. Plus me having no libido is very hard on my partner.

I’m really pissed off with how women’s health is so dismissed despite the recent rush to be seen to remove taboos around menopause. That change in talking freely about meno is only worth doing if all women affected are given accessible HRT and alternative options that have been proven to help.

Otherwise it’s just media friendly window dressing and a commercial opportunity to make money off desperate women who are being given substandard out of date NHS care.

I was prescribed testosterone by my GP practice without any tests, which surprised me from hearing from others about their problems getting agreement. But then after only one month's supply the brand I was prescribed - Testim - has been discontinued according to my pharmacy. There are a few other brands mentioned here which is very helpful - I'll see if I can get a different prescription.

I'd not noticed any difference but it had only been one month.

Ps I asked for testosterone in relation to low (no!) libido but energy levels are more of an incentive tbh!