Testosterone

[Fraudornot]

I’m on a few menopause Facebook pages and a lot of the American posters post about also taking testosterone as well as HRT. I don’t hear it talked about so much in the U.K. - has anyone looked in to it or tried it?

I've been taking it for a couple of years for low libido. It does work if you get your hormones level first.

Did you get it through the GP?

@Fraudornot Yes. They only prescribe it for low libido.

How long did it take to kick in? I tried testosterone for a couple of weeks but didn’t notice any improvement. I’m wondering if I need to try it for longer.

Hi OP. Yes I have it via my GP who was delighted to prescribe it.

Has absolutely worked for me for libido.

My GP prescribes it on the recommendation of the menopause clinic. I’ve been on it for maybe a year. Something like half the women who try it find it helpful. I don’t have any side effects, I think I feel a little stronger but I haven’t seen much of a difference. Worth trying but you have to get your oestrogen levels right first.

I've been taken off it as my testosterone levels went through the roof 😟

I take it too, had a mind blowing orgasm a couple of weeks in! But it settled down again and I don’t notice much difference in libido now. Maybe need my levels checked?

As others have said, its only prescribed if you say you have low libido. I had heard it could help with energy and might reverse the clitoral atrophy I’ve experienced since menopause kicked in, but the doctor refuted that claim and said they only prescribe for libido.

FWIW my bush is now back with a vengeance, which I’m surprisingly pleased about! And I have once hairy patch on my thigh where I put it on!

As my testosterone levels are in the normal range, my GP won’t prescribe it. I got it privately from Superdrug. It’s little sachets and I find it really hard to gage the dose.

I get Testogel privately. Been told to use a quarter of a pump daily but use a bit more as need it. I remember it took time to kick in when I started.

Testosterone is for low libido. I’ve been adjusting doses for 10 months with my GP and am finally starting to see an improvement

I was prescribed it for low energy. It hasn’t had any effect in my libido.

I've been on testogel for about 10 weeks now. I honestly can't say I can feel any difference and I think have had sex once during that time. I just have no sodding libido. I was really hoping for energy levels to improve and that's not happened either. Yet. but the gynae clinic at my local hospital who prescribed it did say it can take several months to kick in.

For me it was immediately transformational for libido, but I know I’m in a lucky minority. Gp prescription after my other HRT had been tweaked.

Yes this happened to me too, I’ve halved my dose and will discuss at my next follow up.

It's funny how us women think we need to take a male hormone to increase libido which naturally declines in some women with age.
Men don't take an equivalent female hormone to satisfy a woman's needs whatever that may be.

Same here, HRT first for 6 months, libido was still low so Testosterone introduced. Honestly, it has been amazing. I love my regime, my husband says he has a new wife, he can’t keep up with me 😝

Me too, after just two weeks it was as if a switch has been flicked on, absolutely amazing for me. I’ve never had a libido like this before, loving it. My blood tests are still below the upper limit, so everything as it should be.

I don’t take it for my libido, nor do a lot of women, but that’s the only reason it can be prescribed, so you officially have to request it on that basis.
I told the GP I had low energy and low mood and my cognition had suffered and she said anecdotally there’s some reason to think testosterone might help with some or all of those but she could only prescribe it for low libido. It’s an issue for the medical establishment.

Testosterone isn't a male hormone anyway.
Your ovaries and adrenal glands make it.

I like sex - I really miss it when I don't have it. And I don't have sex with men so it's definitely not to please them.

Weird take, tbh.

I took it privately for a few months. I had an initial massive increase in libido before it dropped back to baseline. I stopped taking it after after 6 months as I could not notice much difference. I now find that doing regular exercise (strength training) has the most impact on both my libido and energy levels.

Thanks everyone - has anyone found it has helped with stopping muscle wasting? I’ve been a regular exerciser my whole adult life but still can’t stop the muscle deterioration.

Testosterone isn’t an exclusively male hormone so there is no equivalent female hormone.

@Skippingaround We also produce testosterone. I don't take it to satisfy my partner, I take it because, funnily enough, I enjoy sex.