Does Testosterone really help libido?

[101trees]

Just that really. Does it work?

I'm on estrogen/utrogestan, it's been a (very) rocky road with HRT. I'm (fingers crossed) starting to feel better in lots of ways, but zero interest in sex. Can't remember what I found appealing about it.

I had lots of interest in sex prior to the crazy changes to my physical & mental health.

I have a lot of issues with hormones and migraines so not keen to mess with things unless it's actually likely to work... Just curious about others experiences, although I realise everyone is different and there's only one way to find out.

I'm on tibolone and that is one of the benefits of it, that it helps with libido

That's interesting. Did they give you Testosterone before estrogen ?

My menopause specialist also told me this.

I think it is different if they are diagnosing early menopause, as opposed to over 45.

But when I eventually worked my way round to specialist, she was very unimpressed by the testing.

It worked for me within 2 weeks. Delighted!
I now don’t want to ever come off it.

it worked for me!
First GP I tried said no we don’t prescribe to women in this area. Then I saw another (locum) GP about something else and mentioned it in passing and he offered to get advice from hospital specialist who confirmed he could prescribe.
I got the pump dispenser too rather than the fiddly sachets.

@Newgirlsyou have to answer a questionnaire and do a blood test (or provide the results of a recent one) to show your current level. The test is around £50 and then it’s another £18 for around a month’s worth of gel. I think they’ll ask for another blood test again periodically too.

So, yes you can get it yourself but you do have to jump through some hoops first - and it’s not especially cheap, though probably cheaper than going to a private specialist.

I’d prefer to go through the GP and have a real life human to advise, and consistency of care but it’s not an option so I’m giving it a try this way. TBH the Superdrug service has been quick and helpful when I’ve had issues (struggled to get blood for the first test!) so I’m reasonably impressed so far.

Ah no, sorry I didn't mean to mislead.

I went to the GP about leaking and got estriol. Then HRT. Then after six months once I was on the top amount of oestrogen, they happily did a blood test and prescribed testosterone.

No meno clinic required.
I've gone down to using it a few times a week as I randomly got very sore erect nipples, thankfully that's disappeared now!

I am also super hairy. My legs never needed shaving by the time I was in peri, but now they are very long!

My consultant said there is very limited evidence as nobody has bothered to do any and the number I was quoted was around 40% of women find it makes a difference.

I tried for a year and just ended up with very hairy thighs where I was applying it. It did nothing for me, my T level was almost zero and stayed like that for a year.

I have no libido or any interest in sex any more.

I increased the dose up to a satchet of testogel over 3 days (so 40.5mg/3) at my blood levels where still stubbornly at 0.7 and then had a chat with my endocrinologists.
I tweeked things after that -
Better sealing of satchet to reduce any risk of evaporation
Changed from thigh to upper arm/ shoulder application (okay for testosterone not for oestrogen)
Tested blood whilst fasted and two hours after application.
Results came back and i was now too high 3.1 (i think), so I've dropped down to 40.5mg/5 days, and retesting soon.

Might be worth giving it another go but changing the application site.
I've been applying to my shoulders for 2.5 months now and they're not hairy yet!!

It made absolutely zero difference to mine. I was prescribed it for lethargy though, not libido.

No hairs wherever I apply it, although I’m not particularly hairy anyway.

@Periperi2025 i also got better results putting it on my shoulders/top of my arm.

So helpful thank you

interesting about hairy legs - mine have for less hairy post meno - is it a sign of low T?!

Thank you, I have been slowly withdrawing from the multiple medications I was on for peri/meno over the past 12 months to see what difference dropping one every 3 months or so. I just felt like I was continuining to chase feeling better through medication when perrhaps the side effects were just as bad as the symptoms.

So far I feel no worse, and I am down to just patches now. Perhaps it is an absorption issue but I dont feel like starting a lot of the meds again.

Best thing I have done instead was start Mounjaro, I have shed 2 1/2 stone and I feel so much better for it. Less tired, less achy, I look way better and I think its stabilised a lot of my mood swings, which I think were mainly down to feeling hungry constantly.

I was hirsute prior to laser. Testosterone has made some come back. I am having electrolysis on my chin and planning laser all over again. Thighs, bum and belly affected most I would say. But higher energy and libido so on balance I take it as a win. Just annoying to be hairy again.

Worked for me in terms of libido, and I’m not on any other HRT.
However it caused my hair on my head to thin terribly, and that on my face to thicken. Had a pretty impressive beard and moustache when I decided to come off the testosterone.

I'm similar.

Have underlying endocrine problems (pituitary) but any progress with diagnosis/ treatment is so slow (being seen at a regional endocrinology centre in 10 days).

I have lost 3 stone on a low dose of mounjaro and feel better than i have for a decade.

I am on 200mcg oestrogen in order to get me to a reasonable level for protection from osteoporosis and symptom relief. I do now wonder how much of that is an absorption issue, but i was VERY low on oestrogen when i started, so who knows, and i can't stick oestrogen patches on my shoulders because of a theoretical risk of it increasing changes of oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer of stuck above the waist.

I feel satisfied that i have finally cracked the testosterone absorption.

I had a mirena fitted on Monday as I've always struggled with the utrogestan, so hopefully that will be a positive change.

I'm also on ovestin which i need every other night or i get uncomfortable.

Some days i just look at my meds and think i don't want to deal with them (I'm also on apixaban which has to be taken religiously every morning and bedtime). I really pity type 1 diabetics and their medicine and testing regime, it must get them down.

Have you had your testosterone levels checked before starting the testosterone gel, and since being on it?

Yes, still lower than optimum. I just seem to respond very quickly and hairily to it. Salon workers tell me it is a very common side effect that they see.

Fair enough. We are all so different.

Worked like a charm for me. As in I had a sudden insight into how it must feel to be a teenage boy with untameable urges. Startling to both me and DH.

It’s settled down now but definitely made a big difference.

However, it doesn’t work like that for everyone and you definitely need enough oestrogen first or it won’t work at all.

2 months on testosterone and nothing has really changed, although I feel less fatigued in general and mind is a little clearer.

I’ve been on lenzetto and progesterone since February and that has been life changing. I discussed at the time with my GP about the complete lack of libido and we agreed to give the HRT time to kick in first. No bloods were taken, just done on symptoms alone.

I requested an appt to discuss testosterone in October, she agreed on principle pending bloods. My T level was 0.3 or something! So I was prescribed T by my GP, off license.
I’ve had repeat bloods since, and now my levels are too high (10!) So we’ve agreed to halve the dose for the next 6 weeks to see if it evens out and libido returns at all.
If it doesn’t, she said I’d probably have to stop taking it which I am a little loathe to do as I feel I have benefitted from it, just not in the way I was expecting.

So... do the hairy thighs return to normal after discontinuing?

I started HRT late - in my mid 60’s and added T after 8 months once stable.

Astonishingly for me it works within 20 hours of application.

I just use twice weekly now, a sachet easily lasts a month.

(I reduced the dose when I noticed myself becoming overly assertive and dynamic!)

Controversially perhaps, I so far have purchased my Testogel supplies over the counter from pharmacies when visiting Turkiye, a box lasts more than a year (around £43 last time) and NHS GP was happy to check levels annually.

(Not available over the counter in Greece, Croatia or Spain - when I last checked - if that helps anyone).

It didn’t work for me, sadly, just gave me spots! I had the Testogel sachets, which were fiddly to manage dosing.

My initial bloods showed my T levels were low, then after a month or so of Testogel, too high. I never really found the ideal level, and the acne was getting me down, so I stopped taking it.

I suppose i got a couple of days of higher libido, but didn’t feel it was worth the hassle, in the end. But I was very lucky that my NHS GP was willing to prescribe it for me.

Maybe I’ll try again one day!

can anyone recommend a private GP or Meno specialist that can help me with , this? I’m not in the UK but over regularly.