Has testosterone made a difference?

[melonchunks]

My gynae is happy for me to trial it but did give me warnings about potential alopecia and that it’s often a placebo. Currently use Mirena and 50mg patches.
59, fit, and BMI 22.5 but would love the oomph that I read about.

I’m keen to read of other women of my age’s experiences

I was reading about it being a game changer for confidence and general "pizazz" for want of the right expression? I don't care about the libido (just started HRT and getting a bit back but not nearly enough to think finding a man would be a good idea!) but I would like more confidence and think back to my 20's and "can do" attitude wistfully... does it make a difference there?

Similar age to you, OP, and had high hopes for T, but all it did was give me acne. There was a brief (very brief!) improvement in libido, but the acne got me down so I stopped taking it. I'm on Mirena + Oestrogel, otherwise.

<snortle>

The NHS will only prescribe for libido - seems counterintuitive as I would have imagined they’d think a woman’s sex drive wasn’t that important, but apparently that’s the only thing it can be prescribed for, so even if you’re not fussed, make sure that’s the only thing you ask it to be prescribed for.

To be fair, my ache didn’t last that long, maybe half an hour or so after an orgasm. I would definitely give it a try.

How crazy! I know they prescribe viagra for men frequently and also think that is money that could be spent better, but surely confidence and keeping people in work is far better for the economy than giving old men boners?

Yes this has pretty much been my experience with the testosterone, plus just having more strength generally. I don’t know if I’m losing hair as much as gaining it but only in the pubic area. Keeps me warm!

Don’t worry, I had 10 years of menopause before I went on HRT, and everything has responded fantastically well. The oestrogen started to improve things after 3 days. If I hadn’t experienced it I wouldn’t believe it.

The reason she pushed that is because it can only be prescribed off licence to women for libido in the uk, so you have to play along somewhat. I wanted to try it to see if it helped my energy levels and strength training (it has). Oh also worth mentioning that it isn’t included in the HRT prepayment plan, but I only need to pick it up a few times a year.

will NHS GPs prescribe testosterone without blood tests?

T has not been a game changer for me I am sad to say but i think it took the edge off the anxiety I was feeling even on max HRT oestrogen. Helped with sleep maybe. Memory is still atrocious and mental sharpness has gone perhaps forever but that may be down to other things.
The annoying increase in body hair has been noted but I think I will still stick with the T for the anxiety reduction.

Not sure. Mine wouldn’t prescribe it until I had seen an NHS gynaecologist as it’s off licence, so I had to be referred, even though I’d already had a private prescription. Didn’t have those issues with oestrogen but I think that’s because it’s licences for use in uk. First stop would be to ask your GP.

It’s definitely made a difference to me. I felt like I’d lost the connection between my brain and my clitoris and it’s definitely back!!

Been on it for around 3 years now, maybe a bit longer. As with many other PPs, it’s been a game changer in terms of libido (which I thought had disappeared forever), general energy and brain fog. I started at the same time as oestrogen supplements (tablets, 2.5mg per day) so not necessarily clear which benefits derive from which treatment, and started fairly serious weightlifting around the same time too….whilst the additional energy probably has something to do with the testosterone I’m pretty sure that my muscles are down to hard work! Small pea sized amount daily, checkup with gynae once a year. Additional hair is 100% a side effect, but only around my pubic area, probably because I apply to my inner thigh, and orgasms have massively improved (as well as general libido and enjoyment) In fact, that last point hadn’t really occurred to me as possibly being connected until I read the other comments!

Yes along as established on hrt.

They need to run it past a specialist but they can do it via email or phone so if you have a an on the ball gp it should be sorted without you needing a face to face.

Thanks for all the comments, I’m going to trial it.

I’ve got a blood test booked then a follow up appointment with Gynae. She implied that my GP can take over prescribing after 6 month.

Will report back.

I started taking testosterone 2 months ago and I’ve noticed a definite improvement in my energy levels (which is why I wanted to try it). I raised it at a menopause clinic (and had to lie about reduced libido when actually I’ve chosen to be celibate for years) so they sent me for blood tests and at my next menopause clinic appt (10 months later!), they said yes I have low testosterone and asked my GP to prescribe it for me per their instructions.

Hi, reading with interest. I’m going to ask my GP about this asap as my libido is low. If this doesn’t work, it might be time to end my marriage 😢

My GP was happy for me to try it, but required a blood test prior to prescribing, then another blood test a month or so in, to check how levels were doing. The levels went from too low to too high - it's a real faff to get the dose right when you have to get 8 doses out of a tiny foil sachet! So I was going to need another blood test. By then I was fed up of the acne and hassle, so I just stopped taking it.

I was really hoping it would increase my libido and mental clarity, but before I could give it long enough to see those effects, it gave me cystic acne all over my chin and around my mouth. This was something I had suffered with for twenty years throughout my fertile years which went away with perimeno. I guess if you never had that problem in the past, then it would be unlikely to start it up, but if you ever had acne as a younger woman, it might bring it back.

But maybe my testosterone hadn’t dropped much anyway as I certainly hadn’t begun to suffer the body hair loss others have spoken about. My leg and pube hair is still plentiful and my clitoris is still very much as it’s always been- no signs of atrophy yet. I just can’t be arsed to have sex. 😕

Still waiting to see the Gynae but my blood test results are back and it looks like I have less than 0.1 Testosterone and also very low free androgen
Im presuming she’ll be happy for me to trial it
Arw there any specific formulas that you’d recommend? They all look a faff to dose

good you have your base level and it does sounds like it might help you as the reference range is 0.1 to 1.4 (n mol/L)

My levels were 0.52 when it was checked prior to starting the gel and I was 11 years post menopause at that point. 12 years previously it had been 1.1 so was already on the wane during peri menopause ( and I was exhausted and not as strong as I am now).
now my levels are closer to 2 which is quite high but apparently expected with testosterone therapy.
as to the formula, as far as I know we only get offered the sachets on the NHS which have to last a week, so pea sized amount each day. There are apparently better things available privately. I use a small stationary clip to to keep the sachet sealed so I can take to the gym etc or if I am travelling.

I’m so interested in this as I’ve heard it can support pelvic floor as well in menopause but the whole ‘needs to be your libido’is tough- I have so many gynae issues going on due to menopause sex is the last thing on my mind! My levels looked like low serum testosterone (<0.2) and high ssbg (127) so just at the very bottom and top of range respectively.
not sure whether to go for it and see if it helps.
it’s all a shot in the dark this menopause stuff.

Thought I would post as I discovered you can get a testosterone blood test from Superdrug. I've no intention of lying about libido (couldn't GAF) so if I have to pay £50 for a test to show low T then so be it. Just in case anyone else is thinking they might need it but not willing to be the desperate 40+ woman desperate for a shag...

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