Testosterone level test in London

[HildaBWilderbeast]

Hi all. Can anyone recommend a good place in central London area where you can have your testosterone levels tested? Xxxx

Any gynaecologist in London would be able to do that by sending you to The Doctor’s Lab or similar for a blood test.

You can't just walk in anywhere that does blood tests and request a test.
You need to be referred by a doctor and the results shared with them.
So your starting point is either a private GP who is experienced in menopause or a gynaecologist.
There are plenty of those in London.

Actually there are walk in places and I'm wondering if anyone has used them e.g. Randox in Great Portland Street? I'd be interested in any feedback.

The situation is that I wonder if some of my problems may be due to low testosterone but I'm pretty sure that my NHS gynae will not test as they are penny pinching and have their rigid 'pathways'

Id rather not have to pay for a consultation with a private gynae if I can avoid as money is tight.

The issue with testosterone is it has to be taken into context of your other hormones and any supplementation is done in accordance with existing HRT.

The Randox does offer that test- I've just looked and it's easy to find under Female Hormones. £46

You'd need regular blood tests (initially) once you start on testosterone (that's my understanding.)

If you don't want to see a private consultant, you could look into private GPs/menopause which would be slightly less.

Are you already on HRT?

I’ve never been to Randox in person (although I did use them remotely during Covid times as they were one of the pre-flight Covid testing ‘providers’) but they are a reputable company.

Are you just looking for blood test results to boost your case with your NHS GP? Or do you need some actual advice/guidance? The challenge with Randox (and similar companies) is that they do your bloods and give you the results but you will need to pay extra for a consultation with a doctor to guide you through the results (Randox do offer that as an add-on). That will still be cheaper than seeing a private gynae but it really depends on what level of expertise you need.

I'm an NHS GPand would do this if there was a genuine reason. Have you asked to see whoever at your practice has an interest in women's health? Or are you prepared if you do use testosterone to pay for it on an ongoing basis?

and have ongoing blood tests to check it?

As far as I know women using it have to be on HRT first, to have their estrogen checked and testosterone balanced with that.

You can get testosterone from Superdrug. It's on their website what they need to prescribe it.

Have you asked to be prescribed it and been refused? I have it on the NHS and they simply do a blood test beforehand to check you are in the female range. You also need to be on the full dose of oestrogen, or at least settled on a dose with symptoms fully managed I think- I'm on full dose. NHS will only prescribe it for low libido so bang on about that, quality of life suffering etc etc.

It's been life changing for me but it doesn't work for everyone apparently.

Also your testosterone level doesn't have to be low for them to.prescibe it. They are just checking it's not too high before they give it to you.

Hello all.

Thanks for your comments. I think perhaps I need to explain a bit more about my situation as is not run of the mill. When I was 45 (i.e. prime years of hormone weird shit) I developed some night sweats, low mood and vaginal atrophy symptoms but at the same time some nerve pain symptoms that I guess you could call 'vulvodynia'. This first took the form of after I had an orgasm (or even just sexual thoughts without actual orgasm) I would have pain / aching / unpleasant feeling in that area that could last for days. Really nasty. A few months later it also changed to include a similar type of feeling after I had a shower and would last until midday-ish and then fade. I do all the usual things of not using soap etc and I don't have lichen sclerosis or similar as have been checked by a vulval dermatologist who I would trust.

Since then I have got HRT (estrogel). This is estrogen only since I have had a hysterectomy (kept ovaries). I feel I have the right level of estrogen as it deals with the night sweats, low mood etc but if I take more than the current level I get migraines and sore boobs. So that's all well and good. For the vaginal atrophy, it is somewhat under control with topical estrogen aided by vaginal moisturisers.

However, I have been taking the above HRT regime for more than a year and the nerve pain symptoms persist. I have seen various people and I have been given amitrityline, nortriptylene and gabapentin which did nothing for the pain and gave me nasty side effects. The latest thing is they want me to try duloxetine which also has nasty side effects and if you want to stop taking it a prolonged withdrawal period. I'm not keen on doing this either.

I have also been seeing a pelvic physio. She is good and it might be helping but I don't feel like it will be the solution on its own. I know the pelvic floor muscles can get all crunched up and cause pain but indications are that this is not the case for me.

I have done some research and there are a few indications in the scientific literature that low testosterone can have a bearing on vulvodynia and given the sexual pain link I do wonder if that is the case for me. By the way I am a scientist in a field allied to healthcare so I'm well able to read and interpret the scientific stuff.

I would like to have my testosterone levels tested to see if this might be a cause but I can just predict that I will be dismissed by the gynae I see. Therefore I think I'll have to do it myself. This is the reason for my original question!

I feel like as my problems are not usual there is not a convenient 'box' to put me in. The NHS doesn't seem to have a 'other' box that means that things are actually thought about and investigated. They just fob me off with whatever thing that is the nearest fit but is still not right. It seems to me that the onset of this problem with prime perimenopause years means that a hormonal cause is a good thing to investigate. As estrogen does not seem to have helped then I would like to see if testosterone might be the cause (or at least rule it out). Therefore if anyone does have any recommendations for easy to access testing in London I'd love to hear about it.

Also, if anyone else has experienced similar symptoms I'd be fascinated to hear.

If you've got to the end of this well done!

XXXXX

On the basis that you had had a hysterectomy, your NHS gynae should be willing to try you with testosterone. Ovaries fail on average 2 years after a hysterectomy.

Is there a national charity for vulvodynia (I seem to think there is!)

Your other option is to pay to see a specialist gynaecologist who knows about vulva pain. I appreciate it costs but if your life is a misery and you could have it sorted for £300-ish is it worth trying?

You can get Testosterone from Superdrug online doctor. They send you a blood test kit to do at home.

Ah, I wish I shared your faith @JinglingSpringbells but my experiences of NHS anything have been very poor indeed. I predict 'computer says no'.

Well testosterone is only prescribed for women on the NHS for lack of libido (and even that’s ’off label’) and I’m sure you very well aware of that already. So your NHS gynae isn’t able to prescribe it for anything else regardless of blood tests or not.

So you have a choice. Get it prescribed for low libido on the NHS (so the NHS will do a blood test first) or get it privately via somewhere like Superdrug. Then see if it makes a difference to your vulvodynia but you will effectively be experimenting on yourself and only you can decide if that’s a risk you feel comfortable taking or not.

The other (and not cheap) option if you’re convinced it’s hormone related is to pay privately to see an endocrinologist. I don’t think you stand much/any chance of a referral to an endo on the NHS so it’s probably private or nothing.

Have you looked at the Vulval Pain Society website?
It looks like you have 2 choices

Get testosterone online ( a PP left you info)
See a private gynaecologist.

Good summary @HundredMilesAnHour - but before I choose any of those battles or pay a load of money for a specialist I'd like to get it tested to determine if it is worth it or not. One step at a time!

The bit that is going to be hard- and you may need to ask for advice here- is how much to use, depending on your results.

And then presumably you will need another test after being on a certain dose for some time.

However, it's pretty mainstream now to have testosterone prescribed for libido, in theory, so it may be worth saying it's for that.

thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/08-BMS-TfC-Testosterone-replacement-in-menopause-DEC2022-A.pdf

Just to reiterate - I'm only talking about testing - let's not get carried away!

It's worth reading the BMS link because there is a paragraph in that guide on what should be measured- page 2 - (different ways of analysing testosterone) so maybe it's worth discussing that with the lab .

Thanks @JinglingSpringbells. I'll take a look.

I get my testosterone checked every 6 months at our local Randox. It’s a good service- quick and easy and not that expensive.

I do get my HRT all prescribed privately though as I needed an expert opinion.

I’d get it tested at Randox and go from there. If it’s low then as others say if it’s NHS you’ll have to say it’s for libido (oh how the medial misogyny continues…!).

Hi @Delatron That's great feedback thanks. Yes it annoys me too! I'd prioritise feeling comfortable in my own body before the occasional bunk up!