Testosterone making vaginal atrophy worse?

[MissMurgatroyd]

Hello,

Has anyone found that using testosterone made their vaginal atrophy symptoms worse? I ask as I had my symptoms under control with vagifem. I also use systemic estrogen.

I just started testosterone for other reasons and I have the impression that the atrophy may be getting worse. Has anyone had a similar experience? If so did stopping the testosterone help?

Thanks xxx

I'm not sure, but I asked my menopause specialist this week abour loss of genital sensation along with low libido and her suggestion was intrarosa-which is a combined estrogen/testosterone pessary.

I know it's also used for vulvodynia.

So the impression I get is that testosterone is supposed to be beneficial for vaginal/vulval tissues rather than worsening.

The other takehome from that though is that it obviously has some effect on tissues, whether that's always the intended effect I'm not sure. We do all seem to respond differently.

So I definitely think you might be right that it's having some effect.

No, I've not found that testosterone makes VA worse.

I did find that after using vagifem for a couple of years they stopped working and started causing irrration. I swapped to ovestin cream, inside and out, which made a big difference and now I use an estring which is bloody amazing and ovestin on vulva.

my understanding is that with testosterone they say you have to take it for 3? Or 6?months- a long time anyway- to know what it’s really doing.
And also I’m sure I read at the same time, that excess T is converted in the body to oestrogen so does that rule T out of being able to worsen VA? Yet clearly it is possible to have too much T with lasting masculinising effects. So I find all this confusing.

Not a doctor, hopefully someone who knows about this will post.