I've taking testosterone gel and wonder if I'm experiencing some side effects

[GlomOfNit]

I've ben trialing Testogel for the last 3 months or so. I had my blood tests at around 8 weeks and they showed really high levels - 6.something! The community gynae service which runs the local menopause clinic who put me on this for low libido suggested I make the sachet last 2 or 3 times as long - so no more pea-sized blobs (making a sachet last 8 days) I'm smearing on less than half of that. Due another blood test in a couple of weeks to see if levels are dropping. The person I spoke to wasn't alarmed but said maybe I absorb it a bit TOO well.

She asked me if I was experiencing any obvious side effects. My voice is not deeper, I'm not experiencing any difference in mood, anger etc (in as far as I'm a perimenopausal 53 year old woman...). I do have a lot more hair growth on my inner thighs where I rub it (and not just where I rub it, the entire area is hairier. I did get this to a certain extent before starting the gel but it's definitely increased). I was expecting the hair growth, I take it off with wax strips.

but ...

Since our phone call, I've realised I'm losing a LOT of head hair. It's falling out much more. And I think roughly for the time I've been on the testogel I've experienced more hot flushes! I'm on HRT and have been for over 3 years, and hot flushes (I mostly had night time ones) were one of the things to go first. Now I'm finding I flush all over my neck, a few times a day. I'm visibly reddened there and I'm literally fanning myself with a fan! I'm on the level of oestrogen agreed (2 sachets of Sandrena daily) and continuous oral progesterone. I'm on the waiting list for a mirena coil as I'm still bleeding in an unsettled sort of way. (I had a hysteroscopy last year which showed nothing amiss - they decided that they were happy to fit a coil without another hysteroscopy to settle the bleeding.)

I looked up head hair loss and apparently it IS a thing! I'm not sure that particular side effect was ever run past me but I may be misremembering. But the flushing - can that also be a thing?

TBH I don't feel that the slight uptick in libido is worth losing my hair for, or getting these horrible flushes (if they're connected, that is). The hair on my thighs I can at least rip out.

Hi op. I haven't lost hair I don't think, although as I've aged, one side of my hair line has thinned. Not sure if it's meno or testogel that's caused it.

I also had very low ferritin due to heavy bleeding in my early 40s, though that level is now back over 100.

Most of my hair growth from testosterone is on my jaw and neck, plus leg hair is pretty thick again and it had stopped growing by the time I was early 40s.

6.something is quite high OP so it's not surprising you're experiencing side effects like hair loss. I've got slightly hairier on the inside of my thighs where I rub it in but that's to be expected.

Maybe use every other day and see if that helps?

If your levels are hi - why not try to use it every other day? And make sure it's a tiny pea, not a blob? And see what happens.

Does the current dose it help the libido?
For me - I had libido and tiredness. And it helped both.

I use my pea sized amount 3 days /week.

I'd ask for a repeat check tbh. 6 is crazily high if it was that I think you'd know it. As pp have said reduce for now one or twice a week until level is confirmed.

If for some reason it is accurate just stop it before there is any last effect.

I was specifically told to reduce the amount right down but use a tiny bit daily so it didn't 'fluctuate'. I have no idea if that would make all that much difference but it was someone from Community Gynae who told me.

I was really shocked at the levels! That's taking it exactly as instructed and my levels weren't rock bottom when I started but certainly not abnormal.

I dunno, if my levels are that high (assuming no mistake) and I still don't have a decent libido, I just feel like discontinuing it. In all honesty, though I was keen to want to start having/wanting sex again, I think I'd rather keep my hair!

That seems crazy high and I’m no expert but I wouldn’t be carrying on adding more with levels that high?

Mine is super low and I am crap at remembering to use it so average about twice a week. Even then I get a slight increase in libido. It doesn’t work to improve libido in everyone.

I’m surprised you were told to make a satchet
last 6 days (if i understood your post correctly). I was told to make it last 10 days but actually make it last about 20 days. I use a cotton bud and dip into the gel that I keep in a small travel jar (the type you buy to take eye cream or whatever in). I apply the gel to my under arm with that everyday (changing the cotton bud). This helps me keep a fairly equal size application everyday.

sorry no, I said 8 days in my post! Which is the standard guidance for using this stuff off-license. The community gynae team who prescribed it always said to use it daily and that amount. I've read elsewhere that as long as you make a sachet last 8 days you can divide it up as you choose (say, into quarters, every other day?) but I've just stuck with what they told me.

Doesn't a cotton bud absorb a fair bit, especially at that minute dosage? And obviously it's your choice but I don't really understand, if you were prescribed it to take a certain amount spread over 10 days, why are you eking it out over 20?

Yes as pp says, advice is 8 days, it is written on the box my sachet is dispensed in. That said I often forget so I use it over a fortnight.

Not suggesting you go against the advice you were given. I was instructed to use over 10 days so that´s the basis I go on. I have chosen to halve the dose as I want more control, I am fairly sensitive to hormones. I have had a good effect at that dose so haven´t felt the need to go to the max at once. I assume my symptoms will continue to worsen as I progress through peri, and this way I can increase the dose later to continue to benefit. I might be missing out on "superwoman" effects on the full dose but am fine just being more okay than I was. Energy is up, head is clearer and I like my husband again!

The cutton bud tip doesn´t absorb much if anything at all, its a gel not a full liquid. So the bud gets moist but thats nice for the application. I have pre-pubescent children and a dog so being able to throw out the cotton bud and not touch the gel (even if I clean my hands after I worry about spreading hormone around the house). I tried other ways of administrating it but this way works well for me. I dip the bud, immediately spread across my underarm and throw out the bud and put away the jar with the gel.

Mine is for 10 days. Maybe its different as I´m in Norway. Anyway, you should always follow the advise of your own doctor of course.

@Snuppeline yes of course, I'm sure it varies a lot between countries.

Frankly from the sounds of it we are really lucky. In the US women with a testosterone prescription are having it refused by pharmacies, with one pharmacist telling a woman that 'women don't need this'....

The hair loss is most likely due directly to the testosterone if your levels are that high

Just thought… where are you applying the gel and is it close to the site where bloods were taken?

if you are applying to your arm, it could be the test is hugh due to the skin around the blood test site having residual gel ….

i use testified but apply it to thigh area - I gave a pump bottle that dispenses roughly half a sachet so apply it every 4 days and gave never had a test come back high…,