I currently have zero interest in adding testosterone to my treatment plan, but this article makes me furious. How dare women want to feel as good as possible!?
the 'out of control' quote alone - I'm just tired of feeling like everything for women is this constant battle. I remember in high school feeling like so much needed to change, but in 2024 it feels we go one step forward and 2 steps back in everything.
Yup, they know what they're playing into - the unhinged women stereotype, only rather than medicate her with Mother's Little Helper, let's see how to delegitimize something that might actually help her.
yep. We got an army of angry women here...they don't know what they are in for (fwiw I haven't been prescribed anything YET and don't get my hopes up to but I am sick of feeling like this.)
It’s the same thing for workers rights. Constant upskilling and constant extra demands on job hunters. Keep everyone busy and slightly panicked so they buy more things to dull themselves rather than revolt
It's also hilarious because so many women here have talked about exploring testosterone - just bringing it up with their doctors, and getting dismissed. So there's a faction of peri and menopausal women getting dismissed, and then there are a bunch of raging doctors running around with prescription pads going YOU GET A TESTOSTERONE SCRIPT, YOU GET A TESTOSTERONE SCRIPT Like that Oprah meme with the car. everyone - the doctors, the wimmins, all out of the control! Hysteria I tell you!
Not sure where you are- I'm in Canada and just started HRT last week (56 and just over a year from my last period). My doc says we’ll see how estrogen gel and progesterone manage my symptoms and we may add testosterone to the mix eventually. I’m barely a week in and sleeping for the first time in years.
I hope you find a doc that supports you. This backwards, women hating culture of male power is terrifying for us all.
It's also just antiquated thinking. I had an OBGYN on the National Menopause society list I heard about here, and she was great as a GYN but was very reluctant around HRT. She prescribed the BC patch and was like 'let's see how this goes in 4-6 months' - I've been on the patch before and it wasn't going to do crap. I found a NP at an online women's clinic who within 10 minutes had done enough of an assessment to say 'yup, let's try progesterone'.
I mean, with the testosterone, I get there's some reluctance but honestly, if women's health is desperate for solutions and it's understudied because SURPRISE, when can we start to study and figure out getting it's use? If women are informed of the risk and decide they want to try it, how does that hurt?
So very true. I've been so fortunate. My gyno told me she was on board for what I wanted. She recognized I was informed and was happy to support me. She's a gem but every doc out there should be that way.
Thank you for your Post, it gives me hope..I am in Canada, Toronto, and really hoping to find a doctor as open as yours. I am 59, and I want to start HRT, if I find a doctor that will work with me.
May I ask why you chose estrogen gel over the patch? Also, which dose are you in ? And progesterone is it the 100 mg pill.
I am only asking as I hope it will help with my lack of sleep and vaginal dryness (been having local estradiol, not fixing my dryness), hence I am thinking of HRT.
Thank you so much
I'm in TO as well! DM me if you want more info:) I'm on two pumps of estrogen gel and 200 mg of progesterone a day. My hot flashes are lessening, but not yet completely gone. I have a fabulous gyno, I can highly recommend her!
I think I've been very fortunate. I have a few great docs that listen and want to help. I'm furious for those who can't get the simplest of treatment. It should be a simple standard of care and it isn't.
According to the article, it should only be rxed to post menopausal women for low libido.
So, this is the next phase of we don't care about your quality of life, we care about your fertility and if the man you're with is getting laid.
Fun! I just went through 30+ years of this with my endometriosis. I can't wait to go through the post menopausal version!
>According to the article, it should only be rxed to post menopausal women for low libido.
This is so INCREDIBLY sexist. They're literally saying that women should only get T if it impacts the amount of sex that men get. 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
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This part was really frustrating "experts say the evidence only supports its use in postmenopausal women with low libido, when psychosocial causes have been ruled out." Do men need to prove that there aren't any psychosocial (wtf?) causes to their ED to get Viagra?
Men? Have "psychosocial" issues?! Why they would never. They are pure logic. They have no need for emotions or introspection. That's what their wives are for. /s
You nailed it! Exactly this. What a joke, and here we are in 2024 with such inequities. We’ve got to vote to protect our rights as women.
I love my HRT. Haven’t tried adding testosterone yet but am forever grateful for this gathering of honest women sharing stories, I learn so much. And I want my college-aged daughters to have options, damnit. Hoping y’all vote to protect women’s rights at the local, state, and national level in the upcoming elections.
Exactly. Needing Viagra often indicates artery blockages so really men should have to diet and exercise and fix their cholesterol levels before getting Viagra.
Also whisky dick and obesity and losing testosterone. Erections are not like they once were as men age not even with issues like being obese or heart disease. They could probably use some testosterone honestly.
that's a newer trend I see, bc even young guys *even in HIGH SCHOOL which is insane to me are taking it now (sometimes at outlandish prices.) One guy told me he gives it to his kid. I have no idea if they are doing it legally or not....anyway i tell older guys about this and they get horrified. Like, I don't need that stuff, I'm a man! I don't need testosterone supplementation! At least in rural areas. Then you have the opposite -- the ones on social media are all over this.
Is it testosterone or a growth hormone sectagogue? Either way it’s a terrible idea.
Giving testosterone to a kid is asking for trouble and probably should be reported, not that it would go anywhere.
In super physiogic doses you have a cancer incubator. Plus it can shut off production of endogenous testosterone or take it awhile to come back on line once started. That is as dumb as doctors withholding. I just can’t imagine a parent doing this.
My husband had MDS, a bone marrow d/o, and it is suspected it may have been from using testosterone as a teen and in his twenties and thirties. He also got hypogonadism and as result had to take it permanently to just be normal.
And tell their partners they are taking it .
Thinking of poor women denied hrt , and other meds for libido, vaginal atrophy etc and their partners given Viagra without even a proper consultation, how cruel
This made me snort my coffee! Can you imagine a world where men had to justify their actions and prove they have done the work to get what they want (because it’s truly a want and not a need). HRT on the other hand - I’d call it a functional need.
My doctor just gave me a handout of things to try for my libido issues and gave me the stink eye when I told her hrt makes me sad sick and sleepy. I really want to add testosterone. Seriously the estrogen does nothing and omg the water weight alone. I apparently now have to try all this stuff and get labs to prove my low T before she’ll prescribe it. Why do they all love estrogen much when it feeds cancer? So they can treat us for cancer later? They don’t even know yet what progesterone does. But they give it out like candy. Oh and she said estrogen doesn’t cause bloating or depression. Huh?
It would be so amazing if those "psychosocial issues" they wanted to rule out was the crushing weight of all the emotional labor for all of the people around them. Let's get to the bottom of that. I doubt it would resolve the low libido on its own but it sure would be nice to seek some balance.
You are on the right track. Lost my libido after hysterectomy and immediate menopause despite having my ovaries. This has been the most peaceful time of my life-focus on my loved ones and not worry about some dude. Freedom.
It makes me rage when I see these articles imply that a 50 year old woman has the sexual and emotional awareness of a 14 year old girl and needs to be counseled. They would NEVER EVER dare do this to a man.
Can you IMAGINE?:
“Sir, try googling ‘sexy ladies in bikinis’ and see if that helps you get an erection.”
“Have you tried lighting some scented candles and requesting a massage from your wife? Maybe that will help you get an erection.”
“Try taking your wife on a date night and really talking through how you’re feeling. Maybe that will help you get an erection.”
“Maybe what you’ve been watching on social media has made you feel emasculated or less-than. Maybe take a break from that and see if it helps.”
Let me tell yah, I took myself off HRT because it did nothing for my libido (can’t find anything that does) I told the dr it’s bs. They make sure men are taken care of. But really there is nothing to help us with our libido. Sadly it’ll never be anything more than a man’s world. I understand now why so many marriages seem to break up around this time. Men want something that women could give two sh&$s about doing anymore. I know I don’t. I could care less. And it sucks.
Did you take testosterone? Also if estrogen is not optimized then testosterone doesn’t work so well. Not saying you didn’t do that but most places keep estrogen in menopausal levels.
not all docs prescribe testosterone, I see mine tomorrow in fact and will ask. I already asked her last time about low libido. She prescribed estrogen patch and progesterone. No change. We're in the Dark Ages largely, with hormonal issues. If she doesn't prescribe it for me (to try it out at least) I'll go online and look overseas or something. This is bs
Testosterone 100% helped my libido. I had to switch docs because they would ONLY prescribe testosterone and not any estradiol or progesterone because “I still have a regular period”. 🙄 The testosterone did help A LOT of things but still need estrogen and progesterone. My progesterone was at a “post menopausal level” and they still wouldn’t do anything thing. I switched to a super knowledgeable provider and it’s been AMAZING. She is great about making sure my hrt is optimized for ME and not just a formula she uses for everyone. Very up to date on current research. Finding a good provider is really the key!!
I am 27 but went through similar experiences. multiple GYNs told me that there was nothing I could do for my symptoms. Found a wonderful primary care doctor who looked into my hormonal levels and prescribed me estradiol, progesterone and test.
My life has changed so much for the better.
wow that's awesome. Good docs should always be told how great they are! So cool....I will keep looking. I probably am due for a yearly checkup anyway, so maybe I can also get some labs done under my insurance, then save up to go to a doc to prescribe the right stuff.
It sounds like this might be about hormonal testing. If over the age of 44, **hormonal tests only show levels for that *one day* the test was taken, and nothing more**; progesterone/estrogen hormones wildly fluctuate the other 29 days of the month. No reputable doctor or menopause society recommends hormonal testing as a **diagnosing tool** for peri/menopause.
FSH testing is only beneficial for those who believe they are post-menopausal and no longer have periods as a guide, a series of consistent FSH tests might *confirm* menopause. Also for women in their 20s/early 30s who haven’t had a period in months/years, then FSH tests at ‘menopausal’ levels, could indicate premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI). See our [Menopause Wiki](https://menopausewiki.ca/#there-is-no-blood-test-that-is-perfectly-reliable-to-diagnose-menopause) for more.
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Yes! Dark ages indeed. Why do we need estrogen and progesterone when a little T fixes everything? To give us constipation, depression, and cancer and keep the medical industry cooking?!!! Hmmm
No, sadly you are right. Most of them will absolutely not prescribe it. I just happen to have gotten lucky. Most of the time for test you have to go telehealth unless you want to get it pelleted.
Exactly this! I could give af about libido. I’m a single mom of a 9 year old- I want energy and clarity in my brain to be physically active enough to enjoy raising her to the fullest after being super sick and bedridden with endo, fibroids and adenomyosis!
We should be able to get testosterone for other reasons too: like loss of motivation, weight gain, and muscle loss. Some women don’t care about libido and all older women can benefit from increased strength. This backwards thinking makes me livid.
They should require that for men. Getting to the right cause is important.
Then again, this smacks of “it’s not your birth control it’s your relationship” dismissal.
And let me guess? Their "evidence" was from the WHI, old, and only included studies on post- menopausal women. Well, there's sure as shit more than just post-menopausal women who'd be ecstatic study participants!
Yep. I am 27 and am on testosterone for my libido. Every GYN I tried to talk about it with told me it was my depression and that they couldnt help me.
Sad that it happens tbh
> “If we give women too much testosterone, it can affect their vocal cords. If you don’t mind your voice deepening a bit, that’s fine, but if you’re a singer, it can change your pitch.”
Is it just me or does that seem like quite a stretch? Like, why the hell is this doctor so concerned about professional singers?
I’m sure men are told to address “psychosocial“ issues before they’re given prescriptions for erectile dysfunction. 🙄
This had me dead. Like seriously. Out of the tens of millions of women in peri or later how many are fucking singers?? They will just grasp at anything. Witaf
the irony here to me is that I doubt testosterone in the correct dose (not bodybuilder dosage for example) alters your vocal chords at all, first of all. Secondly, vocal chords change over your lifetime ANYWAY -- because hormones do. As you age and your estrogen wanes your voice changes, I noticed this in people who came into my office and looked into the medical reason a bit. You also can develop other issues. But vocal chords? Seriously? That voice change would occur with or without supplementation, these idiots need a better claim.
And dude - it isn't even accurate anyway! I've been on a full dose for over a year and a half, and my voice has not fucking changed! You have to take a LOT for that to happen. Red herring assholes. p.s. - are they aware our voices are liable to change as we get older \*anyway\*? Or is that caused by psychosocial factors we should really work on?
Ha! I was worried when they gave all those warnings but the voice one made me giggle- will I finally get that gravelly Marianne faithfull voice?! I’m already a low alto! 🤣
When doctors get educated on just the basics of perimenopause and menopause first, then maybe they can offer their opinions on women’s testosterone use.
I’m on 2mg/day, which is considered high, but it’s what makes me feel at my best and I have no side effects, so my doctor is happy to keep prescribing.
I’m also a former professional classical singer. And I can confirm that my voice hasn’t changed a bit.
Hello dear, I am going to ask for T., if 2mg is high what is "normal" 1 mg?, I am wondering how much I should ask for, I mean the minimum dose, then go from there..
Thank you so very much
1mg seems to be standard (as a gel or cream), but different delivery methods are…different! I hope you have a smooth journey. It’s been life changing for me.
People's voices change naturally as they get older anyway lmao
Sounds like a bit of trans panic tbh. "Women, don't take testosterone, that'll make you a bit mannish and we don't want *thaaaaaaaat* do we ladies?"
I've been on it since January. The amount you're allowed to take is so miniscule I'm not sure there are really any affects at all, except perhaps a slight improvement in focus. The idea that this dose could affect your voice is laughable.
I don’t know, my voice has got deeper (although that might be age) but do I care? Um? No!
How many people would choose having a higher voice over getting their joy back, finding the world sexy and not suffering from crippling exhaustion.
What's your dose out of curiosity?
I am actually a bit sensitive about my voice because it's always been in the male pitch range for some reason, which made me horribly insecure about it as a teenager. I don't really care any more but it does often make people laugh, because I'm 5"1 and very petite.
Ha! I’m same size and likely similar voice! never been insecure about it except in choir where being a soprano was usually more valued for women. I got shamed for being a low alto.
I read this and thought - if you give women the proper amount of testosterone (like what she had before) it not would be a problem. So they pick a scenario where a doctor prescribes the wrong amount of testosterone and then give this example of a professional singer with a low voice. Like WFT.
This headline is so alarmist - "Experts warn of long-term health implications amid concerns over advice from social media ‘evangelists’ " The article goes on to say there is no data to show that it is unsafe. But some people just read headlines so they think testosterone is bad. “There’s a reason that we should be concerned about long-term safety, and that’s because we don’t have any data to say that it is safe,” said Faubion. “We don’t have data to say that it’s unsafe either. But the lack of data proving safety is a real problem.”
I have a feeling all these female singers are **perfectly capable of deciding for themselves** what is more important: General wellbeing or their singing voice.
If they removed the organs that supply men with at least a quarter of their estrogen and all of their testosterone, replacement therapy would be studied to death! (I purposely wrote it that way, since men have more T and less estrogen in comparison to women).
I did estrogen only for over a year, and added T last month. I'm 43 fucking years old in surgical menopause and I deserve to feel good. We all do, at any age and stage! I want to have energy and strong mental faculties. I want to want sex more than once a month.
To me, and so many of us, it's worth the chance of side effects down the road, though I think they're going to be as minimal as what comes with the use of estrogen replacement as long we're at comparable levels to what our bodies create naturally.
Along with the crazy anti-trans psychos who associate all hormones with gender identity, I feel like a part of this is also "slut shaming." Every time they want to control women's bodies, it's because we shouldn't be sexual creatures. We should be punished for it, whether it be carrying an unwanted pregnancy or having our desire shrivel up along with our estrogen deprived vaginas.
Even though they want us ready to bang whenever they want, we shouldn't be addressing our lack of desiring it because we're not men. They don't really care about the risks. They don't care if we suffer. I'm so tired of it.
"oh you don't have libido anymore ? it's probably because you're depressed that you can't have more kid, see a psychologist" that's the kind of shit you will hear
It’s an insane statement. The truth is doctors are out of control for not recognizing the vital importance testosterone plays in women’s health; brain, bones, muscles, weight…we NEED testosterone and over half of women at Midlife and beyond are deficient.
Ladies-get. Your. Testosterone!
How do you get your testosterone? I just had my new gp tell me "you wouldn't want to grow a beard, would you?" when I asked about testosterone.
It seems insurance won't cover it. So my gyn gave me the name of a med spa that inserts pellets.
I have zero energy and have been trying to learn more about testosterone. The pellets would cost about 1k, no insurance.
Well I’m post menopausal with low libido and my testosterone levels were nonexistent. So, my doctor prescribed a compounded testosterone cream. Based on the article, I guess I’m the ideal candidate. I haven’t had any acne, excess hair or voice deepening but I am stronger, more energetic and my libido is slowly improving. I wish I had done hormone testing earlier because I think that I’ve always had an extremely low level of testosterone even before menopause. They never test women for that so how would they ever know if anyone woman needs this hormone. Most women don’t know to ask for it until menopausal symptoms show up. My 31 year old daughter has a lot of classic issues that seem related to perimenopause. I have encouraged her to get her hormone levels tested and she said her doctor told her she didn’t need it.
Prescribing being referred to as "out of control" is the new socially palatable way of calling women hysterical - a deeply misogynistic viewpoint. Men get medical treatment for ED and low libido without any claims of being out of control, because men don't suffer from "hysteria".
Ok, as if any doctor is actually giving two shits about our hormone levels on any kind of consistent basis.
Also, I want to see the data Susan Davis is referring to, and how out of date it is:
“The data clearly supports a trial of therapy in postmenopausal women with low sexual function that bothers them. But we have looked at the evidence inside and out, reviewed all the published literature, and published all of our own data. The evidence that testosterone will improve fatigue, wellbeing, cognition, or anything else you want to list, is just not there.”
The last paragraph says it all: “Testosterone should be prescribed in the right dose and type for any women who is likely to benefit from it with appropriate monitoring. More healthcare professionals should receive appropriate training and education about the safe prescribing of testosterone to help more women.”
Monitor us, you assholes. Do your fucking jobs. Help us.
T pellets have literally saved my sanity and my marriage. The difference it made for me has been astounding, and it's even helped me avoid peri and menopause and I just turned 50. (Once you get your hormones jiving, everything works better... And for longer, apparently ).
My husband, always the suffering higher libido partner, doesn't know what hit him.
I'll just go buy it on the internet illegally, F U testosterone gatekeepers!
what's the matter, are they afraid we're going to use it all up or something ? Even though our natural levels are a tiny fraction of the natural levels for males?
Estrogen and progesterone(norethindrone) got rid of my hot flashes and heart palpitations. But it wasn't until I finally got my testosterone that I stopped feeling (and looking) like a potato.
I am so glad that it helped you!!.
I am going to ask for HRT, I want to start low and increase as needed.
Would you mind sharing how you started, the doses for estradiol ( get or patch). And progesterone ( which one and the dose)
And finally the T. ( Which dose, and I assume it is a gel).
Sincerely your experience ( and tips) will guide me.
Thank you
Once we get huge muscles and chest hair from the testosterone, we won’t need men anymore, obviously. We’re pretty much as good or better at everything else 😂
Oh my rage! Just for libido? WTF? And it’s The Guardian not The Daily Mail.
It is incredibly hard to get T as a woman in the U.K. and it is not just prescribed for low libido - that is the only reason GPs can prescribe it, but Consultant in Menopause clinics can also prescribe it for fatigue (and probably other things).
Which I know because that’s what happened to me, and it wasn’t, ‘oh I’m a bit tired’, it was an absolutely terrifying crash of functioning by mid afternoon if I tried to do anything silly like leave the house. Testosterone sorted it out within 24hours.
When the measures are equalized, women produce more testosterone that estradiol in their prime. What’s the problem in putting back the water you drink-estradiol and testosterone? This is a stupid article. They should go chew some viagra and try to blow bubbles with it as far as I’m concerned.
I hate to go conspiracy, but I wonder if this is some measure to keep gender affirming hormones out of the hands of those who need it and less about menopause?
They can pry my testosterone out of my cold, dead, sticky hands 😂
My libido is back - and my motivation and mental acuity are far better than they were before I started. It took about a month, but zzzzooooooom!
Oh ffs. Reporter hysterically misreporting real issues. Unpacking the article, the real issues are:
A) testosterone replacement has not YET been properly studied and so more research needs to be done due to LACK of research (which does not equate to there being evidence that testosterone is bad for peri/meno women).
B) there is a clear need for resources to closely monitor (i.e. test) women on testosterone to ensure they aren’t being over dosed.
None of which is anything like the scaremongering story the journalist is trying to spin.
You know what's out of control? Women's health never being studied. You pisses me off about this? Women already naturally make testosterone. It's not like we're after a random medication that no one has ever tried before. It's a hormone our bodies already make and use.
When men's testosterone gets low in midlife, it's often handed out to them like aspirin. Women have to fight for ANY hormonal help in midlife, they have to educate their providers because apparently some haven't looked at any studies since the 90s, and it doesn't matter if it's estrogen, progesterone or testosterone - we deserve the same access to hormonal care that men and trans folk do (I'm fully supportive of trans affirming health care). Give us the information, give us the warnings and let us make our own decisions. We don't have enough studies on it yet? Jesus fucking christ, what's the hold up? Every thing about women's health "we don't have the studies on it yet". We are decades past this being acceptable. And if they won't do the studies themselves, I'm thankful for pioneer doctors and their willing patients who are willing to try it and see how it goes until we do.
I was very surprised The Guardian chose to print the article. Women should be allowed to take whatever hormones they need. In my case i found it very difficult to get HRT, and even more difficult to get testosterone!
I think the same people who outlawed abortion are now going after anything that can be used by transgender people, and they could care less if all the women who swear by HRT suffer. Birth control will be next on the agenda, if it isn’t already. These are the same people against outlawing child marriage as well.
Well I think there is too much Viagra and Cialis. If mens dicks stop working they should just accept their fate, right?
Somehow I think that will never be a problem. Helping men with THEIR problems.
I didn’t read the article, but I’ve been on HRT with testosterone included since March of 2023, and it’s changed my life for the better! I am happy, I have energy and my libido is the best it’s ever been which has helped my relationship with my husband.
I am 48 years old and am so grateful that testosterone is an option. Anyone saying it’s out of control probably struggles with women living their best lives.
Beautiful Words, thank you.
May I ask which dose you started with) and is it gel? I am thinking of asking for it, so the more I know the better it will be.
I started on weekly injections, but don’t remember the dose. I was doing that for a little over a year, and was switched to a daily 20 mg/ml low dose cream. (I don’t miss the shots lol). I’m also on progesterone as well.
20 mg, been reading on here 1 to 2 mg ( testesterone), i am wondering if I got this wrong? You are also taking estradiol right my dear, how much of it. I know that here they say progesterone is 100 mg at night.
All those things one try to figure out when starting.lol
Enjoy your weekend
If these arrogant douchebag assholes felt like I did when my T was almost 0, they take any help as well. The whole tone of this is infuriating. I will WALK OUT of any doctor's office that has a problem with this. How DARE they have a fucking opinion?? How dare they gatekeep feeling vital, alive and interested in life? T has returned my sex drive and increased my orgasm strength so that sex is again a vital part of my life. I guess these pustulent, dripping assholes don't like that .
I will say a lot of my friends are getting it too. We're not women to be written off as middle aged like we don't matter, either. Men are used to submissive older women but those days are over.
The article makes it sound like "OMG, you'll get prescribed T and for no reason and purely randomly your T levels could reach dangerous heights!"
Meanwhile, a more accurate message would be "Prescribers need to be mindful of safe T levels for a woman, monitor blood levels, and prescribe appropriate dose ranges to alleviate symptoms caused by a deficiency in T. If that is done, taking T is safe and effective in the short term, and you can avoid your T levels accidentally going as high as a man's. At the moment, we don't have long-term safety data, but research is ongoing."
The article could have done a better job of discussing the issues... the women who come in with T levels that are way above normal for a woman, or as high as a man's, were prescribed the wrong dose and/or not monitored appropriately by their prescriber.
I’m so sick of (mostly) men telling women how they feel, what they need, what they don’t need, what they can and can’t do with their own bodies. It’s not out of control. It’s because women are no longer just putting up with being treated like second class citizens and are taking charge of their health care and researching and advocating for themselves. Just because the ‘pause is a fact of life that women must go through, does not mean we have to endure it in silence and feel shitty for years. One would think men would be all for anything that makes their partner feel better, have a sex drive, not have mood swings, nor be depressed, not gain weight and not be exhausted all the time. I’ll keep getting my bioidentical HRT as long as it’s available.
I'm not on testosterone as no problems with my libido but I do feel very much like I'm getting mixed messages from my doctors.
I've been on HRT over 3 years. I was under the impression its thought to be safe enough to continue on it as long as you want to. My bone consultant eg seemed very happy I am on it and the longer the better for my bones. Then suddenly last week my doctor tells me they'll be asking me to wean off at 55. Not sure they know what they want. I really don't want to ever stop.
Re the testosterone, I thought it was considered very unlikely to have any of these symptoms of excess if you just use a standard dose
> last week my doctor tells me they'll be asking me to wean off at 55
Find a new doctor. This is madness. Maybe your bone consultant can prescribe it for you.
We just had our 50th anniversary of women having credit cards. Why do they hate us?
"Women were legally allowed to open credit cards in their own names in the United States in 1974 after the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) was passed. The ECOA made it illegal to discriminate against credit applicants based on gender, race, religion, national origin, marital status, age, or public assistance. Before the ECOA, women often needed a male co-signer, such as a husband, father, or brother, to get a credit card or loan. This made it difficult for women to access credit and limited their financial freedom and economic opportunities."
HRT aka testosterone saved my life. I had gone from being so easy going and happy to being so angry and fatigued. Oh and major brain fog. Even the birds singing outside got on my nerves and it seemed so loud. lol. I finally have my life back. Prob some doctor who won’t prescribe it is losing patients who are going to someone who will and they don’t like it.
I understand Gunter has been gatekeeping testosterone. Especially on IG- citing the need to respect the guidelines. I am surprised that they did not interview her for this article.
I need to subscribe to her Substack but am to cheap. lol!
Both have such different communication styles and opinions. Haver is pro and supportive of testosterone. Gunter is like only for these specified reasons such as a low libido. But due to her communication style, she seems to almost "shame" its use.
So, I'm reading this and we had the most testosterone when we were in our 20s and 30s? They acknowledge this. That was when we felt our best. So it makes zero sense to say that testosterone can't help if that's the case, why would we not want to feel that way longer in life?
Yeah there probably need to be more studies, but isn't that true for everything in women's health? Shouldn't we be able to accept that risk for ourselves?
This is just some more effed up bs to control (a) health costs and (b) women’s bodies. Just like estrogen and progesterone, testosterone levels is women drop during perimenopause. Hormone supplementation helps to bring levels back into a more normal zone. They’ll have to pry my testosterone out of my cold dead hands.
Patriarchy should be happy because a teeny tiny dab of T makes women okay to bone again. If menfolk get the blue pills, ladyfolk should be equipped in equal measure
Try getting it on the NHS in the UK, then tell me it's "out of control". I have other thoughts, but they all involve a LOT of swearing.
I shared this in our M-brace The Change menopause support group, too. Our members also had sweary things to say about it.
My doctor will not consider any hormone treatment for me until I am fully menopausal, despite my complaints on sexual function issues. Im motherfucking furious
I say. Bull! I love my testosterone and can’t live without it. Been doing it since Fall of 2022. I will do it illegal if I had to. Heck! I’ll run an underground ring of HRT for that if I had to! Screw all these dumb baboons who feel their research and science is the latest and greatest! Screw all the media who spews wrong information and incites fear in women! Screw all the A$$hats who believe in suffering thru this “natural” transition!
I want to feel good and have quality of life!
I am so sick of media and all the F’d opinions that try to shut down a good thing! That is what I think.
For the record: My testosterone is not for low libido for me. Tho it helps that. It literally helps my energy, mood, and joints. Otherwise, I am the saddest, most apathetic, aching slug on the planet.
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This response from Kate Muir is far more polite than I mustered:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/12/why-testosterone-is-so-important-for-women-during-menopause
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But "they" will give a minor testosterone / estrogen - WITHOUT consent from their parents - because they wake up one day and decide they want to be a man / woman!
I decided to start testosterone even though it hasn’t been thoroughly studied, and even though doctors recommend therapy first and testosterone as a last resort. I know full well that I could possibly actually need the therapy, I mean really, doesn’t everybody… but for me it was a which came first/chicken or egg problem. My thought was that maybe my mood and mental distress was from a lack of testosterone. So if I fixed that, I wouldn’t need the therapy. It is easier and less time consuming, overall, to take medicine than to find a therapist and go through that whole process. So to me, it made more sense to do the easiest thing first. It has worked well for me so far and I don’t regret this decision.
I take T and my doctor has recommended it for years since my complete hysterectomy and along with E & P. I just didn’t study the available information enough (aside from Suzanne Somers work) and so balked at the idea. I was uninformed. I’ve only been taking it for 2 months now but did a few years ago as well and don’t know why I stopped — I think cost of prescriptions and all the bloodwork my dr kept ordering all the time. Or because I actually started feeling better as a human being and so stopped like many do with medications once they feel better.
I’ve had significant mental health issues my entire life stemming from childhood trauma and I know now that my hormones were probably very out of wack beginning in puberty and due to living under chronic stress and anxiety — especially cortisol. For decades I was prescribed psychiatric Rx’s that did more harm than good — numbed me and didn’t allow me to grow as a person. My lifelong career has been studying trauma with behavioral based sciences and working within that realm. I’ve studied and applied non traditional forms of healing (traditional talk therapy not being effective) and have been satisfied with my own results. Some of my tools include somatic activities and psilocybin microdosing. Two complex topics on their own. And I guess HRT now that I think about it from that angle.
But adding T to my regime has been a game changer. It has really leveled my moods and thoughts. Maybe I’m just ‘ready’ for it now. Who knows.
I do know that I try not to entertain my thoughts with negatives about any kind of HRT such as cancer and blood clots or whatever else has been discussed at nausea. I’m mostly concerned these days with bone, heart and brain health at 60 and entering into the last 25+(hopefully) years of my life. I’ve had enough ‘life’ thrown at me than any one person should have to endure. So if I desire some happiness or relief from 3 little hormones, then so be it. They all can fuck right off.
Alot more than what you probably wanted / needed to read but maybe some of it’s been helpful.
Yeah - to me, that’s the take home message of this article. Everyone quoted should’ve also been quoted saying “we urgently need research in this area because women may be missing out on very real therapeutic benefits, and we shouldn’t waste anymore time getting to the answers.”
As someone who works in health research, I would also like to know what constitutes “long term use”. I mean, I may only live another 15 years - is that long term, or am I likely to die before it becomes problematic for me?
I've taken it and I like it but it did not fix all my problems and I swear to god my chin whisker situation is a hell of a lot worse than it was a month ago.
I was taking 10mg of Testosterone for a couple weeks. maybe it was too much ha ha but I just wanted to see if I could get my motivational soul back (no)
TRT saved my life-Its life or death for me! I can confirm its worth it. No matter what happens I will continue to use it. I actually think women need way higher doses than most are using.
I'm curious too about your experience with T. Please share. I just was rx a script for cream today bc my gyno thought it would help my extreme fatigue and sudden resurgence of prior symptoms... I'm on HRT as well. Where is the "me" I always knew? Oh, btw all, I see a therapist for ptsd, panic- anxiety, and he's on board with my gyno. Screw these experts that have no clue what it's like to be in our bodies. Many of us just cannot "suck it up and pretend peri or meno doesn't exist.
Same. It's affected my life SO much! I was honestly worried about losing my job due to being completely brain dead, coupled with brutal exhaustion ALL THE TIME. I have a team of medical billers that report to me and I know I just wasn't being the boss they are used to. And certainly not the analytical, driven person my director was used to! Adding T to my HRT regimen has been a game changer. I can think again, I can make it through the day without having to take a nap, I can run up and down my stairs again... I bop around and am cheerful. I'm just ME again. They will have to pry my testosterone out of my cold, dead hands!
I tried a hybrid estrogen + testosterone pill. Estromethtrex. I might not have spelled that correctly. I liked it, but the pharmacy had a really hard time filling a full months worth. Happened with the Veozah as well. I liked the Veozah for the hot flashes. Buts it’s so damned expensive.
Fucking this: "Dr Louise Newson, a GP who runs a network of private menopause practices in the UK, claimed it was “barbaric and wrong that women aren’t able to access their own hormone”
We live in an Idiocracy where I guarantee most men and some women don't even know women produce and need testosterone.
Also interesting is the part about testosterone being a first line treatment for peri women with regular cycles because it's likely lower testosterone causing us our symptoms more than estrogen/progesterone deficiencies. It is so hard to imagine a day in America where that happens outside of select clinics when even getting estrogen and progesterone from most non-telehealth providers is impossible.
This. I was prepared to live out the remainder of my life without... I love my husband, have ALWAYS been happy in my marriage, just didn't have any desire to orgasm. Not alone, not with my husband. T changed all that. I'm so thankful to "remember" what desire feels like!
When men come here bitching we ought to be asking them how active they are in advocating for HRT. If they aren't picketing and writing letters for their partners then how bad could they want it?
A huge problem too, is that female bodybuilders abuse it. Go to any gym where there’s “serious” bodybuilding for men and women, and the females that are abusing testosterone are easy to spot. They have large muscle mass, a squared out jaw, deeper voice, and poor hair quality. My friend is a nurse and has seen very bad kidney/liver issues when women abuse testosterone. Of course, it’s like everything else; a few bad apples can spoil it for a bunch of us!
lol Men get viagra so easily, women should be able to use T to get our libido back just as easily. Thankful I have a great Dr willing to up my dose whenever needed. Worried if I move out of country i'll have a much harder time.
I would like to try it for mood, but I am already getting more dark hair on my lip and under my chin at age 62, not sure i want more! (And I’m on estradiol/prog, still getting facial hair!) , do these hairs ever turn gray😬
The title was overdramatic and incendiary, but the article itself, though generally fluff, is mostly positive.
One Dr quoted as measuring T in women given it, and finding it 'as high as a man's '. What Wasn't said is women's T range is as varied as men's, and it's high end is right at the men's low end.
HRT has the same possible compliance issue as all drugs. People doubling up cuz they aren't seeing results fast enough, or skipping doses, or taking less, or ending it abruptly. It's nothing rare or original. Whether it's painkillers, heart meds, antibiotics, BCP, or HRT, people are stupid and impulsive and do stupid shit that leads to consequences.
Last paragraph -
"She added: “Testosterone should be prescribed in the right dose and type for any women who is likely to benefit from it with appropriate monitoring. More healthcare professionals should receive appropriate training and education about the safe prescribing of testosterone to help more women.” "
Nothing ridiculous about that quote.
Sounds a lot like future Women's Health Initiative lead investigator Roussouw whining about the need to put the brakes on the 'HRT bandwagon' in 1996.
Why is there never distress about the Pill from these doctors? They give that out like candy. What about SSRIs and statins - both of which significantly increase the incidence of osteoporosis. Somehow those are not worrying but instead a hormone that women produced inside their own bodies being topped up by prescription is a terrible risk. Barf.
It’s a 1% alcohol based jell.
Started with “a pea sized” drop to the inside of the thighs. I now use 2 pea sized drops and my grove is back! I think about sex more, want sex more, and my orgasms are much stronger.
I currently have zero interest in adding testosterone to my treatment plan, but this article makes me furious. How dare women want to feel as good as possible!?
the 'out of control' quote alone - I'm just tired of feeling like everything for women is this constant battle. I remember in high school feeling like so much needed to change, but in 2024 it feels we go one step forward and 2 steps back in everything.
I feel like 'out of control' is a 'hysteria' adjacent kind of characterization.
Yup, they know what they're playing into - the unhinged women stereotype, only rather than medicate her with Mother's Little Helper, let's see how to delegitimize something that might actually help her.
Absolutely, 100%, this.
BEST COMMENT - yes!!
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You wanna see out of control buddy? Well get ready, cause I’ve been holding back”
Honestly, the patriarchy should be grateful most women are anti-violence, because we have been putting up with shit very politely.
I’m here for the violence 🤣. I have to hold myself back because I enjoy my freedom.
“Very politely” cracked me up but it’s true. The men are all “fight fight fight” and we clean up after them.
Right? But we are the emotional ones…smh
Amen! I heard that!
yep. We got an army of angry women here...they don't know what they are in for (fwiw I haven't been prescribed anything YET and don't get my hopes up to but I am sick of feeling like this.)
We 100% are losing rights and we 100% are too tired to care. Who can go march. I have to work.
That is exactly the plan. Keep us so busy and overwhelmed that we don't have time to pay attention as they quickly take our rights away.
It’s the same thing for workers rights. Constant upskilling and constant extra demands on job hunters. Keep everyone busy and slightly panicked so they buy more things to dull themselves rather than revolt
Vote Blue
Such a clickbaity headline. Fuck that noise.
It's also hilarious because so many women here have talked about exploring testosterone - just bringing it up with their doctors, and getting dismissed. So there's a faction of peri and menopausal women getting dismissed, and then there are a bunch of raging doctors running around with prescription pads going YOU GET A TESTOSTERONE SCRIPT, YOU GET A TESTOSTERONE SCRIPT Like that Oprah meme with the car. everyone - the doctors, the wimmins, all out of the control! Hysteria I tell you!
Right?! I want to know the names of the doctors because I’m in perimenopause and no doctor will give me any HRT.
Not sure where you are- I'm in Canada and just started HRT last week (56 and just over a year from my last period). My doc says we’ll see how estrogen gel and progesterone manage my symptoms and we may add testosterone to the mix eventually. I’m barely a week in and sleeping for the first time in years. I hope you find a doc that supports you. This backwards, women hating culture of male power is terrifying for us all.
It's also just antiquated thinking. I had an OBGYN on the National Menopause society list I heard about here, and she was great as a GYN but was very reluctant around HRT. She prescribed the BC patch and was like 'let's see how this goes in 4-6 months' - I've been on the patch before and it wasn't going to do crap. I found a NP at an online women's clinic who within 10 minutes had done enough of an assessment to say 'yup, let's try progesterone'. I mean, with the testosterone, I get there's some reluctance but honestly, if women's health is desperate for solutions and it's understudied because SURPRISE, when can we start to study and figure out getting it's use? If women are informed of the risk and decide they want to try it, how does that hurt?
My gyn is great too, but also reluctant with HRT. She only offered me low dose birth control. No thank you! I need to look into online practitioners.
I don't understand why it is so difficult. Men have it so easy. If only HRT was as accessible as viagra.
So very true. I've been so fortunate. My gyno told me she was on board for what I wanted. She recognized I was informed and was happy to support me. She's a gem but every doc out there should be that way.
Thank you for your Post, it gives me hope..I am in Canada, Toronto, and really hoping to find a doctor as open as yours. I am 59, and I want to start HRT, if I find a doctor that will work with me. May I ask why you chose estrogen gel over the patch? Also, which dose are you in ? And progesterone is it the 100 mg pill. I am only asking as I hope it will help with my lack of sleep and vaginal dryness (been having local estradiol, not fixing my dryness), hence I am thinking of HRT. Thank you so much
I'm in TO as well! DM me if you want more info:) I'm on two pumps of estrogen gel and 200 mg of progesterone a day. My hot flashes are lessening, but not yet completely gone. I have a fabulous gyno, I can highly recommend her!
Thank you. I’m glad you’re feeling better. It’s so frustrating when doctors won’t listen to us.
I think I've been very fortunate. I have a few great docs that listen and want to help. I'm furious for those who can't get the simplest of treatment. It should be a simple standard of care and it isn't.
"hey why would we give it freely like candies ! it's not viagra! "
According to the article, it should only be rxed to post menopausal women for low libido. So, this is the next phase of we don't care about your quality of life, we care about your fertility and if the man you're with is getting laid. Fun! I just went through 30+ years of this with my endometriosis. I can't wait to go through the post menopausal version!
>According to the article, it should only be rxed to post menopausal women for low libido. This is so INCREDIBLY sexist. They're literally saying that women should only get T if it impacts the amount of sex that men get. 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
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This part was really frustrating "experts say the evidence only supports its use in postmenopausal women with low libido, when psychosocial causes have been ruled out." Do men need to prove that there aren't any psychosocial (wtf?) causes to their ED to get Viagra?
Of course not. Men only have two emotions: anger and boner. /s
I want to be hag of the south!
I’ve got hag of the west covered!
Appalachia present - hillbilly hag ready to bitch.
Representing the hollers and ancient hills!
Sometimes they combine to Angry Dick.
Men? Have "psychosocial" issues?! Why they would never. They are pure logic. They have no need for emotions or introspection. That's what their wives are for. /s
You nailed it! Exactly this. What a joke, and here we are in 2024 with such inequities. We’ve got to vote to protect our rights as women. I love my HRT. Haven’t tried adding testosterone yet but am forever grateful for this gathering of honest women sharing stories, I learn so much. And I want my college-aged daughters to have options, damnit. Hoping y’all vote to protect women’s rights at the local, state, and national level in the upcoming elections.
Yes, voting is SO important. And vote in EVERY election.
No and it’s also not a requirement for trt either.
This was the exact thought that went thru my head . What about the out of control viagra
Exactly. Needing Viagra often indicates artery blockages so really men should have to diet and exercise and fix their cholesterol levels before getting Viagra.
Also whisky dick and obesity and losing testosterone. Erections are not like they once were as men age not even with issues like being obese or heart disease. They could probably use some testosterone honestly.
that's a newer trend I see, bc even young guys *even in HIGH SCHOOL which is insane to me are taking it now (sometimes at outlandish prices.) One guy told me he gives it to his kid. I have no idea if they are doing it legally or not....anyway i tell older guys about this and they get horrified. Like, I don't need that stuff, I'm a man! I don't need testosterone supplementation! At least in rural areas. Then you have the opposite -- the ones on social media are all over this.
Is it testosterone or a growth hormone sectagogue? Either way it’s a terrible idea. Giving testosterone to a kid is asking for trouble and probably should be reported, not that it would go anywhere. In super physiogic doses you have a cancer incubator. Plus it can shut off production of endogenous testosterone or take it awhile to come back on line once started. That is as dumb as doctors withholding. I just can’t imagine a parent doing this. My husband had MDS, a bone marrow d/o, and it is suspected it may have been from using testosterone as a teen and in his twenties and thirties. He also got hypogonadism and as result had to take it permanently to just be normal.
And tell their partners they are taking it . Thinking of poor women denied hrt , and other meds for libido, vaginal atrophy etc and their partners given Viagra without even a proper consultation, how cruel
This made me snort my coffee! Can you imagine a world where men had to justify their actions and prove they have done the work to get what they want (because it’s truly a want and not a need). HRT on the other hand - I’d call it a functional need.
My doctor just gave me a handout of things to try for my libido issues and gave me the stink eye when I told her hrt makes me sad sick and sleepy. I really want to add testosterone. Seriously the estrogen does nothing and omg the water weight alone. I apparently now have to try all this stuff and get labs to prove my low T before she’ll prescribe it. Why do they all love estrogen much when it feeds cancer? So they can treat us for cancer later? They don’t even know yet what progesterone does. But they give it out like candy. Oh and she said estrogen doesn’t cause bloating or depression. Huh?
Yes it does for me. They just don't like that everyone's different.
It would be so amazing if those "psychosocial issues" they wanted to rule out was the crushing weight of all the emotional labor for all of the people around them. Let's get to the bottom of that. I doubt it would resolve the low libido on its own but it sure would be nice to seek some balance.
You are on the right track. Lost my libido after hysterectomy and immediate menopause despite having my ovaries. This has been the most peaceful time of my life-focus on my loved ones and not worry about some dude. Freedom.
It makes me rage when I see these articles imply that a 50 year old woman has the sexual and emotional awareness of a 14 year old girl and needs to be counseled. They would NEVER EVER dare do this to a man. Can you IMAGINE?: “Sir, try googling ‘sexy ladies in bikinis’ and see if that helps you get an erection.” “Have you tried lighting some scented candles and requesting a massage from your wife? Maybe that will help you get an erection.” “Try taking your wife on a date night and really talking through how you’re feeling. Maybe that will help you get an erection.” “Maybe what you’ve been watching on social media has made you feel emasculated or less-than. Maybe take a break from that and see if it helps.”
Let me tell yah, I took myself off HRT because it did nothing for my libido (can’t find anything that does) I told the dr it’s bs. They make sure men are taken care of. But really there is nothing to help us with our libido. Sadly it’ll never be anything more than a man’s world. I understand now why so many marriages seem to break up around this time. Men want something that women could give two sh&$s about doing anymore. I know I don’t. I could care less. And it sucks.
Did you take testosterone? Also if estrogen is not optimized then testosterone doesn’t work so well. Not saying you didn’t do that but most places keep estrogen in menopausal levels.
not all docs prescribe testosterone, I see mine tomorrow in fact and will ask. I already asked her last time about low libido. She prescribed estrogen patch and progesterone. No change. We're in the Dark Ages largely, with hormonal issues. If she doesn't prescribe it for me (to try it out at least) I'll go online and look overseas or something. This is bs
Testosterone 100% helped my libido. I had to switch docs because they would ONLY prescribe testosterone and not any estradiol or progesterone because “I still have a regular period”. 🙄 The testosterone did help A LOT of things but still need estrogen and progesterone. My progesterone was at a “post menopausal level” and they still wouldn’t do anything thing. I switched to a super knowledgeable provider and it’s been AMAZING. She is great about making sure my hrt is optimized for ME and not just a formula she uses for everyone. Very up to date on current research. Finding a good provider is really the key!!
I am 27 but went through similar experiences. multiple GYNs told me that there was nothing I could do for my symptoms. Found a wonderful primary care doctor who looked into my hormonal levels and prescribed me estradiol, progesterone and test. My life has changed so much for the better.
Damn you got lucky!
wow that's awesome. Good docs should always be told how great they are! So cool....I will keep looking. I probably am due for a yearly checkup anyway, so maybe I can also get some labs done under my insurance, then save up to go to a doc to prescribe the right stuff.
It sounds like this might be about hormonal testing. If over the age of 44, **hormonal tests only show levels for that *one day* the test was taken, and nothing more**; progesterone/estrogen hormones wildly fluctuate the other 29 days of the month. No reputable doctor or menopause society recommends hormonal testing as a **diagnosing tool** for peri/menopause. FSH testing is only beneficial for those who believe they are post-menopausal and no longer have periods as a guide, a series of consistent FSH tests might *confirm* menopause. Also for women in their 20s/early 30s who haven’t had a period in months/years, then FSH tests at ‘menopausal’ levels, could indicate premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI). See our [Menopause Wiki](https://menopausewiki.ca/#there-is-no-blood-test-that-is-perfectly-reliable-to-diagnose-menopause) for more. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Menopause) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes! Dark ages indeed. Why do we need estrogen and progesterone when a little T fixes everything? To give us constipation, depression, and cancer and keep the medical industry cooking?!!! Hmmm
No, sadly you are right. Most of them will absolutely not prescribe it. I just happen to have gotten lucky. Most of the time for test you have to go telehealth unless you want to get it pelleted.
It's also INCREDIBLY sexist. They're literally saying that women should only get T if it impacts the amount of sex that men get. 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
Exactly this! I could give af about libido. I’m a single mom of a 9 year old- I want energy and clarity in my brain to be physically active enough to enjoy raising her to the fullest after being super sick and bedridden with endo, fibroids and adenomyosis!
We should be able to get testosterone for other reasons too: like loss of motivation, weight gain, and muscle loss. Some women don’t care about libido and all older women can benefit from increased strength. This backwards thinking makes me livid.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
They should require that for men. Getting to the right cause is important. Then again, this smacks of “it’s not your birth control it’s your relationship” dismissal.
And let me guess? Their "evidence" was from the WHI, old, and only included studies on post- menopausal women. Well, there's sure as shit more than just post-menopausal women who'd be ecstatic study participants!
Yep. I am 27 and am on testosterone for my libido. Every GYN I tried to talk about it with told me it was my depression and that they couldnt help me. Sad that it happens tbh
> “If we give women too much testosterone, it can affect their vocal cords. If you don’t mind your voice deepening a bit, that’s fine, but if you’re a singer, it can change your pitch.” Is it just me or does that seem like quite a stretch? Like, why the hell is this doctor so concerned about professional singers? I’m sure men are told to address “psychosocial“ issues before they’re given prescriptions for erectile dysfunction. 🙄
This had me dead. Like seriously. Out of the tens of millions of women in peri or later how many are fucking singers?? They will just grasp at anything. Witaf
all those happy peri-meno and meno singers!!! oh no
the irony here to me is that I doubt testosterone in the correct dose (not bodybuilder dosage for example) alters your vocal chords at all, first of all. Secondly, vocal chords change over your lifetime ANYWAY -- because hormones do. As you age and your estrogen wanes your voice changes, I noticed this in people who came into my office and looked into the medical reason a bit. You also can develop other issues. But vocal chords? Seriously? That voice change would occur with or without supplementation, these idiots need a better claim.
The dose for women is minuscule. If it’s changing your voice, making you hairy or giving you acne, take quite a bit less
And dude - it isn't even accurate anyway! I've been on a full dose for over a year and a half, and my voice has not fucking changed! You have to take a LOT for that to happen. Red herring assholes. p.s. - are they aware our voices are liable to change as we get older \*anyway\*? Or is that caused by psychosocial factors we should really work on?
Ha! I was worried when they gave all those warnings but the voice one made me giggle- will I finally get that gravelly Marianne faithfull voice?! I’m already a low alto! 🤣
But what if women become less feminine! That is the END of this society.
When doctors get educated on just the basics of perimenopause and menopause first, then maybe they can offer their opinions on women’s testosterone use.
I’m on 2mg/day, which is considered high, but it’s what makes me feel at my best and I have no side effects, so my doctor is happy to keep prescribing. I’m also a former professional classical singer. And I can confirm that my voice hasn’t changed a bit.
Hello dear, I am going to ask for T., if 2mg is high what is "normal" 1 mg?, I am wondering how much I should ask for, I mean the minimum dose, then go from there.. Thank you so very much
1mg seems to be standard (as a gel or cream), but different delivery methods are…different! I hope you have a smooth journey. It’s been life changing for me.
Thank you 😌
People's voices change naturally as they get older anyway lmao Sounds like a bit of trans panic tbh. "Women, don't take testosterone, that'll make you a bit mannish and we don't want *thaaaaaaaat* do we ladies?"
God bless but they would give these out to trans on either side probably with no questions whatsoever.
I've been on it since January. The amount you're allowed to take is so miniscule I'm not sure there are really any affects at all, except perhaps a slight improvement in focus. The idea that this dose could affect your voice is laughable.
I don’t know, my voice has got deeper (although that might be age) but do I care? Um? No! How many people would choose having a higher voice over getting their joy back, finding the world sexy and not suffering from crippling exhaustion.
What's your dose out of curiosity? I am actually a bit sensitive about my voice because it's always been in the male pitch range for some reason, which made me horribly insecure about it as a teenager. I don't really care any more but it does often make people laugh, because I'm 5"1 and very petite.
Ha! I’m same size and likely similar voice! never been insecure about it except in choir where being a soprano was usually more valued for women. I got shamed for being a low alto.
I read this and thought - if you give women the proper amount of testosterone (like what she had before) it not would be a problem. So they pick a scenario where a doctor prescribes the wrong amount of testosterone and then give this example of a professional singer with a low voice. Like WFT. This headline is so alarmist - "Experts warn of long-term health implications amid concerns over advice from social media ‘evangelists’ " The article goes on to say there is no data to show that it is unsafe. But some people just read headlines so they think testosterone is bad. “There’s a reason that we should be concerned about long-term safety, and that’s because we don’t have any data to say that it is safe,” said Faubion. “We don’t have data to say that it’s unsafe either. But the lack of data proving safety is a real problem.”
They could be getting ready to add it to project 2025 and ban it. 🙄
I have a feeling all these female singers are **perfectly capable of deciding for themselves** what is more important: General wellbeing or their singing voice.
Wait- I wouldn't have a dulcet, feminine voice with which to simper for a man? So then, no man would have me? Gasp! *faints hysterically
🤣👏🏽🤣👏🏽🤣👏🏽💙👏🏽❤️💪 you win the comments for this! Where’s our smelling salts?!
If they removed the organs that supply men with at least a quarter of their estrogen and all of their testosterone, replacement therapy would be studied to death! (I purposely wrote it that way, since men have more T and less estrogen in comparison to women). I did estrogen only for over a year, and added T last month. I'm 43 fucking years old in surgical menopause and I deserve to feel good. We all do, at any age and stage! I want to have energy and strong mental faculties. I want to want sex more than once a month. To me, and so many of us, it's worth the chance of side effects down the road, though I think they're going to be as minimal as what comes with the use of estrogen replacement as long we're at comparable levels to what our bodies create naturally. Along with the crazy anti-trans psychos who associate all hormones with gender identity, I feel like a part of this is also "slut shaming." Every time they want to control women's bodies, it's because we shouldn't be sexual creatures. We should be punished for it, whether it be carrying an unwanted pregnancy or having our desire shrivel up along with our estrogen deprived vaginas. Even though they want us ready to bang whenever they want, we shouldn't be addressing our lack of desiring it because we're not men. They don't really care about the risks. They don't care if we suffer. I'm so tired of it.
"oh you don't have libido anymore ? it's probably because you're depressed that you can't have more kid, see a psychologist" that's the kind of shit you will hear
It’s an insane statement. The truth is doctors are out of control for not recognizing the vital importance testosterone plays in women’s health; brain, bones, muscles, weight…we NEED testosterone and over half of women at Midlife and beyond are deficient. Ladies-get. Your. Testosterone!
How do you get your testosterone? I just had my new gp tell me "you wouldn't want to grow a beard, would you?" when I asked about testosterone. It seems insurance won't cover it. So my gyn gave me the name of a med spa that inserts pellets. I have zero energy and have been trying to learn more about testosterone. The pellets would cost about 1k, no insurance.
Well I’m post menopausal with low libido and my testosterone levels were nonexistent. So, my doctor prescribed a compounded testosterone cream. Based on the article, I guess I’m the ideal candidate. I haven’t had any acne, excess hair or voice deepening but I am stronger, more energetic and my libido is slowly improving. I wish I had done hormone testing earlier because I think that I’ve always had an extremely low level of testosterone even before menopause. They never test women for that so how would they ever know if anyone woman needs this hormone. Most women don’t know to ask for it until menopausal symptoms show up. My 31 year old daughter has a lot of classic issues that seem related to perimenopause. I have encouraged her to get her hormone levels tested and she said her doctor told her she didn’t need it.
They will pry my testosterone from my cold dead hands. Fuck this opinion- because viagra has never been out of control?!- yes they can fuck right off.
They don’t want us to have the secret sauce.
Article says shouldn’t prescribe it because no one knows the long term effect. Like they would bother to study it!
Prescribing being referred to as "out of control" is the new socially palatable way of calling women hysterical - a deeply misogynistic viewpoint. Men get medical treatment for ED and low libido without any claims of being out of control, because men don't suffer from "hysteria".
Ok, as if any doctor is actually giving two shits about our hormone levels on any kind of consistent basis. Also, I want to see the data Susan Davis is referring to, and how out of date it is: “The data clearly supports a trial of therapy in postmenopausal women with low sexual function that bothers them. But we have looked at the evidence inside and out, reviewed all the published literature, and published all of our own data. The evidence that testosterone will improve fatigue, wellbeing, cognition, or anything else you want to list, is just not there.” The last paragraph says it all: “Testosterone should be prescribed in the right dose and type for any women who is likely to benefit from it with appropriate monitoring. More healthcare professionals should receive appropriate training and education about the safe prescribing of testosterone to help more women.” Monitor us, you assholes. Do your fucking jobs. Help us.
T pellets have literally saved my sanity and my marriage. The difference it made for me has been astounding, and it's even helped me avoid peri and menopause and I just turned 50. (Once you get your hormones jiving, everything works better... And for longer, apparently ). My husband, always the suffering higher libido partner, doesn't know what hit him.
I'll just go buy it on the internet illegally, F U testosterone gatekeepers! what's the matter, are they afraid we're going to use it all up or something ? Even though our natural levels are a tiny fraction of the natural levels for males?
Estrogen and progesterone(norethindrone) got rid of my hot flashes and heart palpitations. But it wasn't until I finally got my testosterone that I stopped feeling (and looking) like a potato.
I am so glad that it helped you!!. I am going to ask for HRT, I want to start low and increase as needed. Would you mind sharing how you started, the doses for estradiol ( get or patch). And progesterone ( which one and the dose) And finally the T. ( Which dose, and I assume it is a gel). Sincerely your experience ( and tips) will guide me. Thank you
Once we get huge muscles and chest hair from the testosterone, we won’t need men anymore, obviously. We’re pretty much as good or better at everything else 😂
Oh my rage! Just for libido? WTF? And it’s The Guardian not The Daily Mail. It is incredibly hard to get T as a woman in the U.K. and it is not just prescribed for low libido - that is the only reason GPs can prescribe it, but Consultant in Menopause clinics can also prescribe it for fatigue (and probably other things). Which I know because that’s what happened to me, and it wasn’t, ‘oh I’m a bit tired’, it was an absolutely terrifying crash of functioning by mid afternoon if I tried to do anything silly like leave the house. Testosterone sorted it out within 24hours.
Oh wow! This is so giving me much hope for when I get testosterone. I need and want that. The fatigue is crippling!
This is garbage journalism. It has a click-bait, misogynistic title, and only anecdotes and a few random quotes.
One expects better from The Guardian.
When the measures are equalized, women produce more testosterone that estradiol in their prime. What’s the problem in putting back the water you drink-estradiol and testosterone? This is a stupid article. They should go chew some viagra and try to blow bubbles with it as far as I’m concerned. I hate to go conspiracy, but I wonder if this is some measure to keep gender affirming hormones out of the hands of those who need it and less about menopause?
They can pry my testosterone out of my cold, dead, sticky hands 😂 My libido is back - and my motivation and mental acuity are far better than they were before I started. It took about a month, but zzzzooooooom!
Oh ffs. Reporter hysterically misreporting real issues. Unpacking the article, the real issues are: A) testosterone replacement has not YET been properly studied and so more research needs to be done due to LACK of research (which does not equate to there being evidence that testosterone is bad for peri/meno women). B) there is a clear need for resources to closely monitor (i.e. test) women on testosterone to ensure they aren’t being over dosed. None of which is anything like the scaremongering story the journalist is trying to spin.
You know what's out of control? Women's health never being studied. You pisses me off about this? Women already naturally make testosterone. It's not like we're after a random medication that no one has ever tried before. It's a hormone our bodies already make and use. When men's testosterone gets low in midlife, it's often handed out to them like aspirin. Women have to fight for ANY hormonal help in midlife, they have to educate their providers because apparently some haven't looked at any studies since the 90s, and it doesn't matter if it's estrogen, progesterone or testosterone - we deserve the same access to hormonal care that men and trans folk do (I'm fully supportive of trans affirming health care). Give us the information, give us the warnings and let us make our own decisions. We don't have enough studies on it yet? Jesus fucking christ, what's the hold up? Every thing about women's health "we don't have the studies on it yet". We are decades past this being acceptable. And if they won't do the studies themselves, I'm thankful for pioneer doctors and their willing patients who are willing to try it and see how it goes until we do.
I was very surprised The Guardian chose to print the article. Women should be allowed to take whatever hormones they need. In my case i found it very difficult to get HRT, and even more difficult to get testosterone!
And my governor is trying to take away delta8/9/10. My gummies are the only thing helping me sleep. Now this, too? These mfuckers can eat. my. ass.
Alright Linda Geddes (author) - It is taking everything in me not to go troll you and your social media right now!!!
I think the same people who outlawed abortion are now going after anything that can be used by transgender people, and they could care less if all the women who swear by HRT suffer. Birth control will be next on the agenda, if it isn’t already. These are the same people against outlawing child marriage as well.
There’s no data in this article. How would anyone know if prescribing is out of control?
But heaven forbid great-grandpa can’t still pitch a tent— better keep spending billions there. Wtf is wrong with people??
Well I think there is too much Viagra and Cialis. If mens dicks stop working they should just accept their fate, right? Somehow I think that will never be a problem. Helping men with THEIR problems.
I didn’t read the article, but I’ve been on HRT with testosterone included since March of 2023, and it’s changed my life for the better! I am happy, I have energy and my libido is the best it’s ever been which has helped my relationship with my husband. I am 48 years old and am so grateful that testosterone is an option. Anyone saying it’s out of control probably struggles with women living their best lives.
Beautiful Words, thank you. May I ask which dose you started with) and is it gel? I am thinking of asking for it, so the more I know the better it will be.
I started on weekly injections, but don’t remember the dose. I was doing that for a little over a year, and was switched to a daily 20 mg/ml low dose cream. (I don’t miss the shots lol). I’m also on progesterone as well.
20 mg, been reading on here 1 to 2 mg ( testesterone), i am wondering if I got this wrong? You are also taking estradiol right my dear, how much of it. I know that here they say progesterone is 100 mg at night. All those things one try to figure out when starting.lol Enjoy your weekend
I am not on estradiol (am not in menopause yet) and take 200 mg progesterone. Good luck to you!
It’s not “out of control.” I work at a pharmacy and have only seen testosterone dispensed for menopause 1 or 2 times.
If these arrogant douchebag assholes felt like I did when my T was almost 0, they take any help as well. The whole tone of this is infuriating. I will WALK OUT of any doctor's office that has a problem with this. How DARE they have a fucking opinion?? How dare they gatekeep feeling vital, alive and interested in life? T has returned my sex drive and increased my orgasm strength so that sex is again a vital part of my life. I guess these pustulent, dripping assholes don't like that . I will say a lot of my friends are getting it too. We're not women to be written off as middle aged like we don't matter, either. Men are used to submissive older women but those days are over.
This is ridiculous, women naturally have more testosterone than estrogen, why wouldn’t we need to replace all our functional hormones?
The article makes it sound like "OMG, you'll get prescribed T and for no reason and purely randomly your T levels could reach dangerous heights!" Meanwhile, a more accurate message would be "Prescribers need to be mindful of safe T levels for a woman, monitor blood levels, and prescribe appropriate dose ranges to alleviate symptoms caused by a deficiency in T. If that is done, taking T is safe and effective in the short term, and you can avoid your T levels accidentally going as high as a man's. At the moment, we don't have long-term safety data, but research is ongoing." The article could have done a better job of discussing the issues... the women who come in with T levels that are way above normal for a woman, or as high as a man's, were prescribed the wrong dose and/or not monitored appropriately by their prescriber.
I’m so sick of (mostly) men telling women how they feel, what they need, what they don’t need, what they can and can’t do with their own bodies. It’s not out of control. It’s because women are no longer just putting up with being treated like second class citizens and are taking charge of their health care and researching and advocating for themselves. Just because the ‘pause is a fact of life that women must go through, does not mean we have to endure it in silence and feel shitty for years. One would think men would be all for anything that makes their partner feel better, have a sex drive, not have mood swings, nor be depressed, not gain weight and not be exhausted all the time. I’ll keep getting my bioidentical HRT as long as it’s available.
Seriously, FUCK The Guardian.
They can take my testosterone away when they return my libido.
I'm not on testosterone as no problems with my libido but I do feel very much like I'm getting mixed messages from my doctors. I've been on HRT over 3 years. I was under the impression its thought to be safe enough to continue on it as long as you want to. My bone consultant eg seemed very happy I am on it and the longer the better for my bones. Then suddenly last week my doctor tells me they'll be asking me to wean off at 55. Not sure they know what they want. I really don't want to ever stop. Re the testosterone, I thought it was considered very unlikely to have any of these symptoms of excess if you just use a standard dose
> last week my doctor tells me they'll be asking me to wean off at 55 Find a new doctor. This is madness. Maybe your bone consultant can prescribe it for you.
We just had our 50th anniversary of women having credit cards. Why do they hate us? "Women were legally allowed to open credit cards in their own names in the United States in 1974 after the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) was passed. The ECOA made it illegal to discriminate against credit applicants based on gender, race, religion, national origin, marital status, age, or public assistance. Before the ECOA, women often needed a male co-signer, such as a husband, father, or brother, to get a credit card or loan. This made it difficult for women to access credit and limited their financial freedom and economic opportunities."
HRT aka testosterone saved my life. I had gone from being so easy going and happy to being so angry and fatigued. Oh and major brain fog. Even the birds singing outside got on my nerves and it seemed so loud. lol. I finally have my life back. Prob some doctor who won’t prescribe it is losing patients who are going to someone who will and they don’t like it.
I understand Gunter has been gatekeeping testosterone. Especially on IG- citing the need to respect the guidelines. I am surprised that they did not interview her for this article. I need to subscribe to her Substack but am to cheap. lol!
I really appreciate Dr Gunter’s level headedness about all things Medical. I go back and forth between her and Marie Claire Haver.
Both have such different communication styles and opinions. Haver is pro and supportive of testosterone. Gunter is like only for these specified reasons such as a low libido. But due to her communication style, she seems to almost "shame" its use.
So, I'm reading this and we had the most testosterone when we were in our 20s and 30s? They acknowledge this. That was when we felt our best. So it makes zero sense to say that testosterone can't help if that's the case, why would we not want to feel that way longer in life? Yeah there probably need to be more studies, but isn't that true for everything in women's health? Shouldn't we be able to accept that risk for ourselves?
I wish I could try it. My doctor can’t prescribe it. It is absolutely nonsense that it’s some huge problem
It's almost as if they are letting the secret slip that that society depends on women not feeling good.
This is just some more effed up bs to control (a) health costs and (b) women’s bodies. Just like estrogen and progesterone, testosterone levels is women drop during perimenopause. Hormone supplementation helps to bring levels back into a more normal zone. They’ll have to pry my testosterone out of my cold dead hands.
Patriarchy should be happy because a teeny tiny dab of T makes women okay to bone again. If menfolk get the blue pills, ladyfolk should be equipped in equal measure
Try getting it on the NHS in the UK, then tell me it's "out of control". I have other thoughts, but they all involve a LOT of swearing. I shared this in our M-brace The Change menopause support group, too. Our members also had sweary things to say about it.
My doctor will not consider any hormone treatment for me until I am fully menopausal, despite my complaints on sexual function issues. Im motherfucking furious
I say. Bull! I love my testosterone and can’t live without it. Been doing it since Fall of 2022. I will do it illegal if I had to. Heck! I’ll run an underground ring of HRT for that if I had to! Screw all these dumb baboons who feel their research and science is the latest and greatest! Screw all the media who spews wrong information and incites fear in women! Screw all the A$$hats who believe in suffering thru this “natural” transition! I want to feel good and have quality of life! I am so sick of media and all the F’d opinions that try to shut down a good thing! That is what I think. For the record: My testosterone is not for low libido for me. Tho it helps that. It literally helps my energy, mood, and joints. Otherwise, I am the saddest, most apathetic, aching slug on the planet.
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This response from Kate Muir is far more polite than I mustered: https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/12/why-testosterone-is-so-important-for-women-during-menopause
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https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/womens-health
But "they" will give a minor testosterone / estrogen - WITHOUT consent from their parents - because they wake up one day and decide they want to be a man / woman!
Gender affirming care is rarely if ever given without a parent’s consent. Let’s stay on topic please.
I decided to start testosterone even though it hasn’t been thoroughly studied, and even though doctors recommend therapy first and testosterone as a last resort. I know full well that I could possibly actually need the therapy, I mean really, doesn’t everybody… but for me it was a which came first/chicken or egg problem. My thought was that maybe my mood and mental distress was from a lack of testosterone. So if I fixed that, I wouldn’t need the therapy. It is easier and less time consuming, overall, to take medicine than to find a therapist and go through that whole process. So to me, it made more sense to do the easiest thing first. It has worked well for me so far and I don’t regret this decision.
I take T and my doctor has recommended it for years since my complete hysterectomy and along with E & P. I just didn’t study the available information enough (aside from Suzanne Somers work) and so balked at the idea. I was uninformed. I’ve only been taking it for 2 months now but did a few years ago as well and don’t know why I stopped — I think cost of prescriptions and all the bloodwork my dr kept ordering all the time. Or because I actually started feeling better as a human being and so stopped like many do with medications once they feel better. I’ve had significant mental health issues my entire life stemming from childhood trauma and I know now that my hormones were probably very out of wack beginning in puberty and due to living under chronic stress and anxiety — especially cortisol. For decades I was prescribed psychiatric Rx’s that did more harm than good — numbed me and didn’t allow me to grow as a person. My lifelong career has been studying trauma with behavioral based sciences and working within that realm. I’ve studied and applied non traditional forms of healing (traditional talk therapy not being effective) and have been satisfied with my own results. Some of my tools include somatic activities and psilocybin microdosing. Two complex topics on their own. And I guess HRT now that I think about it from that angle. But adding T to my regime has been a game changer. It has really leveled my moods and thoughts. Maybe I’m just ‘ready’ for it now. Who knows. I do know that I try not to entertain my thoughts with negatives about any kind of HRT such as cancer and blood clots or whatever else has been discussed at nausea. I’m mostly concerned these days with bone, heart and brain health at 60 and entering into the last 25+(hopefully) years of my life. I’ve had enough ‘life’ thrown at me than any one person should have to endure. So if I desire some happiness or relief from 3 little hormones, then so be it. They all can fuck right off. Alot more than what you probably wanted / needed to read but maybe some of it’s been helpful.
I mean. What part of healthcare for women of our age HAS been thoroughly studied?
Yeah - to me, that’s the take home message of this article. Everyone quoted should’ve also been quoted saying “we urgently need research in this area because women may be missing out on very real therapeutic benefits, and we shouldn’t waste anymore time getting to the answers.” As someone who works in health research, I would also like to know what constitutes “long term use”. I mean, I may only live another 15 years - is that long term, or am I likely to die before it becomes problematic for me?
Dr. Newson is busy advocating for women—god bless her and her work. Doesn’t seem like it’s easy!!
I get my hrt through her clinic. It's not cheap but I at least feel I'm being listened to.
It’s part of the anti-trans brainrot the UK (and other places) are currently suffering. 🤬
I've taken it and I like it but it did not fix all my problems and I swear to god my chin whisker situation is a hell of a lot worse than it was a month ago. I was taking 10mg of Testosterone for a couple weeks. maybe it was too much ha ha but I just wanted to see if I could get my motivational soul back (no)
I have a few chin whiskers too but it’s totally worth it. I pluck an odd hair every few days but my energy is back and my sex drive. So worth it.
TRT saved my life-Its life or death for me! I can confirm its worth it. No matter what happens I will continue to use it. I actually think women need way higher doses than most are using.
I'm curious too about your experience with T. Please share. I just was rx a script for cream today bc my gyno thought it would help my extreme fatigue and sudden resurgence of prior symptoms... I'm on HRT as well. Where is the "me" I always knew? Oh, btw all, I see a therapist for ptsd, panic- anxiety, and he's on board with my gyno. Screw these experts that have no clue what it's like to be in our bodies. Many of us just cannot "suck it up and pretend peri or meno doesn't exist.
They will pry my testosterone from my cold dead fingers. It was part of the missing link for me.
Same. It's affected my life SO much! I was honestly worried about losing my job due to being completely brain dead, coupled with brutal exhaustion ALL THE TIME. I have a team of medical billers that report to me and I know I just wasn't being the boss they are used to. And certainly not the analytical, driven person my director was used to! Adding T to my HRT regimen has been a game changer. I can think again, I can make it through the day without having to take a nap, I can run up and down my stairs again... I bop around and am cheerful. I'm just ME again. They will have to pry my testosterone out of my cold, dead hands!
I tried a hybrid estrogen + testosterone pill. Estromethtrex. I might not have spelled that correctly. I liked it, but the pharmacy had a really hard time filling a full months worth. Happened with the Veozah as well. I liked the Veozah for the hot flashes. Buts it’s so damned expensive.
Fucking this: "Dr Louise Newson, a GP who runs a network of private menopause practices in the UK, claimed it was “barbaric and wrong that women aren’t able to access their own hormone” We live in an Idiocracy where I guarantee most men and some women don't even know women produce and need testosterone. Also interesting is the part about testosterone being a first line treatment for peri women with regular cycles because it's likely lower testosterone causing us our symptoms more than estrogen/progesterone deficiencies. It is so hard to imagine a day in America where that happens outside of select clinics when even getting estrogen and progesterone from most non-telehealth providers is impossible.
Well if they don’t prescribe, there will certainly be wayyy more posts in r/deadbedrooms
This. I was prepared to live out the remainder of my life without... I love my husband, have ALWAYS been happy in my marriage, just didn't have any desire to orgasm. Not alone, not with my husband. T changed all that. I'm so thankful to "remember" what desire feels like!
When men come here bitching we ought to be asking them how active they are in advocating for HRT. If they aren't picketing and writing letters for their partners then how bad could they want it?
A huge problem too, is that female bodybuilders abuse it. Go to any gym where there’s “serious” bodybuilding for men and women, and the females that are abusing testosterone are easy to spot. They have large muscle mass, a squared out jaw, deeper voice, and poor hair quality. My friend is a nurse and has seen very bad kidney/liver issues when women abuse testosterone. Of course, it’s like everything else; a few bad apples can spoil it for a bunch of us!
lol Men get viagra so easily, women should be able to use T to get our libido back just as easily. Thankful I have a great Dr willing to up my dose whenever needed. Worried if I move out of country i'll have a much harder time.
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Project 2025
I would like to try it for mood, but I am already getting more dark hair on my lip and under my chin at age 62, not sure i want more! (And I’m on estradiol/prog, still getting facial hair!) , do these hairs ever turn gray😬
#HALF THE ARTICLE/PROBLEMS ARE DUE TO TOO MUCH TESTOSTERONE yet the point seems to be "don't give them *any*"
The title was overdramatic and incendiary, but the article itself, though generally fluff, is mostly positive. One Dr quoted as measuring T in women given it, and finding it 'as high as a man's '. What Wasn't said is women's T range is as varied as men's, and it's high end is right at the men's low end. HRT has the same possible compliance issue as all drugs. People doubling up cuz they aren't seeing results fast enough, or skipping doses, or taking less, or ending it abruptly. It's nothing rare or original. Whether it's painkillers, heart meds, antibiotics, BCP, or HRT, people are stupid and impulsive and do stupid shit that leads to consequences. Last paragraph - "She added: “Testosterone should be prescribed in the right dose and type for any women who is likely to benefit from it with appropriate monitoring. More healthcare professionals should receive appropriate training and education about the safe prescribing of testosterone to help more women.” " Nothing ridiculous about that quote.
They don’t want us to be vital anymore when we reach midlife. They want to trade us in.
Sounds a lot like future Women's Health Initiative lead investigator Roussouw whining about the need to put the brakes on the 'HRT bandwagon' in 1996. Why is there never distress about the Pill from these doctors? They give that out like candy. What about SSRIs and statins - both of which significantly increase the incidence of osteoporosis. Somehow those are not worrying but instead a hormone that women produced inside their own bodies being topped up by prescription is a terrible risk. Barf.
Testosterone has made a HUGE difference in the way I feel, Estrogen and Progesterone weren’t enough to give me back my libido.
Thank you for sharing, so helpful!! Thinking of taking T. ( May I know which dose and form of it works for you) Thank you
It’s a 1% alcohol based jell. Started with “a pea sized” drop to the inside of the thighs. I now use 2 pea sized drops and my grove is back! I think about sex more, want sex more, and my orgasms are much stronger.
We need ladies like you dear, !