Why I Started Taking Testosterone

/

There’s been a lot of talk lately about testosterone and whether or not women should be taking it – so I want to share my decades-long experience with HRT, aka hormone replacement therapy.

Hormone replacement therapy (or HRT) has long been used to treat menopausal symptoms in women caused by hormonal changes, like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and vaginal dryness. I’ve personally been using HRT for over a decade, but not just the kind you might expect. Most HRT contains estrogen and progesterone – which are female sex hormones – but I’ve actually seen the greatest benefit from testosterone. (And it was something I had to research and ask for – no doctor suggested it to me upfront.) So if you’ve been wondering whether or not testosterone could help you, this blog post is for you! 

A primer on testosterone and aging

Testosterone is made by the human body and it plays a role in our reproductive functions, mood, and sex drive/libido. As we age, our levels naturally decline, especially during menopause when hormone production slows, often leading to loss of libido. This is why some people, including myself, turn to hormone replacement therapy to replace the testosterone their bodies aren’t making.

How I started testosterone

When I first entered menopause, one of the most concerning side effects I experienced was the sudden loss of my libido. I say sudden because this change practically happened overnight – which was confusing, because I had always valued a healthy sex life and never had issues. Determined to regain my sex drive, I thoroughly researched my options and decided to ask my doctor about testosterone. 

I was 53 when my doctor recommended I get off of birth control, which I did. My body immediately went nuts. I gained 12 pounds instantly. I had never gained weight before in my life. I was in full blown menopause, including a lost of my libido. At the time I was afraid to tell my partner that I was going through menopause, because I had negative associations with it and I was scared of judgement and being thought of as old. (Ironic now because I’m 68 and I have a totally different mindset towards aging!)

I told my doctor about the research I’d done on testosterone and explained why I wanted to go on it… let’s just say she hit the ceiling. She was so against me going on testosterone and she wasn’t interested in having any discussion with me about it. Instead, she prescribed estrogen and progesterone, as most doctors do. I was adamant that I wanted to also add testosterone to the mix, based on my research, but my doctor wasn’t willing to talk to me about it. I decided to seek a second opinion, and the next doctor I spoke to was much more open-minded when I brought up testosterone. (She didn’t voluntarily bring it up, but when I did, she was willing to have the conversation!) Ultimately, she said she would prescribe me testosterone on one condition: I had to get bloodwork done every six months to check my hormone levels. I was desperate to feel some relief from menopause, so I agreed and started taking testosterone. 

Was the bloodwork a pain in the ass? You bet! But low and behold, my libido came back. I kept up with my bloodwork because it’s crucially important to monitor your levels while taking hormones. There have been times when my testosterone levels were too high and we had to pull back (I could usually tell because I would start to get chin acne), and times when it was on the lower side. Now, it’s been over a decade and I can say that the trial and error was well worth it…

My results

I went into my HRT experience thinking that I just wanted my libido back – and I did get that back, and haven’t had an issue with it since starting testosterone. But the main advantage that came out of HRT was regaining my confidence. I just felt better about myself. I had more energy for my workouts, I felt less fatigued, and all of those benefits ended up improving my relationship, too. HRT isn’t for everyone, and it’s not a miracle cure – I did a lot of work to get my confidence back too – but if you’ve felt significant unpleasant side effects since menopause, it’s certainly worth looking into.

In terms of what I use hormone-wise, I take two clicks of a bioidentical compound of testosterone (aka its chemically identical to the testosterone my body produces) as a topical cream, and I apply it everyday on my upper thigh. Testosterone comes in other forms, too, including injections, patches, and gels. 

Dosing, Risks, and Considerations

Right now, there are no FDA-approved testosterone products for women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). Either though it’s considered a medical condition, it isn’t taken seriously by all healthcare providers – like my first doctor. If you’re interested in HRT, I would recommend seeking out a doctor who specializes in menopausal women and hormone replacement, or using one of the following resources: 

  • Gennev: Offers telemedicine services and personalized HRT plans for menopausal women.

  • Evernow: Provides medical support and HRT prescriptions via online consultations.

  • Elektra Health: Focuses on women’s health during menopause with tailored care plans.

  • Menopause.org: They provide resources and guidance through certified practitioners.

In terms of the risks, possible side effects may include acne or oily skin, voice deepening, increased body and facial hair, among others. 

And finally, a note on dosing. Finding the right dosage for you can require some trial and error, as it did for me, but I didn’t experience any adverse symptoms of high testosterone besides acne. A starting dose of testosterone for postmenopausal women is 5 mg a day, with benefits appearing within 6-8 weeks and maximum results by 12 weeks. Monitoring your baseline testosterone levels is essential throughout HRT, and it’s important to also get a lipid panel and liver bloodwork done, too. To this day, I get bloodwork every six months. 

If you have tried everything to restore your libido to its pre-menopausal state and still come up short, then I encourage you to look into testosterone therapy. If I hadn’t brought it up to my doctors, I probably never would’ve ended up taking it, because no one was offering it up to me. Again, testosterone is not for everyone, but nothing is for everyone! I hope after reading about my experience that you’ll do your own research and decide for yourself. There’s a chance it doesn’t work for you, but there’s also a chance that it works great for you, and that you find the relief you’re looking for. I hope that’s the case!

Xo, 

Renata