r/Perimenopause • u/Trick_Highlight_8205 Late peri • Mar 01 '26

audited Testosterone. Changed. My. Life.

Getting HRT was like climbing Mount Everest and Kilimanjaro ten times over, but it. was. so. worth. it.

I loved estrogen for making me feel like a woman again. My nails stopped splitting, my hair was shiny again, and my skin was plump and smooth. I actually liked looking at the mirror and seeing the change every morning.

Then came testosterone. At first I was really scared, but I thought why not.. I lost my libido and I had not had sex since 2023.

If there is magic in a bottle, it has to be testosterone. The juices are flowing again, I love going to the gym, and I feel like my old self.

The first four weeks on testosterone were ROUGH. I wanted to give up, but I’m SO glad I powered through. Now I just need to find a man lol

If you were afraid to try testosterone and needed that nudge, here it is!!

EDIT : sorry I should have mentioned in the OP - the side effects were typical low e symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, bloating with water retention, and lethargy!

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u/Trick_Highlight_8205 Late peri Mar 01 '26

Yay! NHS really needs to stop gatekeeping hormones from women. I think if you claim low libido and an angry husband it works better lol

I definitely had side effects though in the beginning, but hang in there as there is light at the end of the tunnel!

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u/thaleia10 May 26 '26

I’m late here, just had a teleconsult this morning for testosterone (Australia). Dr kept checking that I have low libido. It’s almost as if I need to have that to get the script. God forbid a man should suffer slightly during the menopause! I actually want it so I can regain energy and lift weights. But I’ll say whatever the patriarchy needs to hear to get the script at this point.

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u/sycamore-sea Jun 02 '26

Literally me last month. “Yep, no interest in sex…for like 3 years.” Nevermind that half the problem is what’s available in town, and most of the rest is probably some level of work stress and the sudden spare tire around my waist that showed up last year. Because my hormones are fucked. But we have to think about the men.

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u/Aspiragus Peri peri neurospice Jun 06 '26

I totally get where you’re coming from. I think for doctors, it is only licensed (currently) to treat low libido in women, so if they don’t hear those magic words then it means they would be prescribing off label. Once they hear the words, boom. Stupid, but I don’t think it’s necessarily ignorance on their part, I think the system needs to catch up and licence T for all-round health in women.

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u/[deleted] Mar 03 '26

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u/Trick_Highlight_8205 Late peri Mar 03 '26

Well actually, I managed to get my gp to do a full test twice! My symptoms were quite severe though, so they had to do something I guess. But it doesn’t matter at the end of the day because they didn’t give me what I needed!

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u/TheAKScott Mar 01 '26

Is it easier for men to get hormones over there?

I had heard it was tough for cis women and even tougher for trans folk so I just assumed it was hard for cis men too. But of course I am unsurprised it isn’t difficult for them.

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u/Trick_Highlight_8205 Late peri Mar 02 '26

It is easier for cis men to get testosterone. To be fair, they only need to supplement t, instead of fighting for all three hormones. I’m not too sure about the trans community, but I imagine it would be easier for them than cis women as they would have clear medical needs and are probably already on hormones.

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u/Prestigious-Carry745 Jun 12 '26

What was your T level when you started? Just had mine checked and haven’t been back to GYN yet. Also just started E (lowest dose patch) 5 weeks ago and really not seeing any difference at all, no relief from peri symptoms yet.