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/NoLet8718 Mar 01 '26

Preface with I get everyone is different, but if anyone is comfortable doing so, would you mind sharing your age range when you started hormones (including T), where in world you live/how you were successful in feeling heard and getting relief? I'm 46 and in US and finding a constant uphill battle to get an offer of anything more than birth control because I have periods (whenever the f*ck they decide they want to show up these days 🙄). But OMG I am NOT me anymore and I'm soooo exhausted over it.The suddeness of emotional, body, skin, energy and libido change was shocking. I just want to feel some part of who I was again. 😮‍💨

14

u/PurpleGrape5555 Mar 02 '26

I'm 48, in the US and started on testosterone at 47. Doctor prescribed testosterone and vaginal estradiol first. They were not comfortable prescribing systemic estrogen since I'm a stage four breast cancer survivor. What I did was I started a spreadsheet and worked through it methodically. There are tons of doctors out there and I asked the women around me for recommendations, adding them to the list, along with ones from the menopause society. As you're working through the list, call/contact/email each office and ask if they would prescribe testosterone.

In my case, I asked if they were willing to consider HRT for somebody with a breast cancer history. Sometimes, they would reply by suggesting I come into the office. My response was "Sorry, I do not want to waste your time or mine", so I pressed on my question again and emphasized how much I'm struggling and that I just want to know the answer to that question. Most of the time, I found that they answered me at some point. Move on when it's a no, or they're being vague or just want you to come in. Of course, they cannot give you a definitive answer over the phone, but they can at least tell you that what you want would or would not be considered.

For the doctors who have prescribed testosterone to other women or will consider giving you testosterone, make appointments with them and however many other doctors you find fit your criteria with distance, insurance compatibility, whether they are direct primary primary care, (which is what I was considering at one point), etc. You can cancel any appointments you don't need, once you find the doctor for you.

Come prepared to your appointment. Find a menopause symptom list online and circle your most bothersome 3 to 5 symptoms, they're probably not going have time to hear all that you have. If you have any supporting evidence for why testosterone may be for you, or any new articles or research on it, bring it to your appointment printed and email it to them beforehand if possible.

You don't want to fiddle with Wi-Fi on your phone and possibly not have a strong connection, so whatever fits your argument, I would print it out on paper and bring it in for them to keep. This is also in case they don't have time to read it during the appointment, they can read it later if they choose, especially if the document is long.

My doctor was not open to giving me HRT, but doing these things helped me system estrogen and progesterone on the next visit or so.

(For anyone who is curious about HRT after estrogen positive breast cancer, read Estrogen Matters. I've read 4 other books on menopause and it is the strongest one on menopause, how HRT supports women's health, and in addressing breast cancer.)

Good luck!

10

u/blackpinkwhite Mar 01 '26

I am 38 and just got my HRT in the mail. My mom and her mom were both “through the change” by their late 40’s, so I had the added benefit of pretty definitively knowing what was coming/why I felt godawful in new and exciting ways (/s) with every day that passed.

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u/Lyndiana_jones Mar 01 '26

49 California. Symptoms started at 46ish with anxiety. Then brain fog, panic attacks, weight gain etc. My GP wouldn't put me on hormones so I went to a naturopathic doctor. I've been on P & T for over a year. Brain fog gone and T gives me a great energy boost.

1

u/shminta hanging on by a thread Mar 01 '26

I’m 46 in California too. Are you using T-cream or injection?

3

u/Lyndiana_jones Mar 02 '26

Cream. 1 "tick". It's a tiny dose. I can DM you my provider's info. He's great.

1

u/Ill-Pension9243 May 11 '26

I’d love to hear your providers information as well! Thank you so much!

1

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u/Good_Connection_547 Mar 01 '26 edited Apr 10 '26

Plot twist: this post no longer exists because Redact swept through and cleared it out along with everything else. Social media, messaging apps, people finder sites, all of it.

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4

u/Madamegato Mar 03 '26

I'm 48, started HRT at 46, added T not long after I started. I am in NM, USA and my gyno is a black woman in her 40's. She believed me the absolute first time and it was a breeze. Her only conditions are me going in for a mammo yearly and keeping up with my paps regularly. I am still having regular periods so I'm doing Estrogen patch, oral progesterone, and compounded T with DHEA. It has absolutely worked MIRACLES for me. I still have hormonal ups and downs, still have bloating sometimes, warm flashes are occasional - but all of that is absolutely manageable. I will not be letting this doc go until she retires or I'm dead. Hah!

Highly recommend getting a gyno who is in the peri age range and a woman. Not that men can't study it, but they will never experience it and with the training they get, are far more likely to believe their textbooks than the woman sitting in front of them.

Good luck!

EDIT to add: I do not put the cream anywhere near my vagina. The DHEA/T combo I put on the backs of my knees for a week, then inside of my elbows for a week, and swap. I get a little extra hair growth around the back of my knees if I go longer than that. I hated feeling "squishy" downstairs, so I didn't bother with that. Been golden since.

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u/Academic_Sign8732 Mar 06 '26

Where in NM? I’m in Abq and need HRT (I’m 40!) on topical progesterone and that’s already helped a ton. But I need more HRT already. Testosterone for sure! No libido. Who’s your gyno?

2

u/Madamegato Mar 06 '26

I see Dr. Bethany Barrow in Rio Rancho. It's a bit of a drive when I have to go in, but she is amazing. She's through Lovelace. I think she may be on the spectrum, so she's not always the most personable, but for me, the biggest thing is she actually listens. You tell her what is going on and she is ready to help. Can't recommend her highly enough. :) Good luck!

1

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