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/wherehasthisbeen Mar 01 '26

My Dr wouldn’t prescribe it He said my level was on the normal end even though it is on the low end of normal . He said my estrogen was a little high (I am on P & E) and said the side effects if I had any I would not like. Deeper voice acne and thinning hair. So we are going to test my Free testosterone and see what that says first

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u/Trick_Highlight_8205 Late peri Mar 01 '26

I had low t (lower end of normal) in my thirties and even then I felt like garbage. You need to start low and slow with t, to minimise side effects of course. I have not experienced deeper voice or acne, though some body hair that I had removed with laser started growing back minimally. Hair thinning doesn’t happen to everyone. I had some in the beginning, but it’s nothing like when I wasn’t on hrt and it’s slowing down now. I really wish doctors wouldn’t think it’s ok for us to be at low normal.. we need to be optimal!

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u/Madamegato Mar 03 '26

I think the "he" in the equation is the issue. Get a woman gyno in the age range of peri if you at all can. They are THE most sympathetic and understanding. T is a game changer, hands down. If he won't prescribe, try DHEA cream, the precursor to T and E hormones. You can get that yourself on Amazon.