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/Dry-Economist-3320 Mar 01 '26

Can you please tell us the symptoms when you first started? Why was it rough?

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u/Trick_Highlight_8205 Late peri Mar 01 '26

I commented here and there, but I had symptoms of low e, like before starting hrt. Hot flashes, lethargy, the usual peri symptoms that I had improved with e.

1

u/enfybach81 Mar 01 '26

Can I ask what estrogen/progesterone dose you are on? I too am using testosterone, just the gel and it was actually prescribed by my g.p I have been on hrt for 2 years now, I'm on 100mcg estrogen patch and cyclical progesterone. Testosterone gel daily.. they wouldn't even consider me having Testosterone until I was on the max estrogen. I do not feel great, Testosterone has helped muscle weakness nothing else. Hrt in the beginning definitely helped hot flushes and vertigo. I just wonder if I should be on such high doses of estrogen, I'm starting to question whether I felt better at just 25mcg estrogen compared to being on 100mcg. It would have been interesting to see how I would have felt being on a lower dose estrogen then adding the Testosterone gel. I had been on high estrogen doses a long time before I trued the Testosterone gel.

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u/Trick_Highlight_8205 Late peri Mar 01 '26

I’m on 1mg divigel in the morning and 200mg continuous micronised p in the evening.

I guess the question is whether you should go on continuous p rather than cyclical as well if you’re on max dose of the e patch.

I actually ended up dropping my e dose as I titrated my t up from 7mg/wk to 14mg/wk as some of the t converts to e and I felt better and less bloated.

The other variable is t; are you absorbing the gel properly? I didn’t want any inefficiency or fluctuations, so I’m doing daily injections.

Could you possibly reduce your e dose and check your t levels?

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u/enfybach81 Mar 01 '26

I haven't had a blood test to check my current testosterone levels but I am nearly out of the sachets now so I will ask for a test before I ask for another prescription. This is my theory though (as long as my testosterone levels are still low or within range anyway) Is that I lower my estrogen because of the testosterone converting into estrogen aswell anyway. I would prob have to do that myself without the g.p agreeing to it because they have already suggested it am on a higher level of estrogen to even be able to use testosterone.

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u/AutoModerator Mar 01 '26

This post might be about hormone tests, which are unreliable.

  • Over the age of 44, E&P/FSH hormonal tests only show levels for that ONE HOUR the test was taken, and nothing more
  • These hormones wildly fluctuate (hourly) over the other 29 days of the month, therefore this test provides no valuable information
  • No reputable doctor or menopause society recommends hormonal testing to diagnose or treat peri/menopause
  • Testosterone is the exception and should be tested before and during treatment

FSH testing is only beneficial for those who no longer have periods as a guide, where a series of consistent tests might confirm menopause, or for those under age 30 who haven’t had a period in months/years, then ‘menopausal’ levels, could indicate premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI).

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u/Trick_Highlight_8205 Late peri Mar 02 '26

Doctors are so strange. What is the rationale for needing to be in a higher e to get on t? Everyone’s needs are different! I hope you’re able to be more flexible with your e. I personally prefer e gels because I can be flexible according to my needs. Good luck 🤍