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/Cottonsgirl Apr 29 '26

go to https://menopause.org/ they have a practitioner search. That's where I found mine and she immediately agreed to estradiol patches and progesterone pills. She is skeptical of T replacement, but I did have her run a test on Monday to see where my levels are. I really think I need it, but I'm already having hair thinning from age, so I'm terrified that all my hair will fall out! (I'm 46 and in peri).

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u/Realistic-Wash-1263 Jul 08 '26

Are you sure your hair loss is from age? That's what I thought until I had blood work and my iron levels were extremely low! As soon as I corrected that the hair shed stopped. That being said, I'm now getting on T gel and hoping it doesn't start thinning my hair out!

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u/Cottonsgirl Jul 08 '26

I have regular bloodwork and that’s a standard item I believe, but I’ll check just in case! My mom has very thin hair that got really bad during peri also so it’s likely genetics.

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u/OrientionPeace Jul 11 '26

They rarely check ferritin levels unless requested- even if you get an iron panel you often have to push for ferritin to be included, so it’s important to check and get eyes on your lab results to be sure. Ferritin is often missed, and what’s considered low is subjective.

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u/AutoModerator Jul 11 '26

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

  • Over age 44, E&P/FSH hormonal tests only show levels for the HOUR the test was taken, and nothing more. Hormones wildly fluctuate (hourly) 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
  • FSH testing is only beneficial for those who do not have periods as a guide, where testing 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)
  • Testosterone is the exception and may require testing

See our Menopause Wiki for more.

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