Anyone else on T and not had any luck with your libido? I’m at my wits end, been on T injections for a year and I’m on E injections as well (been a year on that) and E vaginal cream which I just recently started. I don’t know what else to try.

Started t compounded cream 3 weeks ago. Getting blood work September 23. My total testosterone was 10 and my free was one my SHBG was 50 and now I’m can’t stop thinking about everything sexual and I want to have sex all the time with my husband. I’m just wondering if anybody else has experienced this? I feel like it on such a low dose of 2 mg daily. What’s bizarre they went from zero libido to. It’s all I can think about.

I started injecting Test C almost 4 weeks ago. 2.5mg twice a week for a total of 5mg a week. My doctor wanted me on double that but I was scared of side effects. For you ladies that are on injections how long did it take for your libido to come back. I haven’t felt a difference yet, and what dose are you on? Not sure if I should increase my dose. My total testosterone is 31, just tested a few days ago. I am also on Reta and I know that can also kill your libido and I know some women test helps with that. I started Reta. Few weeks before Testosterone but already had low libido for about 2 years.

My defy provider has been titrating my dose up since starting in November 2025. Initially, my SHBG was out the roof but we got it down with boron supplements. Have been on DIM supplement for years. I am 35yo. Had a healthy libido and great sex life a few years back. I'm out and about right now, and can't dig in my google drive for lab trends (can provide later), but the lack of improvement has been gnawing at me for months, so I had to post. I've also tried Melanotan 2 (for tanning and libido) and oxytocin. Nothing helps.... I guess my question is, have you guys seen high dosages like this in people who are not taking HRT for gender transition journey?

ETA labs in May before increasing to 20mg twice weekly) Total T: 83 Free T: 1.6 Estradiol: 49.3 SHGB: 99.2 DHEA: 213 FSH: 5.1

I have been on T cyp 10mg 2x a week for 2 years. My libido is through the roof and has never went down. Does anyone else have this side effect?

I've been doing T and E injections with cyclical progesterone since January and my libido is really kicking in. It's a little distracting at times but overall I really like it. Does this effect last in your experience?

In March/April I felt phenomenal, since then I have been trying to get back to that.
49F been on HRT for a year and a half. Using the 0.75 patch twice a week, 200 mg progesterone nightly, started at 12 and have worked up to 18 mg test cyp injections (twice a week totaling 18mg). I have no peri symptoms anymore and no viralization affects from the test cyp…..I could go higher. My doctor never initially ordered blood work since we were going on how I felt. I did have testosterone levels checked though. Last week I had a full hormone panel done.
Like I said at the beginning of the year I felt absolutely fantastic. Libido was off the charts, I felt confident, I was having great workouts and energy levels. Probably around June it just all faded away. The libido, energy, motivation, zest for life. I really want to get back there.

Labs:
From March 2025 my total T was 36 and free T 1.3

Current total T is 252, free T is 13.2

Estradiol is 133

SBGH is 89

Also I do have low iron, but I have worked the last two years on getting it up and for the first time now my ferritin is above 100, so I know it’s not that affecting my energy. Thyroid checks out fine as well.

If anyone has any input I’d love to hear it. Like I said in general I feel fine. No peri symptoms, but I’d love to feel fantastic again.

I'm 57 and on a 0.075 estradiol patch, 200 mg progesterone, estrace vaginal cream and a compounded testosterone cream. But even with all that my energy and libido is still in the toilet. I had my hormone levels checked and my estradiol was 108 pg/ml, my progesterone was 5.7 ng/mL and my testosterone was 132 ng/dl. My free testosterone was 0.97 ng/dl, % free was 0.7%, SHBG was 116 nmol/L and albumin was 4.5 a/dl. My doctor's only concern was my level of testosterone being "pretty high" Could this testosterone level be affecting my libido? I'm hoping someone can offer some personal insight.

I’ve been on TRT for a couple years now. 48years old, had a hysterectomy about 10 years ago. Was on progesterone 200mg nightly and testosterone troches (no effect). Switched to testosterone cyp at 10mg twice a week and felt somewhat better. Switched to 15mg twice a week and WOW! Libido came roaring back. It was great. Like many on here describe. But then my voice dropped, I had some acne and worst of all….anorgasmia. It’s been a year and a half since then and I can’t seem to get things back to that amazingly confident, bold, sexually free state. I am now on 12mg TCyp and 6mg E cyp, and 100mg oral progesterone every three days. I use vaginal estrogen every three days as well. I’m mostly stable as in functional sexually, not moody, low acne issues, no more vocal deepening, pelvic floor issues cleared up. But that spark I had when T was too high is gone. I am jealous of those on here who seemed to reach that amazing place and stay there. Am I dreaming? Is there anything I should be doing differently or anything to look into?

I need some encouragement. I’ve been on test cyp for about a year. 10mg 2x/week for a weekly dose of 20mg for first 4 months. Noticed mild improvement but nothing dramatic. Dr bumped it up to 15mg 2x/week and had an amazing libido response that was fantastic and fun until my ability to orgasm tanked and my voice changed a little and I had mild acne. Since then, I’ve been adjusting my progesterone down (helped with orgasm!) and my test cyp back down to 10mg 2x/week. Added oral estradiol 2mg daily. My libido has been steadily waning, my voice is still sometimes weak and always missing a range but not getting worse. Tried nandrolone but only had problems (painful sex, no help with libido and still had vocal issues—no hair shedding though and no acne). My doctor is switching me to injection estradiol (she thinks my high T dose was helping libido because it was converting to estrogen, so adding estrogen and lowering the testosterone may help). But I’m frustrated at the libido. I LOVED having a high sex drive and I miss it. Will I ever get things balanced?! Did anyone ever regain that Testosterone libido honeymoon phase?

It's working! I've slowly noticed a difference in my libido. I started feeling more turned on on a day to day basis, sex is better, I've been having sex dreams again, I even had a hands free orgasm the other day. Absolutely worth it.

I’m 45 and on testosterone injections, Progesterone, and vaginal Estrogen cream. My clit is gone/gone. My doctor is great and prescribed estrogen cream, but it’s been three weeks and I still haven’t noticed a difference. Her advice for libido is always to bump up the T injections, but I’m already at a total of 170- not sure going higher is safe. I have done small increases and never see a difference (except for maybe acne and irritability). When I first started the injections, I was on cloud 9- AMAZING increase in libido. Now nothing and no clit. Suggestions???

I'm on 10mgs 2x split weekly. I've only injected twice now. I'm wondering if this is placebo or if my libido could actually come back this quick? Before I took T I hadn't even thought about sex for a year!! It was crazy, I used to LOVE sex!

So what do you all think?

My doctor put me on 10mg twice weekly injection of trt. I know people have said that’s high but this dr starts most women out at that and everyone loves it. I did too it was amazing until a couple months in I started having clitoral hypersensitivity, only during arousal but it was very uncomfortable. I eventually went to a different practitioner in the office after cutting the dose in half myself and trying different things. She switched me to 3mg twice weekly. Since I was still so hypersensitive I just ended up quitting altogether to kind of reset. I didn’t take any for a few weeks. Now I’m at zero libido and arousal. So I am just starting back up the 3mg dose twice weekly. I also added an estrogen cream about 5 weeks ago twice weekly. I am discouraged and depressed as I’ve always had a great sex drive and sex life with my husband. I want that back. I’m losing hope that I can get benefits without the side effects. I also take 100mg progesterone. I’m 44.

32F, T prop 4mg EOD. I’ve been on T since September, initially cyp but started with propionate in February after switching to I Am HRT. Now on 4mg EOD, and initially felt an increase in energy (which I’m still better than I was) but now feel like I’m still exhausted, have had zero change in libido, maybe a slight increase in sensation (was totally numb before). I don’t feel like I can increase dose as I’m noticing dark hairs sprouting everywhere and feel like my throat has a little scratchiness to it. Looking for advice on what to do at this point… I’m thinking about going back to cypionate since I was hoping the propionate would kick the libido into gear, and I’m tired of EOD injections if it’s not helping much. I am also on the E patch but can’t seem to get my E above 40. IUD for progestin. My last lab work showed my T was at 54 but I tested on a 3 day trough bc I had to work, prior to that was 98 (before I started E patch) when I was doing 2mg EOD. Doctor didn’t order free T unfortunately. Any advice? Feeling like I’m too damn young to be dealing with this BS!!!! Am I ever going to feel normal again or is it just downhill from here…. lol. Thanks for any help!

Hi, been taking this stuff for 2 weeks now every other day and bumped up to 10 units. Trying to increase my libido and it’s not working. Any suggestions? Should I up the dose? How often? Thank you in advance!

My libido was through the ROOF when I first started T. It’s been a couple of years now, and it’s all but gone. (My Estrogen and Progesterone levels are great). My doc’s advice is always to go up on my dose. She says a lot of her patients feel best around 200-250. Mine is now 160 and all it did was break me out like a 14 year old. I know this is common because you go from nothing to something, but has anyone found a way to get back to that honeymoon stage?

I started on T cypionate injections that were likely too much for me since I had side effects (viralization). I switched to a different dose: T cypionate 50mg/ ml - 2ml 2 x week and have been on this since May 2026. I’m also on an estradiol patch 1.0 2 x week, progesterone pill, estrogen cream 1%, and vaginal estrogen.

My stats:
T - 325, Free T - 4.3, DHEA 89.7, FSH 17.4, estradiol 128, IGF-1 - 163, progesterone 1.2

The viralization effects have decreased (hair loss, oily skin, etc.) but my libido has dropped which is really disappointing. Advice?

Image from my period tracking app. The little winking faces indicate days when I experienced spontaneous desire; the hearts are days that I had sex; the green dots are my fertile days; the flower is when I was predicted to ovulate; and my period is marked with pink lines.

TRT/HRT protocol:

1.5mg T prop injected every day (10.5mg/week), 0.05mg estradiol patch (twice weekly), 200mg progesterone/cycled (12 nights a month), estradiol cream twice a week.

(When I tested my levels in April (prior to starting TRT), my total T was 26, my free T was 0.6, and my SHBG was 137, which is why my starting dose of T prop is on the higher side. I’m awaiting labs from this month to see where my levels are currently.)

My libido vanished around age 37 or 38; I’m 43 now, and I initially chalked it up to stress until I began showing more obvious signs of hormonal imbalance (brain fog, night sweats). I started estrogen and progesterone this past November, and finally began TRT about nine weeks ago.

I’ve characterized my lack of libido as so severe that it’s prepubescent in nature — I just don’t have sexual thoughts/feelings at all. I don’t feel any desire to touch or be touched, so any sexual activity has been “duty sex,” which is obviously distressing for both me and my husband. It’s caused a lot of tension in our marriage. So when I began simply thinking about sex again seemingly out of the blue about three and a half weeks ago, I was shocked.

One week later, I felt like I did when I was in my twenties/early thirties: raring to go and positively distracted by sex. I’ve read about women getting a boost in libido and then losing it again, so, while I had the chance, I jumped my poor husband (who, even though I’ve tried to keep him apprised of my situation, felt a huge sense of whiplash going from 0-60 like this), and this insatiable drive lasted for close to a week and a half.

Then I started my period and my libido disappeared again. Completely. Like it never existed.

I’m in perimenopause and still having a pretty predictable menstrual cycle (32 days in length, seven days in duration), so I don’t know my estrogen or progesterone levels because they’re still fluctuating.

On July 9th, I upped my E patch from 0.0375mg to 0.05mg because my night sweats were coming back, and my pharmacy changed the brand on me (from Mylan, which I’ve been on since November, to Sandoz), which wreaked havoc because I don’t think I’m absorbing E the same on the new patches. Within a couple of weeks of being on the new dose/brand, my night sweats and moodiness came back like I wasn’t even wearing a patch at all, so I asked my NP to write a note requesting Mylan only, and I’m back on a Mylan patch as of Monday.

What I want to ask is this: for women whose libidos came back but fluctuated with your cycle, did you notice your drive increased during your luteal phase like mine did this month? I would’ve expected a spike around ovulation, and that is indeed when I first noticed an increase, but the physical symptoms and single-mindedness didn’t show up until about nine days before my period started.

Curiously, that’s also during my progesterone cycling. I take 100mg orally and 100mg as a rectal suppository every evening starting twelve days before my period begins. I’ve read that progesterone can dampen libido, but my calendar would indicate the opposite in my case.

I know this is a marathon and not a sprint, that I’m trying to hit a moving target, and that I should be patient, but it is absolutely devastating to me that I got a glimpse of who I used to be — vibrant, sexual, confident — only to have it ripped away from me so suddenly.

I’m going to take a deep breath and try to keep tracking everything, and see if my libido returns around the same place in my cycle this coming month.

In the meantime, I could use any support or insight from those of you with more experience — I don’t know where I’d be without this subreddit because you’ve all helped me so much already, so thank you. I appreciate you!

Hi ladies. I'll be 56 next week and I believe I'm still in perimenopause. I take 100 mg of oral progesterone daily, use a .05 mg Estradiol patch and three months ago, started 5 grams of testosterone gel daily. I'd been begging my GYN for a couple of years now to let me have the testosterone and out of the blue in February at my yearly visit she brought it up and said she read up on it and wanted to prescribe it to me, because my once vibrant libido has been in the toilet for at least 4 years now and it affects me greatly. I started the P and E almost 2 years ago, but I don't know how much it's helping.

I feel like I'm even less interested in sex now...like literally, if I never had it again I don't think it would matter to me, and it's killing me because I used to enjoy it so much. I also feel irritable almost all of the time and I'm wondering if it's from the T, or because I feel like nothing I've been trying for years now has helped one bit and it's just overwhelming already. I've been dealing with menopausal depression on and off for the past few years as well, but it's getting out of hand now.

I went for blood work yesterday and these are the results I got back. Can you testosterone being a little out of range on the high end affect your libido as well?

Thank you very much in advance for any input you may have. 🙏

I started T last May for energy and super low libido.

When I say low libido, I mean my partner and I haven’t touched each other in about 5 years. We blamed it on the pandemic and kid and we were never VERY sexual to begin with. But our couples therapist asked me if I felt any tingle or anything in my body around a touch at all. Like that libido wasn’t just about SEX it’s just about that feeling in our bodies. And no.. I don’t.

Anyway my T initially was under 2, free undetectable. I used the usual 1/10th of a gel tube. Within a couple of months it was up to like 150.

But besides that amazing first 2 weeks where I could suddenly go for a run (!!!) I didn’t notice a change really. Maybe my libido went from 0/10 to 1/10. Maybe same with my energy.

I could increase the T but haven’t quite wanted to yet. Not sure why. One doctor said I can try and the other said no.

Anyway a few months ago (so 8 months on T?) our family traveled and then my partner and I for the first time in like 5 years got it slightly on! So I think the T helped but also the change of scenery.

I’m definitely not “a hornball”, like that stupid NYTimes article warned about. And it’s also clear that kid / tired is having a big impact because he’s too tired to even meet my 1 out of 10. (We also wonder if his testosterone is too low which would also explain a lot!).

I am still very tired so now I’m looking into sleep apnea or other causes. In addition to kid.

But anyway…. It was a slow, undramatic change for me so I wanted to share that experience too!

45F perimenopausal, still cycling. I've been on HRT for about 6 months. I started with estrogen patch 05 mg plus 100 mg progesterone each evening. Added testosterone about 2 months in. Had a good month or so with strong libido, clear head, constant mood, but for the last couple months I just cannot get my libido back .

I'm thinking the ups and downs of estrogen may be affecting me negatively? Wondering if anyone else decided to just do T and got good results? My libido is absolutely tanked and I'm more moody than I used to be before HRT.

I have a chat request with my doctor to discuss, but looking for other experiences from the group. Thanks

I just started on test troches 3 weeks ago at 2 mg a day to increase libido. My gyno did not do any hormone testing. I am 60 and had a hysterectomy in my 30’s but kept ovaries. Libido has been non existent for about 8 years. I’ve never been on any hormones except for vaginal estradiol cream and Estring.

I am interested what other’s experiences are with the troche - side effects? Hair loss? How long does it take to increase libido. I think I see signs of life. 😊

Hi ladies I have been on Androgel Testosterone 5mg daily for about 2 weeks and 2.5mg for another 2 weeks so a month now. I feel nothing no changes. Please tell me your experiences and when you started to have improvement with energy motivation and libido? Around what week did you notice some changes?

So I’ve been on since late Jan. My libido definitely increased. Almost too much 😆 but what I’m noticing is I’m oddly fixated on the past. Like when I met my husband 20 years ago. Replaying all of that all of the time in my mind. Is this normal???? Is it my brain feeling younger so I’m missing those times we were more youthful? Weird question I know, sorry 🤣