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[WendyL]

Hi,
First post here and I daresay I will get more info and help than from my GP!

I felt that my testosterone was low so while in Turkey I bought some Testogel. It has certainly improved how I feel in my head but I have noticed I have put on about 7lbs!! Has anyone else found the same? I was using a pea shaped dab every day but now only use it twice a week. 

The jury is still out as to whether it will improve my libido. TBH I am scared to try due to the pain (I do use vagifem too) Of course part of it is going to be psychological too.

I found Ayurvedic Medicine the best for the hot flushes.
Magnets and Turmeric for my arthritis.

Now if I can just get my sex life back on track - as I recall it used to be quite pleasant!! 

[Hurdity]

Hi WendyL

 

I can't help with the testogel - it isn't licensed to be used here and only prescribed by a few GPs and specialist gynaes.

One thing I would say is that I understood it was inadvisable to take testosterone without taking full HRT first but I can't remember where I read this.

I don't understand why you would want to take natural remedies for hot flushes and not replace oestrogen which is deficient and declines dramatically at  menopause, but only replace testosterone which shows a gradual decline over a long period of time?

I would be worried about doing this without supervision because there is so little information on the long term effects.

I do sympathise by the way re the libido - you will find several recent thread discussing this!

Hurdity x

[WendyL]

Hi Hurdity,

Thanks for replying.

Basically I haven't a clue what I am doing re replacing oestrogen, using testosterone or anything else.
 
It is pointless going to the quacks as they have told me to "put up with it, give up sex, nothing else they can do."
I don't know who to go to now for help  - I am on my own to sort this out!

The ayurvedic helped with the hot flushes and the arthritis but not the libido.

So, on with the experiments and research 

[Taz2]

Have you tried full HRT Wendy - you may benefit from Tibolone which is known to improve libido and will also help with the vaginal dryness although you do need to have had at least a year without a period. I'm not sure how old you are but lots of women find Vagifem alone is not enough to stop vaginal atrophy and they need full dose HRT.

Taz x 

[WendyL]

Hi Taz,

I'm 60 in June. 5'9". size 12. Arthritis in my hip and scafoid(?) thumb joint.
I have been on HRT but the quack took me off it in 2009 when my blood pressure went up temporarily (there were a lot of outside stresses in my life at that time) but they would not listen.
They did give me Intrinsa(?) testosterone patches - not sure if they helped or not. Then they withdrew those as they are supposedly bad for you.
I am on Vagifem which does a little I guess.
I take turmeric for the arthritis.


Cheers
Wendy.

[Hurdity]

Hi WendyL

Re the HRT - is your blood pressure under control now?

I am surprised you were given testosterone patches instead of full HRT! It is very rare to get T prescribed on the NHS except sometimes in the case of women after hysterectomy - and of course there are none available now, so any docs prescribing T have to make up the correct dosage for women using the product designed for men!

If your blood pressure is now OK and you are suffering other menopausal symptoms - I would definitely suggest a return to HRT before you reach 60! Doctors seem to get very reluctant to prescribe it after this age and especially if prescribing for the first time - or nearly so ( as you came off it 4 years ago). The longer you leave it the less likely you will be able to have it, and really it's not advisable to self-medicate with testosterone without full HRT, and without medical supervision.

As Taz says there is always Tibolone to try which means you wouldn't have to take anything else (ie Testogel) - although this is a synthetic product.

You sound disillusioned with the medical profession but is there another doctor in your practice you can go to who specialises and is sympathetic to menopause? You should not have to deal with this on your own!! If not - then it is their duty to refer you (and your right) to a menopause clinic where you can receive specialist advice.

They are listed on this site here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/clinicfinder.php

Click on your area and you will see which ones are on NHS

Hurdity x