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[Hurdity]

The British Menopause Society has produced some up-to-date guidance on testosterone replacement in women including information about the products currently available and suggested dose. At last we have some guidance to give to our GPs if necessary and should hopefully avoid some of the blunders that have been made by GPs (as reported on this forum) prescribing totally inappropriate doses to women.

https://thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/08-BMS-ToolforClinician-Testosterone-replacement-in-menopause-02C.pdf

The BMS intends to keep the information about specific products updated as brands and doses etc become available or are withdrawn.

It was written by Nick Panay.

Hope this is helpful!

Hurdity x

Edit - the above link no longer works as the location of thie information has moved. it is now here:

https://thebms.org.uk/publications/tools-for-clinicians/testosterone-replacement-in-menopause/

[Perinowpost]

That's really informative, thanks for posting x

[Taz2]

This is great news Hurdity. Thanks so much for posting!

Taz xx

[Autumn27]

Thank you very much for this information, it is a higher dose than was prescribed to me by the dispensing pharmacist at Nick Panay's NHS Menopause clinic. Maybe now they'll all be on the same wavelength!

[Ladybt28]

Yaba daba doo!! Wo hoo about flaming time!!  Written by a leading Meno consultant as well  Good old Nick!  Now all my cynical brain has to say is......how do we get GP's to actually read all the up to date stuff and ditch their "know it all - you know nothing" attitude.  My GP visibly flinched once when I asked her to read something 

[Lanzalover]

Good morning Hurdity

Many thanks for taking the time to post the link.

Lanzalover x

[Joaniepat]

Many thanks for posting this, Hurdity.

I had to see my GP this morning to ask for Testogel sachets, as I have nearly run out of the original prescription given at the Chelsea & Westminster in January 2018. He didn't bat an eyelid and has even put it on my repeats. It's not that he knows anything much about HRT, just willing to go along with what the meno clinic prescribes.

JP x

[Tc]

Thank you for sharing this.

Upon reading it I notice the testogel dose is stated re sachets. My pharmacist told me the sachets are no longer available so I have the pump pack.

I'm about to start a thread because I have not bee  told how to take it by my consultant.

Thank goodness for the sharing of information on here.
Due to reading that today I discovered the BMS have a sister site for patients womens health concern. I have emailed them to ask about converting the sachet dose to pump.

[Rosie63]

Thanks for sharing the info., Hurdity.

Rosiex

[rosie17]

Very interesting reading, Hurdity. The paper states:

"Note 2: Although the NICE NG23 guideline recommends that systemic HRT should be prescribed before a trial of testosterone, there are trial data in women with HSDD which indicate that testosterone used without systemic estrogen, is equally effective and safe."

This seems to contradict the belief (theory or proven scientific fact?) that estrogen levels must be raised/adequate before testosterone is introduced to avoid androgenic effects. If this is true (will they change their minds tomorrow?), I'm overjoyed! Estrogen has never done much for me, but if I use testosterone, I can feel it kick in almost immediately - more motivation/energy, less muscle pain, lighter mood, etc. But maybe that's just me.

[Hurdity]

Thanks yes rosie17 I noticed that too but can't find any data on this - maybe it's as yet unpublished. The trials on the Intrinsa patch were as far as I recall carried out with women also using oestrogen but would need to check.... Also what does safe mean? The Intrinsa patch studes only lasted I think 2 years ( maybe 3) - nothing long term. Also what does effective mean - it might increase sexual desire, orgasm etc but be associated with more adverse androgenic side effects. However I presume a statement like that wouldn't be made unless it had substiantial info backing it up. Maybe someone in touch with him or attending his clinic can ask Nick himself!

Personally I would worry about testosterone dominance through using on its own in post-menopause anyway - even if it did improve my energy levels etc.

Hurdity x

[Ladybt28]

Its great to hear...I will volunteer as a guinea pig for any HRT trials of anything... (hey nick choose me if you want a study!) Personally I have felt absolutely beyond ill for so long through this whole meno thing (if I were a dog I would have been put down!) that I really don't care...I will give anything a go, if it helped me or someone else for that matter.  I can always shave off my beard, or become a bricklayer in retirement at least those are more useful than all this c..p!
Oh yes I now have a very cavalier attitude to my health!

[Perinowpost]

I was on Intrinsa patches (as previously mentioned) and remember I had to be on oestrogen for 3 months before I could have them. I didn't have any androgenic side effects apart from the odd pimple. That said they were far superior to anything we have now - I do miss them x

[Yorkshire Girl]

Thanks Hurdity, have just read through it, good timing as I have my appointment with a gynaecologist for testosterone in a couple of weeks.

[Tc]

I was told the same as you perin. My doc said my E had to be raised before starting T. She didnt mention androgenic dominance as the reason she said if you dont have enough E your body will convert the testosterone to eastrogen.
I'm not sure about that to be honest. I know there are steroid hormones with very long names  which can convert T to E but dont know if its low E which triggers that in the body.

Anyway that seemed to go out the window because my E hasn't raised in 6 months and she still gave me T anyway.

 I am happy to be starting it  She did go on about growing a beard and voice dropping  as she wrote the prescription but shes a bit of an alarmist as you will see from my other posts