Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Misstowers]

Hi all, this forum has been so helpful to me in the past, so I thought I'd see if any of you can clear up some confusion for me. Has anyone been prescribed testosterone by an nhs dr or consultant or is it only available privately?
I think I need to try it, been on sandrena Estrogen and progesterone for a year. I'm in Peri, my libido and energy levels are on the floor. I have an appointment with the nhs consultant in June but I'm dragging myself around and can't function properly. I'll pay to see someone privately if I can't try it on the nhs. But obviously don't want to pay though the nose if an nhs dr will prescribe!
Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Annie0710]

I've been prescribed it twice now by an nhs gynae (twice because my new surgery refused me hrt until I'd seen a gynae again ) x

[Misstowers]

Thanks Annie0710, I wonder if that's because you had a hysterectomy? I'm still in peri menopause so that may be an issue... 

[Yorkshire Girl]

I will be getting testosterone from either my GP or Consultant at some point. Have you tried Tibolone?
I had my hysterectomy in 2016. I only found out about testosterone after reading about it on here but first I was put on tibolone which did nothing I had a blood test to check my levels they were non existent, so now waiting. Originally I was hoping that upping my estrogen patches would help but no.

[Perinowpost]

Hi

Hi got it on the nhs but I seem to be one of the lucky ones. It seems it varies depending on who you see, and where you are x

[racjen]

I think you have to shop around if you want to get it on the NHS! Some doctors will prescribe, others won't. My experience was that I went to see a private specialist, she prescribed it and I paid for one lot, then my GP agreed to prescribe after that. You might strike it lucky and find one who'll prescribe first time, or you might  need to get a specialist to write to your GP recommending it before they'll prescribe. Good luck!

[Joaniepat]

I first had Testogel prescribed at Nick Panay's NHS menopause clinic at the Chelsea & Westminster.  My GP has added it to my repeat prescriptions. It seems to be pot luck where one's GP is concerned.

JP x

[Hurdity]

Misstowers - As racjen and Joaniepat - first appt was private but was in May 2015 before the NICE Guidelines suggested T could be prescribed for low libido off-licence. Boxful of sachets lasted 18 months. Managed to get another private prescription by phone for £20 from the hospital before Annie Evans retired and they sent me another boxful (paid for privately but very cheap as they last so long!) which lasted another 18 months. Then went to GP but she has gynae specialism and was happy to prescribe on NHS.

Yes it's pot-luck as it's off licence - so you can't really wave anything at a doc who won't! As Yorkshire Girl says only Tibolone is available for libido and that's only for post-meno. I presume you're taking the progesterone cyclically? Can you up the oestrogen and see if that helps first?

Hurdity x

[Annie0710]

Thanks Annie0710, I wonder if that's because you had a hysterectomy? I'm still in peri menopause so that may be an issue... 

My hysterectomy was back in 1999, but the GP ordered a scan to check my ovaries and they couldn't be found, I had premature ovarian failure years before so this did go in my favour for trying Testosterone x

[Misstowers]

Thanks all - really helpful stories here.

I don't think my gp surgery will be of any help - no specialists there but one of them does refer quickly though. I do have an appointment with an nhs consultant as a 3 month follow up in mid June but it seems a long time to wait, on the of chance it's something he may or may not prescribe. I have contacted his secretary to ask the question at least. Once I know I can hopefully have more certainty about which route to go down - private or nhs.
Useful to know that I may only need to get the first prescription privately, then get the nhs to fulfil it after that.
Hurdity, I have 2 x sachets of 0.5mg of Estrogen gel a day, plus cyclical progesterone for 12 days, but I'm a little nervous to increase my estrogen as I think at times I'm really high on it and it makes me crazy! Last November I had a terrible episode and it was only cutting the estrogen in half and taking the progesterone earlier than normal that brought me back into my normal self. I suppose I could try it though as I should see the effect within a day or two...
Bloody hormones!!!!! 😒

[Yorkshire Girl]

Hurdity well picked up on forgot Tibolone is only post-meno that's my meno brain gone yet again

[Ladybt28]

I really thought I was going to have a problem here in NI but my NHS meno consultant wrote to my GP and my GP prescribes the testosterone. No one bated an eyelid!

[Yorkshire Girl]

That's what I'm hoping for Ladybt

[anais]

I was prescribed T by my NHS consultant and the GP has added it to my repeats. The surgery prescribes whatever the consultant recommends, but before I saw a consultant the GPs never offered me anything, and probably never would have. If I had asked the GP for testosterone they would probably would have told me to stop reading crazy articles on the internet.

I have Tostran gel in a canister, 2x pumps per week. It’s quite a low-ish dose. Other people use 3x pumps per week and some use 1x pump on alternate days. I’m now on my third week so it’s early days. I can’t say I’ve seen any improvement in my energy levels but then I have ME/CFS quite severely so what “normal” energy levels are for a typical woman of my age is completely outside the realms of my experience. But people do say their energy levels pick up and that’s one of the reasons I want to give it a go.

[Tc]

Miss towers my nhs gynae had no problem prescribing it. But I dont know if that's cos I've had my ovaries removed because she realy doesnt like HRT so i was surprised.
She didnt know how to use it correctly though and neither did my gp. I wonder if  docs who are  uncertain or unfamiliar just say no so they don't have to deal with it.
I think and it's only my personal opinion that with off license meds you have to come out with a key symptom to the doc. And for testosterone it seems to be low libido.
Good luck.x