Hello! I’ve read loads on here over the past few years but have only just signed up and actually joined. Thank goodness for this place! Why oh why is it so difficult to get proper information on perimenopause and menopause?
I’m 52 and four days ago finally got what I hope is the remaining piece of my HRT puzzle: testosterone.
My GP wouldn’t prescribe it as menopause/HSDD is an off-label indication so I waited several months for a gynaecology consultant appt at the hospital. Then a whole saga with her prescribing an amount that has been discontinued (50mg box of Testogel, which is unavailable - now supplied as 40.5mg). Had loads of back and forth phoning the hospital pharmacy each week (out of stock and no idea of restock date) and them saying GP could issue a prescription in case I could get it locally. GP wouldn’t as it is a “hospital-only” medication. I discovered my local pharmacy had a box of Testogel sachets in stock at to 40.5 mg but they needed a GP prescription. I managed to persuade the head of the practice to write one in the end, but it was for the 50 mg box (as per the consultant’s Rx) so they couldn’t dispense it.
Was going round in circles. Ended up being very old school and sending letters (actual letters! The very idea
?!) copying in the GP and the consultant. And then phoning the hospital pharmacy one last time… who suddenly said “oh yes we can dispense the 40.5 mg box to you, we have been doing that for loads of other people) I drove up there and within the hour had the box. What a palaver!!
My perimenopause (with hindsight) probably started around 10 years ago, just at the time I got the biggest and best job of my life - loads of responsibility. Brain fog. Joint pain. Fatigue. Depression. Anxiety. Sudden weight gain (but weight is a whole separate tale of woe and weirdness for me). Then flooding periods… all while holding down a huge job, mothering two children, caring for a disabled husband…
Past few years have been mad but am hopefully out the other side, regaining some balance. Changed jobs (still have some sadness about that but it was def the right choice), and also studied for a change of direction which has been awesome. It was almost by accident that four years ago someone mentioned HRT to me and I thought I would try it.
By that point I had crippling anxiety. Horrible. Terrifying mornings where I just couldn’t function. Really unlike me. I’m confident and assertive and positive usually. This anxiety was like nothing I had ever experienced before. Almost visceral.
Oestrogen sorted that out so quickly. It was amazing.
Over a year or so it took a bit of trial and error to get things balanced but I am now on Evorel 100 patches, Utrogestan 100 nightly (am into menopause proper now, so the progesterone is continuous). However in the past couple of years my libido has dwindled to absolute zero. Hence the testosterone (although to be honest I am really hoping for improvements in energy and muscle strength too).
That’s all a bit of a saga, sorry. Just wanted to introduce myself and say hi and thank you for this forum. It is amazing to not feel alone. My husband can’t believe the rubbish women go through to try to get simple medical support for menopause. The BMJ hasn’t really helped recently with it’s piece on menopause being “natural”.
I’m hoping to come back from time to time to update on whether the Testogel seems to work. At the moment I think I am riding high on the placebo effect, as I already could swear I have more “oomph”!
