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[pineappletop]

46, perimeno here.

I tried hrt for about 6 months in 2021 then stopped as it wasn't helping my symptoms much and I felt like it was having negative effects on my mental health.

My symptoms have recently worsened so I'm giving hrt another try. I'm desperate to get back to myself,you all know how it is!

I'm convinced my testosterone needs topping up. I'm an athlete and both my performance and drive have plummeted, my previous mental sharpness is gone, I have zero libido, etc.

I'm only 2 weeks into my return to hrt - oestrogel and utrogestan - and it is helping a little, I think, but my training performance is actually getting worse.

I'm keen to try testosterone, I've been reading up on it and it really sounds like it would help me. My current prescription is for 3 months before a review but I'd add testosterone right now if possible.

Anyone got experience of this?

I so miss the way my body used to respond to training, the explosive energy, and the mental determination I just can't seem to drum up now.

Can anyone help please?

[sheila99]

Assuming you're in the UK testosterone is off licence as there's no product licensed for women you can get on the nhs. So usually you need a referral to a menopause clinic to get it and the wait is long, depending on your area it could be a year. If your oestrogen levels aren't optimum testosterone gets converted anyway (not exactly sure what to, some androgen derivative). If you go private you can probably get it straight away.

[LSmarty]

Hi, I'm in scotland and on testosterone prescribed by nhs, I've only been on it a short time so early days yet but definitely starting to feel more energetic etc

Take care
Les xox

[LSmarty]

Sorry meant to say without a referral, my gp prescribed it

Tc
Les xox

[pineappletop]

Assuming you're in the UK testosterone is off licence as there's no product licensed for women you can get on the nhs. So usually you need a referral to a menopause clinic to get it and the wait is long, depending on your area it could be a year. If your oestrogen levels aren't optimum testosterone gets converted anyway (not exactly sure what to, some androgen derivative). If you go private you can probably get it straight away.

Thanks Sheila99. I've been learning lots about this, it's very interesting. Hopefully I'm now getting enough oestrogen so the testosterone I'm producing doesn't get converted. It's a good point though, I probably should the current HRT prescription a bit longer to see if (what I think is) my missing testosterone "oomph" comes back because my oestrogen gets back where it previously was. Doing my best to keep my cortisol levels down too.

[pineappletop]

Hi, I'm in scotland and on testosterone prescribed by nhs, I've only been on it a short time so early days yet but definitely starting to feel more energetic etc

Take care
Les xox

That's really encouraging to hear - thanks Les x

[pineappletop]

It's an interesting topic, if I were you I'd spend days or weeks reading the entire internet before doing anything, but I'm just strange like that.

Everyone knows testosterone builds muscle and stamina because it's the male hormone, but this is only annecdotal, they haven't been able to show that it's true. I was told this by a young doctor and also by Morgan Freeman in one of those psuedo-documentaries for the hard of thinking (ie me since menopause).

I was on tibolone for eight months there and I felt stronger immediately and now I'm off it I feel lighter, less earthy more airy, shit I think I'm not sober yet, Sunday morning woes. So my perception agreed that while being given an androgenous hormone cocktail I felt stronger. I wasn';t any better at training though.

That's really interesting poppytoast. Thanks. So, do you mean that with the testosterone in your hrt you felt like you were stronger but you weren't actually physically stronger? Or how did this show in your training?

Sounds like you're in a good place now anyway! 

[KaraShannon]

pineappletop

I understand your concerns.  I'm not an athlete though I used to be years ago.  Even though I wasn't anymore I still had a lot of energy, drive etc.  Somehow in the last 3 years I've lost it and all I want is to be able to blitz the house and shower more quickly in the morning, lol. 

Yes privately is the only way to get seen quickly I think.  I've just requested I get my testosterone checked at my gp surgery but I've got 3 weeks to wait and that's only if the doctor agrees.

[pineappletop]

pineappletop

I understand your concerns.  I'm not an athlete though I used to be years ago.  Even though I wasn't anymore I still had a lot of energy, drive etc.  Somehow in the last 3 years I've lost it and all I want is to be able to blitz the house and shower more quickly in the morning, lol. 

Yes privately is the only way to get seen quickly I think.  I've just requested I get my testosterone checked at my gp surgery but I've got 3 weeks to wait and that's only if the doctor agrees.

Thanks KaraShannon, so good to know someone understands how I feel. Really hope they agree to give you the test. Good luck!