Print

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

[Evie606]

Hi,

I’ve decided I want to stop testosterone, been on for 18 months or so.
Does anyone have any tips on stopping?
Taper or cold turkey?
Any unpleasant side effects?

Thanks,
E x

[CLKD]

Sorry.  Didn't want to read and run but have no idea.  MayB put the question into the search box?  Make notes ;-)

[bombsh3ll]

Whether you experience any negative effects depends to an extent why you have chosen to stop it.

If it us due to financial reasons/access to treatment being difficult, this is likely to be more noticeable than if it simply hasn't made any difference to you.

In the first situation I would taper, the second I would just stop. It is easier to gage whether a treatment is actually missed if it is just stopped dead.

When young women go on birth control pills they suddenly lose 50-75% of their endogenous androgens as the ovaries are shut down.

Nobody bats an eyelid about that, and they come to no harm medically other than minor changes in body comp and loss of libido.

[Wrensong]

I've been on & off it over the years waiting for otherwise unexplained hair loss to stop.  No withdrawal effects of the heebie-jeebie sort I get from changes in estrogen dose, more noticing the loss of T's benefits, with regret.  I've had BSO, so T replacement was welcome.  When tested on replacement my T was never above mid-range though, so not a lot to come down from.   I'm a small woman, only used a lentil sized blob daily (Testogel) & stopped without tapering.  I think I remember you're hypothyroid Evie?  If so, as our bodies can be somewhat compromised in their ability to adapt to changes, perhaps taper if you are concerned about possible withdrawal effects?
W x

[Evie606]

Sorry.  Didn't want to read and run but have no idea.  MayB put the question into the search box?  Make notes ;-)

Hi,

I tried that, nothing I could find! Others had also asked without replies.

E x

[Evie606]

Whether you experience any negative effects depends to an extent why you have chosen to stop it.

If it us due to financial reasons/access to treatment being difficult, this is likely to be more noticeable than if it simply hasn't made any difference to you.

In the first situation I would taper, the second I would just stop. It is easier to gage whether a treatment is actually missed if it is just stopped dead.

When young women go on birth control pills they suddenly lose 50-75% of their endogenous androgens as the ovaries are shut down.

Nobody bats an eyelid about that, and they come to no harm medically other than minor changes in body comp and loss of libido.

Hi,

Thanks for replying.

It’s not doing anything any more and the side effects of hair receding, acne & moon face are just too much.
Levels were fine when previously tested, only on petit pois blob every second day.
Noticed a few months ago that libido was back to zero, hair loss getting worse especially in a male pattern and energy boost gone too.

Only way I’ll know is to come off it completely and see how I feel for a while.

E x

[Evie606]

I've been on & off it over the years waiting for otherwise unexplained hair loss to stop.  No withdrawal effects of the heebie-jeebie sort I get from changes in estrogen dose, more noticing the loss of T's benefits, with regret.  I've had BSO, so T replacement was welcome.  When tested on replacement my T was never above mid-range though, so not a lot to come down from.   I'm a small woman, only used a lentil sized blob daily (Testogel) & stopped without tapering.  I think I remember you're hypothyroid Evie?  If so, as our bodies can be somewhat compromised in their ability to adapt to changes, perhaps taper if you are concerned about possible withdrawal effects?
W x

Hi W,

Nice to hear from you! 

I felt benefits in the first year I’d say, energy boost/libido and actually my hair seemed to be thicker.
However, all benefits gone and increasing side effects, the latest is the moon face!

Thyroid levels good thanks, oestrogen levels good also so this can be the only culprit left to suspect.  I’m only on a petit pois blob every second day of Tostran.  Maybe levels just too high now? 

How long did it take for you to feel it left your system?

E x

[Wrensong]

Oh, that sounds unpleasant for you  .  And how disappointing it seems to have stopped helping too  .  I can see why you want to stop. 

Have you been tested recently to know what your T level is?   Also, has anyone excluded Cushing's for you?  Sorry to raise that.  Glad your thyroid levels are good - can I ask though, does that include T3?  Just want to exclude everything else because moon face can sometimes be a feature of hypothyroidism, I'm sure you know.   Please don't feel obliged to answer anything you don't feel is helpful or that you've already excluded - just brainstorming with you really.

Re how long to miss T on stopping - the worsening of dry eyes, mouth, nose, skin etc are the most noticeable for me & that ramping up again becomes obvious within days.  I do find T helps confidence, clarity of thought, decisiveness, as well as muscle strength, stamina & possibly sleep.  It might seem vain to stop it on the basis of hair loss alone, but as I'm struggling with other health issues at the mo, I can't face having to deal with serious hair loss as well.  One straw too many.

W x

P.S. - saw the detail in your reply to bombsh3ll after posting the above - if you have male pattern hair loss & acne as well, it does sound like T is the culprit doesn't it?  I'd definitely stop & see how you are without it.

[Kathleen]

Hello Evie606

A few years ago I was prescribed Androfeme from Newson Health.  I experienced a change in libido but also noticed a growth of thick dark hair on my upper thighs where I rubbed the cream. Other than that I honestly didn't feel much different.

I eventually reduced the dose over a period of two weeks and then just stopped using it.  I have since had my testosterone levels tested and they are in the middle of the normal range for women.

Trying to balance oestrogen and progesterone has been hard enough ( and I am very post meno so no fluctuations to worry about) so I was pleased to exclude testosterone from the mix!


I hope this is helpful in some way and I wish you well.

K.

[Mariab]

Hi..
I was on androfeme for 6 months...for me it made no difference in symptoms, I did stop.cold turkey and did not have an effects. 

[Evie606]

Oh, that sounds unpleasant for you  .  And how disappointing it seems to have stopped helping too  .  I can see why you want to stop. 

Have you been tested recently to know what your T level is?   Also, has anyone excluded Cushing's for you?  Sorry to raise that.  Glad your thyroid levels are good - can I ask though, does that include T3?  Just want to exclude everything else because moon face can sometimes be a feature of hypothyroidism, I'm sure you know.   Please don't feel obliged to answer anything you don't feel is helpful or that you've already excluded - just brainstorming with you really.

Re how long to miss T on stopping - the worsening of dry eyes, mouth, nose, skin etc are the most noticeable for me & that ramping up again becomes obvious within days.  I do find T helps confidence, clarity of thought, decisiveness, as well as muscle strength, stamina & possibly sleep.  It might seem vain to stop it on the basis of hair loss alone, but as I'm struggling with other health issues at the mo, I can't face having to deal with serious hair loss as well.  One straw too many.

W x

P.S. - saw the detail in your reply to bombsh3ll after posting the above - if you have male pattern hair loss & acne as well, it does sound like T is the culprit doesn't it?  I'd definitely stop & see how you are without it.

I was going to get T tested at my next review but now that the increasing symptoms point to T replacement being the issue, I’ll just taper down and stop over the next couple of weeks.

As per thyroid, on Armour and doing well, Endo tests FT3/FT4  3-6 months.

Weirdly enough, it was a couple of Men’s forums that I stumbled upon.  They were complaining of T replacement killing their libido, moon face, acne, bowel issues & low mood.
I always thought high T would be a raging libido and very angry mood. Learning every day! 

Sorry you’re going through it being off T, not vain at all to worry about hair loss.  It’s so distressing!
Thanks for your help!

E x

[Evie606]

Thank you everyone, very helpful! 

E x