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Of course women don't -- or shouldn't -- take the full male dose, because we never produced as much as a male to begin with! It's not enough to produce secondary male sex characteristics, but enough to increase not only libido -- or rather restore it to what it was when we produced out own (lower) testostone levels. But wait... There's more! It also supposedly restores the confidence, lean muscle mass, ambition, energy, strength, and drive in general. In other words, the "mojo" so many PM women feel they've lost even if they're taking the standard estrogen/progesterone HRT combo. Apparently we need our testosterone back, too!
Last edited by otterhere; 03-31-2022 at 08:32 PM..
If you tell your doctor that you want to become a female to male transsexual (FtM) they will give you all (and more) the Testosterone you want. I'm being only slightly sarcastic. There are zero adverse health effects from taking a NORMAL amount of Testosterone. For a woman that is about 1/10 of what a man might take for HRT. Doctors have a problem with HRT for men too btw. Natripathic and/or Integrative Medicine type physicians usually have a more enlightened outlook on HRT for women, and men.
A couple excerpts: A new international position statement on testosterone therapy for women concludes that a trial of testosterone is appropriate for postmenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire dysfunction (HSDD) and that its use for any other condition, symptom, or reason is not supported by available evidence.
and: “When testosterone therapy is given, the resultant blood levels should not be above those seen in healthy young women,” said lead author Susan Ruth Davis, PhD, MBBS, of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, in a press release issued by the Endocrine Society. Dr. Davis is president of the International Menopause Society, which coordinated the panel.
Obviously folks will want to read all the details to get the full story and caveats. This study was from 2019.
Of course women don't -- or shouldn't -- take the full male dose, because we never produced as much as a male to begin with! It's not enough to produce secondary male sex characteristics, but enough to increase not only libido -- or rather restore it to what it was when we produced out own (lower) testostone levels. But wait... There's more! It also supposedly restores the confidence, lean muscle mass, ambition, energy, strength, and drive in general. In other words, the "mojo" so many PM women feel they've lost even if they're taking the standard estrogen/progesterone HRT combo. Apparently we need our testosterone back, too!
Yes, it's good for building/re-building lean muscle mass, etc., but when supplementing with it in any form, the body's chemical processes turn it into estrogen (in women). It may be possible to support it more indirectly, by taking pregnenolone possibly, as someone else suggested (which is sort of a master hormone, that breaks down into other hormones, including the stress hormones, when supplemented). But you'd need to get some bloodwork done to map out your hormonal terrain, before taking something like that. (There can be "too much of a good thing" with some of these remedies.)
Another way might be to stimulate your own production of Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which also helps build lean muscle mass, supports better sleep, provides energy. lifts mood. You can do this by carefully timing your gym workouts (if you don't have a workout, your local gym staff would be happy to design one for you) one hour (minimum) after a meal, and one hour (minimum) before a meal. This pushes your HGH into production. Also, a low-carb diet supports extra HGH production to some extent. And for that matter, just going to the gym and exercising will boost your mood, even if you don't like to work out. If you push yourself to do it, you'll notice at some point, that you feel a bit refreshed afterwards. (The Kennedy clan tended toward depression, and its members swore by exercise as a remedy.) Taking walks in the park, or through leafy green neighborhoods, can help (once winter is over). If you have Medicare, you can get virtually free membership it some gyms. If you're not on Medicare and can't afford the gyms in your area, you can get a set or two of hand weights (they're cheap), and a set of ankle weights, and work out at home, then bike or walk for cardio. (Your weight training workout will provide some cardio benefits too, if you don't rest between sets.)
Otter, wasn't it you, who had a beloved pet who passed away in the last year or two? Do you think that might be what's having a sort of "final straw" effect, or were you feeling "world weary" before then? Did you ever get helpful therapy for that loss?
If you're contemplating a hormone supplement, get checked for pregnenolone levels first. You may be slightly low. A much more precise test, if you can find a practitioner who will order it for you, is a saliva collection test that tracks your cortisol levels through a 24-hr. period. If you've had a cluster of stressors, including a personal loss such as your pet, in the last couple of years, your "stress reserves" (cortisol) could be somewhat depleted. The test is called the "adrenal stress index test". It's not covered by insurance, though ($100), while a blood test for pregnenolone is covered. If you run into doctors who claim it's not a valid test (not true; it was approved by the AMA in the late 1980's), look up a naturopathic doctor, or Google the test + your location, to see if a practitioner's name comes up.
OK, that's all I've got. Good luck! You deserve to feel better, rather than just enduring life, waiting for the calendar days and years to pass until the end. ((hugs))
My SIL had a small tumor that was producing testosterone. Totally transformed her personality, had schizophrenic tendencies, suspicious, sexually aggressive. Had to quit her job. Once they found the tumor and removed it, she went back to her normal self. After watching her go through all that I wouldn't want to take it.
My SIL had a small tumor that was producing testosterone. Totally transformed her personality, had schizophrenic tendencies, suspicious, sexually aggressive. Had to quit her job. Once they found the tumor and removed it, she went back to her normal self. After watching her go through all that I wouldn't want to take it.
I suspect she was producing far more than the average woman does pre-menopause. Of course higher than normal doses aren't recommended -- for anyone!
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Good luck! You deserve to feel better, rather than just enduring life, waiting for the calendar days and years to pass until the end. ((hugs))
