Have any DCUM women been prescribed Testosterone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I'm on my phone but I'll type out an answer re the libido stuff later!

Ok, I'm on my laptop now. I'm not sure how to describe the libido thing. I've been married 15+ years and we have 3 kids. Things were definitely getting slow but it wasn't like we were in a sexless marriage or anything like that, just on a gradual decline in frequency and I wasn't feeling much interest. Again, there was some pretty heavy medical stuff going on for awhile and I'm sure that had a lot to do with it (still dealing with the medical issues but at least it's manageable now). Anyway, within a week or so of taking the T, I started feeling a lot more upbeat in general and was very, very interested in having sex. I thought about it ALL THE TIME initially and practically jumped on DH the minute he walked through the door every night. This is the non-explicit forum so I'll keep it PG rated and not say more than that. It did settle down somewhat after maybe 6 weeks, which is normal from what I understand, but I'd venture to say my/our sex life is still more active than the average couple.

[Anonymous]

I'm in my late forties, my testosterone level was basically non-existent and my estrogen all over the place. I'm on bioidentical testosterone and occasional, small-dose estrogen. I've been on it for about a year. I have better energy, libido, and an improvement on menopausal brain fog. It can cause more hair growth (I have more downy hair on my lip and chin; have to wax more often) and genital changes...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in my late forties, my testosterone level was basically non-existent and my estrogen all over the place. I'm on bioidentical testosterone and occasional, small-dose estrogen. I've been on it for about a year. I have better energy, libido, and an improvement on menopausal brain fog. It can cause more hair growth (I have more downy hair on my lip and chin; have to wax more often) and genital changes...

All right, you can't just trail off with "genital changes..." when talking about taking testosterone!!! We talking like growing more hair or more like growing parts that aren't supposed to be there?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

PaigeKeller wrote:Testosterone is not FDA approved to be used for women, is it?

OP here. No its not. Its prescribed for various off label reasons such as sex drive or bone density issues. And as far as I know, there are no long term studies regarding its safety. I don't know why her doc prescribed it.

Sex drive a lot.
It's not approved but in small amounts it doesn't have the dreaded side effects.
There are tons of drugs that are prescribed off label including tons for children.

Testosterone is discussed in this article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/female-viagra-is-here-who-wants-it/2015/10/14/5ff6cb0a-50dd-11e5-933e-7d06c647a395_story.html

How old is your wife?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

PaigeKeller wrote:Testosterone is not FDA approved to be used for women, is it?

Dangerous with many long term side effects, shouldn't be prescribed.

Ridiculous old thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PaigeKeller wrote:Testosterone is not FDA approved to be used for women, is it?

OP here. No its not. Its prescribed for various off label reasons such as sex drive or bone density issues. And as far as I know, there are no long term studies regarding its safety. I don't know why her doc prescribed it.

Sex drive a lot.
It's not approved but in small amounts it doesn't have the dreaded side effects.
There are tons of drugs that are prescribed off label including tons for children.

Testosterone is discussed in this article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/female-viagra-is-here-who-wants-it/2015/10/14/5ff6cb0a-50dd-11e5-933e-7d06c647a395_story.html

How old is your wife?

She's 43 and is in great health generally speaking. She's complained about low energy and poor memory for the better part of a year. Overall, she's very fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PaigeKeller wrote:Testosterone is not FDA approved to be used for women, is it?

OP here. No its not. Its prescribed for various off label reasons such as sex drive or bone density issues. And as far as I know, there are no long term studies regarding its safety. I don't know why her doc prescribed it.

Sex drive a lot.
It's not approved but in small amounts it doesn't have the dreaded side effects.
There are tons of drugs that are prescribed off label including tons for children.

Testosterone is discussed in this article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/female-viagra-is-here-who-wants-it/2015/10/14/5ff6cb0a-50dd-11e5-933e-7d06c647a395_story.html

How old is your wife?

She's 43 and is in great health generally speaking. She's complained about low energy and poor memory for the better part of a year. Overall, she's very fit.

Must be a pretty progressive Doctor.
Does she have or is there a family history of breast cancer?
If there's a history of estrogen or progesterone positive breast cancer tge Doctor might be trying to avoid using estrogen or progesterone for Perimenopause or menopause issues. Small amounts of testosterone might help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PaigeKeller wrote:Testosterone is not FDA approved to be used for women, is it?

OP here. No its not. Its prescribed for various off label reasons such as sex drive or bone density issues. And as far as I know, there are no long term studies regarding its safety. I don't know why her doc prescribed it.

Sex drive a lot.
It's not approved but in small amounts it doesn't have the dreaded side effects.
There are tons of drugs that are prescribed off label including tons for children.

Testosterone is discussed in this article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/female-viagra-is-here-who-wants-it/2015/10/14/5ff6cb0a-50dd-11e5-933e-7d06c647a395_story.html

How old is your wife?

She's 43 and is in great health generally speaking. She's complained about low energy and poor memory for the better part of a year. Overall, she's very fit.

Must be a pretty progressive Doctor.
Does she have or is there a family history of breast cancer?
If there's a history of estrogen or progesterone positive breast cancer tge Doctor might be trying to avoid using estrogen or progesterone for Perimenopause or menopause issues. Small amounts of testosterone might help.

Her grandmother died of ovarian cancer. Her mom, who was a heavy smoker, died of lung cancer. Her aunt had breast cancer at one point about 15 years ago and is a survivor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PaigeKeller wrote:Testosterone is not FDA approved to be used for women, is it?

OP here. No its not. Its prescribed for various off label reasons such as sex drive or bone density issues. And as far as I know, there are no long term studies regarding its safety. I don't know why her doc prescribed it.

Sex drive a lot.
It's not approved but in small amounts it doesn't have the dreaded side effects.
There are tons of drugs that are prescribed off label including tons for children.

Testosterone is discussed in this article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/female-viagra-is-here-who-wants-it/2015/10/14/5ff6cb0a-50dd-11e5-933e-7d06c647a395_story.html

How old is your wife?

She's 43 and is in great health generally speaking. She's complained about low energy and poor memory for the better part of a year. Overall, she's very fit.

Jeez Louise. She needs a full workup plus testing for Lyme disease or even a sleep study. Not testosterone...which is associated with stroke or heart attack. Sure for some people those side effects are worth the risk but she needs to get checked out thoroughly first. I had brain fog and tiredness...turns out I have Restless Leg Syndrome. So glad my Dr didn't just give me Androgel.

[Anonymous]

NP here. My gyno prescribed it for low libido. I was juuuust starting to feel the slightest bit more interested in sex when I went to get my levels tested again (so maybe 4 weeks after starting?), and my doc called me in a panic telling me to STOPSTOPSTOP because my testosterone was way too high. So that was the end of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PaigeKeller wrote:Testosterone is not FDA approved to be used for women, is it?

OP here. No its not. Its prescribed for various off label reasons such as sex drive or bone density issues. And as far as I know, there are no long term studies regarding its safety. I don't know why her doc prescribed it.

Sex drive a lot.
It's not approved but in small amounts it doesn't have the dreaded side effects.
There are tons of drugs that are prescribed off label including tons for children.

Testosterone is discussed in this article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/female-viagra-is-here-who-wants-it/2015/10/14/5ff6cb0a-50dd-11e5-933e-7d06c647a395_story.html

How old is your wife?

She's 43 and is in great health generally speaking. She's complained about low energy and poor memory for the better part of a year. Overall, she's very fit.

Jeez Louise. She needs a full workup plus testing for Lyme disease or even a sleep study. Not testosterone...which is associated with stroke or heart attack. Sure for some people those side effects are worth the risk but she needs to get checked out thoroughly first. I had brain fog and tiredness...turns out I have Restless Leg Syndrome. So glad my Dr didn't just give me Androgel.

She had a full work up done but it wasn't by an endocrinologist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PaigeKeller wrote:Testosterone is not FDA approved to be used for women, is it?

OP here. No its not. Its prescribed for various off label reasons such as sex drive or bone density issues. And as far as I know, there are no long term studies regarding its safety. I don't know why her doc prescribed it.

Sex drive a lot.
It's not approved but in small amounts it doesn't have the dreaded side effects.
There are tons of drugs that are prescribed off label including tons for children.

Testosterone is discussed in this article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/female-viagra-is-here-who-wants-it/2015/10/14/5ff6cb0a-50dd-11e5-933e-7d06c647a395_story.html

How old is your wife?

She's 43 and is in great health generally speaking. She's complained about low energy and poor memory for the better part of a year. Overall, she's very fit.

Jeez Louise. She needs a full workup plus testing for Lyme disease or even a sleep study. Not testosterone...which is associated with stroke or heart attack. Sure for some people those side effects are worth the risk but she needs to get checked out thoroughly first. I had brain fog and tiredness...turns out I have Restless Leg Syndrome. So glad my Dr didn't just give me Androgel.

She had a full work up done but it wasn't by an endocrinologist.

It might not be an endocrine problem. Those symptoms cpuld also be signs of MS, sleep apnea, depression, Lyme disease etc. A GP ordering a blood panel is not a full workup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PaigeKeller wrote:Testosterone is not FDA approved to be used for women, is it?

OP here. No its not. Its prescribed for various off label reasons such as sex drive or bone density issues. And as far as I know, there are no long term studies regarding its safety. I don't know why her doc prescribed it.

Sex drive a lot.
It's not approved but in small amounts it doesn't have the dreaded side effects.
There are tons of drugs that are prescribed off label including tons for children.

Testosterone is discussed in this article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/female-viagra-is-here-who-wants-it/2015/10/14/5ff6cb0a-50dd-11e5-933e-7d06c647a395_story.html

How old is your wife?

She's 43 and is in great health generally speaking. She's complained about low energy and poor memory for the better part of a year. Overall, she's very fit.

Jeez Louise. She needs a full workup plus testing for Lyme disease or even a sleep study. Not testosterone...which is associated with stroke or heart attack. Sure for some people those side effects are worth the risk but she needs to get checked out thoroughly first. I had brain fog and tiredness...turns out I have Restless Leg Syndrome. So glad my Dr didn't just give me Androgel.

This is ridiculous - but I know, everyone has Lyme disease and needs to go to the sleep lab because the doctors built it and someone has to pay for it...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PaigeKeller wrote:Testosterone is not FDA approved to be used for women, is it?

OP here. No its not. Its prescribed for various off label reasons such as sex drive or bone density issues. And as far as I know, there are no long term studies regarding its safety. I don't know why her doc prescribed it.

Sex drive a lot.
It's not approved but in small amounts it doesn't have the dreaded side effects.
There are tons of drugs that are prescribed off label including tons for children.

Testosterone is discussed in this article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/female-viagra-is-here-who-wants-it/2015/10/14/5ff6cb0a-50dd-11e5-933e-7d06c647a395_story.html

How old is your wife?

She's 43 and is in great health generally speaking. She's complained about low energy and poor memory for the better part of a year. Overall, she's very fit.

Must be a pretty progressive Doctor.
Does she have or is there a family history of breast cancer?
If there's a history of estrogen or progesterone positive breast cancer tge Doctor might be trying to avoid using estrogen or progesterone for Perimenopause or menopause issues. Small amounts of testosterone might help.

Her grandmother died of ovarian cancer. Her mom, who was a heavy smoker, died of lung cancer. Her aunt had breast cancer at one point about 15 years ago and is a survivor.

With the ovarian cancer history I would expect that estrogen is out of the question for menopausal symptoms:
http://m.cancer.org/cancer/ovariancancer/detailedguide/ovarian-cancer-treating-hormone-therapy

Low energy and brain fog are definitely issues with Perimenopause and menopause.

She should probably find a good endocrinologist to check her hormones including her thyroid functioning.

[Anonymous]

^ Agree with the suggestion to go to an endocrinologist (this is one of the PPs who is also on T). At her age, it may well be perimenopause starting, but I would want to r/o an adrenal issue or pituitary problem. The amount in the system varies according to your cycle, or it should at least a little bit, so it's important to be aware of where she was during her cycle when she was tested. That said, if her level is lower than it should have been during any point in the cycle, it's most likely something that can be corrected with a low dose of T.