Testosterone!?

Oh dear Zoe, I do feel for you. What a predicament you're in. I assume you had ovaries taken also? How old are you? I do think once the gynae takes away everything it's as if nothing's happened to you and just get on with life. I am very depressed over losing my ovaries and if I could turn back time I think I would fight to keep at least one of them. I was told being peri menopausal, in a couple of years my ovaries would be of no use to me as they stop working. And my gynae was a woman!! Have they no thought or sympathy for losing our womanhood? I worry more about the effects of having no natural oestrogen in my body. Apparently I have since found out your ovaries let out a tiny amount of oestrogen throughout your lifespan. I worry about being on HRT cos of side effects, stroke and breast cancer but then worry if I have to come off them cos of heart disease and premature death! What a choice we have. Thanks for your reply

Hi , yes both ovaries and I'm 45.

I do worry about the oestrogen loss too but like you say nobody seems to offer much advice after the procedure....

I don't think anybody can fully understand unless having gone through it..x

It's difficult, to say the least!  Doctors have stopped prescribing testosterone to women because testosterone is basically a very dangerous drug, and can have side effects, even when women are given only a trace amount.

In the US, men can only be given testosterone under certain conditions, and even for them the side effects can be deadly.   

I took estratest (estrogen and testosterone) many, many years ago, and I loved it!  (Not boasting.) I felt confident, gained muscle mass easily because working out felt fun, and my romatic life was wonderful.  However, I got facial hair, my voice deepened and I had other less pleasant side effects.   So I had to stop.

I would consider reading a book entitled what your doctor may not tell you about menopause. It's a good one.

I would also suggest that you consider taking a good probiotic, one that has cultures that work in your digestive system, your bladder and in your vagina, because a lack of estrogen throws off your bacterial balance.  That can lead to digestive problems, vaginitis and uti's.  I found that out the hard way six months after my op. No one told me about probiotics.  

Finally, some one posted on this site that when your hormone balance is off, your adrenal glands try to compensate by releasing more of the hormones they produce, especially, adrenaline, which can result in lack of sleep, irritability, etc.

Best of luck to you!  I hope this has helped! xx  

 

True Zoe, I really think there should be more info and help out there, why do they take the ovaries for the worry of ovarian cancer? I'm sure the health effects after surgery are more to worry about, I really did my homework about this and I argued the case of taking mine but my gynae gave me good reasons to take them, now I'm not so sure. Can't go back now 😥

What probiotics do you take Linda? I ll do anything that helps x

Hi, will PM you!  Glad to help!  

Hi Lyda, I was prescribed testosterone patches years ago when the UK NHS had the faciity to do so.  The dosage was what a normal young woman would naturally have in her body hence not dangerous.  They  were fantastic for libido, and feeling alive again.  Unfortunately they are no longer available.  I believe the USA can prescribe testosterone gel.  If a woman gets facial hair on testosterone it is only because the dosage is too high

So they were available and now not? That's so annoying, so what are we women supposed to do? It seems to me for years surgeons have been doing this surgery but not doing anything to help post op. Have you had to come off them? 

The testosterone patch company stopped manufacturing them saying they weren't profitable enough and simultaneously the NHS stopped prescribing them saying they weren't working for women and having no effect on improving libido!  Completely the opposite in my case. The testo 6 month pellets inserted under the skin were also stopped.  But we have a shortage of money into the NHS and I would personally think the money for these testo patches was diverted to other things.  This was some yeas ago.  I have since had a hysterectomy and my doctor has kindly let me have estogen patches. 

Hi there!  The dosage was too high for me...but I was on the smallest dosage available.  So, I stopped.

I have siince done research on testosterone and hormone therapies in general.  Testosterone is a dangerous drug!  And, I'm beginning to think that any form of HRT is also dangerous.  It is not bio-identical.  These are substances that the drug companies can patent and make money from.  Bio-identical hormones occur naturally, and cannot be patented.

In the US, drug companies are being sued because of the side effects of testosterone therapy given to men in all forms, including gel. They are also getting sued because of the side effects of HRT and birth control given to women.  

I had two friends get blood clots in their legs because they were on the patch form of HRT. They both thought they were cramping because they'd been working out! In each case, they weren't aware of the symptoms and put off going to the ER for days.

I can understand why women would prefer to have HRT, because for some the changes in peri-menopause and menopause are terrible.  But, I also think that if one reads the literature on side effects carefully, one might decide that the risks outweigh the benefits, and at least try to find bio-identical hormones to help with the changes.

Sorry that this response was so long! xx  

 

Well we've all got our point of view Lynda and hopefully respect each other's point of view.  Testosterone isn't a drug by the way.

Thank you.  I do need to correct myself, in that some products marketed to men and women do contain what is termed to be natural testosterone, other products are synthetics. 

Are you recently post op Cheryl? It's all a worry to me, I'm constantly looking around when I out wondering if 'they' have their ovaries! It's ruining my life, I can't come to terms not having them. I'm so worried about my health in time to come. I just wish with all my heart I'd been more persistent and asked to keep them

Yes I'm 9 weeks post op and having complications with the vaginal cuff. I have a hole in it which is causing discharge. I have no ovaries either. Yes i have extremely bad days where i can't get out of bed cuz of the depression but i started seeing a therapist. Im taking a vaginal cream for the cuff but if it don't repair then i have to have surgery again. Thank god i have a great support system. I know it sucks Nanny..i really do but the antidepressants are helping

Hope you get sorted, post op and still having problems. I hope you get it sorted, what we go through just for a pain free life. Good luck x