# Women - Testosterone Therapy - Libido gets worse?



## tbk (Apr 22, 2014)

Ladies,

Does anyone have experience with getting on testosterone therapy only to find it worsened your libido?

My wife had virtually no total or free testosterone. The doctor has worked her up to 0.8mg of test cream per day. I am finding that even though we do have sex, her inhibitions seems to be higher and she gets agitated very easily over anything sexual (innuendos, etc.).


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## ConanHub (Aug 9, 2013)

Not sure about the rest but higher testosterone levels increase aggression and irritability.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tbk (Apr 22, 2014)

Lila said:


> How long has she been on testosterone therapy?


Since December 2014. The doc started her with 0.4mg of test cream. About 2 months ago, when my wife said it was doing nothing for her, she increased it to 0.8mg per day. My wife has experienced more lubrication, but that's about it.

She is also taking 25mg of progesterone in the first half of her cycle, and 75mg per day in the second half. The doc said she was estrogen dominant and she also has had bad PMS. She is 41.

FWIW - She has always had orgasms pretty easily (not multiple). She is all responsive desire but never in the mood.


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## tbk (Apr 22, 2014)

Thank you Lila. That gives me some hope. It also seems that I see women that take a much higher dose than my wife.


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## TXtransplant (May 13, 2015)

I am on testosterone therapy because my free testosterone was about zilch. I get the pellets implanted though, have never tried the cream. I have see a dramatic increase in my libido and energy levels..maybe she just needs to try a different route..


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## askari (Jun 21, 2012)

I admire women (wives/GF's) who realise they have a libido 'issue' and decide they want to do something about it.

If only my wife had acknowledged it, accepted it and done something about it years ago. :-(


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## UMP (Dec 23, 2014)

tbk said:


> Ladies,
> 
> Does anyone have experience with getting on testosterone therapy only to find it worsened your libido?
> 
> My wife had virtually no total or free testosterone. The doctor has worked her up to 0.8mg of test cream per day. I am finding that even though we do have sex, her inhibitions seems to be higher and she gets agitated very easily over anything sexual (innuendos, etc.).


Those look like signs of stress. She and you are so invested in seeing results. That, in and of itself will create exactly what you see. It's kind of like a guy who thinks he has ED. The more he thinks about it being a problem, the more it exacerbates the issue.
I remember getting my flight physical at 20 years of age. Every time I went in my blood pressure was too high and I NEVER had any problems with blood pressure until I went to the flight doctor. Interestingly, the doctor played a trick on me. He said, "let me use this big cuff because of your arm size, I think that's the problem." It turns out, he was just tricking my mind into relaxing and used the same size cuff. Blood pressure was fine. When you want something so bad, that in and of itself can cause the problem.

Have some wine, relax, DON'T talk about sex at all and just let things happen naturally. You'll be fine. IMO


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## happy as a clam (Jan 5, 2014)

tbk said:


> Does anyone have experience with getting on testosterone therapy only to find it worsened your libido?


tbk... You should send a PM to MountainRunner. His wife just started testosterone and has had a completely different outcome. Her libido has gone through the roof! I don't think she's using cream though, and I believe she may be on a higher dose.

I also use bioidentical hormones with very good results, but my testosterone levels are still good so I haven't needed that one (yet!)  Also, more important than just adding testosterone is the *balance* between all the hormones. The testosterone may be overpowering her estrogen, thus the aggression and agitation. It's a bit tricky to get them all in sync...

Btw, estrogen "dominance" is only a theory; many doctors do not buy into this at all. Blood serum levels measure both free and bound estrogen, so a high number doesn't really tell you how much estrogen is bound and how much is actually freely circulating and bio-available. Saliva tests give a more accurate reading of the "free" estrogen circulating, but most insurance won't cover those tests.


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## tbk (Apr 22, 2014)

UMP said:


> Have some wine, relax, DON'T talk about sex at all and just let things happen naturally. You'll be fine. IMO


Thanks UMP. You make some excellent points. As far as not talking about it - that's a big shortcoming of mine. I am also a big intellectual when it comes to sex and I talk about it way too easily.


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## tbk (Apr 22, 2014)

happy as a clam said:


> Btw, estrogen "dominance" is only a theory; many doctors do not buy into this at all. Blood serum levels measure both free and bound estrogen, so a high number doesn't really tell you how much estrogen is bound and how much is actually freely circulating and bio-available. Saliva tests give a more accurate reading of the "free" estrogen circulating, but most insurance won't cover those tests.


Yeah...I know. I thought it would be easier to convey on a board like this. I have actually been obsessed with hormones since 2008 when I started my own replacement.

One doctor told my wife to just follow my recommendations. So a few years ago I would give my wife 2 shots per week of a very low dose. Her libido went up some, but she was highly responsive. So much that she wouldn't allow me to give her any foreplay. Some of this "engorgement" would turn into pre-meditated libidio first thing in the morning before stress would kick in. It was physical awareness that increased her libido.

We had some marital issues and her PMS got worse, so the shots ceased.

The agreement for her trying this run on hormones was for me to stay out of it except for mentioning any "observations." The only thing I have had to push her on is to call the doctor when she is venting about not feeling right in some way. I have tried to remind her that it's important so things get tweaked right.

PS. Ironically, even when she started on a shot dosage that was way too high, she never got any masculine side effects. I have a theory that her body (genetically) aromatizes testosterone to estrogen much more than typical.


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## snerg (Apr 10, 2013)

tbk said:


> PS. Ironically, even when she started on a shot dosage that was way too high, she never got any masculine side effects. I have a theory that her body (genetically) aromatizes testosterone to estrogen much more than typical.


The dosage she receives is way too low to make radical masculine side effects.

Even if the doctor stroked out and injected her with 10x the normal amount, that's still far too low.

SHE WOULD NEED MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF testosterone for a period of time before her body would even begin to register changes.


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## tbk (Apr 22, 2014)

UMP said:


> Those look like signs of stress....


UMP,

I showed my wife your post last night right after she told me our sex conversations make her anxious. She agreed with what you said.


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