Women's personal stories about what testosterone did for (and to) them.
the_siren: My story is I was sexually dysfunctional for somewhere around 20 years, I think it came on after the birth of my child. I now attribute it to several reasons, among the most important was an excess amount of PROLACTIN in my system I nursed for a long time but even years after I stopped I had milk in my breasts. It is now known that Prolactin is also the hormone released at orgasm to make you feel SATISFIED. Prolactin is also a factor in miscarriages, of which I know I had at least one if not many in the 10 years following my child’s birth. I would mention the milk thing and the lack of libido to doctors and they either didn't respond or shrugged it off. I got all the stupid answers and misinformation many women on this board got. If you think this subject is in the CLOSET now let me tell you THERE WAS NO INFO OUTTHERE until very recently. I did everything I could to avoid sex and any kind of intimacy. I could have cared less if I ever had SEX again, and H and I had been MADLY, PASSIONATELY SEXUAL for the first few years of our relationship. This did destroy his self-esteem and he hung in there for a long time but finally ended up having a long-term sexual affair about which I was completely in denial. I didn't want to face the pain. I had other contributing factors also, lots of different BCP's over the years, a course of PROZAC (not for depression but for WEIGHT LOSS????) I've been HYPOTHYROID since I was a kid and approaching menopause I was given Depo Provera for several years. I was a mess and ignorant of what was happening or why. I finally went to a rather famous Women’s clinic in New England, searching for relief from my menopausal symptoms (I was unhappy with the synthetic hormones my local Dr was prescribing for me). As the practitioner was writing out a new RX for me she casually asked 'BTW how is your LIBIDO?' I was surprised, but I said 'what LIBIDO?' Anyway she added in a 3% testosterone to the cream that also contained a NATURAL tri-estrogen and progesterone. The NATURAL hormones really helped my symptoms (Natural, in this context means they exactly match the hormones the HUMAN body produces it doesn't mean YAM cream from the health food store) My marriage was in shambles and years of bad sex and painful intercourse had taken it's toll and in my case I did not notice the increase in libido for maybe almost a year. This was during a time when H was hot and heavy with his whore so he wasn't bothering me much and when we tried, we were both so uptight we just couldn't get it together…He would lose it, thinking I wasn't interested, I wouldn't act too interested because I was afraid he was going to lose it and my feeling would be hurt. A real VISCIUOS CYCLE (sp) But eventually I started to notice I HAD NEEDS, I was dreaming sexual dreams, I was looking at butts, I was taking care of business on my own, and often. When I finally woke up to what was going on with my Husband and we decided that we really loved each other and decided to stay together I became much more aware of what was going on with my body. We had to jump start the sex a bit, and I did rent a sex VIDEO and let me tell you. That first experience after years of bad sex was mind-boggling. I scared my husband and I pretty well shocked my self. My response was more than I ever dreamed it could be. I didn't know anything about testosterone or side effects or anything. I have since read up. TESTOSTERONE is the hormone of desire, it does control THOSE FEELINGS, it affects the intensity of you ORGASMS. It also has side effects, but they come with excess use. THERE IS NO ADVANTAGE TO TAKING/USING TOO MUCH. I wasn't paying attention and I have had some increase in facial hair, though I had a tendency to this anyway. And I did experience an enlarged clitoris. I have no problem with that, it is maybe the size of a pencil eraser now as compared to a BEE-BEE. I did not experience deepening of the voice and I was menopausal so there was no chance of pregnancy. TESTOSTERONE can wreak havoc on a fetus and must not be used if there is any chance of pregnancy. I have since had my testosterone put in a separate gel formula so I can control my usage more closely. Contrary to what has been posted here you do not have to apply it to your GENITALS for it to be effective (and your partner doesn't have to do it for you as one poster suggested)I apply it twice a day on any un-suntanned area such as upper thigh or upper arm, my butt, stomach hips etc. Again testosterone is a CONTROLLED substance and only available by rx that is renewed every six month (like codeine or other pain killers) Because testosterone is a NATURAL hormone it is not patentable and therefore is not being prepared by any big pharmaceutical companies (not enough profit) THIS also means it is not listed in your doctors PDR and he won't know how to prescribe unless he has a lot of experience. These preparations must be made up by compounding pharmacies of which there are more all the time. I get mine from Women’s International Pharmacy mail order from Wisconsin. These big Pharmacies can send info or will actually talk to your doctor on the phone and help with dosages etc. They have a web site http://www.womensinternational.com. But there may be a compounding pharmacy near you where they could also give your Doctor some help.
