Since you are the only woman who posted here, could you tell us a little more, please?
Like what was going on before, how did the HRT help, and how are you doing now? You mentioned symptoms, like what? What were the doses of estrogen, progesterone, and test, how are they administered, and did they need to be changed to get you where you need to be?
What is the "right" place to be for those hormones? For men, we have a reference range, and most of us like to be at the top of it. Some doctors disagree and others are ok with it.
Are there other hormones that matter when testing your blood levels than those three - estrogen, progesterone, and test?
In the Men's Health section, we have a thread devoted to TRT clinics with reviews from folks who use them. I am not aware of anything like that for women here. Would you mind sharing where you had a good experience with telemedicine and any recommendations for women in the same boat?
My wife is about to test her hormones because she (late 40s) feels like something is off, so I have a personal interest in your responses, as do others here posting and reading.
Thank you.
Sorry, was sick yday and felt too bad to reply.
Gosh, I had so many symptoms and didn’t even know most of them were related until I found an educated dr telling me I wasn’t crazy. Tinnitus, hot flashes, I’d even get them localized to places like my left ear or a single hand, night sweats, cold flashes, the most intense body itchiness, the worst fuck you attitude and that’s not how I am, spent a solid year being depressed and feeling lonely. I’ve never had mental health issues, and am happily married with kids I adore. I fantasized of divorcing and running away with just my dog My digestion went to shit and felt like everything hurt to eat, alcohol intolerance, the belly fat distribution and I’ve always been active and paid attn to nutrition, severe insomnia, brain fog, joint pain, extreme fatigue, restless legs, insulin and a1c were creeping up from my baseline, lipids shot up, migraines and headaches, frequent urinary urgency like a uti but without the uti, heart palpitations, I was seen by cardio and cleared, just offered anxiety meds. There are prob more I can’t think of. It really affected everything and was debilitating. What sent me looking for answers was a lackluster orgasm out of nowhere. I started vaginal estrogen and that fixed the urgency issue and orgasm problem almost instantly, also helped plump up thinning labia.
I know there are some physicians that treat to a range, but mine does not because of being peri and hormones are all over the place. For reference I’m 42 and my symptoms started around 36. Everyone said I was too young except my physician who also started at that age and is early 40s, too.
As far as labs, mine did a full iron panel including ferritin, thyroid with free t3, free t4. I know for thyroid, she wants TSH under 2.5 and also the other two within a specific range. I came to her with labs, but if I hadn’t she would have added shbg to the testosterone panel. She also checks b12 and D. She wants D the higher end of normal and hasn’t mentioned b12, but based on my primary they want b12 in the upper 1/4 of normal.
I use an estrogen patch of 0.05mg, had an extremely heavy and early period when I had a different dr increase to 1mg based on the labs she did. So my new doctor told me to stick with the lower dose. Because I recently had symptoms return (hot flashes and burning ear), she’s rx a topical E gel to use as needed for that time since the patch dose works fine the other weeks. She starts out with testim gel but after 3mos will switch to injections if that doesn’t work. I’m also on 100-200mg of progesterone. I can’t take 200mg regularly without having severe breast tenderness but need a higher dose to sleep well so I space it out.
There are options for women, I don’t think a lot of them are great. I started with My Alloy online waiting for an in person appt and had a fine experience just was expensive. There’s also Defy online that I see a lot of women happy with but there’s a few crappy practitioners to avoid. If you get one and have a bad experience Defy seems to fix it. They also are willing to rx T and injections when a lot of places won’t. Midi online takes insurance but idk if they rx T, and Joi Wellness. I see mixed reviews on them, but it’s an option. I believe they have optimal values posted.
Dr Kelly Casperson is a good insta page for info and education, Dr Heather Hirsch has a health collective of telehealth practitioners, Dr Jackie Piasta has Monarch Health with a directory of telehealth providers also. Dr Mary Clair Haver on insta, too. I use Monarch health bc they had the fastest availability for my state, but I would’ve used anyone from the Hirsch collective.
There is the list with the National American Menopause Society, I had a bad experience with 2 drs from them, but it’s worth looking into. They are supposed to treat based on symptoms at least. The two I saw told me it was fine and normal for my libido to plummet out of nowhere and maybe my husband and I didn’t even want sex anymore ISSWSH is another organization that would be more helpful bc they do address and believe in treating with testosterone.
I hope that’s helpful! It’s a brutal time and we are gaslit everywhere. I hope your wife can find relief.
help.bywinona.com
