![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by vicksnow on July 6, 2009, at 13:47:53
51 year old female here. on prozac, risperdol,welbutrin,klonopin and visteral prn. i have had zero sex drive for years and years. ive been on prozac since 86 and the rest since the 90s....has anyone had any experience with testosterone therapy..(transdermal drops). ive read that it actually increases feelings of wellbeing, and i have actually felt more alive in the past 3 days and not tired.... but still no sex drive......zero....
Posted by Maria3667 on July 6, 2009, at 14:39:35
In reply to testosterone therapy, posted by vicksnow on July 6, 2009, at 13:47:53
Hi Vicky,
Yes I tried testosterone whilst on Seroquel. It bought back my libido from the dead and I was able to enjoy sexual activities again. However, not as much as without Seroquel.
So for you, it might improve things a little. But risperdal is a though one, thougher than Seroquel in this respect, as it's blocking dopamine. I wonder if you can get around it?
For me the difference was felt after about 6 weeks of testosterone.
Hope this info is of use.
Kind regards,
Maria> 51 year old female here. on prozac, risperdol,welbutrin,klonopin and visteral prn. i have had zero sex drive for years and years. ive been on prozac since 86 and the rest since the 90s....has anyone had any experience with testosterone therapy..(transdermal drops). ive read that it actually increases feelings of wellbeing, and i have actually felt more alive in the past 3 days and not tired.... but still no sex drive......zero....
Posted by floatingbridge on July 6, 2009, at 15:04:32
In reply to testosterone therapy, posted by vicksnow on July 6, 2009, at 13:47:53
Hello,
How long can a woman be on testosterone therapy?
good luck Vicksnow,
fb
Posted by Phillipa on July 6, 2009, at 22:04:53
In reply to Re: testosterone therapy, posted by floatingbridge on July 6, 2009, at 15:04:32
My understanding is as long as she wants to be and just watch for male characteristics like facial hair and adjust dose accordingly. Phillipa
Posted by vicksnow on July 7, 2009, at 10:23:05
In reply to Re: testosterone therapy » floatingbridge, posted by Phillipa on July 6, 2009, at 22:04:53
thanks all for posting.. day 5 testosterone therapy... some benefits... not as tired (usually take a 2 hour nap a day and sleep around 10 hours a night. increased energy and motivation... but alas.. still no sex drive at all... guess it will take some time. am worried though for any masculine characteristics that might show up... if so will discontinue immediately!
Posted by ColoradoSnowflake on July 7, 2009, at 14:41:28
In reply to testosterone therapy, posted by vicksnow on July 6, 2009, at 13:47:53
Hi vicksnow:
Several years ago when I was having trouble with hormones and was on a TCA, my doc gave me testosterone pills, I think "methotest" which I took every day. Boy, did they work! I felt a lot better, probably because my sex-life was so good! It didn't give me any masculine traits except a very occasional hair on my chin....well worth it!
I bet it works for you, too, if they give you enough.
Good luck! Gayle
Posted by vicksnow on July 9, 2009, at 13:45:40
In reply to Re: testosterone therapy, posted by ColoradoSnowflake on July 7, 2009, at 14:41:28
thanks snowflake for the words of encouragement. i am supposed to apply 7 to 15 drops of this testosterone compound , but i only apply 8 as i am scared of side affects. glad you had success hope i do.. thanks again!
Posted by Maria3667 on July 10, 2009, at 4:23:43
In reply to Re: testosterone therapy, posted by vicksnow on July 7, 2009, at 10:23:05
Hi Vicky,
5 days is impossible to start feeling the effects.... Hormones are slow to work. It usually takes up to 3 till 6 weeks until effects are felt.
Give it a little longer.
Masculinezation will happen. But is it so bad to have a few hairs extra on the application site? If you dose conservatively, you shouldn't have to worry about extra facial hair or other effects. It's dose dependant.
And as you are under supervision of an MD, I would imagine he/she will monitor your progress?
Take care,
Maria
> thanks all for posting.. day 5 testosterone therapy... some benefits... not as tired (usually take a 2 hour nap a day and sleep around 10 hours a night. increased energy and motivation... but alas.. still no sex drive at all... guess it will take some time. am worried though for any masculine characteristics that might show up... if so will discontinue immediately!
Posted by Tony P on July 10, 2009, at 21:55:29
In reply to Re: testosterone therapy » vicksnow, posted by Maria3667 on July 10, 2009, at 4:23:43
I'm not a woman, but much of the benefit of testosterone & similar supplements is pretty much cross-gender, especially as we get older....
My MD swears by DHEA, which he has had a lot of experience with: it not only improves sexual function (being a testosterone precursor), but has anti-depressant and immunologic benefits as well, especially for "older" (over 40) people. My understanding is that it's milder and not as dose critical as testosterone, but equally effective, besides having the added benefits.
I take 100 mg/day, which works really well for me, but it should be individualized, with a blood test before & after for DHEA & _free_ testosterone, as people's needs vary greatly, and an excess can be harmful.
Luckily DHEA is available, and cheap, in most health stores in the US (last I heard anyway). Unluckily, Canada (where I live) treats it as a performance-enhancing steroid, and it's harder to get than heroin! I am very fortunate in having found a local supplier, as most or all supplement companies will not ship to Canada or any other country where it's scheduled.
Tony P
Posted by Maria3667 on July 11, 2009, at 10:35:00
In reply to Re: testosterone therapy, posted by Tony P on July 10, 2009, at 21:55:29
Hi Tony,
I know about DHEA. Been taking it for 5 years now. But doesn't help against low libido.
Sexual matters only improved after adding testo.
Take care,
Maria
> I'm not a woman, but much of the benefit of testosterone & similar supplements is pretty much cross-gender, especially as we get older....
>
> My MD swears by DHEA, which he has had a lot of experience with: it not only improves sexual function (being a testosterone precursor), but has anti-depressant and immunologic benefits as well, especially for "older" (over 40) people. My understanding is that it's milder and not as dose critical as testosterone, but equally effective, besides having the added benefits.
>
> I take 100 mg/day, which works really well for me, but it should be individualized, with a blood test before & after for DHEA & _free_ testosterone, as people's needs vary greatly, and an excess can be harmful.
>
> Luckily DHEA is available, and cheap, in most health stores in the US (last I heard anyway). Unluckily, Canada (where I live) treats it as a performance-enhancing steroid, and it's harder to get than heroin! I am very fortunate in having found a local supplier, as most or all supplement companies will not ship to Canada or any other country where it's scheduled.
>
> Tony P
Posted by Tony P on July 11, 2009, at 13:48:59
In reply to Re: testosterone therapy » Tony P, posted by Maria3667 on July 11, 2009, at 10:35:00
> Hi Tony,
>
> I know about DHEA. Been taking it for 5 years now. But doesn't help against low libido.
>
> Sexual matters only improved after adding testo.
>
> Take care,
> Maria
>
=========
Thanks, Maria. DHEA did help my libido some years back. But now I'm on a fairly high-dose SNRI (Cymbalta 90 mg) -- and 10 years older -- it doesn't seem enough. I guess it's time to check back with my doctor and see if he'll do another blood test. I know he usually checks both DHEA & testosterone. When I started on DHEA, testosterone was only available by injection, but I understand there are other ways to administer it now.Best,
Tony
Posted by Sigismund on July 12, 2009, at 0:40:59
In reply to Re: testosterone therapy » Maria3667, posted by Tony P on July 11, 2009, at 13:48:59
>but I understand there are other ways to administer it now.
For me the best (most even) blood levels were obtained by slow release bioidentical testosterone taken orally.
Posted by vicksnow on July 12, 2009, at 7:37:15
In reply to Re: testosterone therapy, posted by Sigismund on July 12, 2009, at 0:40:59
thanks all for replying. now on testosterone for about a week.. thought it would act instantly hehe but now i realize from previous posts that it takes time.
Posted by deprime82 on July 31, 2009, at 8:31:59
In reply to Re: testosterone therapy, posted by vicksnow on July 12, 2009, at 7:37:15
all in all I've done 3 tests on global testosterone and all came back with the result that I'm to low in testo..
although all the tests were done in the morning, my testo level was never higher than 2.8 ng/ml (the lower limit is 3 ng/ml)..
at this time I was on LEXAPRO 10mg and on selegiline 5 mg. although it's speculated that lex can lower testosterone, selegiline does not and is thought to raise testosterone...
I wonder if it would contribute to my depression that I am this low on testosterone because I don't think this level is caused by the meds..
can this be? I am just 24 years old, genital hairness etc. is normal, too - sex drive is also good, (when taking antidepressants), when I am depressed->not.
i don't have strong beard growth...does anyone have any experience with testosterone therapy in depression?
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.