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Testosterone treatment

The prescribing of testosterone hormone to women remains controversial. Some doctors are against it, while others feel more research is needed to understand the possible beneficial interaction of testosterone and oestrogen after the menopause. Unfortunately, testosterone can have virilising effects in women, with possible side effects that include acne, unwanted hair growth and deepening voice. Excessive doses of testosterone may also produce flushing, sweating, vaginal itching and clitoral enlargement. You do need to you?re your doctor as he needs to assess whether or not you need a lower dose. If you stay on too high a dose then some side effects, such as deepening voice, are irreversible. You can also ask your doctor about a new prescription cream for unwanted facial hair growth. Vaniqa, contains eflornithine which, when applied twice a day, slows the growth of hair by blocking an enzyme involved in hair production. It does not remove hair and does not work immediately, so you may need to continue plucking hairs for a month or so until you notice a result. Some doctors, when prescribing testosterone to treat post-menopausal women with a low sex drive, also prescribe oestrogen. This combined treatment has been shown to increase sex drive, provide greater satisfaction, pleasure and more intense orgasm. When sex drive disappears, it is also important to have levels of the hormone prolactin measured, as sometimes loss of sex drive is the first sign of excessive production of this hormone due to a benign tumour of the pituitary gland. If present, this can be treated to solve the problem.

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