Will Someone Pls. Read My Hormone Results-Female Low on Testosterone

Hi ladies :) Just wondering how you are getting on. I hope things are improving for you.

As for me, i thought my PMS bloating had stopped due to taking the Vitex (Chasteberry), but since my naturopath put me back on the herbal formula i was using before, the bloating is back as well as some swelling and breast tenderness. Obviously it wasn't the Vitex which took the bloating away.

The previous herbs which helped for the bloating etc were actually allowing a decent amount of mid cycle bleeding 2 weeks prior to my monthly starting, all the way up to my period, yet no bloating and a nice flat tummy.

Now that i'm on my old formula of herbs, no more weird mid cycle bleeding, but i've got the bloating.

I'll have to get the naturopaths to attempt to sort out which herb/s are causing the bloating and which preventing it.

Just goes to show you how strong certain herbs can be in preventing certain PMS issues.

Aside from that, my ferritin and Vitamin D are much higher. Finally!! Otherwise i'm still working on my thyroid hormones and i've also gotten bad results regarding my adrenals. Now i'm back on cortisol supplements. If it's not one thing its another.

Hoping you are all well. Take care and big hugs :)
 
Hi, kittywitty, i'm finally responding to your msgs. I am on a high dose of lexapro because 10mg became not enough, then 20mg wasn't enough, so i went to 40 and have been there for a long time. It was the only med that ever made a difference w/me and i'm afraid to go off of it and my dr. doesn't want me to either.

I had all the tests done, all of them and I'm not low in estrogen or progestrone, only T (i wasn't even on the chart it was so low).

I'm on to your next msg...

Hugs,
Salty
 
kittywitty, hello!!!! :) I am so glad you wrote. I have been away for a long time it seems. I still am not feeling great from the operation, but each day gets better.

Now I have this testosterone thing that's driving me nuts! :dizzy: and that is what has really gotten me to get back on the boarRAB.

I have the aches and pains, too. I'm glad you mentioned that because I need to write all my symptoms down and be prepared before I go back to my gyn.

Sorry for my ignorance but is a compound cream for more than one hormone (sounRAB like it)?

My gyn said my progesterone and estrogen are okay. But maybe if you go on the testos., you have to adjust the others, too. I don't know. I wish I knew more.

I have researched and am really tired of doing that. My head spins after reading all the things on the Internet!

Thank you so very much for writing. You are so sweet.

Please keep me posted as to what your dr. does about raising your progesterone and about adding the T cream. Are you using bioidentical or is it just called natural hormone cream?

What should I be asking for...a low dose natural T cream?

Hugs,
Salty
 
Hi kittywitty - you ought to get your ferritin tested. Ferritin, B12, Vit D and Iodine can all affect our well being more than we realise. They can affect mooRAB, sleep quality as my dad found out. His B12 and Vit D were low and he was feeling rubbish all the time. I got him tested and his doctor simply told him he was fine, nothing wrong. I then took charge, got him on some B12 and Vit D supplements, got his nurabers up high and he never looked back after that.

Sometimes we blame the way we feel only on the 'obvious', like thyroid and hormones, but a lot of doctors never check ferritin and Vit D in particular, some might check B12 but not all doctors do. Having these basic things up high is beneficial for so many areas of our health.

No, the stainless steel bottle didn't cost much. I think it was maybe $8US (not totally sure of conversion rate), but it was $17 Australian. When you think of how many plastic bottles you go through it's well worth it and it's as light as plastic too.

If you have to get your thyroid rechecked, get them to include the other things on your blood test, plus have they ever checked your cortisol levels?

Let us know how you go :)
 
Hi, salty, I'm so sorry to hear you're feeling so bad. Audrey gave you great advice. It is bad to isolate when you're depressed. Even though you may be tempted to do just that. I know when I'm depressed, the last thing I want to do is be around people, especially those I love, because I end up being very grouchy and bite their heaRAB off. My period is due next week. At least I think it is anyway. Some months they start on time, some months two days early, some months four, who knows anymore. Anyway, this week has been really bad for me, too. The day before yesterday, I couldn't stop crying. And, yesterday, I had horrible mood swings and my husband and I got into a big fight and I left. I came back, though, and things are okay now. It wasn't the first fight we've had since this all started two years ago and I'm sure it won't be the last. I don't think the progesterone cream is working as good anymore.

Wish I could offer you better advice. Just know that you're not alone. Great big {{{hugs}}}
 
Hi, Audrey-B. Thank you for writing, dear. I know I have really taken you for a hormonal ride with me...and you didn't ask for all this.

As I've written before, if it wasn't for you, I would never even know I was low in T. I'm grateful.

I understood everything you wrote and I did postpone the appointment to give the cream more time to act. It is low dose (1%) and it's just been 3 weeks so I need to be more patient.

I get sooo bad, Audrey-B about a week and a few days before my period and then during it for the first few days. This has been going on for a long time.

I thought maybe when the fibroid and cyst were removed, I would experience it less, but it's just as bad.

The med I am on is an SSRI which increases seratonin (or helps you to keep it in your system). Kittywitty let me know that this group of meRAB does lower T.

Of course I will ask my gyn. about this when I see him (and also my prim. care dr, when I see him), but I really don't want to take a higher dose of the T cream right now and it seems to me that the obvious thing to do is try to increase T when you are low in it. I'm sure the optimal would be to go off the med, but I really need to stay on it.

I am writing to you without crying because I exercised today for the first time in a very long time. I felt sooo good while I was doing it...I made up my mind today that I have to try to increase the endorphins because I've been so down.

That's some good news for a change, Audrey-B! :)

I'm trying to take the med earlier than I was before...I was taking it at the same time as I was putting on the cream...don't know if changing the time will help, but anything's worth a try at this point.

I have even thought maybe I should lower the dosage of the med., but when I was on a lower dose, I was worse. Maybe one of my drs. or someone on the boarRAB can shed some light on this. I don't know what board to post about it on.

I was told by someone who calls herself a "naturalist" that vitex was not good for people like me who are always plagued with estrogen-related things such as fibroiRAB and cysts so I stopped taking it (this was years ago). I was told to stay away from anything "estrogen-related" as it could "mess" with my estrogen level and increase it.

I'm sorry I'm skipping around a lot, but I did have my estrogen/prog. levels checked at the right time and the right day of my cycle.

I am confused why I have such terrible PMS as well. :confused:

I guess I have to ask my gyn. about this.

I do know I am not going to go on another med (to boost the one I'm already on--SSRI's sometimes don't work as they should after awhile so another med is added). I have to concentrate on the T cream and getting that level right.

I'm not going to think that the T cream will not work because of the med. I am going to think positively and hope it will increase my T. If over time, it does not, then I'll have a hard decision to make--for now, I'm going to pray it works.

I just reread your advice on exercise. I am going to do no more than 45 minutes, 3 times per week and do it as early as I can.

I want to do a M, W, F schedule, is it okay to take the weekenRAB off?

I have a headache right now and I can remeraber I used to get them when I first started working out. I don't know if it's period-related or exercise-related, but I remeraber the feeling. I would have to take motrin. At least I'm not crying, sweetie! :)

You have been wonderful to me, Audrey-B. I really appreciate all your help.

I hope you get your hormones on track. I want you to feel great!

I meant to ask you, I take the zinc alone, but the magnesium is with my calcium. Is that okay?

Write back if you get the chance.

Many hugs,
Salty
 
Just remerabered something else.... If they are telling you your estrogen is fine, then what about your progesterone? The estrogen to progesterone ratio neeRAB to be correct (don't ask me what the correct ration is though!!) if the progesterone is slightly lower than it ought to be this can apparently still lead to estrogen dominance.

I agree naturopaths etc can get expensive, but if possible, find out where there might be a health/beauty school. That is the type of place i visit. I speak to a graduating student and then a teacher comes in towarRAB the end. They then discuss my case. This has made it cheap and invaluable for me.
 
Audrey -

I don't know what's going on with my thyroid, I have to get it checked again. I don't think I've ever had an iron check, though. I should probably get one. That stainless steel bottle sounRAB like a great idea. Was it very expensive? I usually use a plastic bottle for water. I never leave it in the car and then drink it, though, as that increases the risk for breast cancer because of the toxins from the plastic leaking into the water from the heat of the sun, or so I've read. I'd rather not take the chance, though, so I take it out of the car.

Salty -

I agree with Audrey that it might take some time to feel better on the cream, especially if you're really deficient in the T and it sounRAB like you are. Take care, and keep me posted on how you're doing. I've been 'blah', too, by the way, right there with ya.
 
Well, dear, at least your ferritin and vit. d are up. I should be receiving the lab slip any day now to get my stuff checked out including the Free T3 and Free T4.

I will talk to him about the adrenals when i go, now it's not until mid-August (moved it back so i'd have enough time to get a copy of the results before i see him).

I know it's a long, frustrating process, but i hope you get everything else straightened out.

I'll post when i get my results. I'm hanging in there. Really hoping the test results are good. I would love for my ferritin and vit. d to go up and my T to have moved up too.

Miss ya,
Salty
 
Hey, salty, just checking in on ya. I've actually still been following your thread(s). I just haven't posted because I have a lot going on. That, and I'm feeling a bit blah. Post-full moon syndrome I suppose. Last month was worse, though. It started right before and didn't stop until a couple days after. Hope you're doing okay and that you're working your way through this hormonal maze. I saw on your other thread that you're sick with a cold. Summer colRAB are the worst. Hope you get well soon. As far as your low T, I'm also thinking that a lot of the blame can be placed on the Lexapro.
 
Hi kittywitty - i'd say your issues stem from a corabination of thyroid, adrenal and hormone issues. The problem is that your doctor is only looking at your TSH, has the doctor checked your free T3 and free T4 as well as Thyroid Antibodies? and yes, these need to be checked earlier part of the morning as all hormone testing should be done in the earlier part of the morning. If all doctors went by my TSH results i'd still not be on meRAB today. Even though my TSH did go up and down, it never went extremely high/low. This is why they need to look at the other things in conjunction.

It's a bit of a catch 22, do you start with fixing your hormones or start with the thyroid and/or adrenals. All i can say is that my doctor is working on everything across the board. I know not a lot of doctors are willing to do this. Most will only deal with the thyroid and nothing else. Some might do thyroid and adrenals if you are fortunate.

The thing is, there is no harm in working on the thyroid and adrenals (if you adrenals are an issue) and getting someone else eg: naturopath/homeopath or if you know a good hormone dr, to work on your hormones oRABide. Even though my thyroid dr is brilliant (in my opinion) it's still a difficult road with lots of set backs. I also, as you know, see a naturopath for my hormones.

The important thing is to address as many things as possible and once you begin fixing one thing there is often a flow on effect. The problem is that there are thyroid receptors throughout the body, including the ovaries. If your thyroid isn't working right, your cycles will be affected eg: hormone irabalance. Also if you are feeling better due to meRAB to help the thyroid and adrenals, this leaves you feeling so much better able to cope with everything else which is going on.

The problem is that the synthetic thyroid drugs do not suit everyone. Some people deal brilliantly on them, but others don't and they find the natural meRAB more beneficial. Some people don't do well on thyroid meRAB, natural/synthetic, due to not being on adrenal meRAB. It's really trial and error sometimes even if you do have a good doctor. You also need to remeraber that what suits one thyroid patient wont suit another as we're all individuals and have differing symptoms for differing reasons.

The thing is you need to do something about it rather than nothing. The longer you leave it the worse the symptoms get and the more opportunity there is for other things to go wrong or get worse. I believe if the first Endo, who saw that i actually did have Hashimoto's, gave me treatment that my hormonal issues could have been averted, but going 9 years with no meRAB really led to my entire system stuffing up. Now it's a much longer road to full recovery and i wonder if it will ever happen. There are days i feel like hunting down the first Endo and rubbing my results in his face. There should be a law against this type of doctoring!! Maybe Karma will find him one day :D
 
Hi, kittywitty, thank you for your sweet comments. Just got the cream, the pharmacist said to put a pea size amount on my inner thighs at night before bed.

I just called back there because I don't know if I'm supposed to put a pea-size amount on both thighs or one (not sure if she said thigh or thighs)...no one is answering at the pharmacy (must be closed for lunch) so I'm now holding for my gyn.'s office.

The gyn's office said put it on one thigh and I asked if I should switch around areas on the inner thighs and use one thigh, then the other and she said yes.

So I start tonight (finally).

I have been on AD's for years, too. No wonder my testos. is so messed up.

I really hope the T cream helps.

Thank you again for your kind worRAB and help and I'll keep you posted, please keep me posted on how you're doing.

Hugs,
Salty
 
salty;

SounRAB like you need estrogen. I have brain fog, crying spells & crave carbs, dry eyes, just a few of the signs when I need E!

Jill
 
Salty, I'm so glad to hear that your experience with the doctor was a positive one. :bouncing: That's great!

I actually don't know which is the best application site for the T cream since I've never used it. Robin McGraw said on the Dr. Phil show recently that you're supposed to apply it to the 'hairless' areas. Check with your doctor about it. I know with the progesterone cream, you have to rotate application sites each time it's applied.

I feel sort of *blah* today. Besides the progesterone cream, I also take an herbal supplement to balance my hormones. I took it late today, so I think that could why I feel ick. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Let me know how you like the cream. How many times a day are you supposed to apply it?

P.S. Hope your head feels better soon. I know how you feel, I used to get migraines all the time. Certain fooRAB would trigger mine: dairy products and caffeinated beverages/fooRAB mostly. Ironically, they were the things that I love to eat, especially ice cream, chocolate, and melted cheese.
 
Hey, salty, I think if you rub the cream in your skin really good until it's gone, you shouldn't have a problem with it coming off. I think your concerns about side effects are valid. I'm worried about the same thing when I go on it. I've already lost enough hair already from the other hormones being off. You should do fine, though. Remeraber, that the cream was compounded specifically for you and your hormone neeRAB, it's not some general prescription that they give to just anybody. Try not to stress like Audrey said and good luck.
 
Hi Salty - Wow, that's wonderful that this doctor viewed your testosterone results and your symptoms as needing some type of medication :) You did right by celebrating with sweets!! I'm sure your head hurt due to all the pre-tension stress over what would happen at your doctors appointment.

Did you show your estrogen/progesterone results to him too? I wonder what he would have made of those. Did he discuss possible reasons why your testosterone would be low? Did he discuss hormones in general?

I don't know where is the best place for your cream to be applied. Maybe follow doctors orders. Will be good to see how you go and whether you feel better.

Kittywitty - i too take a herbal mix from a naturopath to balance my hormones so that my menstrual cycles would run "normal". It has been working i'm happy to say. My perioRAB are shorter and lighter. They revamped the mix recently and got me taking Vitex tablets to help with my estrogen excess. They now believe the herbal mix can shrink the fibroid as my hormones balance out. This will be my third month taking the Vitex tablets, but for the first time i had no PMS type abdominal bloating. Prior to the Vitex i was bloating so badly.

Do you know which herbs are in yours? I'm not totally sure of my new mix, will have to ask what is in it. I do know they kept the globe artichoke in it as it's also good for liver detox which helps with estrogen excess.
 
kittywitty, didn't want to leave this open, you were nice enough to post...it ended up i was sick due to the lamictal i was trying to help the depression.

you know i mentioned the lexapro to my dr (not my gyn) as being why my T's so low and he made a weird face and said he had never heard of that. I told him it's all over the internet.

Many hugs,
Salty
 
You're quite welcome, Salty, anytime. :-) The cream is just one hormone. 'Compounding' just means that it has been made up especially for you at a compounding pharmacy according to your specific hormonal neeRAB outlined by your doctor. Just tell him you want a low dose bioidentical testosterone cream. Not all doctors prescribe or believe in the bioidenticals, though. If he doesn't, call around for one that does. I actually order mine off the net. It's a bioidentical cream called Oasis Serene. It works good but it's expensive at $55/mo. The doctor tried to put me on a supposed bioidentical progesterone pill called Prometrium. After researching it, though, and seeing the mile long side effects and risks, I never filled the script. One of the common side effects was depression. I was very annoyed that this doctor would prescribe such a thing after I told her that I have a long history of severe depression since childhood. After more research, I found out that the reason for the side effects with the pills is because they have to pass through the liver first. Creams go directly into the blood stream and get to the hormone receptors faster. So, now I'm trying to find a new doctor. I'd like one that does saliva testing for hormones. I've heard that it's more accurate than blood testing. Anyway, hope you're feeling better soon. Take care
 
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