well now....Thurs am seeing a new gyno.  Am on week three of progesterone and estrogen cream every day.  Wondering if i am supposed to ever get a period on this (I got an irregular one on the premphase)--cause i am feeling pretty grrrrrrrrr premenstrual now and it would normally be a few days before my period--but the pharmacist told me i shouldn't get a period while  on the creams. Wierd thing--is this related to the creams you think?....   Hair on legs has not needed shaving the past few weeks and libido is gone down the tubes--think testosterone cream should be inquired about--should i have a blood level taken first?  Hubby was glad to have the new hormones working better but not at all happy with the rest!

Generally speaking, it takes a good month to accommodate fully to a hormone change, so what you see after three weeks is not stable enough to be worth testing: it's a snapshot, not a real guide. In particular, progesterone can in many women be converted to testosterone, so it may be early to make that call.

You might not want to start testosterone without a level, just because the side effects of excess are both distressing (male hair growth patterns) and potentially harmful (worsening blood lipid profile). On the other hand, if you start with a very low dose of bioidentical testosterone and listen to your body very closely, you can follow how you feel (libido is good, rip-your-head-off aggression is excessive) and how you look (zits are an early warning signal, followed by moustache and balding) and decide if the stuff is for you. If you do not experience bad side effects, then it can take up to three months to feel the full good effects. So it may not be an immediate decision.

BTW--the normal ovarian output of testosterone is only about 0.25-0.3 mg a day, so we don't need much. Best luck seems to come with starting with no more of a dose than that (which requires a MUCH weaker preparation than the 2% ointment--a nasty stuff made with vaseline--that is all many docs know to write for. You may need a compounder to get a low strength cream.), and working up from there if needed. And testosterone needn't be taken every day. One way to control your dose is to take it intermittantly. I currently use it 2-3 times a week--and I know when I'm approaching the line, thanks to my "signal zit"--a particular place on my face where I break out at the first sign of excess.

thanks F.----the new gyn gave me a sublingual pill that supposedly works for up to two hours.  Messes up that "spontaneous" thing but i am real curious to get the script filled and i will let all you know...seems pretty wierd idea to me.................................