Testosterone limits for female athletes based on flawed science CU Boulder Today University of Colorado Boulder

Reproductive Hormones

Determining how to treat low testosterone in females requires a close partnership with an experienced physician. Whichever administration method you choose, it’s important to have regular checkups to ensure testosterone levels remain within a safe range. Your testosterone doctor can also help you watch for side effects. In addition, it doesn’t matter whether you experience insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, low sex drive, weight gain, or a combination of these symptoms. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy doctors may be able to help determine exactly which hormones need balancing overall. In the long run, as well, optimizing your hormones can testosterone cause breast tenderness in women (lapoderosa.org.ar) be beneficial towards preventing illness and disease, particularly for your heart, brain, and bone health.

In women, testosterone is produced in the ovaries, adrenal glands, and fat cells. The adrenal glands are organs on top of both kidneys that produce hormones. Getting older (entering menopause) is one of the largest causes of low testosterone. By the time a person reaches menopause, their testosterone levels may have decreased by half of what they once were. Testosterone is a type of androgen hormone (or sex hormone) in your body. Hormones are chemical messengers that tell your body how to work and what to do. Everyone makes testosterone, but males make the most testosterone.

There are several reasons why testosterone may become elevated in a woman. Pregnant women or women trying to get pregnant should not take testosterone. Despite its growing interest among women, testosterone is not currently approved by the U.S. Brenda Anderson, 44, said she when she started feeling tired and not like herself in July, her doctor recommended she start on injections of testosterone. Smith is part of a growing trend of women taking testosterone, and sharing it on social media, with the hashtags #testosteroneforwomen and #womentakingtestosterone contributing millions of views. “Now I have so much more energy and like motivation, even like feeling good, it makes me feel like I can do more,” said Smith, who documented her journey on social media.

If a woman has not yet reached menopause, the doctor will likely advise on the best time to test the testosterone levels. When levels are higher than normal, it can lead to conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is one of the most common reasons for elevated testosterone in women. Although low testosterone levels are more common among menopausal women, high testosterone levels can also be problematic. Hormonal changes brought on by menopause may result in a surplus of testosterone. Both excessively low and high testosterone levels can cause problems in the female body, which makes it essential to maintain normal levels of testosterone. Low testosterone (low-T) products for women such as pills, injections, or supplements like dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) claim to boost energy, mood, and sexual desire.

If you have a high risk of any of these conditions, talk with a member of your health care team about the risks of taking testosterone. It also can happen early for medical reasons, such as surgery to remove the ovaries. If you’ve gone through either type of menopause, testosterone therapy may help for low sex drive that has no clear cause. More research is needed to find out whether this treatment is safe and effective before menopause.

If you have high levels of testosterone, you may experience heavy, irregular periods or even missed periods. This is because testosterone can disrupt the delicate balance between estrogen and progesterone. If this is a recurring problem, it’s important that you seek medical advice. Women with PCOS may experience irregular periods, acne, weight gain, and excessive hair growth on their face, chest, or back. Treatment usually involves hormone therapy, lifestyle changes, and medication to regulate insulin levels.

Treating elevated free testosterone levels in women involves a comprehensive approach that starts with a thorough evaluation to confirm the diagnosis. Additionally, managing any diagnosed underlying conditions is critical to effectively addressing the hormonal imbalance. Regular monitoring of hormone levels and symptoms helps in adjusting the treatment plan as necessary. For some, alternative therapies might offer symptom relief, though these should be approached cautiously and discussed with a healthcare provider. This personalized, multi-faceted approach aims to balance hormone levels, alleviate symptoms, and improve overall health in post-menopausal women with elevated free testosterone. The question of androgen deficiency has largely been ignored in pre-menopausal women.

This would put the number of women with decreased libido in the tens of millions in this country alone. How many of these women have decreased androgens is unknown, but the number is estimated to be between 10 and 15 million. Although normally related to men, testosterone is one of the many hormones that women have within their bodies, affecting them throughout their lives. “Normal” levels of testosterone vary from one woman to another, but experts suggest that the range of healthy testosterone levels is between 15 ng/dL – 85 ng/dL. Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) acts as the gatekeeper for fertility and reproductive development. Women are born with their lifetime supply of eggs but these decrease with age. During pregancy, the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is essential in fetal development.