Along with the two other vital hormones - progesterone and estrogen - testosterone production declines as a woman ages. Low testosterone women may experience certain symptoms, the most notable symptom being low libido. However, low testosterone in women can also contribute to depression and osteoporosis.
Harvard-trained family physician Dr. John R. Lee describes his experience with low testosterone women in the book What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Premenopause. He reports that several clinical studies have shown that using a small amount of natural testosterone supplementation may enhance the good effects of the other hormones.
However, Dr. Lee observes that testosterone production depends on sufficient progesterone levels in the body. In the healthy human body, progesterone converts into another form of progesterone, which converts into androstenedione from which testosterone is made. If progesterone levels are too low - common today with women in their 30's and older - low testosterone in women may be the result. For low testosterone women, Dr. Lee recommends first using natural progesterone cream supplementation for at least six months, using dosages in the same amounts as what the body would normally produce. Dr. Lee found that natural progesterone supplementation often solved the problem of low testosterone women and low libido.
While low testosterone in women is one problem, excessive testosterone can also cause problems. Dr. Lee describes what often happens as women approach menopause and ovarian function slows. Women often show symptoms of becoming androgen dominant, and testosterone supplementation may only make this condition worse. Symptoms of androgen dominance in women include male pattern baldness and facial hair growth.
In addition, an excess of estrogen in the woman's body can result in the occurance of these same two symptoms. Clearance of testosterone from the body is related to the healthy balance of estrogen and progesterone levels. Too much estrogen slows down the clearance of testosterone, while progesterone enhances testosterone clearance. By staying in the body longer than necessary, testosterone may produce the androgenic characteristics described above. Dr. Lee found that supplementation with natural progesterone cream tended to reverse the androgen dominant characteristics.
Dr. Lee recommends that low testosterone women first use natural progesterone cream supplementation for at least six months. His experience was that frequently no testosterone supplementation was required as natural progesterone corrected the symptoms. He advises that if low libido is still being experienced after doing progesterone supplementation for at least six months, then consider trying a small amount of natural testosterone supplementation - approximately 0.5-2 mg in the mornings. If testosterone supplementation begins to produce facial hair growth and/or male pattern baldness, reduce or discontinue testosterone supplementation.
He recommends using only natural testosterone, not one of the synthetic testosterone drugs that can have undesirable side effects. You will need a doctor's prescription to obtain natural testosterone which is easily available from compounding pharmacies.
Learn as much as you can about when to use natural hormone supplemention to help stay healthy and free from the symptoms associated with low testosterone in women, and understand the vital role that natural progesterone plays in women's health.
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