4 things I noticed when I started taking testosterone
... as a postmenopausal 30-something woman
This is your listicle for June 6, 2024
One year ago today I was struggling to summon the energy to do a “hot girl walk” around my neighborhood. It was all I could do to stay awake until dinner time, let alone do cardio. My joints hurt and my brain felt like mush.
I was in the throes of menopause and feeling it. 😩
After being diagnosed with PMDD — premenstrual dysphoric disorder — in early 2023 I started a course of injections to shut down my remaining ovary. The goal was to see if stopping ovulation would end the mental and physical side effects of monthly hormone changes.
Spoiler alert: It did! Maybe I traded ovulation for menopause and severe anxiety for bone pain, but it was more than worth it. 🎉
Fast forward to 2024, and I’m postmenopausal and loving it. I started HRT — hormone replacement therapy — to replace my estrogen last autumn (so important for preventing osteoporosis and more!), and this spring I decided it was time to add in a lil’ T (testosterone).
Why testosterone?
I signed up with a friend to run a half marathon this spring (only four weeks away, now!), knowing it was going to be a challenge. Without any reproductive tissue left in my body, my body isn’t producing estrogen or testosterone.
Women naturally produce testosterone, but it tapers off with estrogen production after menopause. However, I never hear anyone talk about how important this hormone is for our general wellbeing!
On estrogen, I felt way more stable and human than I have in six years, but some of the side effects of sudden menopause kinda suck: Fatigue; belly fat; brain fog; leaky bladder; depression 😬; loss of muscle.
After 2+ months on testosterone, I’m so happy to report that it seems to be a game changer.
Here are the things I — a 30-something postmenopausal woman — noticed when I started taking testosterone:
No. 1. I have more energy all day
I used to wake up exhausted every single morning and blame it on my son’s night wakings. Little did I know that I was just missing some hormones! I still get up at 5:30 every morning, but I rarely hit snooze anymore. I’ve got energy from the get go, even before my first cup of coffee, and the afternoon energy slumps are so much less severe!
No. 2. I have more muscle tone and stamina
Before testosterone, despite consistent weight training, my arms felt like noodles. I was weak and could not seem to keep muscle on.
I have more muscle tone and endurance than I have had in years in just a few months on testosterone!
No. 3. I stopped wanting to do things for free
This is an interesting one: After a month on testosterone, I stopped feeling like offering a bunch of free spots on my calendar for small biz consults. I’ve run a business for a decade, and, for the first time, I canceled all my free trainings this month.
I’m not saying it’s all due to testosterone, but, suddenly, I wanted to be more protective of my time and charge more money for it 💰
No. 4. I want to slow down and do less
Here’s the real kicker: I decided to close my business.
This was already the long-term plan, but after a couple months of testosterone, I didn’t need a nudge anymore to make a change. It was time. And, without regret, I asked my business manager to start clearing my calendar.
And, while I thought I’d be plagued with the typical guilt of a recovering people pleaser, I am happy to inform you that I am not. Over years of working with moms and women business owners, I’ve heard countless accounts of being driven by guilt and loyalty. We often show up for others while neglecting our own self care.
Did testosterone cure me of my tendency to serve others to my own detriment?
I don’t know, but I can tell you that after discovering that I was horrifically burned out, I feel super liberated by making a career change and I’m not looking back. I’m much less frantic and hyper-productive, and a lot more present.
Also, I got bangs 🤷♀️
Stay tuned for more on the journey through infertility, motherhood, and menopause!