no never.

No never as in never done it, never heard of it, or don't do it?

D'Arcy

I was doing some research for my wife, as she has below normal testosterone levels and the only thing i found is that for hrt it should be in the range of 50-100mg every 10-14 days. Testosterone should be done IM (Intramuscular), not sub-Q. Do you have low test??? Also how old are you?? Reason iam asking you this is that if you are in the age ranges for perimenapausal then this could be a reason for low test levels, also thyroid can play a part. As women get older their ovaries slow down producing lower levels of test, also a women can go into preimenapause early, but if it not the case you should have thyroid tests done to see if you are not hypo. This can be done by consulting with a reproductive endocronoligist which you can either find in the yellow pages or your insurance carrier. I would have t-3, Free T-4, and TSH levels tested, also your estradiol to see if you are still in the normal ranges. Anything over 6 is usually considered above normal, also i would do a FSH test and fasting glucose. Alot of these hormonal levels work synergetically with each other in producing normal or abnormal ranges. My wife just found out her Free T-4 is low so she is now taking 50mcg of T-4 to see if it will effect testosterone levels. It is usually monitored after 4-6wks to see if it has normalized, if not they will up the dosage. Another thing that can play a part is progesterone. A woman's endo system is no part for individual experimentation. If you have a prob, you should see a professionl in the field to help you, or the consequences could very well effect your entire endocrine system.

What a great post - thanks! You're right on the money; I've already done all that as far as having the various levels checked. And I couldn't agree more about *not* supplementing just one or two hormones (although I realize that's close to heresy around here <g>). I am hypothyroid (btw - your wife might enjoy Dr. Mark Starr's book on "Hypothyroidism Type 2" - T4 supplementation frequently doesn't relieve all the symptoms, although TSH levels will look normal. I take Armour, it's much better than Synthroid et al but you might have to insist on the prescription). And yes, I'm also doing progesterone and estrogen creams, and hgh. The reason I'm researching testosterone injections as opposed to cream or gel supplementation is because you don't know exactly how much you're getting with a topical injection; and I was doing sub-cu because I already do my hgh that way every day, a little extra in the syringe was easier <g>. I don't necessarily agree that endocrinologists are always the best resource - they tend to rely strictly on test results, many of which have been shown to be arbitrary at best and they don't like to listen to subjective experience.

Your dosage is what we've come up with as well - I'm doing 20 mg twice a week to avoid too many peaks and valleys. I don't think that small an amount will produce sides, but I do have my levels of everything checked every six months or so and I have my boyfriend watching me to make sure I don't miss something he might notice.

D'Arcy