Is testosterone really used for women?

Yes. Women's bodies make testosterone, and levels fall with age and after menopause. Low-dose testosterone, at a small fraction of what men receive, is set and monitored by Dr. Broderick to restore vitality and sex drive.

What can I expect it to do?

Boosted vitality — sex drive, energy, mood, sleep, bones, and muscle. Improvements in desire and energy come within several weeks, and Dr. Broderick reviews your response with you at each visit.

How is it given to women?

Orally or through the skin (dermal), at a small individualized dose. An estrogen baseline is checked first, and follow-up visits check your response and watch for side effects such as acne or unwanted hair growth.

What are the side effects for women?

Acne and hirsutism (unwanted hair growth) are the most common, and a prescription hair cream to prevent or mitigate male-type hair loss is part of the plan from the start. Testosterone may raise cholesterol, so lipids are monitored; no heart consequences have been established at female doses. Any sign of a deeper voice or other masculine change means the dose is lowered or stopped.

Do I need estrogen or progesterone too?

Not everyone does. Estrogen can be added when menopause symptoms — hot flashes, night sweats, broken sleep, vaginal dryness — are part of the picture, with progesterone if you still have your uterus. Dr. Broderick screens for breast cancer, blood clots, stroke, bleeding, liver disease, and pregnancy before prescribing either.

Can I still have children while on hormones?

Hormone therapy is not a contraceptive, and testosterone can harm a developing pregnancy, so it should not be used if you are pregnant or might become pregnant. If you intend to conceive, tell Dr. Broderick first; it is one of her screening questions and it changes the plan.

Hormone Therapy for Women in Naples, FL

Hormone therapy for women

Women produce testosterone too, and levels fall with age and menopause. You will benefit greatly: low-dose testosterone, supervised by Dr. Kathleen Broderick, boosts vitality — suddenly you are a dynamo — and enhances sex drive, sleep, bones, and muscle. It is prescribed after a review of your history, an estrogen baseline, and screening for the conditions that make hormones unsafe.

Who it may help

Testosterone in women improves sexual desire, energy, mood, and overall vitality, at a supervised, physiologic dose. Patients come to Dr. Broderick with:

Low or absent sex drive
Low energy and stamina
Loss of muscle tone
Low mood or motivation
Poor sleep
Symptoms that began around menopause

As with men, these symptoms have many causes — thyroid, iron, sleep, depression, and medications among them. An internist's evaluation comes before a hormone prescription.

What treatment looks like

Baseline first. Your history, medications, and an estrogen baseline are reviewed and documented before anything is prescribed. Lab draws are done at the office or in your home.
Oral or dermal, at a fraction of a male dose. Testosterone for women is taken by mouth or through the skin — the form and dose are individualized to you, and hair creams to prevent or mitigate male-type hair loss are prescribed from the start.
Diet and exercise discussed. Every plan includes a realistic conversation about eating, strength training, and sleep, because hormones work better when the basics are in place.
Follow-up every three months at first. Each visit includes history, exam, blood tests, and medication renewal — hormone levels, blood counts, thyroid, and vitamins are watched — and the dose is adjusted, paused, or stopped based on what you report and what the labs show. Later visits are less extensive.

Possible side effects

The most common are acne and hirsutism (unwanted hair growth). No cardiac consequences have been established at female doses, but testosterone may increase cholesterol, so lipids are checked. Because hormone therapy can speed hair thinning, a prescription hair-growth cream is offered from the start.

Any masculine change — a deeper voice, for example — means the dose is lowered or stopped.

Testosterone must not be used in pregnancy. If you intend to conceive a child, or could become pregnant, tell Dr. Broderick before starting.

Estrogen and progesterone

If menopause symptoms — hot flashes, night sweats, broken sleep, vaginal dryness — are part of the picture, estrogen may be appropriate alongside or instead of testosterone. If you still have your uterus, progesterone is added to protect the uterine lining.

Screened before prescribing: menopause status and last menses, possible pregnancy, breast cancer, embolism or blood clots, stroke, unexplained vaginal bleeding, and liver disease.

Estrogen and progesterone have their own benefits and risks, which depend on your age, how long since menopause, and your history. They are discussed with you individually before any prescription is written.

Before your first visit

Text 239-248-2242 with your name, date of birth, and “appointment request,” or walk in Wednesdays between 3 and 4 PM. Bring your medications in their bottles and any medical records, including recent hormone levels, mammogram results, or gynecology notes if you have them. The office can mail intake forms ahead of time if you prefer. Full visit details