Does anybody know??

[shoestring]

Does anybody know if testosterone supplementation in woman causes suppression and shutdown of their natural testosterone production (like in men)?
I can't seem to find information on this .

 

[Stewie]

Yes testosterone suppresses gonadal hormones in females, just like males.

With both sexes (male and females), LH stimulates secretion of sex steroids from the gonads. In the testicals, LH binds to receptors within the Leydig cells.This occurs in a pulsatile fashion, stimulating the synthesis and secretion of testosterone. With females in their ovaries, there's a different type of signalling of cells which undergo hormone-dependent differentiation into luteinized Thecal cells. LH Triggers or signals the Theca cells during different phases of their cycle to initiate the secretion of testosterone, which is converted into estrogen by adjacent granulosa cells. Exogenous testosterone disrupts this pulsatile action in both sexes.

Here's an abstract for you:
Long-term administration of testosterone undecanoate every 3 months for testosterone supplementation in female-to-male transsexuals. - PubMed - NCBI

Long-term administration of testosterone undecanoate every 3 months for testosterone supplementation in female-to-male transsexuals.

Mueller A1, Kiesewetter F, Binder H, Beckmann MW, Dittrich R.

Author information

Abstract

CONTEXT:

The most common treatment regimen in female-to-male transsexuals is administration of short-acting testosterone esters im every 2 wk.

OBJECTIVE:

Our objective was to report the effects of administering long-acting testosterone undecanoate every 3 months on hormonal and clinical changes, mortality, morbidity, and safety during the first year of treatment in female-to-male transsexuals.

DESIGN:

This was a 1-yr observational study.

SETTING:

The setting was an outpatient department at a university hospital.

PATIENTS:

A total of 35 female-to-male transsexuals completed the first year of observation, whereas two patients discontinued the treatment regimen due to serious hypertension.

INTERVENTION:

The intervention was 1-yr im treatment with long-acting testosterone undecanoate every 3 months.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Gonadotropins, steroid hormones, liver enzymes, lipids, blood and coagulation parameter, body mass index, blood pressure, bone mineral density, and endometrium thickness were measured at the beginning of cross-sex hormone treatment and after 12 months. The mortality, morbidity, adverse effects, and desired clinical changes were recorded.

RESULTS:

There was a significant decrease in LH, prolactin, SHBG, high-density lipoprotein levels, and endometrium thickness, and a significant increase in body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total testosterone and calculated androgens, triglycerides, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels. No mortality was observed. Two cases of hypertension were noted. The patients reported a desirable increase in libido and clitoral growth. Acne was observed in five patients (14.3%).

CONCLUSIONS:

The treatment of female-to-male transsexuals with long-acting testosterone undecanoate may be a feasible and safe option for testosterone augmentation in these subjects. However, monitoring of blood pressure should not be ignored during the treatment, to identify patients liable to develop hypertension.

 

[shoestring]

Thanks for taking the time to post all that helpful information.

 

[LEX]

How could it NOT?

 

[Kevinhy]

It does, but its not entirely analogous to the way testosterone is suppressed within males. A large portion of testosterone in females is produced through enzymatic conversions of testosterone precursors like DHEA. I can't pull it up an abstract at the moment but I believe around 1/4 of female testosterone production is from adrenal hormone conversion which would still be secreted independent of LH.

 

[Stewie]

It does, but its not entirely analogous to the way testosterone is suppressed within males. A large portion of testosterone in females is produced through enzymatic conversions of testosterone precursors like DHEA. I can't pull it up an abstract at the moment but I believe around 1/4 of female testosterone production is from adrenal hormone conversion which would still be secreted independent of LH.

Correct. Tessterone in females is primarily producded through peripheral conversion of androstenedione. In which DHEA is the precursor to androstenedione.

 

[Kevinhy]

Correct. Tessterone in females is primarily producded through peripheral conversion of androstenedione. In which DHEA is the precursor to androstenedione.

Yup. Isnt their reliance on this conversion factor why women can get androgenic sides from DHEA supplementation? Do they just have an abundance of 3b/17b-HSD or something?

 

[Stewie]

I'm not sure if females have a higher intracrinological rate limiting step of 17β-HSD---> androstenedione to testosterone. Or a higher rate limiting step of 3β-HSD of androstenedione from DHEA? I dunno? It's been observed that females tend to convert supplemental DHEA to testosterone moreso than males.

It definitely would be dose dependent manner of supplemental DHEA on the androgenic side effects in females, Obviously.

Good conversation, nonetheless

 

[shoestring]

Thanks for all the thoughtful replies & the knowledge you have all shared.

 

[shoestring]

As a side note; my wife who is in menopause did not seem to notice any noticeable benefit from taking DHEA. She (I) was hoping for an uptick in her libido, but did not seem to help. It was only 25mg/day. I think it coverts more readily to estrogen in my own body.

 

[LEX]

My point is there is a feedback loop to maintain homeostasis.

 

[Stewie]

I would have her try a transdermal DHEA cream, this avoids oral hepatic first-pass. Or she could try a micronized lipid matrix DHEA. Personally, I'd go with the former. I have a couple links that you could get either from, if you'd like?

Female libido is a bit more complicated than male libido.

Is she seeing a gynecologist or well versed physian in female hormones?

 

[shoestring]

no doctor. We have been experimenting on our own. She has been using some estriol vag cream which has really helped restore things down there, but it seems to only work locally . Her e2 is in the single digits so we just started her some e2 patches. It seems to be helping after only a very short time. We have her using a very low dose of test but I think we will drop it very soon , see how she feels and get some blood work done again and re-evaluate things. Her natural test (total , not sure about free) was not low but we were looking for a little boost. We should have fixed the e2 before adding anything but we have been very cautious so we have not had any problems. I was under the impression that the estriol cream would have some systemic effect & make her feel more like she used to, but it didn't. She also uses a progesterone cream.
This is not just about libido, she is only 45 and is also concerned about bone loss and not feeling like an old lady at this age.