About Us

Testosterone Pellets For Women: Benefits & Risks

Postmenopausal Women Are Taking Testosterone Should You?

Dr. Solafa Elshatanoufy is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, female pelvic medicine, reconstructive surgery (urogynecology), and advanced minimally invasive gynecology. Practicing since 2010, her experience, knowledge, and personable nature allow her to offer individualized treatment plans for each patient. If the benefits of hormone pellets for women are hotly debated, so too are the side effects. In other words, more women taking testosterone pellets can be a lucrative new income stream for practitioners.

This article will explore the side effects of testosterone pellets in females, providing a comprehensive overview for those considering this therapy. Compared to the vast number of women who use hormonal birth control or seek hormone replacement therapy during menopause, very few women in the United States pursue TRT. However, this innovative treatment is growing in popularity as we gain a greater understanding of the role testosterone plays in the female body. Today, testosterone pellets for women are believed to help with a wide range of symptoms and are often prescribed for premenopausal and postmenopausal women alike. Testosterone pellet therapy can be a game-changer for women experiencing symptoms of low testosterone, offering a more balanced life with better energy, mood, and libido. However, it’s essential to approach this therapy with care, consulting a hormone specialist who can tailor the treatment to your needs and ensure you’re receiving the right dose. Regular follow-up and monitoring are key to maximizing benefits while minimizing risks.

By restoring hormonal balance, this innovative hormone replacement method effectively reduces the severity and frequency of common issues like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. Unlike traditional hormone replacement therapies, these tiny implants deliver consistent, physiologic doses of testosterone that can provide remarkable benefits. Testosterone pellets are inserted just beneath the skin, typically in the upper buttock. The procedure is quick, performed under local anesthesia, and requires minimal downtime. While testosterone pellets have been FDA-approved for use in men since 1972, they remain an “investigational” treatment for women.

5 For this reason, I take a conservative approach to dosing to avoid achieving supraphysiologic levels of testosterone and adjust based on follow-up labs. Men across the world use intramuscular injections, gels, patches, and pellets to supplement their falling testosterone levels. For men, the benefits and risks of pellet therapy are relatively well-documented. Testosterone pellets for women are designed to offer a sustained dosage of testosterone to the bloodstream over three to four months. They are only approved by the FDA for treating sexual symptoms of menopause but are sometimes prescribed off-label for other symptoms like mood. Several organizations advise against pellets as a form of treatment due to concerns with dosage and side effects.

Unlike daily creams or gels, testosterone pellets require insertion every few months. Much like long-release birth control methods, pellets let women take a “set-it-and-forget-it” approach to hormone therapy, reducing the risk of missed doses. When I discuss TRT with women as part of a menopause hormone therapy plan, I review the risks, benefits, and delivery mechanisms, which include pellets, injections, creams, gel, troches (lozenges), or transdermal patches. The right choice depends on your symptom profile, treatment goals, preferences, and willingness to monitor and adjust as needed. Excess testosterone has been shown to increase the risk of diabetes and other components of metabolic syndrome in women, among other issues.

Testosterone pellet therapy may be recommended for women experiencing symptoms of low testosterone, particularly during or after menopause. Women with conditions like adrenal fatigue or hormone imbalances may also benefit. It’s important to note that treatment is tailored to individual needs, and therapy should only be initiated after a thorough consultation with a healthcare provider. Thus far, researchers have found that using estrogen and testosterone as a combined supplemental therapy can significantly reduce the severity of endometriosis symptoms. prime test testosterone booster has also been identified as a relatively novel treatment for chronic pain in women who have fibromyalgia. When it comes to the effect of testosterone on libido in premenopausal women, results have been mixed.

BodyLogicMD is a nationwide network of hormone health practitioners who specialize in helping women and men balance their hormones through bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. BodyLogicMD-affiliated practitioners will create a personalized treatment plan designed to address your symptoms through a combination of hormone medications, nutrition, and lifestyle counseling. If you’re looking for a practitioner who will prescribe testosterone pellets for women, contact a local practitioner to schedule your first appointment. The BodyLogicMD Hormone Balance Quiz can also help you understand how testosterone, estrogen, and other major hormones interact to produce the symptoms you may be experiencing.

Whichever option you choose, your provider should review the procedure for the treatment and explain what to expect. Before receiving TRT, you should sign an informed consent form giving your permission for care, treatment, or services. Some practitioners argue that testosterone therapy can help with a whole host of symptoms. There was a testosterone patch that was going to be brought to market for HSDD that was well studied, but this was squashed by the FDA in the aftermath of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). There is one old formulation of oral esterified (plant-based) estrogen with oral methyltestosterone HS (half strength standard). That is now only generically available and sometimes used when the testosterone is low due to oophorectomy (castration reduces up to 40% of a woman’s testosterone/androgens).