- High testosterone in women often signals PCOS, thyroid dysfunction, adrenal stress, or insulin resistance, so identifying which is driving yours is essential for proper treatment.
- These hormone systems talk to each other, so fixing high testosterone alone without addressing insulin resistance or thyroid problems usually leads to recurring symptoms.
- Your excess androgens may stem from your body's insulin resistance signaling your ovaries to make more testosterone, making metabolic support your first intervention.
- Addressing the root cause (whether thyroid, adrenal, or metabolic) matters more than trying to suppress testosterone with medications that ignore the underlying dysfunction.
Weight gain, acne, or hair loss.
Are you experiencing any of these symptoms?
These are only a few of the symptoms of high testosterone in women, but the real question is this:
Why do women have high testosterone, to begin with, and what can you do to lower it?
Unfortunately, many Doctors may tell you that you have high testosterone but rarely ever will they offer any advice on how to lower your levels to help you feel better.
That’s why it’s important to have an understanding of what is going on in YOUR body so you can figure out how to get back to normal.
The important thing to realize about high testosterone is that usually (95% of the time) it is caused by something else like another hormone imbalance.
So the way to fix the problem is by tackling and reversing the issue causing your high testosterone…
Symptoms of High Testosterone in Women
Before we jump into the causes of high testosterone and the treatment, we really need to understand the symptoms of high testosterone.
Symptoms are very important because each person is different in terms of how much is TOO much for their body.
I have seen plenty of women with “high normal” ranges of testosterone but ALL of the symptoms.
In these patients, it’s obvious they have too much testosterone, but their numbers make them look relatively “normal” but they still benefit greatly from treatment.
Use this list below to help guide you…
Symptoms of High Testosterone in Women:
- Weight gain or inability to lose weight (especially if weight gain is unexpected)
- Hair loss (especially if thyroid function and other hormones are normal and if the hair loss is “male-patterned”)
- Acne, changes in complexion or very oily skin (deep cystic acne is also common with high androgens usually in the jaw-line)
- Changes in mood including depression, irritability, or anger
- Imbalances of other hormones including estrogen/progesterone ratio, other androgens like DHEA, and thyroid hormone
As you will probably notice many of these symptoms are non-specific.
Meaning that there will be some crossover with other hormone imbalances in your body.
For instance: thyroid issues can cause weight gain and hair loss, but it usually isn’t male-patterned baldness.
Thyroid issues can also lead to acne, but it usually isn’t cystic or on the jawline.
Using these specific clues can help you determine WHERE exactly your hormonal issues are coming from.
But, because there is a crossover I always recommend you ALSO test your serum levels.
Testosterone Lab Tests
Ok so let’s talk about what abnormal testosterone tests look like.
First, let me show you an example and then explain:
Below you have example #1 which is a female with high FREE testosterone and high “normal” total testosterone.
From this example, you can see that only the “free” is marked as high but in reality, this patient definitely has high testosterone levels.
How do I know?
Because she presented with hair growth on the face, acne, and weight gain.
I want to take a second and explain that this pattern is VERY common and one of the most commonly missed forms.
You see:
Free testosterone is the ACTIVE form of testosterone, so this particular patient has high levels of ACTIVE and FREE testosterone floating around causing all of the symptoms listed above.
In her case, it was caused by insulin resistance, and by treating that problem her testosterone levels (and therefore symptoms) went away.
Here is example #2:
Again, you can see that her free testosterone is HIGH but her total testosterone is within the “normal” range.
This patient was missed by conventional Doctors because she presented with very slight hair growth and slight weight gain but with very prominent mood swings and irritability.
This is why it’s so important to match symptoms to lab tests to make sure you don’t miss the diagnosis.
I also wanted to show you an example of low testosterone for comparison:
Above you can see the serum testosterone levels are off the chart low (<3) and I also included in the picture her Hgb A1c which shows this patient with insulin resistance as the main cause of her issue.
Remember:
High levels of insulin can cause BOTH high testosterone and low testosterone – it just depends on the patient.
You can read more about the causes and treatment of low testosterone in this article.
So now that you know HOW to diagnose high testosterone levels and what symptoms to watch out for the next step is to find out HOW to treat it…
6 Causes of High Testosterone in Women
In this section, I’m going to go over the most common causes of high testosterone.
It’s important to remember that this list is NOT the complete list, it’s just the most common presentations that I have seen in my practice and the most commonly missed diagnoses.
I also want to spend some time on each to help you determine if you actually have these abnormalities because most Doctors tend to gloss over each of them.
When it comes to high levels of hormones in the body it can be difficult to treat because it requires some digging to find the “root cause”.
Compare this to LOW levels of hormones, which usually can just be “replaced” to achieve symptomatic relief.
High hormone levels require more knowledge and more advanced treatment plans.
1. Insulin Resistance
As I mentioned previously in this article the link between insulin resistance (1) (high blood sugar) and testosterone is VERY strong.
High insulin levels cause both LOW testosterone and HIGH testosterone.
In men insulin resistance typically causes low testosterone, but in women, it can cause both.
But, what is the best way to determine how it’s affecting your testosterone?
Simply check both your Hgb A1c and fasting insulin levels in addition to free and total testosterone.
If you have high testosterone levels + high levels of insulin then insulin is certainly contributing to your hormone imbalance.
(Example of elevated insulin in the serum, your fasting insulin should be < 5)
Women who tend to get HIGH testosterone levels with insulin resistance fall on the PCOS spectrum (2).
Meaning that as insulin increases, testosterone increases, estrogen increases, and progesterone decreases.
Some women can get away with some mild hair growth on the face, while others face serious symptoms like darkening of the skin, abdominal/visceral fat deposits, and extreme mood swings.
Generally, the higher your fasting insulin levels are the worse your symptoms will be.
2. Estrogen/Progesterone Imbalances (PMS/PMDD, Estrogen dominance)
ALL hormones in your body interact with one another.
Think of them like a spider web, you can’t pill a string in isolation.
Moving one strand of the web will move the entire web, to some degree.
The same concept is true with your hormones.
They all play together.
So when one hormone is imbalanced it will ultimately drag down (or up) other hormones in the body.
This concept is true for sex hormones in women (estrogen and progesterone).
The exact mechanism isn’t clear, but there is definitely a correlation between progesterone/estrogen and testosterone.
Take for example women with PMS and PMDD, conditions caused by elevated estrogen levels (AKA Estrogen dominance).
These patients have been shown to have increased levels of both DHEA and testosterone (3).
Compare this to menopause (a complete lack of progesterone with low levels of estrogen) and women generally end up with LOW testosterone levels.
One thing is clear:
Changes to estrogen/progesterone somehow affect testosterone levels.
3. Lack of Exercise (especially weight training)
think of exercise as an extra way to help prevent your body from developing high testosterone levels.
So lack of exercise doesn’t directly cause high testosterone levels, but exercising does help PREVENT high levels, to begin with.
This is most likely due to the effects of exercise on insulin levels (4).
Exercise helps lower insulin levels by sensitizing your cells to insulin.
Low insulin = normal testosterone levels.
High insulin = high testosterone levels.
It’s also worth pointing out that exercising can actually balance testosterone (5) levels to boost libido and muscle mass.
Exercising can also help prevent the abnormal fat distribution that comes with high/low testosterone levels (fat in the upper body and upper arms area).
4. Adrenal Disease (High DHEA Levels)
This condition is less common, but anything that cranks up adrenal production can ultimately lead to high testosterone levels.
To understand you need to see how testosterone is created in the body:
Using this diagram below you can see that testosterone can be created from precursors like DHEA, pregnenolone, progesterone, and androstenedione.
Anything that increases any of these hormones (even if you take these as supplements!) can increase your total testosterone.
There are also several medical conditions that can lead to elevated DHEA and testosterone through this pathway including adrenal hyperplasia, high stress (adrenal fatigue), excess supplementation of progesterone/pregnenolone/DHEA, and insulin resistance (6).
Obviously, the most common causes of high DHEA include increased demand for adrenal production (high cortisol and high DHEA levels) and excess supplementation (which can be a big problem as well).
For this reason, it’s a good idea to always check serum levels of DHEA in addition to cortisol levels when evaluating testosterone levels.
Remember that hormones do NOT operate in isolation, altering one will also alter others.
5. High Leptin Levels (AKA Leptin Resistance)
Leptin is the hormone that just might be making it impossible for you to lose weight and keep it off.
If you aren’t familiar with leptin please read this article which outlines how exactly it causes weight loss resistance.
But briefly here is the story:
Leptin is a hormone secreted by fat cells and it’s supposed to control your appetite, and metabolism and tell your brain to burn fat.
When you have leptin resistance guess what happens?
Your brain doesn’t get the signal and instead of doing all of those things it instead causes the EXACT opposite.
That means your metabolism slows down, your brain makes you think you are constantly hungry and your body refuses to burn fat.
AND…
In addition to causing weight loss resistance, high levels of leptin are also associated with high testosterone levels (7).
High leptin levels also are seen in women with PCOS (8) and many women with leptin resistance also have insulin resistance (which further worsens testosterone levels by itself).
So high insulin levels = high leptin levels = high testosterone levels.
High insulin and leptin levels make it impossible to lose weight and high testosterone levels cause all of the side effects listed above.
6. Weight Gain or Obesity
It turns out that excess fat (9) can also cause high testosterone levels by itself.
Fat cells themselves actually increase levels of androgens in females.
Studies show that this is caused by the upregulation of an enzyme known as 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 5 (10).
Forget the long name of the enzyme and just focus on the fact that fat cells themselves increase testosterone levels.
But, in addition to fat cells increasing testosterone levels…
Fat cells also increase insulin resistance which also leads to further androgen excess (high testosterone).
The moral of the story here is that you need to lose weight in addition to adding the other therapies above to normalize testosterone levels.
And don’t let that freak you out because the next section is all about treating high testosterone levels…
How to Lower Testosterone in Women
When attempting to lower your testosterone levels it is critical to know WHY you have high levels, to begin with.
This is because there are multiple “treatments” for the condition, but the theme is always the same: treat the root cause.
Below I’m going to go over some ways to treat high testosterone levels if you have the conditions listed above…
If you have high insulin levels AND high testosterone levels then consider the following treatments:
Treatment for high Testosterone levels due to insulin resistance
- Add in high-intensity interval training or weight training – building muscle mass sensitizes tissues to insulin levels.
- Decrease carbohydrates (especially refined carbs like sugar/bread/pasta/etc.): consider diets like nutritional ketosis.
- Consider the use of T3 hormone to boost thyroid function and sensitize cells to insulin levels.
- Consider insulin-sensitizing medications: SGLT-2 inhibitors, metformin, GLP-1 agonists, and alpha-amylase inhibitors.
- Consider supplements to lower insulin levels: berberine (1,000-2,000mg per day), alpha lipoic acid (600-1,200mg per day), magnesium, chromium, and glucomannan – all of these supplements have been shown to reduce blood sugar and insulin levels.
- Note: Treating insulin resistance will take more than 1 treatment as indicated above. I also find that insulin resistance is very common among women with weight loss resistance. Do not ignore this hormone!
Treatment for high Testosterone due to Estrogen & Progesterone imbalances
- Ensure that your thyroid is functioning optimally – hypothyroidism causes estrogen dominance and low progesterone levels
- Ensure your excretion and metabolism of estrogen is optimal – that means proper liver function and optimal methylated B vitamins and nutrients
- If menopause consider using bio-identical hormone replacement, especially if symptomatic (Bioidentical progesterone and estradiol/estriol combo in the form of biest work particularly well)
- Consider supplements to help estrogen metabolism: Vitamin B12 (preferably methylcobalamin), 5-MTHF, DIM or indole-3-carbinol, milk thistle, MSM, bio-identical progesterone (20-40mg transdermally on days 14-28 of your cycle)
- Note: The best way to check for estrogen/progesterone imbalances is through DUTCH testing, NOT serum levels. If you feel you have estrogen dominance but “normal” serum labs, then make sure to check via DUTCH (urine testing). Also, put special attention on thyroid function because imbalances in thyroid hormone can cause both low progesterone and high estrogen levels.
Treatment for high Testosterone due to Adrenal related issues
- Increase consumption of salt (Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt)
- Manage stress levels with relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, spiritual prayer, time outside or in nature, etc. (see audio clip below for more info)
- Cut caffeine and alcohol consumption way, way down
- Avoid other stimulants like amphetamine-based medications (Adderall, Concerta, Phentermine, etc.)
- Get 8 hours of sleep each night and avoid high-energy tasks later in the evening. Make sure to also avoid taking naps during the day.
- Consider the following supplements: Adrenal adaptogens, Adrenal glandulars, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, and low doses of melatonin (if you are having issues with sleep)
- Note: Adrenal-related issues can be very complex to treat, so if you suspect adrenal issues are playing a large role in your high testosterone levels you would likely benefit from seeing a practitioner to help guide you. It’s also worth noting that the best way to test for cortisol/cortisone levels is again with a series of 4 urine tests throughout the day (DUTCH urinary testing).
Treatment of high Testosterone due to Leptin resistance
- Consider an intermittent or prolonged fasting program.
- Cut carbohydrates and fructose consumption (both make leptin levels worse).
- Treating underlying thyroid resistance and insulin resistance if present (use steps above) -> If you don’t balance these hormones treating leptin resistance will be almost impossible.
- Add high-intensity exercise with weight training.
- Consider leptin-sensitizing medications: Byetta, Victoza, Bydureon, or Saxenda.
- Consider supplements (there are no specific supplements to treat leptin resistance that work consistently): Insulin-sensitizing supplements (above), fish oil, zinc, and leucine.
- Note: Leptin resistance can be very difficult to treat and in order to treat it you must treat conditions that also make it worse (like insulin resistance and thyroid resistance). In my experience treating leptin resistance usually requires the assistance of medication (as listed above) and, when used correctly, weight loss and other hormone-balancing effects can be profound.
Bottom line:
Treating high testosterone levels is possible but it requires the right approach which means finding and treating the underlying cause.
If you are able to properly diagnose and treat the underlying cause you should be able to reduce your symptoms dramatically!
Most causes of high testosterone are due to one or more of the following: insulin resistance, leptin resistance, imbalances in estrogen/progesterone, imbalances in adrenal function, and poor diet/lifestyle.
If you are serious about treating your high testosterone levels make sure you find a doctor who understands hormone balancing and is willing to do some digging to get to the cause of your problem.
Now it’s your turn:
Do you have high testosterone levels?
What have you done to treat it?
What has worked for you?
Leave your comments or questions below!
Scientific References
#1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18615851
#2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1069067/
#3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1438645
#4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10683091
#5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11915780
#6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12505096
#7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19340711
#8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3728861/
#9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16647374
#10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15531721
Hello,
Just watched your video and learned so much. Looks like the labs are within range for testosterone but have increased drastically from two years ago. Free .7 to 3.2 and total 14 to 40. Have not been tested for sugar. Hair loss, weight gain, acne, currently on Junel (generic loestrin) for birth control which is pretty androgenic. Just stopped taking it. Has only been two days. Panicking over hair loss. All other labs look good by crp is up at 8.1 and rang is 0 to 4.9. I do suffer with a couple small patches of psoriasis. My last glucose was fasting and it was 81. range is 65-99. Can you make a suggestion about what labs to get? I am currently being seen by a derm and a GI doc. Should I go to an endocrinologist? Weight gain chin acne and hair loss are my symptoms.
Hi Patti,
Sure, you’d want to check the following: DHEA, free and total testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, fasting insulin, Hgb A1c, 8 am cortisol and estradiol/progesterone. That should be a pretty good starting point.
This is the best ever article I’ve read about high testosterone levels in women. I’m 41 years old female with following symptoms:
1. Male type baldness
2. Lot of facial and body hair
3.Prominent clitoris
4. Miscarriage at the fourth month when I conceive a male child. 3 miscarriages.
Can you get back to me?
Hi Amninder,
If you have a specific question I’d be happy to try and point you in the right direction.
Hi,
I am a 31YO female and am wondering if I have high testosterone that the dr hasn’t picked up but the way its measured seems to be different to your examples – I’m in Australia. My lab results are:
Testosterone 2.1nmol/L
SHBG 64nmol/L
Calculated Free Testo 25pmol/L
FAI 3.3
Fasting Insulin 10mU/L
DHEA Sulphate 7.4umol/L
I have had adrenal fatigue in the past but when I had the tests I had been having treatment for about a year and feeling much more normal. I get cystic pimples on my jawline, find it hard to lose weight, and have irregular menstrual cycles.
Any insight is much appreciated – thanks!
Hello Dr. Childs,
I had high levels of testosterone and was put on Spironolactone. It has worked as my levels decreased majorly, however, is there another way to keep it down rather than taking a prescription medicine every day? My doctor did not tell me why it was high, to begin with, or how long I would need to take this medicine.
Hi Nikki,
Yes, in this article I discuss how to lower your levels. The tips are towards the end of the article.
I’m so grateful to have found this post & info. It explains things in a way I can understand. I’ve dealt with the excess hair growth & weight for over 30 years now. I had tried every diet out there for the weight but nothing ever lasted beyond the little water weight loss. Thought the hair stuff was just something I’d have to deal with … doctors never said anything positive about it or offered suggestions on treatment. Haven’t had insurance now in way too many years to even think about doing anything so I’ve just dealt with it all as part of life.
I finally got help with my thyroid. and progesterone. That’s been about the last 3.5 yrs. it helped some things but not everything. Thanks for this article, again. I have a holistic lady I am seeing now who is helping to get things normalized with supplements & diet changes.
One thing I am confused about is my cortisol levels are high in morning & low the rest of the day so she has told me no exercise beyond 20 minutes & no more than 4 times a week. This sounds confusing based on some of the info you have provided. I want so badly to get back into the gym. I have not done regular exercise for much of the last 30 years so why now do I have to watch the amount I do. She says that the 20-minute mark is when testosterone levels increase.
I just want to know what to do. It’s all frustrating. I do feel I have more info now after reading this.
Hi! How do I determine the root cause of hormonal imbalance – i.e. high testosterone levels? what type of doctor/specialist should I visit to determine and seek an opinion from? I’m considering visiting an endocrinologist. Thanks!
Hi Helen,
An endocrinologist may be able to help, you can also look for integrative or functional medicine physicians who are more apt to find the root cause as opposed to hiding the problem with other medications.
Hi, Dr. Childs
I am a 33 year old female who suffers with hair thinning, hair loss, stubborn weight, inflamed skin, oily scalp, slightly enlarged clitoris, moderate hair growth on arms and upper-lip, extreme fatigue during the day, insomnia and restlessness at night, occassional vertigo, slurred speech and memory lapse, very light and short peroids, very sore breats in the weeks prior to menstration, and gluten intolerance.
I had my thyroid removed a decade ago due to cancer, had been hyperthyroid before that. I’m currently on Synthroid and Nature Thyroid, rx Vitamin D, and folic acid supplements.
I see my endo 4 times a year, and she almost always tells me my levels on everything are fairly normal..except for cortisol, iron, and Vit D. One of my tests revelead my free testosterone was through the roof, so she put me on Spironolactone, which I also currently take.
I guess my question for you would be whom should I seek for further care? What type of doctor? When I search for hormone specialists, all I see are endos. These issues have been ongoing for over 3 years now, and I am no closer to a diagnosis or effective treatment plan than I was at the start. I am aware that I will probably need to look outside the insurance model, outside of mainstream medicine. I’ve seen a dermatologist, OBGYN, OBGYN specialist, trichologist, and gastro. No answers. What, specifically, should I type into Google to find the appropriate provider for my issues??
Thank you kindly,
Stephanie
I went to Dr when I started going downhill after having my tubes removed. All my blood work came back normal. My T level was 68 and free T was 5.9. Dr put me on bioidentical testosterone replacement and all of my symptoms were gone within 2 months. How is it that I had “high” T but T replacement is the only thing that helped?
Hi Sandy,
Your “normal” could have been a “high” value at baseline, but you wouldn’t know unless you checked it prior to your surgery. Some people just need a lot more hormone than others and you may be one of those people.
Does femhrt .5mg/1mg typically elevate testosterone? In 5 months mine went from nonexistent to 49 with estrogen/progesterone levels relatively unchanged. My only (but devastating) symptom is sudden diffuse hair loss presenting after 5 months. Thank you. My internist has no explanation. I have searched online relentlessly for an answer.
Hi Lisa,
Both estrogen and progesterone can potentially cause hair loss if they are dosed incorrectly.
Hi I have high free testosterone levels (3x the normal limit) but normal testosterone levels. The only symptom I have is weight gain what are my treatment options and cuases of high free testosterone levels
Hi Irene,
This blog post outlines both the causes and the treatment of high testosterone 🙂 I would start with the recommendations here.
Hi doctor,
I recently had my blood test and found that i have high testosterone and insulin. I have my period problem as well and i am over weight. My doctor told me its cause of testosterone and insulin that i am unable to lose my weight even though i tried so much. I work regularly and my work is physical i have to walk all the time and i dont eat that much junk foods. My doctor has given me saxenda for the weight loss and my question is will it help me lose my weight and lower the level of testosterone and insulin?
Thank you
Hi Anu,
Saxenda should definitely help treat insulin resistance and it MIGHT help reduce testosterone as well.
I notice that you don’t mention thyroid problems, which can cause high testosterone, too. I am a 37 year old female with high testosterone and hypothyroidism. Me and my endo are trying to balance my thyroid levels. As we do that, what can I do to lower my high testosterone levels? I have facial hair and acne. My acne, tends to come on my chin and cheeks and right before my period ensues. When I gain weight, it tends to be in my lower abdominal area.
Hi Dr. Childs,
My daughter is 21. She is in college and super stressed out. She has been losing her hair. She went to an internal med. dr. and they did blood work and her testosterone is high. I have an apt for her with an OBGYN. Can high testosterone levels be brought on by stress? Should I get an apt with a different type of dr.? Thanks so much!!!
Hi Amy,
Yes, stress can induce high testosterone through its influence on other hormones such as insulin. You will most likely not have luck with conventional doctors such as an ob/gyn or endocrinologist who will most likely diagnose her with PCOS and put her on something like metformin. This sort of strategy doesn’t really work. You’ll have better luck looking for an integrative physician who specializes in hormone imbalance.
Hello Dr Childs,
I am finding your posts extremely helpful. I’m starting to finally understand all that is happening with my body and my health and the connection between various conditions and symptoms that doctors seem to treat separately (Hashimotos, anaemia, lack of energy, high testosterone, no cycle, etc) or completely misdiagnosed (depression). It led to infertility problems and at the age of 35 I’ve started to lose hope 🙁
Anyway, I was wondering whether you have all this info available in the book form? I’d found it extremely useful.
All the best
Hi Monica,
I do not have a book at this time but perhaps in the future!
Dr. Childs-
Came across this page in research for my 20 year old daughter with PCOS (Weight gain, acne, no periods, anger). We found out her testosterone level is at a 10, she has fatty liver, elevated cholesterol and is at top weight of 189 (athletic but now in college so no regular sports)
Anyway, she has been doing Keto and taking berberine, cinnamon and myo-inositol and has 3 periods since January which is amazing since she hasn’t had one in 2 years!
My question after reading the above is what role does being on Vyvanse for ADD have in battling her desire to get to a normal weight and feel better? Is there anything more we should be doing?
Thanks!
Hi, I am currently a 20-year-old female. I started experiencing male patterned hair loss since the age of 13. I am not over weight and have no thyroid issues. My periods are regular and don’t have any menstruation issues. What do you suggest is the cause/ what do I need to do to find out.
Need help, losing hair. I did the BioTe pellets and now have a testosterone level of 244. What is the normal level for women? Is this high for women! Also, my estradiol level is a 54.3 Please advise.
Hello,
I’m 26 years old. I did lab work plus Dutch exam and it came up with relatively high testosterone and peri menopausal levels of estrogens and prog. I have experienced hair chin, weight loss difficulty, and acne. What could be causing these?
Dr. Childs,
I cried reading this information. I may be wrong but are you assisting people that leave comments regarding this information you shared?
I’ve been homebound for 3 years now. My life has taken drastic changes and I think it’s due to hormones. My testosterone is double and over the limits in all area’s that you wrote about above….and I’ve been to 4 endocrinologist’s and not has helped me.
Where can I turn? Please, I’m 57 years old and have so much life left to live, but this having these issue’s isn’t living! I’m 100lbs overweight! Please, please help me. Please?
What is considered optimal testosterone levels? Mine is 1.64 (0-1.8 range) Would that be still normal or towards high levels? Thank you.
Hello Doctor,
Came upon your website and it’s really helpful ! I had my blood work done two months ago towards hormones (I’ve been trying to conceive for over a year now and no luck, I’m 33 and a mom of a 9 yo healthy boy).
Turned out my DHEA levels are high 14.5 NG/mL also ALT 33 U/L. The doctor said the levels are high but ‘diagnostically insignificant’ although I keep thinking of it and it bothers me mentally, I would love to lower and balance my hormones naturally. I would appreciate your expertise on that.
Could my high testosterone be from having chronic Lyme and Co-infections and also the reason I have small breasts? If I finish protocols for killing off the Lyme and Co-infections could my hormones just balance back on their own then? Thanks.
I have been seeing a hormone doctor. They put me on a high level of testosterone at 40 mg. They then tested me and my testosterone level was 356 and my free was 26.7. The hormone doctor said that was normal according to their research. I took myself off of them and I feel better. It affected my mood, I was shaky and that went away so far.
Does this seem normal for my numbers to be that high? I am trying to find research and there is none to support that high levels.
Hi Jeanie,
It’s definitely on the high side but that may not necessarily be an issue. It’s definitely higher than I like to see.
By the way I am 66 and very fit and not overweight, have no extra facial hair or thinning at the hair line just high levels and feeling bad and shaky.
Hi Dr. Childs.
I found this article Speer helpful in the realm of hormone knowledge.
I have been on a journey the past 2 years. In the beginning of 2020 I stopped getting my cycle. I was then dealing with a lot of stress… for the lack of period I have been helped by a hormone specialist who has put me on bioidentical progesterone cream.. first of all- is it suosed to help lower testosterone levels? I know progesterone levels were low and estrogen was low when I started taking the cream.. my cycles are still irregular and some o symptoms including high free testosterone levels at 1.9, I am also having more irritability, easily stressed, body acne (not on face), body fatigue and shakiness.. i got my fasting insulin levels checked and well as glucose and they are normal.. I have been eating healthily the last year and it has helped with sugar cravings (I have been diagnosed with PCOS as well).. I am almost sure this is adrenal related. Would you recommend an adrenal support to help with stress and to lower testosterone? My hormone specialist gave me Ortho adapt to use for stress levels which temporarily helps but it hasn’t lowered the testosterone? Would you recommend an endocrinologist or internist for this?
Hi Jenna,
Neither, honestly. I would recommend using the resources found in this article to help you find a much better doctor: https://www.restartmed.com/how-to-find-a-doctor-to-treat-your-thyroid/
Hi Dr. Childs,
I have been trying for about 6 months to stay pregnant, but unsuccessfully. So I had bloodwork done on the 5th day of the cycle to analyze 6 hormones, among which testosterone. All of the hormones are in normal range (TSH, FSH, LH, PRL, Estradiol), except for the testosterone which was 1.7 ng/ml.
My doctor prescribed clomifene and I take it, but I’d like to stop since I feel it’s too early for me to be taking hormones. I know they are harmful, so I’d like to give myself a chance to regulate this naturally without strong medication such as hormones.
I don’t have PCOS, I’ve always had regular, normal periods, never had any gynecological problems whatsoever. I am not excessively hairy and I don’t really see in myself any of the common high testosterone symptoms, I don’t have acne but I have a bit of a problem with comedones, my skin isn’t excessively oily, it’s normal, no hair loss.
I am a bit overweight with BMI 27 though, so it might be contributing…
What do you think? Is it smart to stop with the hormones and try and fix this with lifestyle changes (lose weight, add strength training, no sugar, less carbs)?
Hi Wendy,
It’s always a good idea to start with lifestyle changes first before using hormones 🙂 They may be necessary in the long run but you never know unless you try.
Thank you! I have been searching the web for days looking for answers. It’s all been the same stuff that’s it’s PCOS. But, I have no signs of PCOS. I actually only had bad acne. Which accutane didn’t cure. When I got estrogen cream for something unrelated, acne cleared up and I felt much better. So I asked doctor to check my hormones, she checked everything else but that!
I got them checked elsewhere and my test levels are 360. Progesterone is low and estrogen is on lower end of normal. I noticed my cholesterol is also high. I workout 6x a week, so this has been confusing.
Thank you, for useful information. As I couldn’t find anywhere else that correlates my sudden high cholesterol levels to high testosterone levels!
Hi Nicole,
Glad you found it helpful!
Hi Dr, Childs, I have loosing my hair since march 2022. Dermatology said due to age. Im 45 years old. I went to an endocrinologist and everything was normal except DHEA-S was high 279. The doctor suggested to remove mirena IUD which I did the next day. He also prescribed progesterone 200mg. My question is. Do you think I can get my hair back? Do you think if I lower the DHEA Incant have mu hair back? Thank you.
Hi Ivett,
Based on the limited information provided here it does seem like you have a good chance of getting your hair back. Given your age and your proximity to menopause, it’s likely hormonal related but you’d need to run tests to confirm as it could be caused by other factors as well.
Hi Dr. Childs,
What would you say to someone who has extreme difficulty losing weight with very LOW testosterone (female)? My muscle mass has all deteriorated/been eaten up (and replaced with fat so probably insulin resistant) and I can not grow it back. I know muscle is a key to metabolism. My body seems to be in “starvation mode” and retaining all its fat but taking hormonal testosterone would increase insulin resistance even more surely with my history of pcos?
Hi Kristen,
It would most likely be beneficial to replace low hormone levels including testosterone. There are many other types and causes of PCOS that are not associated with insulin resistance: https://www.restartmed.com/types-and-causes-of-pcos/
Hey dr Childs
I have high testestrone level
Among my symptoms I can mention,hair loss, greasy hair, big belly while my body is thin,hirsutism and depression…
I took spironolactone, metformin,finastride for years but they arent so effective
What should i do?
I lost more than half of my hair its so hard for a girl 🙁