Former UK health minister Nadine Dorries has detailed her personal experience with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to combat symptoms associated with menopause, including cognitive decline, fatigue, and a diminished libido. Dorries, 68, described a period earlier this year when she experienced what felt like significant memory loss, a persistent brain fog, and exhaustion, leading her to search for dementia symptoms online.
She noted that many women her age were experiencing similar issues, often with effects that impacted daily life. Dorries recounted incidents of forgetting to turn off kitchen taps, leaving food to burn in the oven, and misplacing belongings. This forgetfulness became a source of family jokes, and she observed a decline in her self-confidence, leading her to withdraw socially.
Having previously taken hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with significant relief from symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings, Dorries wondered if she needed a higher HRT dose. However, she also observed friends in their 60s who reported a marked improvement in their well-being by adding testosterone to their HRT regimen. These friends described feeling like "new women" with enhanced sex lives.
Recalling discussions with experts and advocates, including television presenter Davina McCall, who suggested testosterone could be a "missing piece in the puzzle" for women on HRT, Dorries decided to explore this option. She also referenced Prue Leith, who has credited testosterone for maintaining her energy and libido into her 80s.
According to the British Menopause Society (BMS), testosterone is a female hormone essential for modulating sexual behavior, though the society notes a lack of robust studies on its effects on cognition, mood, or energy in women. Dorries pointed out that while men's access to treatments like Viagra has been widely available for decades, research and resources for women's loss of libido remain comparatively underdeveloped.
Dorries' own testosterone levels were confirmed to be at the lowest end of the normal range. After consulting with a private GP, she began using a topical testosterone gel. She reported near-instantaneous positive effects, with a noticeable return of her "twinkle" within 48 hours, abated exhaustion within a week, and a complete clearing of brain fog over the following month. This cognitive improvement allowed her to write more effectively, and she noted that a book she had been working on was nearing completion.
While the initial benefits were substantial, Dorries observed that after nearly three months, these effects began to subside. A follow-up blood test showed her testosterone level had slightly decreased, a phenomenon that can occur as the body may reduce its own production when external therapy begins. Her GP advised increasing the dosage, and Dorries reported feeling an improvement again after two days.
She advises other women not to simply accept the effects of aging but to explore available alternatives and to ensure their hormone levels are re-tested regularly if they choose to use testosterone therapy. Dorries concluded that women undergoing such treatments are essentially paving the way for future generations and should strive to get it right for themselves and those who will follow.