High Testosterone in Women: Signs, Causes, and Treatment

High Testosterone Levels in Women: Causes, Symptoms, and More

Google Scholar, a more broadly inclusive search engine, was searched using the specific terms listed in Table 1, for any date, and with sorting by relevance. For this database, the first 200 citations were included in the initial screening for each relevant table. The reference lists of relevant articles from each search were also searched for additional relevant citations. In each table that analysed serum or salivary testosterone concentrations, these concentrations were converted to nmol/litre (nmol/L) to standardize across studies. Make sure you talk with your healthcare provider before taking any supplements. They may interact with medications you’re taking or be harmful, so your doctor is the best person to consult so they can take into account your full health profile. If your high testosterone is not caused by PCOS, but is instead due to an adrenal disorder like congenital adrenal hyperplasia, your doctor will have a different treatment plan, including medications and possibly surgery.

In men, it’s responsible for developing male sex characteristics like facial hair and a deep voice. It also helps build muscle mass, maintain bone strength and regulate sex drive. While men produce much more testosterone than women, this hormone is still essential for women’s health. Noticing any of the symptoms mentioned above may indicate that you should immediately talk to a health care provider. Your doctor may search for these symptoms during the examination, like acne, abnormal facial hair and excess body hair. It’s possible for a woman’s testosterone production to be too high or too low.

Thrivelab is a telehealth-based provider of evidence-based hormone and testosterone balancing programs as well as natural bioidentical products to alleviate age-related symptoms and restore youthful vitality. Unfortunately, testosterone is made from pregnenolone, which is also the precursor to estrogen and progesterone. If your body is using more pregnenolone to create excess testosterone, there’s a chance your progesterone levels may be low. It’s important to note that having acne doesn’t automatically mean you have high testosterone levels, but it is something to keep an eye out for. Testosterone therapy is approved for the treatment of delayed male puberty and abnormally low production of testosterone secondary to malfunction of the testes, pituitary or hypothalamus.

Cushing’s syndrome and acromegaly should be ruled out based on the presenting clinical symptoms and signs. The three most important aspects when taking a history in the woman with hyperandrogenism are age, ethnicity and duration of symptoms. When these symptoms are unresponsive to conventional therapy because of hormone imbalances, your provider may consider stronger antiandrogen medication.

There are various conditions that cause fluctuations in female hormone levels. Some of the leading causes of high testosterone levels in women are polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), thyroid problems, and insulin resistance. Testosterone, while often connected to men’s health, is an essential hormone for both men and women. In women, testosterone is primarily made in the ovaries and much of the hormone is converted to estrogen. [1] The body uses this converted testosterone to regulate menstruation, aid in conception and pregnancy, minimize bone loss, stimulate hair growth, and more. [2] Unfortunately, having low or high levels of testosterone can lead to some negative health effects. We describe a case of a childbearing-age woman who was referred for investigation of secondary amenorrhea, infertility, and extremely high serum testosterone levels without virilization signs.

We suspected laboratory interference in the testosterone test, prompting a reevaluation of both laboratory procedures and imaging of the ovarian mass. The main limitation of this study is that although the reviews conducted are systematic, and thus unbiased regarding the hypotheses addressed, they are not exhaustive, nor have the findings been subject to meta-analyses. As such, further studies would be needed for more detailed, and functionally in-depth, analyses for any specific hypothesis of the many addressed here. ‍Hormonal change is at the root of dozens of symptoms women experience in the years before and after their period stops. If you’re in perimenopause or menopause and want guidance from clinicians who specialize in women’s midlife health, book a virtual visit with Midi today. Certain healthy habits, like exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, reducing stress, and prioritizing sleep, can help lower testosterone. There are also some supplements that may be able to help, such as spearmint and licorice root.

If ultrasonography is performed, patients should be reassured that a multifollicular pattern is not tumor related and does semen have testosterone not confirm a diagnosis of PCOS. Testosterone plays a significant role in our overall health and wellbeing. It helps with muscle and bone strength, mood, confidence, motivation, energy, memory, fertility and metabolism for both men and women. It also helps to increase dopamine levels, a neurotransmitter which is involved with libido. Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome can reduce their chances of long-term complications by maintaining a normal weight through healthy diet and regular exercise. Treatment success depends on the cause of excess androgen production.

But it’s important to see your provider right away if you have sudden symptoms of hyperandrogenism. Exercise can improve insulin resistance and fertility in people with PCOS. Moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming is recommended for a total of 150 minutes weekly. Lifting weights and performing other resistance exercises are also encouraged. People with PCOS should consult a nutritionist on how to design their diet to support weight loss and overall health and naturally lower testosterone levels.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an inherited condition that affects the adrenal glands. They produce hormones like cortisol (stress hormone), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and testosterone. Male test subjects didn’t show much of a change in their testosterone levels.