Low or high testosterone levels: What's your experience?

There might already be a thread about this, but I couldn't find one (my apologies to the mods in advance). If possible, could you merge this with the previous topic? Please don't delete it... 😢

Anyway...

I'm 25. My periods have always been regular until now. I've struggled with my weight my entire life—fluctuating quite a bit. About three years ago, I lost nearly 45 pounds. Unfortunately, I've gained about 22 pounds back over the last three years... not all at once, but gradually.

In the past, my period only missed once, and even then, I was just terrified it wouldn't come back...

I took Yasmin for about a year, but stopped fairly quickly. I felt it wasn't agreeing with me. Since I'm in a long-distance relationship, I didn't feel the need to stay on birth control if it wasn't strictly necessary.

But about four months ago, things started getting irregular. It was two weeks late in the second month, and by the third, I went to see my OB-GYN. She did a Pap smear and an ultrasound, and everything looked normal.

She sent me for hormone testing, and I got the results back about a week ago. Most of my hormones look fine, including my thyroid levels. However, my testosterone is at 4.3, when the normal range goes up to 2.7.

My doctor thinks this is due to my weight fluctuations. She suggested I go on a diet and try to lose those 22 pounds again. I actually wanted to do this anyway, so I've started dieting and exercising.

She considered prescribing Dian, but suggested I focus on weight loss first and then come back in three months to retest. She also gave me a referral for an endocrinologist, since I've dealt with weight issues my whole life. I had some tests done when I was 18, but nothing serious was found. I did have some thyroid issues once, but that was successfully managed.

Now, I'm feeling confused. I plan to make an appointment with the endocrinologist, but I'm worried about the wait times. Seeing someone privately isn't an issue for me...

Since I'm not particularly happy with my current doctor or her approach—and I can't switch right now—I'd value your perspective...

Is it possible I have PCOS? I don't have any other typical symptoms of high testosterone, like excess hair growth or sweating, just the weight issues. Which is supposedly the result of the elevation.

My last period arrived early, though I did experience some spotting during ovulation.

Do you think this could be something serious? 😕

Sorry for the long post. I tend to worry about my health too much, and this situation is unsettling... 🤷

I wouldn't personally recommend starting her on Yasmin, simply because it’s widely recognized that those types of pills often lead to weight gain. Honestly, almost all of my girlfriends who used Yasmin absolutely hated the experience and regretted it. Perhaps it would be worth looking into Yaz instead this time around.

But does writing actually help with testosterone levels?

It is my understanding that elevated testosterone levels are a hallmark characteristic of PCOS.
I am honestly quite uncertain about where my own levels stand, though I suppose I will finally have some clarity once I review these recent lab results.

I am inclined to believe that it actually helps.

Francesca, you might want to double-check your facts.😬

Is it actually possible for a woman to deal with elevated testosterone levels without having ovarian cysts, regular periods, and everything looking totally normal on the cycle front—but still dealing with some unwanted hair growth and thinning hair? If anyone here has dealt with a weird case like this, please let me know. I could really use some insight.

Look, there are plenty of medical issues or disorders that can crank up male hormone levels without it having anything to do with the ovaries. Like, the adrenal glands can pump out androgens too—maybe because of an enzyme deficiency during steroid metabolism, or even certain ovarian tumors could be the culprit. I'm sure there's more to the story, too. Best of luck🙂

Sarah Howard78 said:Is it actually possible for a woman to have elevated androgen levels without having ovarian cysts—meaning her periods stay regular and totally normal—but she still deals with slight hirsutism and some thinning hair? If anyone here has encountered a case like that, please let me know.

It is certainly possible—in almost any combination you might imagine, really. That said, one would first need to run a full battery of tests to pinpoint the actual underlying cause, assuming that's even feasible. 😉

I really feel like I need to pay out of pocket for some private testing, because my OB-GYN is basically telling me it’s impossible for me to have excess male hormones—as if I wouldn't definitely have cysts or irregular periods if that were actually the case. And when it comes to adrenal issues? My doctor brushed that off too, claiming I'd be facing much more serious health crises if there were an actual disorder there, rather than just dealing with hair and skin stuff. 🤷

There are varying degrees of severity when it comes to these disorders—but if you genuinely suspect something is off, I suppose your first move should probably be checking your hormone levels.

That being said, do you actually experience what you described earlier? Like, everything else seems fine, but there's increased hair growth and thinning elsewhere? Or perhaps you're dealing with acne?

Because, you see, in women where androgen levels might be elevated, excessive hair growth isn't typically uniform across the whole body—it tends to show up in specific, masculine areas (like the chin, around the navel, the nipples, or the upper lip)—while hair loss usually manifests most prominently in the frontal zone (the hairline and temples), which is essentially a male-pattern baldness profile.

If your situation involves hair growth appearing more evenly all over, then I wouldn't worry too much about this particular issue. There are so many different reasons why hair might thin out; it might not necessarily be rooted in this at all.

I’m running into the exact same wall. I’m dealing with excessive hair growth everywhere, paired with thinning hair—it started at my right hairline, and now the left side is starting to recede too. My labs come back regular. I don’t have issues with my ovaries, my hormones seem fine, and I’m definitely not overweight—I’m about 130 pounds at 5'6"—plus I’ve never dealt with a single breakout in my life. Two years ago, I had a full panel done (sex hormones, T4, T3, TSH), and while my TPO-Ab was sitting at 28 when it really should be under 20, my endocrinologist basically brushed it off. Now, my OBGYN is trying to push birth control on me, but since I don't have any symptoms that require it beyond how I look, I’m not interested in taking them just for the sake of it. I’m stuck wondering what else I should actually be testing to find the root cause here.

So, has the hair loss always been a thing for you, or did this just hit out of nowhere? When did the thinning actually start? And how old are we talking? Also, does anyone in your family deal with thyroid issues, diabetes, or any other kind of autoimmune stuff? That’s usually a huge clue.
The thyroid definitely plays games with your hair. Since your TPO-Ab levels are slightly elevated—which is pretty common with Hashimoto, by the way—your hormones could be swinging low, high, or just acting weird depending on the phase you're in. Honestly, it might be worth getting your thyroid levels and antibodies checked again. Two years is a lifetime in medical terms; these things shift constantly. As for the extra hair growth, that might just be your baseline. It doesn't necessarily mean you're sick, and it might have nothing to do with the thinning or the thyroid. We're all built differently. 🙂

Here’s my deal: I’m 25. When it comes to my hair, I’ve run basically every test under the sun—minus the hormonal panel, which I haven't touched yet—and everything supposedly looks fine. But the reality? I'm thinning out quite a bit, especially right up front. This whole thing kicked off when I was 18. Doctors couldn't pin down a specific cause, so they just gave me the standard "it's probably genetic" shrug. There is zero chance of me even attempting a middle part because the gap is nearly as wide as my pinky finger. I don't struggle with acne, except for the occasional breakout on my shoulders or back, but that's rare. The weird part is the hair growth—my legs are way thicker than they used to be, and I'm dealing with coarse hair in my bikini area that I never, ever had to worry about before. Then there are those random, thick black hairs popping up on my chin—I just pluck them and move on, but again, this wasn't my life before. Even my nipples have gone from being totally smooth to having two or three thick, dark hairs sprouting from each one. Normally, I'm pretty fair-haired; my hair has always been almost white, fine, and wispy.

I’m 21 years old. My hormone levels—T3, T4, and TSH—were all fine when I checked them, but they skipped the TPO test because they told me it wasn't a big deal and that it would only matter if I were trying to get pregnant. For about six years now, I've been dealing with thinning on the right side of my hairline; honestly, I feel like it's actually receding. My hairstylist mentions seeing a lot of new baby hairs sticking out, but the patch is definitely there, leaving me with just some thin, light fuzz instead of full coverage. Because of this, my doctor prescribed Pilfood, though I decided against using it.
My esthetician thinks my hair growth issues might be linked to corticosteroids, since I used them heavily as a kid to manage neurodermatitis. But that doesn't add up to me—if it were just the cream, the extra hair wouldn't be everywhere from head to toe. In fact, it feels like the opposite is happening: I used to have more hair, but lately, it seems like I'm growing more, or at least noticing it much more often.
There is no history of diabetes or anything similar in my family. And nobody else I know deals with hair growth quite like I do—okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but I literally have no hair on my palms or the soles of my feet.🙄

I’m starting this thread because I only have a surface-level understanding of testosterone and how it functions as a male hormone.
I don't really grasp its specific role when it comes to women,
but I'm looking for insight into what low testosterone levels actually mean.
What am I looking at here?

I had my levels checked, and while the standard range sits between 0.29 and 1.67, mine came back at a measly 0.087.

My cycles have always been predictable, but lately, they’ve become completely irregular and chaotic. Since my goal is to eventually conceive, I need to know how much of a factor this hormone plays in fertility—is this a major hurdle or just a minor detail?

Hey everyone,
So, I finally went in to get my hormone levels checked, and it turns out I’ve got hyperandrogenism. Before this, my OB-GYN was dead set on the idea that I had PCOS—I dealt with acne (had to go on Accutane for it), excess hair growth, and my ovaries looked polycystic on the ultrasound—but since my cycles were actually regular, she didn't think we needed to run any specific hormone panels.

But after about a year on the pill, things started going south. I began missing my periods entirely, and even when she switched me to different brands, the bleeding would just stop again anyway. On top of that, I started dealing with chronic bloating, high cholesterol, hair thinning, and this constant anxiety. We eventually decided I needed to get off the hormones altogether, but it’s been five months now and I haven't had a period or ovulated once, unless I managed to force it through some checks.

I ended up switching doctors, and this new guy actually sent me for the bloodwork. It turns out everything is fine except for my testosterone—those androgen levels are through the roof—so he's officially ruled out PCOS.

Now they’re referring me to an endocrinologist because they suspect there might be an issue with my pituitary gland. He’s already ordered more tests, specifically looking at pituitary hormones and an OGTT.

I’m honestly wondering what I should expect from all of this. What could be causing the hyperandrogenism, and why am I struggling to ovulate while my symptoms seem to be getting worse over time? My appointment isn't for another month, so I’d really appreciate hearing if anyone has gone through something similar or has any advice.

Thanks in advance for the help.