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Hi all: It's been three weeks and I wanted to post an update (I have also posted this on reddit, FYI):

I got my blood test results back, and my estradiol, total testosterone, Vitamin D, FSH and LH are completely normal. The two things that aren't normal are what the doctor had suspected in the first place: My free testosterone (which is at a 0.2) and my SHBG, which is at a whopping 228.0. Normal women who have not taken birth control have an average SHBG of 25. So I do indeed have vestibulodynia.

So after that bad news, I quickly got hopefully as I was given three options for treatment, and here are the pros and cons of each, in case any of you are wondering:

TESTOSTERONE GEL: A pea-sized amount to be applied on one or both of my calves every night. PRO: Easy to apply. CON: Have to wear pants after you apply it, and avoid pets and children in case there's any transfer that could happen before it's fully absorbed. Doc recommends putting it on right before bed. My insurance doesn't pay for this, but my doc had a coupon, and this would be $163 for a 6-month supply. Some pharmacies were charging around $400 for this, but if you tell your doctor about GoodRX.com, you may be able to find a local pharmacy that will accept a GoodRX coupon and save you a significant amount of money.

TESTOSTERONE INJECTIONS: PRO: Once a week, no daily hassle. CON: It's a needle!! Also, doc said that the women he's put on injections sometimes have higher side effects than with the gel or the pellet (more on that below), like unwanted hair growth, acne, etc. Again, my insurance doesn't cover this, and it would be about $95 for a 3-month supply.

TESTOSTERONE PELLET: A little vitamin-looking thing that the doctor can surgically insert into your arm (or wherever appropriate) that would dissolve over time. PRO: Don't have to worry about it at all! CON: In case you do have side effects, the doctor can't remove it. You just have to wait it out until it completely dissolves. My doc says that for younger patients like myself, pre-menopausal women, he doesn't recommend the pellet. So I didn't get pricing on it.

I chose the gel, because even though I thought it would work slower, it wouldn't be as of a shock to my system as injecting something into myself every week.

My doctor says that all of these methods have been proven very effective, in his practice. Anecdotally, he said there were women with higher SHBG levels than I have who have brought their levels down to the 70s after 3-6 months of treatment.

So I am starting the testosterone gel today, and I have been using a topical estradiol/testosterone gel on my vaginal vestibule for the past 3 weeks. And actually, the cream is helping! I have less pain during sex, and even as I feel around when putting on the cream, I notice that the vestibule is less sensitive. The lack of pain has increased my libido slightly, as well, and that's definitely a plus!!

Unless there are any questions, I will update again in 8 weeks. I have another blood test scheduled for week 6, and will get the results about 1-2 weeks later. Here's hoping my SHBG levels are lower than they are after the first blood test!

September 9, 2016 - 6:06pm

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