I am a female and I think I'm producing too much testosterone, how can I stop this ?

You indicated that you did go to the doctor and, presumably, you discussed your concerns about your hormone levels (right?). I would start by looking at the other women in your family (these things can be genetic and can differ by ethnicity as well). I would ask the doctor about the hormones and explain, specifically, your concerns. He or she can run appropriate tests to determine if something is “out of whack” and can determine the cause (if it is something more than genetics) and help you figure out the best solution.

You have to go to the doctor. There are so many reasons this can happen you have to get it sorted out.

@Kayak8 – All my family is very normal and healthy, both the men and women. My dad is 73 and still walking and active, very healthy man. Both my parents have no history of hair loss.

This bothers me because I have no idea what it is.

@cazzie – Thank you I will but I don’t have insurance right now.

Track down and consult an endocrinologist. You might be able to get free advice via e-mail (I like to e-mail questions to college professors now and then; they are varying degrees of amenable).
If you have a problem with the balance of your various hormones, nothing short of a doctor and probably drugs are going to set it straight. Either shell out the clams now, or wait until you get insurance.

in the short term maybe eat some tofu. There are some things in tofu that emulate estrogen. While it’s probably not scientific, I found myself getting bitchy when I ate tofu 3 days in a row-maybe it can psychologically make you feel a bit better.

I beleive you should see a doctor. If you do not have insurance like myself, you can find out information on the internet sight. If you have family or friends in the medical field you can also ask questions. When it comes to your health ask questions for your information. The soon you find out how to correct your health, ther better it would be for yourself. Good luck and will keep your health in prayer.

I would stop panicking and relax.
Chances are that it is genetic and inherited and it appears to have come at the latter end of your adulthood. So no more hair going to grow and the problem not going to get any worse.

Don’t try shaving it off or removing with hair creams.
Consult your GP again and take a copy of your question here along with you.
They will be able to do tests which will find the cause to this sudden hair growth spurt.

Stop looking for anything new and rest assured it can be changed.

@Hidden_Mystery – I really don’t think it’s genetic.

Facial hair, chin hair, mustache, hair around my nipples, stomach, back, chest and LOSING a lot of hair only on my temples… and feeling more masculine and aggressive, I don’t feel normal. And this has only been happening in the past 6 months or so, and has gotten worse as time goes on. I’ve been losing and gaining weight also, and not sleeping well.

@jlelandg – Yeah i’ve heard that too and maybe will try that.

I’m gonna see another doctor again to see what can do and what this is.

@Hidden_Mystery – I’m not panicking just frustrated because it is getting worse. I’m losing more and more hair on only my temples, and gaining a lot more hair in strange places where women don’t normally get it. Plus i feel more masculine, and aggressive, and a loss of sex drive, etc.

Truth and Freedom,

It is a myth that women do not grow hair in places where men grow it.
Especially when women reach their twilight years.

Hormones do not make you feel masculine. I have a feeling your own worry is causing you mentally to think that hair somehow makes you masculine. Aggression and loss of sex drive are not symptoms of masculinity. How many men with testosterone lose their sex drive?

Aggression and loss of sex drive can happen to male or female and with or without testosterone. You are panicking for nothing. There are conditions which cause females to become very hairy. However they do not suddenly start feeling like a man.
I am glad you are going to see your doctor.

‘I don’t have insurance now.’ is one of the lamest excuses. That’s like… ‘I don’t have a ride.’ There are clinics and hospitals set up to care for uninsured patients and you just said you’d gone to the doctor and they checked your thyroid. My absolute sympathies go to anyone uninsured in the USA but you have to fight for your right to medical care.

Here’s a big factor. How are your periods? If you haven’t lost your period you’re probably doing ok. If you have lost your period, that is a biggie and you need to push for a diagnosis.

If you are on birth control, it could be the reason behind the changes. You may want to talk to your doctor about changing your birth control. If not, other things can change your hormones. Exercising excessively, stress, weight gain or loss, other medications.
@cazzie, Its not as easy as that. Sure there is help for the uninsured but mostly they cover only the very poor and at 21 if she is living with mom and dad, she will not qualify for aid and two this would not be consider a medical emergency, which is the only thing they cover.
My daughter had asthma and she was turned away at a clinic because she lived at home with us and didn’t qualify. They wouldn’t see her even if we paid because they were a free clinic. We had to run her to another clinic and pay for all the testing. Which was basic stuff and we paid 300 dollars. At the time that was what she earned for a whole week of work. I would imagine to get thyroid test and other test she would easily pay more than 300 dollars. Some states don’t even offer any kind of local medical assistance. Sometimes you have to drive for miles for some state assisted medical care. And most wouldn’t find her hormones to be something worthy of investigating.

Truth and Freedom,

Hit the internet sites. You should be able to find advice there for free.
Hair loss can be caused by anaemia, , circulation problems and thyroid disorder which has already been ruled out.
Pregnancy is also another cause of hair loss. However you also say you are growing facial hair and other parts of your body has had a growth spurt too.

I would look at your diet first.
Try eating eggs and liver for vitamin A.
Dark green leafy vegetables, carrots and sweet potatoes for beta carotene.
Vegetable oils, nuts and oily fish for the essential fatty acids. Shellfish, red meat and pumpkin seeds for zinc.

I don’t like liver as such but do eat pate. Avoid liver if you are pregnant and do not worry about the hair growth it is natural. The ‘feeling’ masculine bit still has me puzzled.
See if a change in your diet will help to way lay these symptoms.

I think I’m going to stop answering medical queries or make suggestions. I just can’t cope with thinking about such a broken health system. Makes me cry.

This nothing that you can determine without blood tests.

This is nothing that you should be self-medicating for.

You must go to a doctor (@Nullo is right about an endocrinologist)!

Low cost labs offer many tests. Here is one such lab. Look at all the tests available, and how much you can save. If you can ask your doctor which test to order, and you can order it yourself for much cheaper, and they will send you the results. Then take the results to your doctor yourself. If you ask them to send the results to your doctor, you will pay much more.

http://walkinlab.com/cgi-bin/rtsys/rtl/prd_d.cgi?category=Hormones

I have used lab tests like this, and it works. PM me if you have questions.

I don’t have insurance either so I completely sympathize, but I still paid the money to have a few tests run on myself, and I recently paid for my daughter to go in for ADD concerns.

You need to go. Have hormone tests done and if you do have an imbalance, they will give you meds to sort you out.

What you’re describing sounds a lot like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). I’m surprised your doctor didn’t mention this. Are you having irregular menstrual cycles? Are you overweight or obese?

A standard birth control pill can help by decreasing levels of androgens, but if the problem is PCOS, this puts you at risk for developing insulin resistance and eventually diabetes.

Worst case scenario, this is life threatening. (a tumour on the pituitary?)

But I’m waiting for her to answer what her menstrual cycle is like.

You do need to see an endocrinologist as has been suggested. If you have no insurance, maybe your parents can help you out.

@nikipedia said exactly what I was going to suggest. Ask to be tested for PCOS.

If you have no insurance make an appt. with planned parenthood for some tests and maybe a spin on the BC pill to see if you notice a shift in your symptoms.

Hormones out of control can wreak havoc on ones system.

Planned Parenthood would be a good start. Otherwise, I’m with @Nullo & others…See an endocrinologist. If you have a medical center/college near you, see if there is an endocrinology dept. They must treat you, even w/out insurance.

How is your current weight? Is the body hair you notice transluscent and more like patches of fuzz? Have you dropped a signifigant amount of weight in the past few months?

Google some free women’s clinics and go get a full physical and bloodwork panel.

Sadly our questioner seems to have left Fluther… too bad. I hope she gets help.