I don't really do posts like this but I need to put it somewhere. I've been married for twenty-eight years. We're fine. We're good, actually. But for the past eighteen months or so something has shifted and I haven't been able to say it plainly to anyone, including my husband, including my GP. The dryness is bad. It's been bad for a while. Intimacy has become something I quietly dread rather than something I want, and I hate that. I hate that it crept up on me without any warning and I hate that I've just been silently accommodating it rather than saying anything. My husband knows something is off but I haven't given him the actual words and I don't know why. Probably because saying it out loud makes it real and also because I was raised in a generation where you just got on with things and didn't discuss your body in any detail with anyone. I finally have a GP appointment next week. I've written down what I want to say because I know myself and I know I'll walk in there and talk about something else entirely if I don't have it written. I've got a list. Symptoms, how long, how it's affecting things. I read about something called GSM which I'd never heard of before and I'm going to ask about that specifically because having a name for it made me feel slightly less like I was just falling apart. I'm also going to try to talk to my husband this weekend. Properly. I've been putting it off and it's not fair on either of us. I don't know why I'm posting this. I think I just needed someone to know before I walk into that room. Thanks for being here x
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What women tried for changes in libido during perimenopause, menopause, and beyond.
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Okay so. First post here. 49, perimenopause, and I've been dealing with dryness and what I can only describe as intimacy becoming... complicated. My husband is patient but I genuinely don't have the words for what's happening, which makes the OBGYN appointment I keep postponing feel even more daunting. I've been writing things down privately so I don't blank when I'm actually in the room with a doctor. Symptoms, timing, the UTI-feeling that comes and goes. I've been reading threads here for a few weeks and it helps more than I expected just knowing other people are navigating this too. Not looking for anyone to fix it. Just finally said it out loud. Hi.
Hi all. I've been reading posts in here for about three weeks and kept closing the tab because I thought, oh I can't write that down, what if someone I know sees it. Which is daft because I don't know any of you, but here we are, that's the brain for you. I'm Donna, 58, been married 27 years, and something shifted about 18 months ago that I didn't have words for at the time. It wasn't dramatic. It was more like intimacy quietly packed a bag and moved to the spare room without telling me. I don't mean my husband and I fell out. I mean something in me just... changed. And I didn't know how to explain it to him or to myself, so I mostly didn't. I've had the dryness that nobody warned me about. I've had the thing where you feel like your body isn't quite yours anymore in a way that's hard to describe without sounding like you've lost the plot. I haveninely felt embarrassed about all of it, if I'm honest. Like I should have known this was coming and I should be handling it better. I eventually wrote some of it down before a GP appointment last year. Just a list. Private symptoms I'd never said out loud. I nearly didn't hand it over. I did, and she was kind about it, which I wasn't expecting, and we had a proper conversation. I'm still figuring things out. Nothing is resolved. But I feel less alone in it than I did three weeks ago just from reading this room. So. Hello. I'm mostly here to listen but I thought if I was going to keep lurking I should at least say I'm here. Thanks for being the kind of place where that feels okay. x
This page contains self-reported experiences — not clinical trial data. Every woman's hormonal health journey is different. Use it as context for healthcare conversations.
Changes in libido are commonly reported during perimenopause, menopause, and other hormonal conditions. These can include reduced desire, changes in arousal, and physical symptoms such as vaginal dryness. Women on Narrated share what they tried and what they experienced.
Women logging libido-related experiences describe changes ranging from gradual decline in desire to more abrupt shifts often coinciding with other menopausal symptoms. Many logs note the interplay between physical symptoms (dryness, discomfort), sleep disruption, mood changes, and their combined effect on sexual wellbeing.
Approaches logged include testosterone (cream, gel, and patches), oestrogen-based HRT, vaginal oestrogen (pessaries, cream, rings), DHEA, maca root, and lifestyle approaches. Some women log experiences with pelvic floor physiotherapy and lubricants alongside hormonal approaches.
Each log includes protocol details, self-reported outcome scores at multiple time points, side effects, and whether the woman would continue. This is community-reported data — it is not clinical guidance. Discuss changes in sexual health with a qualified healthcare provider.
Established approaches for libido
Clinical guidelines reference several approaches for this goal:
- 1.Testosterone where low libido is linked to menopause (specialist prescribing)
- 2.Vaginal oestrogen (estrogen) for dryness contributing to discomfort
- 3.Psychosexual support and relationship counselling
Below are community-reported experiences with approaches for this same goal.
British Menopause Society — Testosterone for womenMost Reported Approaches
Ordered by number of community reports. Frequency does not imply clinical outcome.
| Approach | Reports |
|---|---|
| magnesium glycinate | 11 |
| breathing practice | 7 |
| strength training | 7 |
| evening walks | 6 |
| cycle tracking | 5 |
| progesterone | 5 |
| cooling routine | 5 |
| sleep notes | 4 |
| cutting alcohol | 4 |
| morning light | 4 |
Ranked by number of community reports. Visit each approach page for detailed outcome data.
Community Experiences(0)
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What women tried during perimenopause — and what they reported happening.
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First-hand accounts of hormone replacement therapy — different types, doses, and outcomes.
Mood, Anxiety & Hormones
How women addressed anxiety, mood changes, and emotional shifts tied to hormonal transitions.
Skin & Hair
What women tried for skin changes, hair thinning, and dryness linked to hormonal shifts.
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Every experience you share helps another woman feel less alone — and more informed.
Log My ExperienceData last updated: May 22, 2026