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Learning about the effects of taking testosterone!

Discussion in 'Gender Identity and Expression' started by Rayland, Aug 20, 2022.

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  1. Rayland

    Rayland
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    I'm trying to learn more about taking hormones and detransitioning, especially from people who are female to male and take testosterone on how it all has affected you. I want to learn more about the positives and negatives. I for example learned that when you start taking hormones at some point the effect of it becomes unreversible. I did not know that before.
    Please share all the experience or something you learned about taking testosterone. Did you start to feel better after taking it or it had an opposite effect?
     
    #1 Rayland, Aug 20, 2022
  2. Aeolia

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    not really my place to answer this, but since it may take a while before someone that has actual experience answers, here is what I've heard from my friends that have transitioned :

    to begin with, from what I've heard, taking testosterone made or makes them feel better. (one has stopped)

    the beginning shows effects akin to menopause like feeling hot (the heat kind, not the sexy one) and feeling itchy
    Your body fat also spreads differently and it's easier to build muscle mass.

    in case you stop at some point:
    from what one of my friends who has begun detransitioning told me, you basically keep a lower voice and body hair (including beard)
    you may become sterile as well (though some guys have had babies by stopping HRT for a while), if anybody that actually know their stuff could confirm.
    Another one told me stopping HRT may also hurt at first because the ovaries have to "warm up" in order to start functioning fully again

    Has to be checked but I believe that, in case you do have the genes for it, you may get male alopecia and get bald as you age.
     
    #2 Aeolia, Aug 20, 2022
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  3. Hawk

    Hawk
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    There's a few things online about hrt that are actually a myth. One is infertility and sterilization. As long as you have your reproductive parts, you still have the ability to reproduce. According to my fertility doctor, one patient was off T for 2 weeks to have his cells harvested, others need to be off T for 6 months or longer. It all depends on the person. Don't use HRT as a contraceptive just because it's much harder to get pregnant, or get someone pregnant. Your cells are still stored in your body, they just won't be released. The only way you will be 100% sterile is from bottom surgery or a hysto.

    Another thing that my endo has mention was emotional regulation. A lot of trans guys online will talk about the inability to cry on T. That's pseudo-science, and there's no evidence that testosterone will inhibit your ability to cry or show emotion. They may be much happier on T, hence not crying as often.

    Sex drive will increase on T, much like any other guy going through puberty. Body fat will redistribute, though pre-existing fat (if you're overweight) won't change. However, it will be easier to build muscle mass by working out and putting the time and energy in. That being said, I highly recommend anyone on T or considering going on T to pick up a set of dumbbells as you may be much hungrier on T and it needs a place to go to avoid gaining excess weight.

    Male-pattern baldness occurs on the X chromosome, in cis-males they should look into their maternal side for signs of male-pattern baldness, whereas trans males need to look into both maternal and paternal for signs of male-pattern baldness. If the men in your family still have hair, it's likely you will too. It will thin, but family genetics are something to look into if balding is a thing in your family. Body hair will increase and voice will drop. Both depend on genetics, but typically within 6 months to a year you should notice these things.

    Ultimately, everyone's "timeline" will look a little different when their changes will take effect. And it's good to look or ask when cis male family members developed facial hair, or started to notice their hair thinning, etc.

    I may add more later as I have to start heading out.
     
    #3 Hawk, Aug 20, 2022
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  4. Mihael

    Mihael
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    I'm curious how these guys cried in the first place. I rarely cry in my adulthood, but it's not because I'm happy, I haven't been as miserable before 18 as I was after 18, but I basically stopped crying. I most oftrn cry when I have PMS. And tbh I don't like it, the quality of feelings is the same, but I just can't get myself together and focus. You can always talk with a friend or a family member or go for a run in order to vent. I don't see positive sides to crying. It just means I ran out of fuel... I talked to multiple people about this, including cis women, and while women tend to cry more often, my experience seems to be common among cis women.
     
    #4 Mihael, Aug 21, 2022
  5. Rayland

    Rayland
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    This is interesting. I have more to write later as well, but I would like to not cry or cry less. I tend to get overly emotional, so this would be beneficial for me, if it was true. Tears are good though. They help maintain the health of your eyes and as you get older you start to cry less anyway, because your glands produce less tears. Tears help your eyes to not stay dry. It's all effected by hormones and dry eyes are a common problem for people who undergo hormonal changes.
     
    #5 Rayland, Aug 21, 2022
  6. Mihael

    Mihael
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    I can't speak from my own experience, but testosterone isn't a contraceptive, you may still ovulate, have periods and get pregnant on it. And testosterone in that amount causes damage to the fetus. So contraception needs to be taken care of separately, if you sleep with someone who has a penis, obviously. Trans men can still take hormonal birth control if they tolerate it. Or use an UID. Or condoms and other barrier methods, spermicides and what have you.

    Yeah, hormones affect all sorts of random things. I have experience with other hormonal treatments, because I'm diagnosed with PCOS (tbh, hell knows what it really is and why I am the way that I am), and one of the drugs caused me major constipation, apart from the frequently reported nausea. Another random side effect that I got was hot flashes and generally feeling hot and sweating all the time.
     
    #6 Mihael, Aug 21, 2022
  7. Rayland

    Rayland
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    I did suspect of me having PCOS, because I do have some of the symptoms and I even went to see an endogrinologist about it and checked my hormone levels, but they said my testosterone levels are not too high and I may need to start taking hair growth hormones, because my hair are thinning and balding and I have exezema and I have acne too, what I take medicine for. I also get hair on my face and places men usually have, but my doctor said it's not too bad. I also get hot and cold flashes. All my doctors told me is that I need to loose 7kgs of weight and didn't too further analyzes. It's like all the issues come from needing to loose weight, but I had these issues even before, when I was at my ideal weight, so it's not that, but they tend to put all diagnoses like this. Loose weight and you will be fine.
     
    #7 Rayland, Aug 21, 2022
  8. Rayland

    Rayland
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    My friend told me, that their aquintance got more angrier after starting taking T. Is something like this possible? Taking T change your whole personality?

    I was also told that it can cause blood clots, polycythemia and mental issues and it can make you feel sick all the time.

    I'm seriously reconsidering this, because I don't want to add stuff to my health problems, but there are also people who have said, that taking testosterone have made them feel better.

    I do know I need to take blood analyzes at endo before I can start taking it to see, if it would even be suitable for me.
     
    #8 Rayland, Aug 21, 2022
  9. Mihael

    Mihael
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    Agreed, doctors can be very dismissive. In my case they blame it all on stress. Yeah, sure, I very much feel like not going to exams at university or not getting a degree at all :rolling_eyes:
    Same here. I mean... I don't even care about my body and facial hair. And if I had to do something about it, I wouldn't take hormones for it, but depilate it. I don't want to take drugs all the time and the hormones that "treat acne and body hair" make me feel horrible. Both with estrogen and T blockers. I'm glad I can at least take progesterone to not miss periods, it made my life a lot better. It contributed significantly to getting out of depression, because I don't have lengthy PMS any more and don't emotionally go down as much and my stomach doesn't hurt so much any more and periods are more manageable. Plus I don't have to take it every month. Hm, but I think I was just meant to have irregular periods and it doesn't have any specific reason. Stress makes it worse, but it's impossible to avoid stress.

    Probably, you won't know which side effects you'll have until you try. Nobody would have guessed that I won't be able to take estrogen and will love the med that everybody hates - the one I take has horrible reviews, it made awfully many people depressed, but it makes me feel much less depressed. Nobody would have guessed either that birth control gave me blood circulation problems. I'm a healthy young person, after all...
     
    #9 Mihael, Aug 21, 2022
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  10. Hawk

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    That I can't say for sure, but if I were them, I'd be getting my levels checked as they may be too low or too high. T shouldn't change your personality. Blood clots can be a side effect of testosterone, however donating blood can help. Perhaps if your body is adjusting to being on testosterone, you might feel off, but it shouldn't make you feel sick all the time. Again, if any of these things are symptoms that a person feels, they should have their levels looked at and their dose adjusted accordingly.

    There's going to be risks with any medication, which is why a person should always be monitored by a doctor. There have been trans guys who physically can't be prescribed T because of health conditions or what their doctor found in a blood test, but as long as you're open about any pre-existing health conditions, your doctor should inform you of potential risks or if HRT is too dangerous for you.
     
    #10 Hawk, Aug 21, 2022
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  11. Rayland

    Rayland
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    Thank you very much for the info. I'm not suitable for blood donating, but I'll see what I can do, when the time comes. This really calmed me down.
     
    #11 Rayland, Aug 21, 2022
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