Testosterone ??? My brain is now really screwed up

[stephi]

Hi
I went to doc and my testosterone levels are v v low. I have been put on injections to get it back to a normal state \ level. I have been in v depressed / suicidal states and low T may be a huge factor. Seems kinda crazy I have no desire to be a full time woman but am addicted to my CD. I am struggling with girl mode vs testosterone shots. Any body else on testosterone are am I just screwed up?
Thx
Stephi xxxxxx

[Maxie]

I have been on t-injections since August and the results have been insane. My body fat has dropped to 11% and have gained 22lbs of muscle. Sex drive is through the roof and feel 10 years younger. Downside is not a lot of my clothes fit any more but it's a good excuse to go shopping.

[Eryn]

My T level is 7 and I feel better than ever, certainly not as depressed as I was when it was "normal."

It just seems that we all have different needs.

[Lauri K]

Like others my T levels were very low, doctor prescribed me a year or so back TRT w/daily use of T-gel. I have lost a few pounds, sex drive was mostly unchanged, my femme facial features have been distorted as result of all the T in my body, suicide thoughts / depression levels have increased...gotten worse.

I have on my own stopped the TRT with T about 3 weeks ago, I have appt. in January w/ doctor I am sure she is going to yell at me for stopping this on my own after so much time and money was spent to get the T range back up where it belongs. (theoretically)

I am really considering a gender therapist to help me sort through all of this, as I really prefer / feel like being a woman. Also having high T levels is not in your favor while doing laser.

Don't really have a answer or solution other than to tell you that artificial T may not be the ultimate fix if you have gender dysphoria, I am at the point of just letting the woman in me take over, tired of fighting with her, in fact i welcome her to bring some calm seas.

To make matters worse, go look at all the hoops they will run you through just to prove what you are telling them is the way you really feel about yourself.

I think male HRT to get T levels up is a huge money maker for the drug manufacturers and not a good long term solution to low T.

I hope to hear from others how they have dealt with all of this emotion and medical advice / treatments.

[kittie60]

When I was a much younger lad the doctor prescribed t injections to help make me so call "normal" , oh it helped alright,. Made me into something that can only be described as a " overly horny,mean bull syndrome. They tried to cure my transgenerism. To high of a dose, they kept trying to get it right. The side effects for me were terrible. Finally after 12 or 13 years of that crap I quit it. The endocrinolist was madder then a wet hen
Told me without the femminin side would take over. Great I remember vividly telling him that. After all these years I am still much more happier now. In my personal opinion it is highly overrated and a money maker for the doctors. Now maybe today with the technology we have it can be regulated better but for me no dice. Of course this is my personal view on since I've been through if? .

[Dana44]

Actually a holistic doctor said that I had female estrogen and progesterone very high a low testosterone. He put me on it and a week later took me off of it as it started to effect my prostrate. I'm a DES kid and looks like I have to stay where I am or go the estrogen route. Getting there slowly as a lot of food has estrogen in it. Plastic bottles are one source. I stay away from them. My libido is fine though. But pretty much a girly boy with manly mannerisms except it is slowly changing.

[Acastina]

When I was a much younger lad the doctor prescribed t injections to help make me so call "normal" , oh it helped alright,. Made me into something that can only be described as a " overly horny,mean bull syndrome. They tried to cure my transgenerism. To high of a dose, they kept trying to get it right. The side effects for me were terrible. Finally after 12 or 13 years of that crap I quit it. The endocrinolist was madder then a wet hen
Told me without the femminin side would take over. Great I remember vividly telling him that. After all these years I am still much more happier now. In my personal opinion it is highly overrated and a money maker for the doctors. Now maybe today with the technology we have it can be regulated better but for me no dice. Of course this is my personal view on since I've been through if? .

What you're describing is old-school, ignorant quackery. Not that it's an irrational hypothesis to think that they can "cure" the femm thing with a regimen of manly hormones, but the result is usually what you describe. I knew a FTM TS who had some serious anger-management issues from the testosterone. It's really simplistic to think that supercharging the male sex hormone will flip the gender-identity switch, like it's that simple. Simply put, there was no "right" for them to get.

What's different about us isn't endocrinological; it's most likely errant neural connections made before we ever left the womb, and tinkering with hormones to change brain anomalies is dangerous. Let the wet hen stew in his or her clumsiness, and good for you for knowing better than to continue being an experimental subject.

[Tracii G]

I agree Acastina.

I have never had my T levels checked and I really don't want to know just because they might try and put me on it.
The last thing I want is to be manly.

[Robin414]

Don't get me started on a Bio Chem topic... 😠

[Kate Simmons]

Best to discuss these feelings with your doctor. :)

[Krisi]

Yes. Ask your doctor.

I have been on Androgel for years. We need testosterone for our body's well being. Strength, muscle tone, etc. And not just so we can lift weights, we have internal muscles as well.

I have noticed no difference in attitude, mental state or anything else other than I feel generally better.

Your doctor has had many years of education on this stuff and has access to a lot of additional information. Posters on a crossdressing forum, not so much. Think about it.

[Acastina]

@Krisi:
I agree that testosterone therapy has its useful purposes in individuals' health situations, and glad you're having a good response, but Kittie was describing its application to treat her gender issues. There is a history in scholarly TG literature of such a misuse of hormone therapy in patients without low-T but with TG manifestations, on the hypothesis that a jolt of man chemicals will purge the girly out of the patient. In fetishistic individuals (a large percentage of CDs), it generally had the opposite of the intended effect by hyping up the sex drive, which in turn supercharged the fetish behavior.

[Tina_gm]

My thoughts about the low T fad these days-

Either by design, or just the natural progression of aging, our T levels decrease. Some more than others, some sooner than others, but it generally will happen to everyone given enough time. It is NORMAL. It is a part of aging. I am quite skeptical about the artificial increase of testosterone in men. Unless, there is a severe really severe drop off at an age say 20 or 30 and it is causing a crazy imbalance. Otherwise, this T boost that men are now going for I wonder if the side effects of it might not be for the best long term. It hasn't gone on in the amount of time for its recent popularity for us to really know what happens to men in their 40's or 50's who are trying to reclaim their youth and vigor, oh and sexual capacity.

HRT for transgendered people is for dysphoria. And there is both an increase in in the estrogen, as well as a blocker of testosterone. Otherwise, the body would work hard to re balance the T level. It is done so that the hormones reflect the identity. A doctor may prescribe TRT therapy to someone who is transgendered, and it may have a reverse effect, in terms of emotional effects. Most in the TS section say that HRT makes them feel much calmer and overall happier. The decrease in sexual capacity is either worth feeling so much better, or in many cases a desired effect in of itself.

Generally, I think unless there is a real problem hormone wise, we should let nature just take its course. It is meant to be this way.

[jackielou]

hello stephi i am right there with you,255655 get a T shot every 2 weeks my body converts testosterone to estrogen so it is a constant battle but on the bright side i feel great and i have grown a full set of DDD breast over the years now i go under dressed full time with a bra and panties

[Teresa]

Stephi,
My levels of T are high but I don't think it has any bearing on being depressed, I find it's more to do the pressures of CDing and the acceptance level of partners and family. At least that was my reason to consider ending my life, the reason it's getting better is I know where I am with my CDing and accept it . I'm not saying my mind isn't screwed up to some degree but that's down to so many reasons !

[Krisi]

Yes, men's testosterone levels drop as part of normal aging. Our teeth begin to fail, our eyesight worsens and we may lose hearing ability as well. So this is normal. The question is, if we can delay or compensate for these age related problems, should we not or should we do what we can to prolong our quality of life?

Do you have false teeth, crowns, etc., to replace failed teeth? Do you wear glasses to improve your eyesight? Wear a hearing aide so you can hear your grandchildren's laughter (or the horn of the car that's bearing down on you)?

At my age I take medicines to improve my quality of life and postpone the day when I will sit all day in the recliner watching TV and waiting to die. Testosterone, prescribed by my doctor after blood tests, is one of those medicines. If I didn't need it, I wouldn't take it.

I trust my doctor for medical advice, not web forums.