Testosterone levels

[MarinaSweden]

When I wisited my doctor for the yearly check up, the took some tests. One test I asked them to take was the levels of testosterone. The reason for it was that I had heard that low levels of testosterone can lead to depression and since I have that diagnose since 2014, I wanted to see if that could be one reason. I am soon to become 50 years of age, it is natural for the levels to go down.

It turned out that I had very low levels of testosterone.

Beside the question of depression, I can't help wondering if low levels of testosterone could be one reason to my strong desire to present myself as female.

So my question to you, have anyone else made that test and where on the scale are you when it comes to testosterone?

[oh to be rachel]

Same deal here, I was at 293 testosterone serum where the norm is 348 - 1197.

Going to injections really helped with depression.


I've always wondered if a life long low testosterone has lead me to my crazy crossdressing sexuality.

Injections good side, a flat stomach, help on the golf course and some diabetes management help.
Injections bad side, hair growth like a monkey. I shave my chest daily.
Injections good/bad side. Boob growth.

It's curious now that after a year on testosterone, I'm now having the complication of my body turning my testosterone into estrogen (a very common side effect). Sometimes I wonder if that is my body telling me something bigger than I'm ready to accept yet.

[Krisi]

I was diagnosed with low testosterone a few years ago and have been using a testosterone gel ever since. Before and after, there was no difference in my desire to dress and present as a female.

I have had no side effects that I'm aware of. Certainly no breast growth.

[MarinaSweden]

Very interesting.

So you mean that testosterone injections will make your boobs grow?

[oh to be rachel]

To quote google

It is associated with some side effects, including:
Acne or oily skin.
Mild fluid retention.
Stimulation of prostate tissue, with perhaps some increased urination symptoms such as a decreased stream or frequency.
Increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
Breast enlargement.
Increased risk of blood clots.

- - - Updated - - -

I tried the gels for years and it was just an expensive waste. The needle is the way to go.

[Micki_Finn]

Don't mean to be dismissive but if crossdressing could be correlated with something as simple as testosterone deficiency then someone would have figured it out.

[Jodi]

I have dealt with BPH (enlarged prostate) for the last 15+ years. I started on medications 13 years ago. One of the meds is proscar, which is a testosterone blocker. My testosterone level is now probably minus 10. I'll live with it. Not a whole lot of libido, but the symptoms of BPH have greatly reduced. I'll take it. No problem with any depression.

The studies show that 80% of males over 50 will have some kind of problems with BPH.

jodi

[wanda66]

I have been on BPH meds for 10yrs or so ,my brest have gottena little larger my libido comes and goes. Body hair once shaved comes back slowly, I need to shave my legs maybe once a month.my testostrone level is low, estrogen hi . Libido is ok but my out put is low. I jokingly asked my doctor if he was turning me into a woman ,his answer was "not as long as you stand to pee" my reply ," I sit down" he smiled and squeezed my shoulder,and that was that.

[Jaylyn]

Is lack of testosterone why the hair on my legs has almost disappeared? I still have though a decent sexual appetite but not like when I was in my forties and fifties. Not really depressed though. I have always enjoyed the dressing and makeup but in different degrees of intensity in my life. I'm now in my mid sixties and have been wanting to dress more. My skin is thinner and the nylons and soft clothing feels better than my wrangler jeans and work shirts. I've seen lots of older men wearing loose fitting dress pants and nylon type socks, this might explain it.

[Pat]

You should also be aware that the bottom edge of "low testosterone" in a male is still more than three times the "high" level for a female. So low puts you low relative to, say, Chuck Norris but doesn't put you in danger of spontaneously transitioning. ;)

[Robin777]

If low testosterone is the cause of CDing, Why did I start when I was 13 and when my hormones were raging? It is a lot more complicated than low testosterone.

[Lana Mae]

I have many of the symptoms of low T but do not know how low it is. Although I note an increase in breast size, decreased libido, less hair on legs, but no depression. I do not consider it as a cause of my crossdressing because it actually started before puberty! Just my 2 cents!! LOL Hugs Lana Mae

[Laurana]

I had it tested lat year. It was normal.

[AKADonna]

Starting at about age 55, I have had feminine feeling and urges with ever increasing strength and frequency. ALso, my body no longer grows hair beneath my chin and my skin is considerably softer. I naturally assumed that I must have low T, so I had it checked and was told that my Testosterone and other hormonal levels were very normal for a 72 year old male. The net result of this story is that I don't know what causes these things, but I absolutely love it and am enjoying it all that I can!

[Becky Blue]

I have often wondered about that. My theory that (to me) seems pretty logical to explain late onset trans is that as our testosterone reduces it lets the inner girl out. Of course if a guy does not have an inner girl then less T will not have an impact. But perhaps having some kind of transgender already it intensifies as the testosterone drops. The fact that one may have a normal T count for a 55 year old it is still a lot less T than when they were 45. Well it seems logical to me :)

[Rachelakld]

I started dressing at 4 years of age, no idea what my testosterone was back then.

Had very low T while wife & I were trying for a baby, got the injection and couldn't sit on my arse for weeks - never again thanks.
Always enjoyed sex, have relatively low levels body hair and no sign of depression in my first 51 years.

[Lorileah]

when I had my T level checked it was"normal"...then I started transitioning. T dropped like a rock...being TS (and choosing dresses and skirts as my main outfits) didn't change. If the T was even a reason for 10%, it would be suggested as a treatment if you ever disclosed you dressed and had a desire to not dress.

[MarinaSweden]

I would never say that it was the one and only reason. I don't know how it is in other parts of the world, but here in Sweden, I would say it is as impossible to do research on what causes transvestism as it would be to find out why some people are gay. It is just a big no-no.

But there are two things I beleive. One is that men and women are more alike than different. Probably 99% alike or even more. All of us are floating around the gender scale, but some are leaning more to the feminine side, some more to the masculine side. Normally those born with male bodies lean towards masculinity. We DO know that testosterone and estrogen have a very big influence as to how we behave. So the notion that low levels of it could make me (and others) more prone to develop a more feminin personality is certainly not strange to me.
Well that was only one thing, I forgot the other but it might come back...

The reason why this question arose in me was that I visited a urologist for a possible vasectomy (sterilization). It turned out he was also a scientist doing research on what testosterone do to your body and your mind. He said this area is very unknown and according to him, the reason for that is that there is a very strong stigma surrounding testosterone. It is associated with violence, undesired behaviour in men etc. My visit with that doctor turned in to a lecture that took at least half an hour where he told med how important it is and what happens if you suffer from low levels. He did bring up the fact that low levels are causing depresstion in a big number of cases. His strong opinion was that men around 50 should have the same natural access to testosterone as women have to estrogen. I have been thinking a lot about that since then.


Don't mean to be dismissive but if crossdressing could be correlated with something as simple as testosterone deficiency then someone would have figured it out.

[MissTee]

It's an interesting theory. I am nearing 60 and my T levels are normal. I have dressed since I was old enough to raid the panty drawer at home. Not optimistic that a shot of anything will change me.

[MarinaSweden]

Well I have come to a point where I don't want to change. I can enjoy both my male expression and my female. Before coming out and accepting myself, I could actually do neither. Now I really like both sides. So that is not my point with this thread.

I am only curious to know if anyone else or even most in this community suffer from low levels of testosterone.


It's an interesting theory. I am nearing 60 and my T levels are normal. I have dressed since I was old enough to raid the panty drawer at home. Not optimistic that a shot of anything will change me.

[oh to be rachel]

You should also be aware that the bottom edge of "low testosterone" in a male is still more than three times the "high" level for a female. So low puts you low relative to, say, Chuck Norris but doesn't put you in danger of spontaneously transitioning. ;)

Excellent point!

[MarinaSweden]

(rachel)

Maybe you are missing my point because of the fact that English isn't my native language.

[Tara Rushing]

47 years old here and my last tests showed a level of 901 which is high normal. Still have very strong desire to dress and present en femme....

[Teri Ray]

I have low "T". Been using gel treatment for several years. I have not found that using or not using, the testosterone gel to balance my levels have had any effect on my desire to dress or not.

[ClosetED]

Testosterone levels certainly are not correlated with CDing in a typical male. But a change in level of testosterone and/or estrogen might make someone who is already genetically predisposed to CDing begin. There are some who did not crossdress until after 50 and put on medications.
Hugs, Ellen

[Contessa]

This will probably not make any difference to anyone. I went to see my first endocrinologist and he was willing to put me on T blocker first prior to Estrogen. I only saw him once. So then I find out after being on T blocker that my T was low, as the nurse didn't know about me and called me to say that I may need to find out about doing something to raise it. The nurse who knew about me called me back and said that the level was in no way of changing my new life style. I went to find out about being put on Estrogen but the doctor was still reluctant due to my age. So I went to a different doctor who was okay and put me on a low dose of Estrodial. My low reading of T upon my first notice was less than half normal which is about 1200 so I am less now.

Desire to do something is probably not directly attributive to having low t, why would dressing have any affect on lowering your T level. I think that maybe some are just going to do somethings that others will not. Remember that there are probably some who don't post here cause they do not want others to know about their dressing and don't know about this site. I wonder why I would rather to dress than to even worry about raising my T level. Is there a difference in being 24/7 and T level? There is a question.

[Joyce Swindell]

In 2002 I was diagnosed with low T levels. We went through the gammit of creams and patches with no effect. The doc then put me on the injections and levels were where they needed to be. We then moved to another town and I ran out of the prescription and my new doc tested my levels and said they were normal and refused to reinstate a prescription for the med. I have had a few different doctors test it and was told it was in the "normal" range. Someone in the thread used the term "for your/my age" in reference to T levels. So I wonder.....it is expected that our levels are lower as we grow older, was I caught in the middle of "normal for my age" ....kinda like "payment crossed in the mail" ? I don't understand how one doctor says normal when another says low? Admittedly the doctor said low side of normal and chose by that that I needed Fluoxitine (spelling?) to help me with my depression issues. Most likely because of some of those side effects you all mentioned. In any case ... been a cross dresser all of my life and I'm 61 now and was 45 when diagnosed with low T but seemed to have come out of that diagnosis due to the *for your age* statement. No matter....is what it is...I'm happy with the new anti depression drug and all seems to be going very well.

My 4 cents worth! lol

[Oria]

Have them check your free Testosterone. I was in the normal level for over all T but at 0 for free T. I am on the shot now and mostly back to normal.

[Hell on Heels]

Hell-o Marina,
I doubt my testosterone being low was
a problem when I was 7 years old.

But I have wondered if that may have influenced
my recent desires to CD.
Much Love,
Kristyn

[Anne K]

You're English is excellent! Don't worry about that.

My T is extremely low and has been for many years. I tried the cream, but I felt too "edgy" and anxious. Frankly, I'm enjoying life as is and not looking for a reason why.

[immindy]

My T levels were on the high side when first tested. I have been a very hairy male . Now , being on estrogen and blockers for 6 years , of course they are low now , and what a relief ! I hated being so hairy its wonderful to have , an almost hairless body now. As a side benefit , it was nice to see a bit of reversal on my balding head :)