A question that I hope someone may be able to answer

[Nikki A.]

Moderators if I'm not posting this in the right section please move it.
I've recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer (luckily it seems to just be in the one area). Not looking for medical advice but my MD and I are of the same mind that, radiation and hormone therapy is the best course of treatment. The hormones will be a megadose injected once every six months. I understand that I'll probably go through "menopause" and some other effects. No problem about those, but I'm a little worried what the psychological effects may be. Right now I'm on a slow gradual path towards possibly transitioning a few years down the road. I'm a little worried that all this estrogen in my system will make me want to do this sooner. I've read that many of you found peace and a clarity when you went on hormones. Now to a non CDer or TG person this may not be an issue. But for someone who might be on the edge, do I need to worry or am I overthinking all this.

[Maid_Marion]

Does your doctor know you intend to possibly transition?

[AllieSF]

Been there done that. Now my successful bout with prostate cancer caused some deep and totally unnoticed "silent" depression that altered my life forever. I was single and though I had a support network it was not the up close and cuddling kind. I had my prostate removed with no further treatments, just periodic PSA tests and digital rectal exams. That was in 2005 before I ever even thought about crossdressing, "What is that?", was the total of my familiarity with all of this. Now I am living full time. I was happy before all of this and I am even happier and freer (in my mind) now. Go figure! So, yes there can be something there that gets inside your head without your knowledge. Keep your close personal connections closer, talk about everything, including crazy thought, justifiable fears and anything else that crosses your mind. Do not hesitate to get some therapy if needed. Since you are posting in this section I have to believe that you think you are in this section of the forum. Watch and take care of yourself and look for small signs that may be an indication of some more serious feelings. PM if you would like. Hugs and keep a positive attitude as best you can.

[Nikki A.]

Marion: I don't think it is important to tell him at this point. I want to do what will be most effective for my situation. I'll worry about the effects as I go ahead.
Allie : I'm single also and I think I have a pretty good support network and I usually can stay pretty positive. Right now I do seem to be spending more time dressed and being out and about. But I'm not sure I'm ready to make the commitment that most of you have. Will being on hormones push me further down the road, that's what I am concerned about. I thought that you all may give me an idea how the hormones affected you and what I could possibly look for.

[AllieSF]

Maybe it is your choice of words. If you are being "pushed" down the road, then you may need to determine why you feel the negative, i.e. I am not ready or I do not want to go down that road. Look, you can only direct your life so much. Maybe it will be good luck and great benefits. A lot of what we do, where we go and where we end up is caused by things outside of our control, unless we had a say in it all. Cancer is cancer. If you need the treatment and agree to what they recommend, then life is going to maybe get you down that road quicker. So what? You can always pick another treatment with their own associated risks, which in my case I experienced. No complaints and I am still happy and prospering as a person.

[Jeri Ann]

Hormone injections will not MAKE you want to transition, or wear pantyhose or anything else. The estrogen (Estradiol?) will not stay in your body long anyway. Your body will process and eliminate it like everything else. You may get sore nipples, maybe a little something behind them but that's all.

Hormone treatment for prostrate cancer is not new. If it "caused" men to transition, it probably would not be approved for use. Think about the problems that would cause for some men.

Just follow your doctors recommendations and deal with the cancer. Transitioning will happen or it won't. That will be determined by many other factors, not treatment for cancer.

[pamela7]

the HRT will have little effect without including an anti-androgen. as the prostate shrinks under hrt, sounds like you can't go wrong, really.

xxx

[Aunt Kelly]

I'm a little worried that all this estrogen in my system will make me want to do this sooner.

Stop worrying. It won't. Estrogen is not a psychoactive substance. Yes, the placebo effects on mood are well documented, and there is some thought that long term use causes changes to neurophysiology, but no. Your doctor's prescribed course of treatment is not going to make you want more to be a girl.

[Marie-Jo]

To my knowledge - the hormone therapy used is mainly about pushing down testosterone levels. Side effects like breast growth and sensitivity but it is not about estrogen as such in the therapy. Medication is about reducing testosterone and blocking it from having the usual effects. Due to the tendency of cancer cells to adapt to the therapy the treatment is given in intervals. This will not be like a hrt treatment to make you more of a woman. Google "prostate cancer hormone therapy" and you will find relevant information.

[Laura912]

Go here: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/treating/hormone-therapy.html

You will find that the modern drugs used are not estrogens but androgen antagonist. The side effects relate to lack of androgens not estrogen stimulation. But because there are estrogenic compounds in small amounts in the male, there can be minor estrogen effects but nothing like the testosterone suppression effects.

So, as Jeri Ann said, these shots for your cancer treatment will not grease the skids to transition.

[LeaP]

Laura is 100% correct.

The only thing I’ll add is that psychological estrogenic effects., if you have any at all, tend to take a long time to manifest and appreciate. The way hormones work in the body are complex, the mechanisms affected interact in equally complex ways, and the end results vary by individual.

While it is true that many of us find peace and clarity (to use your words) on HRT, a lot of that comes from lowering testosterone levels. That’s not true of most non-TS, however, who find it disturbing. If the hormone therapy portion of your treatment is indeed anti-androgenic, the most likely outcome will be that you’ll be tired and irritable for some period of time.

[Leasa Wells]

I cant add to anything medically said, I will just say your in my prayers.

lisa

[Nikki A.]

Thank you all for your comments. I do realize that if the predisposition was not there it would not put it there. I guess I'll just see what happens and deal with the results.