Testosterone

[Guest Max101796]

OK, so, I really wanna take T when I get the chance, but there's a few things that scare me. Weight gain- def not a big 1, cuz I'm skinny & my family's full of skinny people, but still. Acne- already got it & I hate it. Will it get worse? Baldness- does heredity count for anything cuz all men on both sides arnt bald. Also, heard a rumor- does taking T really take yrs off ur life? Thats the 1 I'm most worried about...

[Guest Zolrek]

OK, so, I really wanna take T when I get the chance, but there's a few things that scare me.

Weight gain

What? There is no "fat" gain when you take T. Sex hormones do not effect how much fat you gain, at all. You might gain muscle, which in turn would up your weight.

Acne- already got it & I hate it. Will it get worse?

Some people get more acne in puberty then others. You will just have to see how your body reacts.

Baldness- does heredity count for anything cuz all men on both sides aren't bald.

It's genetic. If men on your mothers side are bald or your fathers, you have a higher chance of getting it but not a 100% chance, ever.

Also, heard a rumor- does taking T really take yrs off ur life? Thats the 1 I'm most worried about...

That's a lie, who told you that? They're trying to lie to you in order to scare you.

[Guest Keane]

It doesn't take years off your life, but you have the same risk of heart problems that men have (more if it runs in your family) because men don't menstruate. This is easily fixed by donating blood regularly.

[Guest Keane]

^ and when i said "easily fixed," I mean that it's something that is good for ALL men to do, not just transmen. Most guys don't though, and they live long enough.

[Guest Max101796]

Oh, well I know about how muscles add weight. Sorry, shuda been more specific. I did mean fat. Heard that rumor from my mom. & whew- if T doesnt shorten ur life then I'll most likely take it. Heard that 1 on a documentary called Transgeneration. But it was a kid who said it, not a dr, so I wasnt sure.

[Guest Max101796]

& as for the heart issues- ouch. complete opposite to the baldness thing- both sides of my family have a history of heart problems, but I guess that just means I'll have the same chance as my brother. Also, not sure if this makes a diffrnce but I'm vegetarian & my dad's almost, unlike my paternal granpa. My granpa eats a ton of meat & he's had thingies- stints?- put in his arteries(I think) cuz of his heart problems. My dad's 46 1/2 yrs & really healthy.

[Guest OneSmallStep]

Taking testosterone is the same as any other male who "takes it" through natural means (ie puberty.) The same health risks as any other men an ftm taking testosterone would have.

Now if you look at your potential life-span as being x amount of years as a woman (national average for a white woman in America being 80.5,) and you look at your life-span as being y amount of years as a man (national average for a white man in America being 75.4 in 2004,) and then subtract y from x (80.5 - 75.2 = 5.3), you do find a difference. But that is just because men on average tend to not live as long as women. Remember that this is an average, there are some people who go completely against what the so-called norm is, George Burns for instance lived to be what 100? And he smoked cigars every day..

For me, when I first weighed my worries, I decided that it's pointless to me to have a few extra years in a body that wasn't "mine," and more worth it to be as close to completely whole as possible with the potential for a few less years.

(life expectancy data from: http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20050228/us-life-expectancy-best-ever-says-cdc )

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

Now if you look at your potential life-span as being x amount of years as a woman (national average for a white woman in America being 80.5,) and you look at your life-span as being y amount of years as a man (national average for a white man in America being 75.4 in 2004,) and then subtract y from x (80.5 - 75.2 = 5.3), you do find a difference. But that is just because men on average tend to not live as long as women. Remember that this is an average, there are some people who go completely against what the so-called norm is, George Burns for instance lived to be what 100? And he smoked cigars every day..

You are awesome for citing your source.

There are lots of factors that could contribute to men's lower life expectancy. First, remember that we are talking about averages here, or at least some other measure of central tendency. These numbers are affected by outliers. Men are more likely than women to have dangerous jobs and to avoid seeking medical care for ongoing health problems (diabetes, high blood pressure, etc...). Both of these could contribute to lower life expectancy independent of some general tendency for men's bodies to "expire" sooner than womens'.

Another important thing to consider is "individual differences". It isn't like switching from female to male automatically subtracts some constant from your life span. There is no one going "oh...minus five from that one for being a boy". It doesn't work that way. As OneSmallStep points out, there is CONSIDERABLE variability among both men and womens' lifespans. You're individual risk factors are probably a better predictor of your lifespan than group averages.

It's prudent to take care of one's health, no matter who you are.

I think there is a lot of misinformation going around about the risks of testosterone. I've heard all kinds of stuff ranging from "it will turn you into a raging anger factory" from "you'll have cancer within 5 years". There may be some negative effects of testosterone on female bodied people, but as far as I know, research on this is limited to non-existent. Anyone that makes confident assertions about long term effects of testosterone therapy in FTM's is probably vastly overstating their knowledge. There have been very few systematic, long-term studies. When studies do find elevated rates of reproductive cancers in FTM's, some of that could be accounted for by a lack of preventative care and the elevated rate of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) in FTM's, which is also associated with having a higher risk for reproductive cancers.

It seems like there is some general tendency to want to make testosterone seem more sinister than it is. Everything has risks. Be smart about risks and take care of yourself. End of story.

[Guest MrAwesome]

Here's a tip - the average person probably doesn't know what they're talking about when it comes to Transition... Don't trust what the average person tells you. I've been told all kinds of things to try to scare me. Trust what the people here that know what they're talking about tell you. Trust what doctors that know what they're talking about tell you. Take the things average people say with 'a grain of salt' I guess...

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

It doesn't take years off your life, but you have the same risk of heart problems that men have (more if it runs in your family) because men don't menstruate. This is easily fixed by donating blood regularly.

This is essentially correct, but I'd like to add some details. While women run the risk of having too little iron in their blood because of what is lost through menstruation, men run the risk of having too much iron.

http://www.medicinenet.com/polycythemia_high_red_blood_cell_count/article.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycythemia

Having too much iron in your blood can be associated with high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as well as increased clotting. Blood clots can lead to strokes, which is when blood flow is cut off to a part of your brain, damaging it. Donating blood is one way to deal with polycythemia.

I'm not sure of the incidence of polycythemia, but it isn't something that ALL men have. However, donating blood means that you're all good, even if you have it.

This is yet another reason why it is very important for transmen to get regular blood work done. Besides hormone levels, my doctor checks my iron level, as well as kidney and liver function.

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

Here's a tip - the average person probably doesn't know what they're talking about when it comes to Transition... Don't trust what the average person tells you. I've been told all kinds of things to try to scare me. Trust what the people here that know what they're talking about tell you. Trust what doctors that know what they're talking about tell you. Take the things average people say with 'a grain of salt' I guess...

It's even a good idea to double check what doctors say. Doctors, just like everyone else, are often overconfident with respect to their knowledge of familiar topics. The best case scenario is that the doctor knows more than the average person. However, with a lot of trans-specific health issues, there are things that no one knows for sure.

[Guest MrAwesome]

Stranded, that's why I included "Know what they're talking about" I wasn't implying that they ALL do.

[Drea]

Even among trans people there are lots of beliefs and myths that are poorly rooted in reality or don't have any real scientific basis other than they are nice to believe. I appreciat the comments that point out the lack of research in some areas and thoughtful responses.

[Guest Max101796]

Yeah, I wouldnt trust the average person. It was just that the kid/young adult on the documentary that said it WAS a transguy who had supposedly researched the effects of taking T. Thats why I was confused.

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

Stranded, that's why I included "Know what they're talking about" I wasn't implying that they ALL do.

Haha! You are dead-on, as usual.

Yeah, I wouldnt trust the average person. It was just that the kid/young adult on the documentary that said it WAS a transguy who had supposedly researched the effects of taking T. Thats why I was confused.

I'd be interested to know whose work they are citing in the documentary. I know of a transguy who has done research on some of the social and personality effects of taking T, but none who have looked at biological factors.

It's also important to remember that one study is better than nothing, but a single study doesn't let us say much with certainty. Large, longitudinal studies (where they follow people over a long period of time) are expensive and difficult to manage, so they aren't done very often. Sadly enough, some of the other studies I've found weren't exactly high quality.

As members of an underserved group, it is very important that we become savvy, careful consumers of information. It's okay to be critical!

[Guest nelo]

Having too much iron in your blood can be associated with high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as well as increased clotting. Blood clots can lead to strokes, which is when blood flow is cut off to a part of your brain, damaging it. Donating blood is one way to deal with polycythemia.

What if you can't donate blood because say... high blood pressure?

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

What if you can't donate blood because say... high blood pressure?

I'm pretty sure high blood pressure doesn't disqualify you from donating blood. In fact, donating blood would reduce your blood pressure, at least temporarily. Less blood = less pressure

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/treat/bpd_type.htm

If you have ridiculous high blood pressure, you probably wouldn't be allowed to donate blood. However, if you were being treated for polycythemia, that'd be a different case altogether. You'd probably just have to go to a hospital or doctor's office to donate, instead of just hitting up the local blood bank.

[Guest nelo]

I'm pretty sure high blood pressure doesn't disqualify you from donating blood. In fact, donating blood would reduce your blood pressure, at least temporarily. Less blood = less pressure

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/treat/bpd_type.htm

If you have ridiculous high blood pressure, you probably wouldn't be allowed to donate blood. However, if you were being treated for polycythemia, that'd be a different case altogether. You'd probably just have to go to a hospital or doctor's office to donate, instead of just hitting up the local blood bank.

Ah, because my dad says he's never allowed to donate blood because he has high blood pressure, but he thought the same as you, that it would reduce his blood pressure (at least temporarily).

And the polycythemia, that sucks because I found out the blood they donate often goes to waste, because... it doesn't actually get donated... it just gets drained or whatever.

And then my poor friend can't donate because she has an immune disorder. It's just crohn's, but she gets automatically disqualified.

Harder to donate blood that it looks...

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

Yeah, they are a little picky about whose blood they'll take. Here's a list of their eligibility criteria:

http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/eligibility-requirements/eligibility-criteria-topic

If your dad's BP is over 180/100, he needs to do more than donate blood! That's really high.

[Guest nelo]

I don't know, it's been a while since he tried to donate, and it did used to be very high. He's on medication now I think.

[Guest Max101796]

OK, just thought of something else: how early would you need to take T for it to affect ur height? Not sure it'd do me any good, cuz my mom was 6'(she shrunk), my dad is 6', & my aunt is 6', while my uncles are all over 6'. I'm like, 5'7&1/2"(at least; I might be 5'8") right now(13&3/4yrs), but I'd jump at the chance to inrease my height. If taking T would help, then I'd need to know what age would be a good time to ask my mom for it(something I'm dreading).

[Guest Darius]

I have a question that is off subject but in the same area. The GT I talked to last night told me that if I started T that my feelings for my husband would change. My husband is the reason I'm not pushing to start transition. I don't want to lose him because of it but I don't think I can handle being in this body anymore. So I would like to know if anyone can tell me what affects starting hormones will have on one's feelings for someone/people?

Darius

[Guest StrandedOutThere]

OK, just thought of something else: how early would you need to take T for it to affect ur height? Not sure it'd do me any good, cuz my mom was 6'(she shrunk), my dad is 6', & my aunt is 6', while my uncles are all over 6'. I'm like, 5'7&1/2"(at least; I might be 5'8") right now(13&3/4yrs), but I'd jump at the chance to inrease my height. If taking T would help, then I'd need to know what age would be a good time to ask my mom for it(something I'm dreading).

This is another area where there is a lot of misinformation circulating. Once the epiphyseal plates fuse, you can't get any taller.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphyseal_plate

These are the part of your bones that "fill in" while you are growing. For cis-males, I think the growth plates fuse between age 15 and 20, and it happens earlier for female-bodied people. I've heard that it coincides with the arrival of that dreaded monthly visitor. I personally had reached my adult height by the time I was about 12 or 13.

Only an x-ray would tell you for sure if you'd pick up any height on T. As for right now, taking T isn't something to jump into. A better option to discuss would be hormone blockers, because that'd stop puberty where it is and give you time to figure things out. Transition is a serious, lifelong change. It's not something you want to rush into.

Slow down there, Tex. Talk to your parents and go from there.

I have a question that is off subject but in the same area. The GT I talked to last night told me that if I started T that my feelings for my husband would change. My husband is the reason I'm not pushing to start transition. I don't want to lose him because of it but I don't think I can handle being in this body anymore. So I would like to know if anyone can tell me what affects starting hormones will have on one's feelings for someone/people?

Darius

There are a couple of threads about this. My feelings toward my partner didn't change once I was on T. Some people report changes, others don't. It's highly subjective and varies from person to person. What is a MUCH more likely scenario is that your husband's feelings toward you will change. Even for a partner that is initially supportive, the reality is that transition brings about a LOT of physical changes. People that thought they would be okay with it sometimes aren't.

In short, no one is going to be able to tell you if hormones will change your feelings. My personal opinion is that they don't change your feelings at all, but they do change how people react to you. Feelings sometimes respond to the environment though, so I guess it's plausible that T could bring about some indirect changes. Sorry I don't have better answers for you.

Check out the HRT Effects forum: http://www.lauras-playground.com/forums/index.php?showforum=56

You may find some answers there. Also, don't be shy about starting your own thread if you aren't finding the answers you want. If you have a question, chances are that someone else has a similar question and is too shy to post.

[Guest Max101796]

Huh... I'd always thought I was too late in puberty to take hormone blockers. Of course, I had been thinking about the other things, & not height. To prevent puberty completely, I shoulda started hormone blockers when I was like, 8. But, ya know, theres no way my parents'd let me start those, or T. I think I'll hafta wait til I'm outa the house... I mean, I already told my mom I'm really a guy, & I bet she told my dad, but mom's totally in denial(keeps callin me "missy" & "ma'am", with emphasis).

[Flint]

I can't give blood cause of heart condition.

I know some of the changes T can make, but I've been told so many things that it does get very confusing. This is an interesting topic to read.