Side effects on T

[Guest kobrax]

so last night I had the worst sickness! I had crazy nausea, complete diarrhea (blech) and chills! I'm not sure if this is from T, but it's been a week since my first shot. I'm going back tomorrow. I went to the hospital today because I could just not take the pain and sickness, it was pretty bad. have any of you had any bad side effects the first time you took T?

[Guest Sarah1967]

Could be some kind of flu virus going around causing what you have an is probably not from the T ..,,

[JJ]

While I have never had any side effects from T like that and I have more allergies than I care to think about from foods to plants to insects. I have heard of people having similar allergic reactions to the esters the T is in. They use different things and if it is that it doesn't mean you can't take shots but may need to change brand or type. If you are having that strong a reaction it can be dangerous.

But I think if it is an allergy it would have shown up sooner and there would have seen some indication or reaction at the site. Probably a flu or reaction to something else. T is a powerful hormone that is changing much more than external appearance and your hormones are changing rapidly and probably drastically. It could make you more sensitive to other things I suppose. I know it increases sensitivity to thyroid medication and thyroid med has to be reduced or closely monitored when you are on T. Don't know if you are on anything but would be good to have a Dr double check. Mine didn't know about the thyroid thing which can cause serious complication that over time become permanent. Another possibility is that T is also potassium sparing though not nearly as much so as the meds MTFs take. I was using salt substitute when I started T and got very sick from excess potassium. That is a very serious situation that has a high potential to be fatal so going to the Dr asap is essential.

No harm done if it turns out to be flu but if it is something related to the T then getting it checked immediately can save your health and possibly your life.

Johnny

[Guest LuceKeagan]

Hm. Are you taking any other medications? This sounds like something that happened to me recently when I was in the hospital....but it was unrelated to T. A possible reaction to the suspension oil perhaps? Some reactions to the oil can be delayed/need time to build up/gain an intolerance. Was the pain belly pain? Or more generalized? Or localized to the injection site? Many reactions cause a rash or swelling at the injection site.

The worst side effects I have had from T is when I had to go off of it prior to a surgery....for two weeks. I was not a happy camper. I had withdrawal from it. Extreme nausea, chills, sweats, stomach issues (vomiting and diarrhea), headaches, body cramps, and horrible pain mostly centered in my abdominal area and lower back...and don't forget the moodwings...those were bad and hard to control. The surgeon and my GP/endocrinologist think the pain came from my reproductive organs since I had endometriosis and cysts on my ovaries. Apparently being on the T helped with the pain from that. Prior to starting T I always had pain and discomfort so I got used to dealing with it. Then I started T and I guess it slowly went away and I didn't notice....until I stopped it. It was unreal how much pain I was in.

Maybe your dose is too low or spaced wrong and you are withdrawing from the T? They'd have to do a blood test to confirm levels. Asking for a ultrasound or CT of the reproductive and abdominal area might be something to think about if the pain is centered there. Hopefully you just have a nasty case of food poisoning or a flu, but still let your doctor know and give them a copy of any medical papers you got when you were discharged so they can call the hospital and reach the attending physician who took care of you today with any questions they may have.

[Guest kobrax]

I'm not so sure it is a flu, but i could be wrong. I didn't have a fever or anything, but this also happened last week. I wasn't on T last week but the sickness wasn't as severe as now. Maybe the T did make me more sensitive to certain things. I'm going to my doctor tomorrow and hopefully she will know. I hope I don't have any kind of allergy to it because that wouldn't be fun Thank you Sarah and Johnny for your feedback

[Guest kobrax]

LuceKeagan- Yes I'm currently taking a medication with my T, maybe that is the cause. I wasn't having problems with my medication since i've taken it but the T may have changed that. The pain is in my stomach and lower abdomen and I have chills through out my whole body. But you say something about withdrawl. I got my shot Tuesday and this happened last night...monday. It makes me feel like maybe I didn't have enough T in me for the week or something and the T in my body was wearing down a little bit and once I get my new shot tomorrow I will feel better. I'm not sure, that could be a reason. Thank you

[Guest Jaques]

all I noticed with t was my bloodpresssure and cholesterol go high from about month 3, and after a couple of years I noticed my hair had got a lot thiner and receded, but nothing else, I guess we are all different but sometimes people can be allergic to it or need a different kind - a mate of mine had to change from injections to gell.

Imalso now on gell, and on a quarter of the normal dosage now since I wanted those side affects to go and also my hair to stop falling out and ive been on this dose for several months without any kind of withdrawal. With T I think its a case of suck it and see - if it carries on affecting you badly then you may need to change the type. Or as has been said, it could just be you have a virus or bug of some kind. Im sure you will get it sorted.

[Guest LuceKeagan]

Talk with your doctor about your other medications as well. Some people react differently to the different chemicals when they mix and absorb into our bodies. Thyroid medications like Johnny mentioned are one of the main ones. Blood thinners I think can too. Some antidepressants can also. Generally anything that has the same side effects as T (high blood pressure and such) need to be monitored carefully. Some people are just hypersensitive to certain things. Like Tylenol for me. I'm so sensitive to it my doctor says I'm borderline allergic. Which is highly unusual from what doctors have told me.

Just remember it can take a bit to get the dose right kobrax. It took me personally six months to get to my full and proper dose, but I started on a lower than normal dose and worked up because of a study I read about low dose and slowly working it up and how it effected the vocal chords (trying to emulate a more natural T increase). I kept a T journal and wrote down how I was feeling emotionally and physically while in this period. It made it so much easier for my doctor and I to adjust the dosage....and I didn't forget to tell him anything.

Yes withdrawal was pretty extreme and lasted until I took my shot, but remember I had stopped taking it cold turkey after being on T for over a year and had other health issues going on. I'm not sure if your doctor will up the dose week to week or not. I didn't even see my doctor before my weekly shots when I was going to the doctor's office to get them. I saw a nurse and that was it. They couldn't up the dose at all. I had to get a blood a week before each dose increase to give the tests time to come back.

When I was adjusting my T dose I would feel worn out and energy-zapped a day or two before my next shot but nothing close to withdrawals so long as I had some T in my system. Some times I'd get headaches too but I'm already prone to getting migraines. This all stopped once we figured out the right dose and correct spacing.

Jaques- A friend of mine has had great luck with a hair transplant and lowering his T dose. =) Don't know if that's something you'd be interested in or want to do but it's a thought. His hair looks amazing after it had a chance to grow in and so far it hasn't receded at all.

[Guest Jaques]

thank you but my hair isn't so bad I need a transplant, its a lot thinner and receded but since my T dose is now minimal it seems to have stopped falling out yet my body and facial hair hasn't stopped so far and its been a good 6 months, im quite happy with that, my masculine looks are still in tact.............they say you can start to change body shape again but to be honest I always had slim hips and wide shoulders so don't look any different. My endo had the same problems as me and he cut his dose to a small amount and in fact didn't really pass anyway, even after many more years on T than myself (ive been on it 7 yrs) and he also takes a small dost of estrogen so his hair doesn't fall out - I am still of the view that after a while, it can be a few yrs, on T, most transmen seem to lose a lot if not all their hair..........I don't think, like bio guys, that its the normal male pattern baldness and genetic.

[Guest LuceKeagan]

Just a random thought I remembered while posting Jaques. =) Glad your hair loss has stopped. I think a lot of the problems we have with hair loss has something to do with abnormal T levels that stay mostly constant (if one stays on their dose) while natal males T levels can/ tend to lower as they age, as well as genetics, and environment. Plus unless we get a radical (what its called stateside when you remove ovaries too) hysterectomy we're also battling estrogen and fluctuating hormones if we're not careful. Guess I'll see how my hair holds out on T now that I got rid of my estrogen factory. Personally I'd rather be a bald guy than a supermodel woman. =) It's better for my sanity and those around me. Though I would enjoy more facial hair...but genetics got me there. lol

Kobrax- How was your doctor visit? Feeling any better?

[Guest Jaques]

with regard to your facial hair luce, mine came in straight after starting T but took a couple of years or more to really thicken up, so you may get more as time goes on - I keep mine trimmed down to a kinda long stubble as its greying a bit now - im very lucky at 64 to only have a few grey hairs - I had a hysterectomy in l996 but went on HRT then as the menopause symptoms were horrendous, so my hair stayed very thick - even women can go bald and old ladies can get very thin on top, so im grateful that I still got what I have

I hope Kobrax you are getting something sorted out, hows things now?

Im off camping this morning for a few days - its raining, as it does here a lot - lol - good for the hair, ha ha!

[Guest Dudebro]

Sounds like possible food poisoning or a stomach bug to me, but I'd get it checked out to be safe.

[Guest LuceKeagan]

Thanks for the kind words Jaques but..... I'm basing the facial hair issue off of a very long familial history from both sides. Probably not happening. Too much Native American from mom's side and too much Austrian/German from dad's. None of my genetic male relatives have any luck with facial hair coming in thick. Both my brothers are hopeless in this regard lol. What does grow in is red also, which looks odd since one brother and I have dark brown hair. Mine seems to be coming in patchy, thin and in rainbow design...mostly blond. Oh well I've accepted it. Now body hair on the other hand.....my mom's dad was a wooly mammoth from the neck down lmao and so am I to be it seems. My sister always laughs and says it'll be funny if I'm the only one of three brothers that can grow a decent beard. Enjoy your camping Jaques.

Hope kobrax is doing better.

Possibly Dudebro. I know I have a nasty stomach flu right now that I'm seeing my doctor about today. Seems to be something going around. Like always I suppose.

[Guest Ebany]

I read somewhere, and can't remember where, that there a seems to be a correlation between hair loss and facial hair growth... that the better beard you're able to grow, the more likely you'll be bald on top... since reading that study, I've been hoping that when I start T I can't grow a beard for crap lol

-Dani

[Guest MrAwesome]

As others have already said you might just have a cold/flu, or you could be having an allergic reaction. If it continues you should talk to your doctor.

[Guest Jaques]

I have now noticed my body hair, having gone on minimal amounts of T, has got less, but since on the higher dose it had started to make me look like a Yeti, that is a positive, its now just nice and my facial hair is still in tact, so im very happy with that. I have to see the endo at the end of the month so i dont know what he will say about my decision to lower the dose to l/8th of the original, but as an older guy it works for me, my sex drive isnt on red alert which i found very uncomfortable, now its just normal, possible more than a bio woman due to at least having a bit of T but not so high its on my mind and nagging my physically every waking hr. How do bio men cope with that?

I was actually going bald on the crown of my head and its now started to thicken up, yet my body shape hasnt changed, i always had slim hips anyway but i still have the middle aged mans stomach - i cant work out because ive a bent spine, so weights are a no no. my muscles never got much bigger on high doses of T but i did thicken up a bit. My youngest son is 32, his arms are thin yet hes really strong, so i think i just need to stop drinking wine every day and accept that most people, so far as i can see, get a bit fatter as they get older if its genetic.

I was worried i would start growing breasts again with less T but its just not happened thank goodness. Its interesting to see how T does affect us from person to person so keep the posts coming please.

[Guest Alexisyoi]

so last night I had the worst sickness! I had crazy nausea, complete diarrhea (blech) and chills! I'm not sure if this is from T, but it's been a week since my first shot. I'm going back tomorrow. I went to the hospital today because I could just not take the pain and sickness, it was pretty bad. have any of you had any bad side effects the first time you took T?

Lots of them, but lots of good ones too.

Changes in total so far (11th day on T):

I have had growing pains because I have grown (good and bad). I have no appetite and I am nauseous most of the time. My voice has changed a lot since day 1. My vocal chords feels like someone is drawing a rusty knife across them. I am tired all the time and I can get peed realllly easily. My hair is thicker and in better condition. My skin is better, though I've always had good skin. My feminine curves are getting smaller by the day. I feel an overall happy and hopeful feeling sometimes and I don't know if I ever felt like that before.

Basically what is bothering me the most is the pain from my vocal chords, my growing pains and the constant nausea. Though I have to say, the good effects by far outweighs the bad ones.

[Guest Leah1026]

T doesn't cause the flu, period. And don't let any doctors tell you different.