Doctor gave me double the dosage T for 18 months!

[Der_Rick]

Hey guys, 

I'm from Germany and I'm a complete mess now. Forgive me for my bad grammar ?

 

In 2011 I got my HRT started with Testosterone every two weeks and a GnRH antagonist once a month. 

 

I felt pretty good. My mood was amazing. I was strong and felt like my life was finally going in the right direction. 

 

So, last year after several movements from one city to another, I changed my Endocronologist. 

I gave them a letter from 2014 where my exact dosage and medication were listed. (T every two weeks and GnRH Antagonist once a month)

 

I went to my GP as usual and got my T injections like I did for 5 years by then and I started to feel weird. Not that kind of sick but I was always "on edge". I told my GP and my Endocrinologists and they said it's all psychological related. Nothing to worry about. 

 

Then I started to feel weak. I was always tired and nauseated. My appetite and libido decreased to an absolute minimum. I didn't know what was going on. 

 

In July/August I got 3 injections T at an interval of 11 days. July 15th, July 26th and August 7th. The next week was HELL. And suddenly it hit me like a train. I must've been the testosterone causing my symptoms. (I never had problems before with an interval of 11-13 days) 

I checked all papers and reports from my new Endocronologists and I couldn't believe my eyes as I saw that they wrote DOUBLE THE DOSAGE of T in the report to my GP. 

 

I called them and told them that I need an appointment ASAP. They gave me one and took a blood sample. They told me it's possible that the high dosage could've made me feel like this but they weren't sure. (they neither mentioned that they wrote a different dosage in the report nor apologized for it)

 

My blood results came back after days and I checked them. Every single one since 2015. I saw that my results from April 2015 were much "better" than they are now. At this time I just felt underdosed. 

 

My Endocrinologists say I should observe it now for a couple of weeks with my old dosage. They can't do more for me(?!) 

I'm getting the normal dosage for about 2 months now and don't feel any better. 

 

Honestly I feel like a wreck. I can't go out OR STAND UP anymore without feeling so dizzy that I'm afraid I'll pass out. It actually happened Friday that my GF had to get my outside of the store in the car while we were getting groceries. I was right about to pass out. 

I don't have any appetite or feelings of hunger. My neck muscles are uptight and my head hurts. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest when I stand up or walk and when I sit or lay down afterwards I can feel it in my stomach too. 

I don't know if it's worth mentioning but it feels like I have a lump in my throat. I can barely swallow. 

Everything hurts.. My calf muscles, tendon pain in my hands and feet.. I'm so afraid to die from this or it's worse than my doctors say or they don't see it. My whole metabolism is out of control.. 

 

 

I'm really desperate and devastated. I hope you can give me your opinion about this.. I would truly appreciate every idea. 

 

Thanks for your attention and interest. 

 

Kind regards 

Derek

 

 

 

[Charlize]

 

I'm sorry you are feeling like this Derek.  I can only hope that you and your doctors will get this under control.  I have been fortunate to not have gone through that kind of issue with HRT.  

Feel better soon.

 

PS......Welcome to Trans Pulse

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[MarcieMarie12]

I think your endocrinologist is trying to see if it is the T that is causing it. I am not sure what they are testing in the bloodwork you are getting, I know mine includes things like potassium levels, glucose, cholesterol, and some other things. My girlfriend (MTF) had to stop eating potatoes, bannanas and yogurt because her potassium was spiking on spiro. 

 

[Der_Rick]

Thanks for your answers and thanks for your empathy. 

 

I never felt like this before! 4 years on T were amazing until last year when I noticed those changes. 

 

Mine are the same. 

Potassium, calcium, phosphate, glucose, cholesterol, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone etc. 

 

 

My last bloodwork showed high estrogen and my progesterone and testosterone were really low plus prolactin was higher than before. 

I had to stop my HRT for about 12 weeks. 

Another bloodwork from June 2017 showed a much lower T level than now and in my opinion that should've concerned my doctors cause I was getting my injections regularly at this time. 

 

Potatoes and bananas? I ate potatoes for dinner last night and after 2-3h I felt nauseated, had hot flashes, was panicking and thought I had to throw up. 

 

That is interesting.. 

 

Maybe it has something to do with the adrenal glands(?!) 

That my body was so overwhelmed by excess T all this time that it's now totally exhausted and can't function properly. 

 

I'm scared that this might be something bigger now.. 

 

 

[JJ]

T is potassium sparing (though not to the extent some of the things trans women take are)  and high potassium can cause a host of miserable symptoms and can even be fatal. On the other side of that we also tend to sweat a whole lot more so exercise and activities can also cause low potassium. I have to be careful both ways. I also take ibuprofen for other medical conditions and it is actually much more potassium sparing - it wasn't a problem till T tipped it over into medically dangerous levels.

Also as you feel bad and weak you tend not to exercise as much. T uptake is influenced by exercise and the less you exercise the less T is actually converted into DHT etc. The excess unabsorbed T can then be converted into estrogen which further exacerbates the whole problem,.

Also a new study out has shown that T needs animal protein for proper uptake. Plant protein has some effect but not enough. Again that excess T your body isn't taking up oos the same as when you don't exercise enough.

It's all very complex and highly individual. To add to that there is almost no research on us and few Drs are up to date on what there is. They are practicing "best guess" medicine. Many endos treat us as cis males which is problematic because we don't react the same ways - don't have the systems to make the adjustments to exercise and diet cis males do. Ive seen posts frequently where 2 people had different endos and got completely opposite treatment and advice. I'm not saying not to trust your Dr but I am saying you need to do your own medical research online and discuss things with your Dr from an educated perspective. If your Dr is not okay with that then it may be time to start shopping for a new one unless your Dr has taken the time and effort to research  the rapidly changing information on trans medicine.

I had a great Dr who attended trans medical conferences and everything but she did not know that T affected thyroid medication levels till I found it on a T manufacturer's website and told her. She then researched it herself and found it to be true. That is exactly the kind of Drs we need.

Read medical sites and T manufacturer's sites etc. As well as scientific research. Evaluate the source and research carefully. Our endocrine systems are so complex and so individual that the experience of other trans guys is not reliable. It can indicate what to research sometimes but just  can't be applied to yourself in many cases. Nor will most Drs listen to some other trans guy's experiences. Too subjective

I hope you get it ironed out soon!

Johnny