Poison testosterone

Comment by HELEN BRADY on November 1, 2012 at 4:54am

I think pretty much all of us agree that the "absolutely no sex drive" is common on HRT. However, at least for me, I am not having so far as I can tell depression; but I am sleeping a lot more than I used to. I would jump for joy if my T ever got below 100!

Comment by Rachel King on November 1, 2012 at 5:25am

Annette, every natal woman has testosterone coursing through her body.

It is the natural order of things.

Why should you be any different?

Listen to your Doc, get your hormone balance right and stop feeling like a freak.

What you are going through is the natural progression of readjusting your body to its right level.

Oh, and by "sex drive" I gather you can't or have trouble "getting it up"?

I've personally never met a woman yet that wanted a mans penis or the disfunction that comes with it.

Maybe your different or maybe HRT is not right for you because you want to be and have a mans functions.

But if it is, remember that HRT is not a "fix-it" cure-all, for your dysphoria, it is a way of balancing what happens in your mind, so that you don't have these brain explosions.

This journey you are on, is about finding yourself, do it right, do it with your Doc's advice and listen and learn.

It is a wonderful journey, truly it is.

Comment by Julia Giannopoulos on November 1, 2012 at 8:15am

Annette,

Let me get this straight; Your doctor is prescribing testosterone injections and pills in order to raise your levels, is this correct? 

This is how I interpreted what you wrote.

Rach interpreted it differently I believe.

My testosterone levels have been at near zero for close to 10 of the eleven years I've been on HRT.

I just came to realize that I needed to compensate for the lack of energy and strength by taking supplements and by increasing my distance running.

Are you having difficulty with your spouse and your lack of energy in certain " areas " ? 

Perhaps the true issue lies with the battle between being your true self and seeing and feeling a distance growing between you and your wife yes?

Are the testosterone boosters part of a compromise between you two Annette?

I lost two spouses because of being Trans so I speak with some experience here.

Clarify these things would you?  

Comment by Chelle Munroe on November 1, 2012 at 10:16am

I don't truly know your situation Annette, but I do know that hormones can wreak havoc with one's emotional state at times.  Transitioning is at best difficult for the most part in having to deal with physical, emotional, familial changes that we accept or reject. Having to take hormones that will just add to the already battle of emotions you are going through most definitely, to me, would be really confusing.  That would be an emotional storm equal to that of Sandy.  I wish you the best in coming to find happiness and peace in your life in whatever direction you decide to choose.

Comment by Rachel King on November 2, 2012 at 4:48am

Chelle, you left me confused by how you perceive what hormones do to you.

As I understand it and as I live it, the very reason we as transgender women take HRT is to CREATE the balance, the missing harmony in our minds and our lives.

Wreak havoc? Exactly the opposite is what I am experiencing and to my knowledge so do the large majority of trans women.

I'm not in any way knocking Annette but I am asking her to question what hormones she is on and where they are taking her.

Blogs are notorious for what they don't tell you, more so than what they do tell you and I am betting London to a brick, that there is way more to this story than we are seeing here.

There always is.

The question is, will be be so lucky as to be given these minor details?

Comment by Chelle Munroe on November 2, 2012 at 10:00am

I'm sorry I didn't make myself clear in my statement and thank those who called me on it.  When I said that hormones can wreak havoc it was in reference to someone taking female hormones, then switching to male hormones. I had a friend years ago that this happened to because the doctor treating her said her hormones were out of balance. She got so psychologically messed up, she committed suicide. 

As for taking hormones to transition, yes, they are a wonderful thing and without them transitioning would be nil and practically impossible.  Yes, taking female hormones to balance what has been missing in our lives is what we are all trying to achieve.

I hope this clarifies my statement.

Comment by Lauren Elisabeth Tancyus on November 2, 2012 at 8:55pm

I can only speak to medical fact and my own experience. It is factual that women have a level of testosterone:

"

Testosterone levels in females are lowest during childhood and start going up at the beginning of puberty, according to MayoClinic.com. You can expect your testosterone level to peak when you're a teenager or young adult and then drop about 1 percent a year after age 30, states the University of Michigan Health System. From 14 to 17 years of age, a normal testosterone level for females is eight to 53 nanograms per deciliter or ng/dL. Throughout adulthood, you'll have 10 to 70 ng/dL of testosterone in your blood until you reach menopause."

So if you want to have a hormone profile of a genetic female, there are guidelines to follow about your testosterone levels. Normal range can be achieved in several ways. One can reduce the tesosterone blocker they are taking. One can reduce their estrogen level by reducing the estrogen dose you take, or one can take a small supplement of testosterone. Talk to your physician about which is most appropriate for you. 
http://www.livestrong.com/article/271086-normal-range-for-testoster...

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