Hormone levels pre-transition? FTM and MTF

[quinn]

Hey everyone,
Just curious about how common it is to have hormonal imbalances pre-transition.

[xAndrewx]

I'll never know because my doctor never chose to do bloodwork pre-T. I'll be finding out my levels for the first time ever in the next month.

[Silver]

I had the testosterone levels of an 12 year old boy before I started HRT.

[Just Kate]

"Some other hormone anomaly (explain in comment)"

I had excessively high testosterone levels.  That wasn't an option for the poll.

[ativan]

not excessive, but on the upper end for my age. In a month I have another blood draw scheduled. It should be lower from spiro, I'll just have to see what lower doses can do.

[juliekins]

I also had very high T levels when they drew blood to establish my baseline. It took awhile for them to enter and stay in the female range.

[jodi_bc]

I do not know for sure if my T levels was lower before I started HRT. But I came out I felt I been like released and relived and felt like T levels when down. But last week I got my second my second blood test and my T is higher then it was a couple months ago and I do not feel at all now. my doctors are increasing my Sprio. It sucks I feel sick but at least I know why now

Jodi

[HughE]

I have secondary hypogonadism (below normal male T production), and have signs of having suffered from it all my life.

For anyone wondering what constitutes a "normal" male level of testosterone, as part of the Framington Heart Study, they measured the T levels of 456 of the healthy male participants. According to that study, the average (mean) total T level for a normal, healthy man aged 20 to 40 is 723.8 ng/dl (in the UK units, 25.1 nmol/l). If your total T is below that, then it's below average (although, from my personal experience and what I've seen others saying, symptoms of hypogonadism don't usually start appearing unless it's lower than about 500 ng/dl).

[NatalieInProgress]

Great question! Looking forward to other answers. My testosterone levels were on the low end of normal for a male my age, but I was pretty surprised to learn that my estrogen levels were also on the low end of normal for a female of my age. In some ways when I learned that my estrogen levels were already that high before hrt, it explained so much about who I was and why I needed hrt to begin with.

[traci_k]

You're not alone Natane. When I came out to my Doc, he's known me for quite a few years so when I asked him to order E and T levels there were no questions asked
My results too were somewhat surprising T 320 low normal male
                                                        E 158 low normal for FEMALE off the charts for male.

I've been thinking with numbers like these maybe all I need are AA's

[Jen72]

MTF and did have a check on E and T levels for my own peace of mind. Technically I do fit in the normal range for my age (over 40) at I think anyway around 75 E and 380 T. On the lower end for T and maybe I had it that low for a long time just don't know. Most likely  I did have it low due to an injury in my 20's but I do recall thinking about being trans before that so who knows. 

I do have an off the wall idea though is that the levels do effect our thoughts and how our body works but as for the mind to think what our identity is perhaps the initial wiring pre birth is what regulates what hormones feel right. Perhaps even pre teen years to a lesser degree then pre birth as far as how we Identify. As for when we discover our selves to be off to what feels right that is a lot harder to determine for each individual due to experience and determination of self or what they think is what they are as taught.

In a way it is a fight against how you were naturally born versus what society is telling you what you are yet for most in society that fits and for some like use they don't match then starts the fight of I am but they are telling me I am so which one am I?

Sorry for the ramble and now that I think I guess that's more of a description of GID really and just take this as opinion if I have worded something harmful.

[HughE]

Here is what they said in the study I mentioned earlier:

Results: In a reference sample of 456 men, mean (SD), median (quartile), and 2.5th percentile values
were 723.8 (221.1), 698.7 (296.5), and 348.3 ng/dl for TT and 141. 8 (45.0), 134.0 (60.0), and 70.0
pg/ml for FT, respectively. In all three samples, men with low TT and FT were more likely to have
slow walking speed, difficulty climbing stairs, or frailty and diabetes than those with normal levels.

(TT and FT = Total and Free Testosterone)

They also say that, for the purposes of the study, total T levels below the 2.5th percentile (i.e. about 350 ng/dl) were deemed to be low (meaning: they're the people with slow walking speed, difficulty climbing stairs, frailty and diabetes, with the implication that people with T levels that low should be placed on some kind of HRT).

Looking at these comments, it would appear that some doctors are telling their patients with total T below 350 ng/dl that it falls in the "normal" range. IMO it's not normal if your T levels put you in the bottom 2.5 percent of the population, and at high risk of experiencing health problems as a result.

Another important point that tends to be overlooked is the fact that that free T, not total T, is the important thing as far as biological effects are concerned, and SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) has a large influence on free T levels. Unfortunately, free T is much more difficult to measure than total T so most laboratories only measure total T, and that's often the only measurement we're given, and the one doctors tend to look at. Nonetheless, free T, not total T, is the important thing as far as your body is concerned. If, like me, you have elevated SHBG levels, the SHBG ties up almost all the T in your system and you can end up with very little free testosterone, even if your figure for total T doesn't look too bad.

Unfortunately they didn't publish the SHBG measurements in that study, but in the hypogonadism forums I belong to, the consensus seems to be that the ideal level for SHBG in males is around 20 nmol/l. In the blood work I've had done, I've averaged about 40, which is no doubt a contributing factor to my developing symptoms of low T.

[Jen72]

Thanks for the info and yes did have a feeling on the fence so to speak as for actual apparent normal level range. Of course I know one sample doesn't always mean much either but is an insight none the less.

[KristinaM]

I had my T checked last summer because I thought I had low T. This was before discovering I was transgender. I was actually looking to get some T boosters. /gasp! Glad I didn't go that route.

At that time my T level was ~700ng/dl.  Perfectly in the "normal" range.  Woopity-doo! /sadface.

Ready for some T blockers now, that's for sure.

[Daphne Alice]

I just got my results back today! And as I, and my wife suspected, I am 33 yrs at 307 ng/dL. Pretty much as low as a biological male can be and still be healthy. I'm hoping this means less Spiro and a faster, better result from my meds which I am starting in 1 week.

[HughE]

I just got my results back today! And as I, and my wife suspected, I am 33 yrs at 307 ng/dL. Pretty much as low as a biological male can be and still be healthy.

If you weren't transitioning, I think you'd find yourself starting to experience a lot of health problems by the time you reached your 40s from having T levels that low. The consensus view I've seen in the hypogonadism forums I subscribe to, is that you're likely to start experiencing symptoms of low testosterone once your level drops below about 500 ng/dl.

Your body seems to be able to cope with low sex hormone levels quite well when you're younger though, for instance although I've had symptoms of low T all my life, it didn't have many adverse effects on my health (apart from meaning I've never had much upper body strength) until I hit my 40s, after which the health problems suddenly started to emerge.

[Lady_Oracle]

I started hrt at 21 and was diagnosed with low T

[judithlynn]

I always get confused by these numbers. When I restarted HRT 3 years ago my Doctor had the blood tests taken and said my T levels were just over 5.6. He said the normal female range for Testosterone is 0.00 to 2.50, whereas for a male its anything from 8 to 1200 (for a boy in full puberty).

Since then my T Levels have dropped well down to female range (currently 0.56)( and my Oestrogen levels are now about 250). He wants to keep it between 200-300. Not sure where these equate to your numbers above. Basically my doctor reckons I am now hormonally female.
Judith

[LizK]

Last T check over 6 weeks ago was 2. This is below cis female level and caused by my implant medication. I was given inject able T (couple of years ago now) in the first instance where I had it and it was one of the most horrible times in my life of recent years. I would expect my T levels now to be around 1 if reading at all. I started Estradol a week ago and noticed the new med in my system after a day or so but nothing you could really put a finger on except feeling a bit more tired. Consequently I don't need any T blockers because that is already really really low...which in my eyes is great because it will give the HRT the upper hand from day one.

Liz K

[Christy82]

Reading this thread made me think, I've never had my levels checked.  Lots of blood work, but its just been liver function and cholesterol.