My brain is MELTING!!!!

[cryan91]

I've discussed this a few of my close trans friends (who happen to be ftm) and they say this has happened to them and that it goes away after a while but I'd still like to get everyones opinion-especially mtfs.
Lately I'm having a very hard time articulating thoughts into words, reading, communicating, interacting w/ others, understanding others, etc. Obviously hormones change the structure of your brain and it would make sense that having these troubles would occur while the brain changes. Has anyone gone through this-does it subside-what are your experiences? Thanks

[stldrmgrl]

Quite the opposite, in my case.  Nonetheless, I am sure it will pass in time.

[cryan91]

Keep in mind this started happening 10 months into HRT. I don't mean the inability to communicate to others based on lack of confidence (when I started hrt I could more easily talk to people because I gained confidence). But rather, my inability to communicate because my brain is literally not working. I just want to make it clear as to what I mean. I hope it passes!

[umop ap!sdn]

It'll go away with time. When I first started estrogen I felt like my head was stuffed with cotton - it's not like that anymore.

[cryan91]

How long did it take for you?

[Medusa]

If you are really scared why not visit some specialist just for sure

[AbraCadabra]

Go for a Ct scan! When I started like that, it turned out to be a subdural-haematoma.

So better just make sure it's nothing serious.

Don't want to scare you, but better be save then sorry.

Axélle

[umop ap!sdn]

How long did it take for you?

Hmmm I don't really remember. Months, I think.

[Plain Jane]

Yes, I remember the cotton-brain feeling. At the time I had a friend who was transitioning as well and had the same thing. We both thought it might not actually be very safe for either of us to be driving although we did of course.

It's been a long time so my memory might not be entirely accurate but I seem to remember that my impression at the time was that it was mainly caused by the Androcur. Either way it disappeared after I had SRS and consequently didn't need to take Androcur anymore and my estrogen dose was lowered. Mark you, since I was on a program at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam the schedule on which SRS happened was pretty predictable, namely about 18 months after start of HRT. So I can't say if it would have improved over time.

[Emily Ray]

I have been feeling my brain just isn't right now for the last 10 months and I have been on HRT for 22 months. I believe it has something to do with estrogen dominance and I need to start progesterone soon. I hope that improves afterwards. You might want to look up excitotoxicity and see what you find out.

Huggs

Emily

[SandraJane]

Go for a Ct scan! When I started like that, it turned out to be a subdural-haematoma.

So better just make sure it's nothing serious.

Don't want to scare you, but better be save then sorry.

Axélle

Axelle, didn't you have a head injury earlier this year, that was the cause of your Subdural Hematoma?

[lilacwoman]

every mother knows that her sons are inarticulate narrow thinkers and her daughters are voluble multitaskers....hormones will alter a TS to whichever of these they aim to become.

Its not the brain structure that alters merely the way inputs are processed and outputted.   And transitioning means that a lot of the previous inputs are now seen as 'attempts/coping/trying to conform' so don't get processed at all and as the new focus hasn't got years of processing skills to draw on it is probable that a lot of the new feelings and experiences of transitioning get shuffled round the grey matter until finding its proper place  - just like when a factory develops a new product and the new stuff takes ages to get right.

with time the brain will settle into working like the gender it really is.

[Joelene9]

I have been feeling my brain just isn't right now for the last 10 months and I have been on HRT for 22 months. I believe it has something to do with estrogen dominance and I need to start progesterone soon. I hope that improves afterwards. You might want to look up excitotoxicity and see what you find out.

Huggs

Emily

It is not the estrogen dominance, it is the changes.  I been on progesterone from the start.  I was a bit scatter-brained before and still am, but in a much different way.  I am much more patient with myself now and I am not into the self cursing spams that I once did.  I still have the cursed dyslexic stammer and annunciation problems, but I am more patient about it.  Some of the above adolscent-type stuff you are experiencing will go away eventually.  There is a viable function of progesterone in us transwomen as well in the cis-women.  It is a moderator of estrogen.  Take it in cycles, it could only help.  See your doctor for dosages.
  Joelene