Starting T Questions

[hiimatrain]

{*Mild Trigger Warning* Food and Anxiety.}

Hey, so I am going to be having my next consultation on 20th May and it is pretty much guaranteed that I will be prescribed T that day. But I had some questions beforehand just to help ease my anxiety since I'm a very anxious person about this stuff. I will just ask them in the shortest way possible.

1. With the increase in appetite how soon did it start after beginning on hormones?
Also is the increase in appetite one of those things that you can ease with healthy food or one that is only satisfied with foods that are filling and not the healthiest?
I have heard it is easy to overeat so how did other people tackle overeating with an increased appetite? I ask this mainly because feeling hungry can make me quite anxious and cause mental discomfort at times.

2. I was wondering whether or not patches and androgel are slower for results? I ask this because I keep hearing mixed views on these two methods and I want to know so if they do I can avoid them.

3. The feet and hand growth dispute. Right, do they change in broadness or size or not? Again I keep hearing mixed feedback from trans masculine individuals who have been on T. I just want to know so that I can control my spending on new shoes for a few more months since I am due for some new footwear.

4. Can you experience ill effects from T? Dizziness, sickness etc. anything like that? Just a question I'd like to ask since it can rest my mind if I start having any off turns from when I start T.

Thank you. I know they are all not the most important questions but they have been bugging my mind and I can't get straight answers.

[zero.cool.crash.override]

1.   In my experience, my appetite increased a little within two weeks, but I was still able to satisfy it with healthy food.  I have NOT been hungry all the time since starting T.  I've increased my protein a bit to go with increased exercise.  It was not an out-of-control food craving for junk food.  In fact, I have perhaps seen a decrease in craving for chocolate. 

2.   In my humble opinion, with full disclaimer that I am not a doctor, the method of delivery for testosterone does not affect the speed of changes.  Your doctor will have a target testosterone level in mind.  This will be checked with blood tests.  That target level will be the same regardless of whether you are using patches, gel, or injections.  IMHO, the supposed increase or decrease in changes when a trans guy switches delivery methods is purely coincidental.

3.   I can't speak too much for feet and hand growth.  I would expect it to be relatively minor, and will depend on your age (I'm in my 30's).  I think that my hands may have gone up a glove size in width.  Anticipating a possible growth from T six months ago, I ordered boots half a size bigger than normal, but they are still too big.    So I haven't seen any foot growth. 

4.   From what I've heard, those side effects, or any allergic reaction, are rare from testosterone.  But as with any medication, they are possible for an individual.  The side effect for me on that first day was euphoria from finally starting testosterone! 

These are all fair and reasonably concerns.  I hope it goes well for you. 

[Mr.X]

1. I don't know if my increase in appetite is T related, or just because I'm more concious of it, but the increase started about a year in on T. I'm hungry a lot and want to eat every two hours. For me it is easy to control, as I'm rather strict about my weight. I even lost weight since starting T, so I would say yes, it is easy to control with healthy food.

2. I started on Androgel. Can't say the changes are quicker or slower than other timelines. Of course, there is such a huge variation between individuals, you can never pin it down to gels being slower, or injections being quicker.

3. I've been two years on T and have not seen a difference in hand nor feet size.

4. The start of T was a little rough for me. I felt a bit flu-like (without the fever). But this left within two weeks. I was also dizzy at times that lasted for a bit longer, but I doubt this was T related as I was dizzy beforehand as well. This is all over now.

[HeyTrace19]

I started T at age 40, but in my experience: 

1.  My appetite increased gradually over the first year on T, and it was not so much that I was overwhelmingly hungry and needed to eat all of the time, but more like I needed or craved certain foods to satisfy my hunger that were different than in my past.  I started to eat more meat than I ever had in my life, and far more protein in general.  I would say that now, 4 years on T, whatever that change was is fairly insignificant or just seems normal now.  I find it easy to maintain a healthy relationship with food, even though in my past life I struggled with an eating disorder.

2.  I only have experience with injections, but one might surmise that any given level of Testosterone may yield the same results, without regard to method of delivery. 

3.  My hands have gotten a little thicker, something for which I am grateful, but they still seem rather feminine to me.  My feet did grow.  Well, I should say that I wear a full shoe size larger than I did 5 years ago.  Not sure how they actually increased (length or girth), but my old shoes were too small for me after about 1 1/2 years on T.

4.  I think in the beginning it is easy to blame the testosterone for any little thing you might be feeling, but it can cause some disruptions in your body's homeostasis.  As my vocal cords thickened, I felt like I was getting a cold, or sore throat that never really progressed.  I had a fair number of headaches in the beginning, and also when my levels were somewhat erratic.  I have developed high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as polycythemia, all of which are manageable, and some of which may have occurred just due to my age and genetics.  All in all, T has done MARVELOUS things for my well being.  I am alive, and calm, and happy. 

[CursedFireDean]

1. With the increase in appetite how soon did it start after beginning on hormones?
Not everyone experiences an increased appetite, though most do. I actually had a decreased appetite. Most people who see this effect notice it within about two weeks, it is one of the first changes. But it's gradual for some people.

2. I was wondering whether or not patches and androgel are slower for results? I ask this because I keep hearing mixed views on these two methods and I want to know so if they do I can avoid them.
This is entirely speculation and there is not proof. It's a common belief for some reason, and I don't think it's that they work slower, I think it's that some people cannot absorb (or absorb badly) testosterone through their skin like that. So for some people it doesn't even work to get their levels into male range.

3. The feet and hand growth dispute. Right, do they change in broadness or size or not?
This entirely depends on the person. Personally my hands are about the same but my feet are still growing slightly. HOWEVER, my feet were still growing before T too, so I cannot claim it's T, though I do believe T made it slightly more noticeable growth than before. There is no straight answer for this because it varies greatly between people.

4. Can you experience ill effects from T? Dizziness, sickness etc. anything like that? Just a question I'd like to ask since it can rest my mind if I start having any off turns from when I start T.
I had nausea after my shots and hot flashes. The nausea eventually stopped, I believe it was anxiety-related. The hot flashes also eventually stopped, but they really sucked when they happened. I had to be careful to avoid hot rooms or hot outside temperatures because it tended to bring hot flashes.

[FTMax]

T is different for everyone, so it's not guaranteed that you'll have the same affects that anyone else will. The only way to know for sure how it will affect you personally is to take it.

1. I didn't get any appetite increase. But I drink a lot of water in between meals, and I schedule and pre-portion my meals. So it would be a lot more difficult for me to overeat. I don't feel any hungrier.

2. I got very quick results on gel at a half dose. Like, within the first week. I would honestly say they work about the same as anything else.

3. They may ultimately change a bit as fat redistributes and things get more muscle-y, but I think that is more of a maybe long term change (if at all). I have not had to buy new shoes.

4. I have heard of people getting fatigued and a little sick if they start T at a full dose. You're essentially forcing the body to experience menopause, so if you look at the side effects of that, you'll get the gist of worst case scenarios. I think a lot of healthcare providers are recognizing this and having people start off at a half dose. My doctor will personally not prescribe anyone a full dose right away.

[Ryan55]

I don't think my appetite increased. I feel like i eat around as much as I did before T lol maybe I was just a fatass. Anyway long as you eat proportionally and exercise you will be good. I use sub Q shots and I like the results I have. I'm around one year on T now, my voice deepened, facial hair i have some, but not a full grown beard yet. Fat is still redistributing. My foot size went up maybe one shoe size, did not get taller -_-. My hands seem the same size to me. Sex drive def increases. I haven't had any side effects with the T besides break outs with acne but that's expected.
Hope this helps.

[Bimmer Guy]

1. I didn't notice the change in appetite until I was at full dose.  I was starting to gain weight early on, but didn't notice the increase in food intake.

I noticed a desire for red meat and although I love steaks and burgers, I have avoided red meat for years.  Usually if I drink a protein shake it will go away.  Honestly, it kind of freaks me out and made me realize how "animal" humans are.

2. As the others have said there has been no literature published that states that things are slower on the gel (to my knowledge),and anecdotal evidence has not found this to be the case, either.

3. No change in feet.  Fingers have broadened.  I can't wear my rings anymore.  I have one ring i have worn daily since the 1990's, so it is a bummer.

4. I felt sick to my stomach for the first few months on shot day.  It would come on immediately after the shot.  It did help a little bit if I ate before taking it (I take shot first thing in the morning).  I think for the first few weeks on T, I felt dizzy after the shot, but I can't really remember.

[Laura_7]

4. I have heard of people getting fatigued and a little sick if they start T at a full dose. You're essentially forcing the body to experience menopause, so if you look at the side effects of that, you'll get the gist of worst case scenarios. I think a lot of healthcare providers are recognizing this and having people start off at a half dose. My doctor will personally not prescribe anyone a full dose right away.

There were a few trans men cncerned with singing voices.
They also started out at half the dose for a few months. They said it might help the larynx expand more naturally.
They also kept on singing. Anyone interested can look up heir stories.

hugs