"Use it or lose it?"

[JenAtLast]

TMI Warning:

I am married and was having sex or masterbating several times a week prior to starting HRT.  Losing the involuntary wood was a wonderful thing....I felt like "it" no longer control my sex interest.  I erections within 3 to 4 weeks and was so very happy it was gone.  I would still masterbate, but started doing so differntly than before, as stimulating my breasts was so much more arousing than that stupid thing.  It quicky became just clear ejaculate, but it still happened. 

No unwanted probelms, then I stopped HRT over health concerns: I have gained a lot of weight, I sit all day at work and those two factors were raising high concerns about developing DVT and cancer.  Add that to the some other issues and I am now thinking I may never be able to transition without paying relationship costs I'm not sure I can handle.

All that said, I stopped HRT about 4-5 months ago.  Erections returned for several weeks but then disappeared again.  Ejaculate appears to look just as it did pre-HRT.  However, in the past two months, erections have become painful.  Like a stained muscle.  I was thinking it was abnormal, but I guess the inactivity has led to atrophy (since being off HRT, I may masterbate every other week, if then).   Not sure if this is normal considering my story or if I should be concerned.

[enigmaticrorschach]

nope, takes a helluva a lot too get me up. only stays up for a second literally. this was all after a day on low dose spiro. as of right now, its physically impossible for  e to get an erection voluntarily or involuntarily

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[Ashey]

On my normal dose and having it stuffed in my panties all the time, it's shrunk a bit and has curved from being pulled back a lot. Libido has decreased considerably, erections are possible but difficult to achieve and maintain, no spontaneous erections, and erection from visual stimulation is nothing more than a slight twitch. Semen is slightly yellow, clear, and sometimes watery.

But when I was off my t-blocker for a month (about a year and a quarter after starting HRT), most of that changed. My size mostly returned, libido went back up, spontaneous erections and morning wood returned, erections were stronger, ejaculation more forceful though semen consistency hadn't changed much, and I was more visually stimulated. Erections were painful for a week or two though. Even before that on the odd occasion when I got rather hard, it'd be painful. I really do think it's from lack of use. During that month, the pain decreased until it went away altogether and things were more or less back to pre-HRT standards. I've been back on my t-blocker for a few months and my libido has gradually nose-dived again and all of that. I don't masturbate too often, and when I do it's not always hard, but when I got hard recently it hurt again.

Basically, I don't think HRT itself really affects it much, but rather the huge decrease in testosterone can lead to deceased libido and leads to decreased use and that's where the changes occur. Only thing HRT probably changes is semen consistency.

[Jasper93]

So, this is something I've been curious about for a while now. Obviously, HRT does different things for everyone, but what truth, if any, is there to the whole "use it or lose it" thing? From what I've read (anecdotal, not scientific), it seems like shrinkage/loss of function in the penis has more to do with atrophy or disuse than being a direct consequence of feminization itself. Is that a complete mischaracterization? I had always kind of thought those effects were "part of the deal", so to speak.

Basically, is it possible to transition and still have a sexually functional penis? Can you maintain size and such through "regular use"? I know it feels quite different (I started HRT and had to stop for the time being for a variety of reasons) and it's definitely not a make or break thing to me, but as a woman who's sexual interest is in other women it's something I think about. I'm kind of leery of a neovaginoplasty, even though I would kind of prefer it, as it seems to be at kind of a primitive stage technologically at this point(which is in no way a judgement on people who've had one) for me personally and I don't hate my penis all that much considering what it is. lol and some seem to be alright with it

also, first post, so forgive me if this is in the wrong place or anything

Well, I didn't use mine for around two months, and didn't seem to lose any size. So, that's pretty cool -- and I've been on estrogen for months. I personally wouldn't worry too much about it.

[OCAnne]

Hello, 'use it or lose it' also applies to SRS, correct?  If the parts shrink there's less to work with?  I wanted good depth in order to experience intercourse with a 'wide range' of men.  Told that would depend on what I had left to work with.  Could be one of the many reasons I was allowed to undergo SRS well under 1 year on HRT.  In my opinion it did make a difference.  Very thankful I made it priority one.

Thank you,
Anne

Added Clarification: I was closely monitored by therapist and doctors leading up to SRS.  Had to meet many conditions to undergo expedited SRS.

[warlockmaker]

I use to have an exceptionally high seux drive and a T count well over 1000. Prior to starring HRT I would masturbate 3 plus times a day. When I started HRT I lost interest in females but I did masturbate once a day and still do so. The size has become a little smaller and the erections and organs are different.

We are all different but there is a change in how I feel about sex but I still love it.

[Jenna Marie]

I had a much weirder issue...  I saw a lot of shrinkage fairly early on (though I was still able to function to some degree right up to the day of GRS), but when I had to go off estrogen for surgery, it *came back.* Within 2 weeks - I was off for 3 - the damned thing was back to its original size. Which did mean I had plenty of material, I guess, but that was still pretty obnoxious.

[awilliams1701]

It didn't take long before I had decreased interest in sex. Not long after that, it had shrunk and actually became painful every time it came up. My interest has increased after about the 3rd month and has been going back up. The pain I experienced is gone. Either it adjusted to being smaller or its gotten bigger. I really don't want to know because I don't want to look at it or touch it.

[Draculess]

Thanks for all the responses, guys! I feel welcome here and it's good to hear so many different perspectives on something that seems to be quite different for everyone.

[Elli.P]

I have also been doing research on this topic. Unfortunately for many of us the world is not just girl or boy. Like Draculess, in my perfect world I would like to be a girl with a functional penis. I am married and love my sex drive and having sex with my wife. She is ok with me presenting as a girl but also doesn't want our sex life to change. So where does this leave me? From what I have researched crossdressing and cosmetic surgery for breast and a more female face combined with laser hair treatment are my options. I would love to get all the benefits of HRT but I'm not willing to give up having sex with my wife. If there are other options any info would help. It sucks being stuck in the middle.

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[KristinaM]

Possibly try taking Estrogen without blocking Testosterone?

[Ashey]

Possibly try taking Estrogen without blocking Testosterone?

That would probably work but I don't recommend it. I tried that and turned into a huge bitch, was on edge all the time, and just didn't feel balanced at all.

[Martine A.]

That would probably work but I don't recommend it. I tried that and turned into a huge bitch, was on edge all the time, and just didn't feel balanced at all.

Phytos work on me in sense they provide emotional relief (read mood flattener and aggression remover) and have other 'benefits' like increased sense of smell. Except that thing down there is both numb and a painful bomb. That is why I wouldn't try real E without T blockers. If I had choice, that is. It is likely I'd gain access to some form of E but not T blockers...

[transjoe]

Hi,

as I am rather new to this I have a question.

I myself am not on hormones (yet), but have a condition of very low T and therefor do not have any morning wood or unwanted erections. I can achieve a slight erection by direct Stimulation, however it does not last very Long.

Now when you look at porn Videos the transsexual starlets mostly sport erections that are double the size mine has ever been when I still had normal T and are very long lasting.

I am just curious how this is achieved - are they all taking Viagra in high amounts?

[Isabelle]

 Maybe Viagra... maybe cocaine maybe they cut their e off completely for a few weeks prior to shooting....(lol.....pun) You shouldn't compare yourself to professional porn stars. They are quite literally athletes. There's a reason they're in movies.

[Serenation]

Hi,

as I am rather new to this I have a question.

I myself am not on hormones (yet), but have a condition of very low T and therefor do not have any morning wood or unwanted erections. I can achieve a slight erection by direct Stimulation, however it does not last very Long.

Now when you look at porn Videos the transsexual starlets mostly sport erections that are double the size mine has ever been when I still had normal T and are very long lasting.

I am just curious how this is achieved - are they all taking Viagra in high amounts?

I have 3 theories on this, 1 is what isabelle said. Second one and I know this one is true to some extent is just get surgeries boobs, shaping etc and lasers and don't have hrt at all. I know of one porn star that decided to transition and was raising money to have all the silicone shaping in her body removed because she had gone one HRT afterwards and it was causing serious problems.

and third hrt just doesnt affect erections in some people. Only thing that stopped it for me was srs.

So while I think some are trans girls doing porn to pay for transition or whatever, some are specifically built for it and are happy that way.

[Isabelle]

Yes, I too developed erectile dysfunction after SRS.

[estropunk]

HRT definitely lowered my libido, shrank me a little bit, and reduced the intensity of my erections, but things stayed more or less functional. I could penetrate a partner vaginally but not anally (at least not without a lot of prep - lube, fingering to loosen, etc). I also stopped ejaculating after a while, my orgasms were dry. But they remained satisfying and good experiences.

As for the "use it or lose it" thing, I've never seen any scientific data to back that up, but logically, it sort of makes sense that the pelvic and penile muscles would become weaker from lack of use, but I'm not a doctor.

[KristinaM]

Only thing that stopped it for me was srs.

Yes, I too developed erectile dysfunction after SRS.

This made me LOL, like for realz yo.