On T for a year without much difference

[LordOfTheFlies]

I've been on T since April of 2015. My levels are within cis male ranges, but I still haven't experienced any voice drop, and I'm still having periods.

It's very disheartening. I'm at a healthy weight, I get exercise, I do all I should. I thought the dysphoria would be at least a little less by now, but it isn't. I'm still hurting just as much. Still resorting to self-harm and other desperate, stupid things.

It's hard for me not to just...fall back into self-destructive habits. Hard not to give up. I put a lot of faith into HRT, and I'm having trouble maintaining hope after over a year.

I know...I just need to be patient. But...I guess I need encouragement, or something. Confirmation that this is normal. Something.

[Raye]

I'm not an FTM so I can't relate, but I'm an Intersexed MTF so I think I could relate a tad bit?! But I've had a few subtle changes I'm just noticing a bit. I'm near my 6 mo with hardly much of a change, but what I can tell you... It's best to take measurements and photos each month maybe at the next month mark otherwise you won't be able to notice your own changes. You look at yourself each day so it would be very hard to tell the differences. I regret taking measurements Pre-HRT because I don't have my original data to graph to what I know my current data is. And it sucks because it's very hard to tell/predict what HAS changed. Another thing is just because you have one set of hormones at the correct level they also have to take a look at the other. Is it possible you might not have Male-Acceptable Estrogen Levels? Have you tried talking to your doctor about your concerns with your treatment plan. I mean like I said I barely noticed much changes, but everyone's mileage will vary as well no one is going to have the same options and the same changes. So I've been giving myself time and haven't been uppity about it. Seriously though it's pretty hard for myself to see myself in your shoes. But I wouldn't give up on it all. It took a long time for me to notice that my Vocal Cords thinned and by then it hit me like a truck when my partner was asking if I was making progress on training my voice.

[Elis]

Sorry to hear this. There's another trans guy on here who said his periods still continued a year in; so you're not alone. Unfortunately it takes 5 years for male puberty to fully develop so you still have loads of time. Similarly to you I thought T would cure my depression and social anxiety but after a few months of being on it I realised I can't think if T as a magical cure all, I have mental illness issues unrelated to me being transgender. Since starting CBT for my social anxiety I'm a lot more confident and my anxiety is improving. Plus antidepressants has helped. So maybe look into those.

Hope things get better for you

[Wolf Man]

Try talking to Nygeel. I recall him having issues with T and he didn't have any change until after a year or more.

[FTMax]

Have you looked at your E levels? My T levels have always been within reference range, but my E was fairly high for a while as well. If some of your T is converting to E because it's too high for you, that would explain why you aren't masculinizing.

[RaptorChops]

My best friend had the same problem. He didn't have much changes except for his voice dropping a tiny bit, a small mustache, and tons of stomach/ass hair. His face was still very feminine and he got misgendered all the time for over a year. He still hasn't had top surgery either but he doesn't care. He's a little over 2 years on T I think he's going on 3 soon. His genitals grew a ton too. I felt bad for him because his less noticeable areas were changing but his noticeable spots didn't. He's slowly starting to take shape though and his E levels were very high.

[Venom]

Hi LordOfTheFlies,

I'm not a physician so the following is just what I understand of sex hormones and might not be accurate. If your Oestrogen (Oes), Luteinising hormone (LH) and Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels are high, ovulation may still occur which might explain why you're still getting a period.

Is your treating physician tracking those and have you shared this information with them? If not, it would likely be a good idea to let them know. There are options that may aid in stopping your period for the meantime as well, like a Depo Provera injection. It doesn't help everyone though, as some still experience a period, so it's something to look into should you consider it. It wouldn't solve the root cause, but it might aid in managing related dysphoria.

I'm nine months on T and my Oestrogen level is still high for the average male range for my age. My LH and FSH isn't fully suppressed yet either, so my doctor is keeping and eye on those levels as my HRT continues. I've been masculinising at a steady rate though, so it might not be much of an assurance to read.

I hope you are able to experience the changes you are looking for sooner rather than later. All the best!

[Daydreamer]

I'm in the same boat. I've been on T now for 1.5 years and everything feels so minimal and slow. As others said, maybe you should get your levels checked out since your E might be high.

[Jacqueline]

I've been on T since April of 2015. My levels are within cis male ranges, but I still haven't experienced any voice drop, and I'm still having periods.

It's very disheartening. I'm at a healthy weight, I get exercise, I do all I should. I thought the dysphoria would be at least a little less by now, but it isn't. I'm still hurting just as much. Still resorting to self-harm and other desperate, stupid things.

It's hard for me not to just...fall back into self-destructive habits. Hard not to give up. I put a lot of faith into HRT, and I'm having trouble maintaining hope after over a year.

I know...I just need to be patient. But...I guess I need encouragement, or something. Confirmation that this is normal. Something.

Welcome to the site. I know it has been a few days. I hope you are feeling better. I am from the other side of transition but know it is a slow marathon. I recently started HRT and still had to be prescribed an anti depressant to help.

I also want to share some links with you. They are mostly welcome information and the rules that govern the site. If you have not had a chance to look through them, please take a moment:

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With warmth,

Joanna