Explanation for my high t

[Calistine]

Yeah I havent been posting much here, I guess I just haven't had much to say. But for those of you who know my back story I have abnormally high testosterone which gave me facial hair and other masculine features. A normal t level for a female is 70, and when I got my blood levels checked a few weeks ago mine was 138, among other things that were too high. Since I am not on t yet(though I am seeing a gender therapist in a few months) my gyno found this disturbing and had me get an mri and it turns out that I have a tumor in my pituitary gland. It explains a lot to me, and I'm kind of glad I know this now. But it seems like transmen have a higher occurance or pcos and other things that have high testosterone as a symptom. Its interesting.

[Al James]

So are we trans because we have higher levels of T due to things such as pcos meaning we wouldnt be trans if we didn't have them? Or is it the other way round?

[Lachlann]

So are we trans because we have higher levels of T due to things such as pcos meaning we wouldnt be trans if we didn't have them? Or is it the other way round?

I don't think so. There are a lot of transguys who have normal T levels for females.

[thestory]

I don't think so. There are a lot of transguys who have normal T levels for females.

Agreed. I actually had unusually high levels of estrogen when I was a new born, then everything equaled out to normal. I think there are a lot of factors to being Trans and it is different depending on the individual.

[Myself]

Actually, unusually high amount of estrogen in a fetus can usually cause virilization  (masculization)  of the brain and fetus.
It *usually* causes that in males, but *usually* not in because of a protein which binds to it making it non-virtilizing.

Women with pcos usually have high amount of testosterone BEFORE birth, in the womb. That is one of the reasons why some people have PCOS.
High testosterone in the womb causes virtilization of the brain and of the body (for example digit finger ratio, ring finger being noticeably longer than index finger) and in some cases it leads to extreme male brain development in female-supposed-to-be fetus and that leads to GID.

After or a bit before birth, testosterone levels balance (usually) and the child start growing seemingly normal.

There been quite a bit of researches about it and my friend who is studying neurobiology also looked into some articles about the subject and found some very interesting things.
If they'd CT your brain, there is a small part there which should be bigger than the rest of women and about the size of men, which is apparently from birth.

[Lachlann]

At any rate, it'd have nothing to do with your levels after the fact.

[thestory]

Interesting information. Thanks for sharing. Honestly I had tried to look into it earlier but I couldn't find crap.

[Myself]

At any rate, it'd have nothing to do with your levels after the fact.

Well, as I said, it is known that excess testosterone at womb is one of causes for PCOS women to have PCOS.

[Lachlann]

Well, as I said, it is known that excess testosterone at womb is one of causes for PCOS women to have PCOS.

Which doesn't suggest whether the person will be transgender or not. That's what I'm getting at.

[Myself]

Which doesn't suggest whether the person will be transgender or not. That's what I'm getting at.

It doesn't, the high testosterone pre-birth is more likely but not always.

[FolkFanatic]

My therapist wants me to have my hormone levels checked, mostly because i mentioned i have no "sexual feelings" for other people - male or female. I was told that could be linked to my dysphoria...?

My mom's hoping that the levels are screwed up, though, and that fixing them would, essentially, "fix" ME. As in not make me trans. I don't think it quite works that way though....?

[Myself]

My therapist wants me to have my hormone levels checked, mostly because i mentioned i have no "sexual feelings" for other people - male or female. I was told that could be linked to my dysphoria...?

My mom's hoping that the levels are screwed up, though, and that fixing them would, essentially, "fix" ME. As in not make me trans. I don't think it quite works that way though....?

Nope, probably won't work (unless after many many years). Some things are thought to never change after done in fetus.

[Radar]

I don't think so. There are a lot of transguys who have normal T levels for females.

True... and some even have low T levels for a female. Plus I question the whole "having higher T levels after birth can cause ->-bleeped-<-" since the majority of females with naturally higher T and/or PCOS aren't transgender. Many times they're upset and overwhelmed about having secondary sexual characteristics like facial & body hair, deep voice, etc and identify as completely female. I believe it's all what goes on in the womb.

[Myself]

True... and some even have low T levels for a female. Plus I question the whole "higher T levels can encourage ->-bleeped-<-" since almost all females with naturally higher T and/or PCOS aren't transgender. Many times they're upset and overwhelmed about having secondary sexual characteristics like facial & body hair, deep voice, etc and identify as completely female.

I think I said earlier it depends when. If in fetus, it can encourage it. If afterwards, not really I think.

[Alexmakenoise]

FWIW, my dad was diagnosed with abnormally high testosterone (he won't say what caused it - if an exact condition was diagnosed or just unexplained high T levels) and put on medication to lower it to a normal level years ago.

Sometimes I wonder if this is a heritable trait and if it could have something to do with me being ftm.

[Joseph]

Just saw this thread.  Have to agree with the other guys...your current T level isn't what makes you feel male or female.  Apparently I have PCOS but my T level is in the normal range for females.  So I guess there isn't necessarily even a correlation between current T level and PCOS, much less T level and gender identity.

[Devin87]

I've got PCOS.  In some ways I love it and in other ways I hate it.  I'm pre-t yet I've got a lot of really dark hair on my body and face (well, more than an average female would have) and the muscles in my arms and shoulders are really male looking.  Yet it also gives me the really round face, which I think looks more feminine, and of course I've got these humongous hips and it makes it near impossible to lose weight.  And then of course I've been on high-hormone birth control for the past few years to control the symptoms.  I don't like the idea of putting more female hormones into my body, but it's stopping the usually long and painful periods I used to have and now I rarely even get a period and it's keeping me from developing more cysts.  I have been debating lately if I should just stop taking it (mostly because I can't afford it anymore).  And then I get people who tell me the fact that I'm "gender-confused" has to do with the extra male hormones in my system and so they don't take me seriously as a transguy.  Ugg.