T Changes that People Never Mention

[Teknoir]

Mean body temperature, and 'feeling the cold'.

I'm not meaning hot flushes as the hormones level out, I'm meaning just day to day "Do I need a jacket?".

It's just started winter here, and I still can't wear long sleeves during the day.

I've always worn "average guy" layers. I've never really felt the cold that badly. But after starting T? I'm the guy wearing a t-shirt in the middle of winter.

All my (cis-male) coworkers are running around in jumpers and big lined jackets, and I'm just not feeling cold.

Which sucks, because I have some very nice jackets I'd really like to be wearing. The most I can do is a long sleeve shirt or a summer weight blazer when it's "really cold" (ie, everyone else is freezing to death!).

Oh, and my hands are always warm now. They used to freeze up when it got really cold. Weird.

[kyril]

Teknoir - hearing that makes me so happy. You have no idea. I'm always freezing.

[Nygeel]

I've heard mixed things about emotions. One guy I knew was a bit loopy before T then when he was on it he completely numbed out. People don't often talk about the psychological differences on T. That and bum hair...this one guy I know won't shut up about how furry his crack is getting from T. Other things include muscular/joint pain because some people feel as if their muscles are growing to fast for their bodies.

[xxaussiexx]

Teknoir:  i've noticed the same thing.  I feel like i'm always hot, or that my body temperature has increased.  I use to die in the winter, even though it was about 6/7 degrees celcius but now, it has to be rly rly cold for me to feel it.  I was just walking around in boxers and a t-shirts when it was7-10 degrees celcius...interesting.

[LordKAT]

The digestive probs for me, went when I had my hysto. The T changed em but did not stop em.

[Vanessa_yhvh]

Since I started on a T-blocker and E, I've had the opposite experience. Constipation, which hadn't been a problem before, has become a frequent issue now. And my "manly" odors are pretty much gone.

So this thread is illuminating even to my MTF perspective.

[TheOtherSide]

emotionally I feel  way more relaxed except when something REALLY hurts me. Last week I was thinking about a past relationship that I really wished would've worked out and felt immense pain in my chest. Not a physical pain. Not actual heart pain or chest pain but like my soul just wanted to die. I couldn't cry at all, though. I had to go to work with this huge feeling and no way to let the feeling out. It probably would've been better if I could've worked out or something but I couldn't.

Pre-T I could've cried or at least felt the emotion in a different way to let some of that energy out. It was impossible for me to let go of the feeling and it actually hurt.

[Jude_]

Ryan, hmm that's funny that you mentioned the constipation clearing up, as i've noticed something similar.

I've had fairly severe IBS since i was a little kid. Basically, i would either be constipated or having awful diarrhea. There was one summer where on average i'd have diarrhea about 11 times A DAY. It was terrible. I used to have to see all of these specialist and it's created a lot of anxiety for me. I tried EVERYTHING to help. Nothing worked. I tried different medications, and supplements. Finally, i gave up. IBS isn't curable, so i figured i'd just have to live with it.

Welll, ever since i started T, my IBS has almost completely gone away! It's basically gone. I still get diarrhea or constipation every once in awhile, but it's really hardly ever. Like maybe once every few weeks. Which is much more manageable than multiple times a day.  I'm SOOO happy about it. I used to get really depressed about having so many stomach problems, and it caused me to miss a lot of school, and i didn't even get my driver's license because of it.

T has helped A LOT!! My stomach doesn't hurt all the time now either.

[Carson]

My body temperature has definitely gone up. Now I am always hot. I started T on December 31st and the rest of the winter I barely wore a coat. Also, Pre-T I was always cold to the touch. My mom could actually tell if I had a fever depending on whether or not my hands were hot. Now my girlfriend says that I am her own personal space heater.

[Arch]

I had read that I might get warmer on T, so I was expecting that. I thought, "Good; my feet are always cold." Once my feet got cold, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't just go to bed and let my feet warm up; that could take hours. So I had to warm my feet up with my hands or a space heater or a heating pad.

Well, guess what? My body got warmer on T. But my feet still get cold and prevent me from sleeping. That just doesn't make sense to me.

[Vanessa_yhvh]

My body got warmer on T. But my feet still get cold and prevent me from sleeping. That just doesn't make sense to me.

My stone cold guess would be that it's circulatory.

[Arch]

My stone cold guess would be that it's circulatory.

Could be circulation. I should have been getting more exercise (like, any at all), I should have been taking my multivitamin (misplaced the bottle during my move), and I probably should have been drinking more fluids.

I've read that women's bodies, when compared to men's, have "central heating." Something to do with protecting a fetus...apparently, Nature thinks it's okay to lose toes to frostbite as long as the fetus stays warm.

Don't know if that's really true, but I figured that was why my feet took so long to warm up once chilled.

I'm just remembering something my therapist said a couple of weeks ago. One way I coped with my dysphoria was to detach myself from my body--turn off any awareness of it. But, as he pointed out, this didn't just save me from being aware of the obviously gendered parts of my body; it also prevented me from being aware of the rest of it. In the winter, it used to take me hours to notice that my feet were freezing because I was so used to switching myself off and ignoring my body. This winter, I sometimes remembered to put on socks before my feet get too cold. I guess that's progress.

[Nygeel]

I'm pre-t and my feet get REALLY cold at night no matter what the weather. I remember one evening they turned bluish/purple and had little feeling (yes, probably a major issue). Even if I wear socks they're still cold.

If T fixes/helps this problem I WILL BE SO FLIPPIN' HAPPY!

[Ryan]

Ever thought of seeing a doctor about it? Sounds like bad circulation.

[Nathan.]

I really hope I get warmer on T, my hands and feet get ridiculously cold sometimes.

[Arch]

I'm pre-t and my feet get REALLY cold at night no matter what the weather. I remember one evening they turned bluish/purple and had little feeling (yes, probably a major issue). Even if I wear socks they're still cold.

Nygeel, this sounds serious! Did you ever consult a doctor?

I've heard that microwave socks are great for this sort of thing. But so are space heaters, heating pads, hot water bottles, significant others, and large dogs.

[Nygeel]

No insurance, no job, no money, no doctor. I think that my feet were elevated (over the height my head was at the time) and my knees were bent which could've also been part of it on top of my poor circulation. Significant others might not be too great. I did fall asleep with somebody in my bed and while cuddling she yelped because my feet were so cold.

[Arch]

No insurance, no job, no money, no doctor. I think that my feet were elevated (over the height my head was at the time) and my knees were bent which could've also been part of it on top of my poor circulation. Significant others might not be too great. I did fall asleep with somebody in my bed and while cuddling she yelped because my feet were so cold.

My first...uh, bed partner...used to call me "Popsicle Toes." Apparently, there's a song by the same name.



I think my ex-lover is single again. I wonder if he would be interested in a trans guy.

[Jam]

My first...uh, bed partner...used to call me "Popsicle Toes." Apparently, there's a song by the same name.



I think my ex-lover is single again. I wonder if he would be interested in a trans guy.

You both could have mild Raynauds - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynaud%27s_phenomenon

It happens when the temperature drops mostly to me, it happens in my feet, they go ice cold and numb, sometimes they tingle. They also go really pale like almost white and then red when they warm up.

[Arch]

You both could have mild Raynauds

Cool link--very interesting. But I don't think I have Raynaud's, even a mild form. Nygeel, what about you?