FTM fatigue, headaches... concerned about my hubby

[KatieB]

My partner of several years is an FTM in his late 20's.  I am well adapted to dealing with his minor medical to's and fro's (T, a touch of anxiety, etc.).  For the last few months, he has been sleeping SO much, at least 10-12 hours a day, complaining of headaches, and being quite a bit more moody than typical.  Hormones have been checked, typical levels.  Doc says chronic sinusitis, but after 3 rounds of antibiotics, nothing.  ENT specialist found nothing.

Has anyone experienced similar issues with their partner?  I'm worried. 

(For example, it's 10:30 right now.  He's been asleep since 9:00, and got up at 10:30 this morning... not normal...)

[Nero]

Hi Katie,

Do you know how long he's been on T? Extra sleeping is pretty normal in the first months.

[KatieB]

at least 4 or 5 years. 

[Nero]

Wow. I don't know then.  Could be something unrelated.

[Arch]

If he's five years on T, he probably isn't going through the adolescent sleep phase some of us seem to go through.

It sounds like something else.

[cynthialee]

I would look to his life outside of his transition and his feelings of his progress with his transition. At 5 years it is unlikely it is a reponse to the actual transition process.

[JessicaH]

I would start by checking Thyroid levels as well as estrogen levels. Guys need a small amount of E to be and feel normal just as women need a little T. You may want to look at O2 levels to rule out pulmonary hypertension and maybe have them check cortisol levels as well. I would also want to rule out a leaky heart valve (mitral valve prolapse, MVP) especially if he gets tired easily from exertion.

Does he have any other symptoms? What other meds is he on?

[Aikotribs]

I agree with Stacy , I have had a hyper active thyroid when I was like 21, and that sounds pretty much what I had. Near the end I loathed coming out of bed, and headaches was a daily routine. So yeah, don't forget to check out that thyroid.

[JessicaH]

Also, if anyone has thyroid problems, make sure they are giving you T3 AND T4. Also, your NORMAL may be higher than AVERAGE NORMAL so don't be afraid to ask the doc to adjust medication levels if you still aren't feeling well. Don't wait til your next appointment as it doesnt take long to know if thyroid medicine is where it should be.

The same thing goes for hormones. More isn't better but "enough for you" may be higher or lower than standard prescription ranges. Some guys feel fine with T at 200 but normal for some is over 1000. It is important to to a comprehensive blood test to look at everything from CBC-complete blood count, electrolytes, liver function, etc.  You can get pretty comprehensive lab test done for 150$ or so and less if you tell your doctor you are paying cash and can't really afford it. Docs usually have  nice markup on lab tests and can cut that off if you pay cash upfront and ask for help. Same goes for the doctor vistit!

[28BROOK]

When he sleeps does he snore?

If  you sleep together has he ever stopped breathing at night to be followed by a choking noise?

He may have sleep apnea and require a sleep test.  While sleeping the air passage can become too relaxed and cause it to close and start the person to choke.  This constant drifting to sleep and then choking away causes extreme exhaustion to the point you can be more tired when you wake up than what you did going to bed. This disrupts the heart in maintaining it's rest cycle during the period of Rapid Eye Movement period - the time you usually dream.  If a person has no memory of dreams this is an indicator they may have sleep problems.  Headaches and mood swings can also occur as well as an increase in blood pressure.

Brook