Susan's Place Transgender Resources

(Ooh, 3000 posts! How'd that happen? ::))

2 months ago, the doc at the gender clinic took me off anti-androgens, saying that my testosterone level was being kept very low by the oestrogen, so the AA's were redundant (and cyproterone is potentially bad for my liver).

I'm now noticing unwelcome changes in body hair (and mood, and horniness!) and am pretty convinced my T level is going up. I'm getting a blood test tomorrow to find out. If it's as I fear, I'm going straight back to get put back on AA's.

It's very weird, I can *feel* a maleness I haven't felt since going on hormones, and it's kind of distressing. So if it's not the T, I still need to suss it out. Watch this space...

I know the feeling... I had it when I went on injections. It sucks :(

Quote from: Padma on July 01, 2012, 04:37:30 AM
(Ooh, 3000 posts! How'd that happen? ::))

2 months ago, the doc at the gender clinic took me off anti-androgens, saying that my testosterone level was being kept very low by the oestrogen, so the AA's were redundant (and cyproterone is potentially bad for my liver).

I'm now noticing unwelcome changes in body hair (and mood, and horniness!) and am pretty convinced my T level is going up. I'm getting a blood test tomorrow to find out. If it's as I fear, I'm going straight back to get put back on AA's.

It's very weird, I can *feel* a maleness I haven't felt since going on hormones, and it's kind of distressing. So if it's not the T, I still need to suss it out. Watch this space...

I hope it is all "in your head," but you have to assume that stopping AA's will have some sort of reaction.

  My Dr. uses my beard growth as an indicator.  It is slightly up, probably due to the heat.  I got another appt. in a few weeks.  It will, mine did when he quartered my dosage of spiro, then went down when he upped it to half dosage. 
  Joelene

Hi Padma,
Hoping for nothing but good news for you. At least one thing, it should be only temporary.
Let us know the news.

Huggs
Catherine

Thanks, will do. I hope it's T, because that's easy to fix!

PS - wow, I bruise really easily when I give blood now ::).

Quote from: Padma on July 02, 2012, 07:09:54 AM


PS - wow, I bruise really easily when I give blood now ::).

I don't miss all the bruises.


Nice pic, Padma.

Oh yeah...I know that feeling. Mine was creeping up, making me grow hair and get horny and so I WHACKED it down again with the mallet of cyperotone. It has been a pathetic, snivelling remnant of its former self since then. It will be interesting to see what the blood test says.

Quote from: LordKAT on July 03, 2012, 02:01:08 AM
Nice pic, Padma.

Ta :). It makes a nice change for my hair to go with my top :D.

Well bloody hell, it's even worse than I thought - my T level has shot up from 0.8 to 11.3, within normal male range - and my E has dropped from 431 to 286. Phoning the clinic straight after my lunch!!!

Dear god Padma,
What have YOU been doing, girl? Someones pulled the plug on you. Hope you can get an appt for this afternoon. this is desperate.

Let us know how things develop. We can't have you going backwards. You look just sooooo good.

Be safe, well and happy.

Lotsa huggs
Catherine

I can't get to see the GIC doc before Monday but the clinic got my GP to fax them my blood results, and they're going to try to make things happen via phone so it's quicker. I feel pretty freaked out by this now, but at the same time really pleased with myself for following my instincts and getting the blood test early (I wasn't due my next one until September!). I'm channelling my inner Xena and going to make sure something happens really soon, I'm very uncomfortable with this male-invasion.

Go for it you GO GIRL.

Really does pay off to listen to that 'inner' voice, doesn't it? Keep pushing those boundaries and whoever needed to get you back on the rails again, Padma.

Let us know how Monday goes.

Be safe, well and happy
Lotsa huggs
Catherine

Not impressed with the lack of response so far from my GIC doc. So I've decided to fall back on the supply of anti-androgens (cyproterone) I still have from before I stopped taking them. I started taking them again yesterday, and I already feel much more like myself again.

I figure either the doc will happily prescribe me new AAs, or I'll have to source them on my own. This is very unlike me (in a good way) - I have a history of bowing down to the 'wisdom' of medical professionals and suffering as a consequence. Go, me!

Note: I'm not advocating self-medication here - I was happily taking these on prescription for 7 months without any harm coming to me (and with clear benefit), so I don't consider this to be wildcat activity :). The doc's concern with these particular AAs was for potential harm to the liver, but tests showed no sign of them doing that when I took them before. If he wants to prescribe a different AA, that's fine with me, so long as it does the same job.

Score another one for our incompetent medical overlords.

The GIC doc has decided to put me on Decapeptyl injections (a GnRH agonist kind of anti-androgen). He's still insisting that taking me off the other AAs didn't cause this problem, which seems very inconsistent with him deciding to put me on another in order to solve the problem. I'm just happy to be back on AA's of whatever form. I feel like myself again.

Ya know I buy that heat ups T levels, this scorching summer bought it up and down.

Quote from: Rita on July 27, 2012, 12:42:33 PM
Ya know I buy that heat ups T levels, this scorching summer bought it up and down.

Yes, tell me about it.  My house is not air conditioned.  I am usually out of it during the afternoons with the temps at record highs of 100's.  I do most of the stuff at night such as canning, a record for me this year with the cucumber products.  I just got back from my Dr. and he gave a blood test for the T and Thyroid because of the coarser beard stubble and the reduction of the boobs.  He upped my Spiro and E to full dosage and dropped the P.  Here I go pissing into the night again!  Aarrg!
  Joelene