Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hormone replacement therapy => Topic started by: Wynternight on August 03, 2015, 03:00:44 PM Return to Full Version

Title: Free Testosterone Level Going Up
Post by: Wynternight on August 03, 2015, 03:00:44 PM
Kind of curious as to why my free T level would be going up. The first time it was taken was on 11-10-14, two months after starting HRT and it was 0.3pg/ml. The second was on 4-7-15 and it was 8.8pg/ml. The most recent was 7-27-15 and it's 11.4.

What would account for the increase?
Title: Re: Free Testosterone Level Going Up
Post by: Jill F on August 03, 2015, 03:19:00 PM
Testicles.

That's why I took them out of the equation.

Title: Re: Free Testosterone Level Going Up
Post by: Wynternight on August 03, 2015, 03:24:42 PM
Quote from: Jill F on August 03, 2015, 03:19:00 PM
Testicles.

That's why I took them out of the equation.

I would have thought the HRT would keep it down. Why would it go up?

Well I may end up getting mine gone soon. I'm going to discuss it with the urologist on Thursday.
Title: Re: Free Testosterone Level Going Up
Post by: Laura_7 on August 03, 2015, 03:35:43 PM
FREE TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
  pg/ml
  Females
  0.6 - 6.8
  Males
  47.0-244.0

There might be a feedback loop signaling testo is low... and thus production a bit increased...
this might even out over time...

another explanation might be a phase of stress... do you have more stress recently ?
Is there a way to decrease a bit, like some relaxation/meditation exercises ?


hugs 
Title: Re: Free Testosterone Level Going Up
Post by: Jill F on August 03, 2015, 03:46:03 PM
Quote from: Wynternight on August 03, 2015, 03:24:42 PM
I would have thought the HRT would keep it down. Why would it go up?

Well I may end up getting mine gone soon. I'm going to discuss it with the urologist on Thursday.

OK, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but when your hypothalamus doesn't see the levels it "expects", it sends signals to the testes and adrenal glands to increase T production.  If your levels are in the toilet, then it can go into overdrive.  Some people's hypothalami seem to give up more easily than others.  If you are PAIS, then yours may have "trained" itself to overcompensate over the years.  The good news is that it's not that high of a T level, and you are not as sensitive to it as most are.  I'd worry more about DHT as the enemy to feminization.

I had similar issues, as I didn't fully masculinize until I was over 35.  I got "ma'amed" a lot when I was a young headbanger.  Anyway, my T was all over the map and I could feel it when it spiked, which totally made me feel crappy.

The feeling of peace when they were gone was nothing short of amazeballs.
Title: Re: Free Testosterone Level Going Up
Post by: Wynternight on August 03, 2015, 04:26:01 PM
Quote from: Laura_7 on August 03, 2015, 03:35:43 PM
FREE TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
  pg/ml
  Females
  0.6 - 6.8
  Males
  47.0-244.0

There might be a feedback loop signaling testo is low... and thus production a bit increased...
this might even out over time...

another explanation might be a phase of stress... do you have more stress recently ?
Is there a way to decrease a bit, like some relaxation/meditation exercises ?


hugs

A lot of stress!! Bucket loads of stress. So much so that my ferritin (an acute reactive protein) shot up to hemochromatosis levels. I see my PCP Wed and I'm going to ask for a change of my anxiety meds and meds for the Chronic Fatigue and Fibro.
Title: Re: Free Testosterone Level Going Up
Post by: Wynternight on August 03, 2015, 04:30:17 PM
I'm all but certain I'm PAIS. The urologist is going to see about getting me karyotype testing to verify what the initial labs said.

My T is 12 so maybe the free T is compensating.

I'm on Avodart so not too worried about the DHT.

I'm asking the Urologist on Thursday if the left berry being drawn up into the inguinal canal and thus being at a higher risk of germ cell malignancy and the cysts in the right would make an orchie medically indicated. If he says yes I'm going to ask him to make it so ASAP!!!!

Quote from: Jill F on August 03, 2015, 03:46:03 PM
Quote from: Wynternight on August 03, 2015, 03:24:42 PM
I would have thought the HRT would keep it down. Why would it go up?

Well I may end up getting mine gone soon. I'm going to discuss it with the urologist on Thursday.

OK, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but when your hypothalamus doesn't see the levels it "expects", it sends signals to the testes and adrenal glands to increase T production.  If your levels are in the toilet, then it can go into overdrive.  Some people's hypothalami seem to give up more easily than others.  If you are PAIS, then yours may have "trained" itself to overcompensate over the years.  The good news is that it's not that high of a T level, and you are not as sensitive to it as most are.  I'd worry more about DHT as the enemy to feminization.

I had similar issues, as I didn't fully masculinize until I was over 35.  I got "ma'amed" a lot when I was a young headbanger.  Anyway, my T was all over the map and I could feel it when it spiked, which totally made me feel crappy.

The feeling of peace when they were gone was nothing short of amazeballs.
Title: Re: Free Testosterone Level Going Up
Post by: Ms Grace on August 03, 2015, 04:37:04 PM
Like Jill says, not a doctor, but I'd also suggest testicles, stress and illness are the three most likely contributors. :(