Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hormone replacement therapy => Topic started by: Roll on December 10, 2017, 12:47:12 PM Return to Full Version
Title: Starting testosterone level questions
Post by: Roll on December 10, 2017, 12:47:12 PM
Post by: Roll on December 10, 2017, 12:47:12 PM
So when I finally got my lab results, I was told my testosterone is at 1480, which my doctor said was really high. This got me wondering about a few things, some HRT related, other more general, and was wondering if anyone had any insight.
First, how common is it to have a testosterone level around there? Google seems to say the average is in the 600s, with 1000 being a high end. So 50% above the high end seems really elevated to me. Has anyone else had numbers that high starting out?
Second, what does this mean long term, any ideas? Seems like it would mean a slower turn around time on feminine development, which I can deal with but isn't ideal. Tying into that though on a positive aspect... I'm hairy. Disgustingly so... if I have high testosterone now, explaining that level of hair to a degree, will reducing testosterone to desired levels have a higher than average impact on body hair for me compared to most people on HRT? (Since presumably it should be somewhat relative to testosterone decrease.) Because that would be amazing. :D
Conversely, does this explain the relative ease I build muscle at the moment? A lot of my family, women included, build muscle and burn fat quickly, so I feel like it may be likely a genetic trait to have elevated T. Likewise, everyone has dense bones (seriously, it's ridiculous, I've mentioned it before but everyone on my father's side is 20 pounds heavier than they look in a case of legitimate "big bones", and no one ever breaks anything), and older relatives are those people you always hear about doing heavy physical labor daily in their 90's. (My grandfather was a farmer until the day he died.)
Mostly I'm sort of wondering if I have high testosterone now, bolstering pronounced masculine traits (sticking to changeable stuff like muscle and fat distribution), if going to low testosterone will cause a relatively larger impact. (Ie: If you go from 600 to nothing and lose moderate muscle around ribcage/shoulders/back, would going from 1480 to nothing mean more significant loss of the T driven higher levels of muscle around the same area, meaning that I would benefit from a comparative level of feminization from the loss of T. )
(This is all pure curiousity/academic, and I am not getting my hopes up for any magic results or anything. :D For all I know 1480 isn't even really that high, even if outside of the average range.)
First, how common is it to have a testosterone level around there? Google seems to say the average is in the 600s, with 1000 being a high end. So 50% above the high end seems really elevated to me. Has anyone else had numbers that high starting out?
Second, what does this mean long term, any ideas? Seems like it would mean a slower turn around time on feminine development, which I can deal with but isn't ideal. Tying into that though on a positive aspect... I'm hairy. Disgustingly so... if I have high testosterone now, explaining that level of hair to a degree, will reducing testosterone to desired levels have a higher than average impact on body hair for me compared to most people on HRT? (Since presumably it should be somewhat relative to testosterone decrease.) Because that would be amazing. :D
Conversely, does this explain the relative ease I build muscle at the moment? A lot of my family, women included, build muscle and burn fat quickly, so I feel like it may be likely a genetic trait to have elevated T. Likewise, everyone has dense bones (seriously, it's ridiculous, I've mentioned it before but everyone on my father's side is 20 pounds heavier than they look in a case of legitimate "big bones", and no one ever breaks anything), and older relatives are those people you always hear about doing heavy physical labor daily in their 90's. (My grandfather was a farmer until the day he died.)
Mostly I'm sort of wondering if I have high testosterone now, bolstering pronounced masculine traits (sticking to changeable stuff like muscle and fat distribution), if going to low testosterone will cause a relatively larger impact. (Ie: If you go from 600 to nothing and lose moderate muscle around ribcage/shoulders/back, would going from 1480 to nothing mean more significant loss of the T driven higher levels of muscle around the same area, meaning that I would benefit from a comparative level of feminization from the loss of T. )
(This is all pure curiousity/academic, and I am not getting my hopes up for any magic results or anything. :D For all I know 1480 isn't even really that high, even if outside of the average range.)
Title: Re: Starting testosterone level questions
Post by: Allison S on December 10, 2017, 01:43:30 PM
Post by: Allison S on December 10, 2017, 01:43:30 PM
I would imagine when your testosterone is down and estrogen increased that your traits would be similar to natal women in your family. Especially your mother and sister(s), if you have any.
I started at 461 (ng?) testosterone and went down to 381 in the first month. Everyone is different based on how our bodies will react to medication.
Even then for me, or anyone, real noticeable results won't happen until 6-9 months. And that's being generous since 1 year is more realistic.
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I started at 461 (ng?) testosterone and went down to 381 in the first month. Everyone is different based on how our bodies will react to medication.
Even then for me, or anyone, real noticeable results won't happen until 6-9 months. And that's being generous since 1 year is more realistic.
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Title: Re: Starting testosterone level questions
Post by: Deborah on December 10, 2017, 02:04:30 PM
Post by: Deborah on December 10, 2017, 02:04:30 PM
Your high T, along with probable good genetics, certainly accounts for your ease in building muscle. So reducing that T will result in the loss of some muscle. But how much depends on whether you have been actively building muscle through weight training or if you just have your natural levels. If you have been working out a lot then you can lose a lot. If you haven't been working out then you will lose less.
I was in a similar state at the beginning of HRT at age 55 with T at 826. I expect it was much higher when I was in my 30s. At the time I was not working out but between muscle loss and fat loss I lost inches everywhere quickly. The only place that didn't lose as much as I had hoped was my neck that after dropping 2 inches has stayed at 14.5" no matter what I do.
I've got somewhat heavy bones too and even now at a fairly low bodyfat level my BMI is 24.6. So be realistic with whatever weight loss goals you might set.
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I was in a similar state at the beginning of HRT at age 55 with T at 826. I expect it was much higher when I was in my 30s. At the time I was not working out but between muscle loss and fat loss I lost inches everywhere quickly. The only place that didn't lose as much as I had hoped was my neck that after dropping 2 inches has stayed at 14.5" no matter what I do.
I've got somewhat heavy bones too and even now at a fairly low bodyfat level my BMI is 24.6. So be realistic with whatever weight loss goals you might set.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk