Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transsexual talk => Female to male transsexual talk (FTM) => Topic started by: Squirrel698 on November 14, 2010, 05:16:38 PM

Title: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: Squirrel698 on November 14, 2010, 05:16:38 PM
As I type this right now I am having one hell of what I believe is a hot flash.  I'm not really sure because I've never had one before. 

Basically a tingling warmth spread all over my body for a bit.  Now it just feels like I am literally burning.  It's not exactly uncomfortable but I feel extremely warm for no good reason.  I just feel strange and I don't want to move.

Is this normal?  A side effect of testosterone?  What is going on!?!       
Title: Re: Hot Flash?
Post by: Miniar on November 14, 2010, 05:23:33 PM
Sounds like a hot flash. Yep, T can do that apparently, during the "ovaries shutting down" period.
Title: Re: Hot Flash?
Post by: Squirrel698 on November 14, 2010, 05:26:25 PM
That's just great.  How long is this suppose to last.  I suppose it's getting a little bit better now.  I can still feel it though.  So weird! 

Ovaries shutting down?  So I'm going through female menopause in a way?   

Thanks Minar for answering by the way.  I don't mean to sound rude.  I just hate it when my body does things I don't expect it to do!
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: Miniar on November 14, 2010, 06:42:01 PM
Shouldn't take "too" long, but these things can creep up on and off for a while.
My endo told me "a few weeks".
Won't be as rough as "regular" menopause.
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: Elijah3291 on November 14, 2010, 07:01:23 PM
yea, probably a hot flash.  I had one of those a few weeks ago, except mine made me feel dizzy and nauseous, as well as hot and cold.

I havent had anymore then that one though, you probbaly wont get too many more hopefully.
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: ThenWeWereFlying on November 14, 2010, 07:08:00 PM
Yeah, don't worry, it's something that happens when women are on menopause, as well.
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: Squirrel698 on November 14, 2010, 07:21:47 PM
Thanks you guys.  You can read about these things but it's a bit shocking when it happens to you.

It's a good thing I guess in a way.  It shows that the T is doing something.  I haven't had many changes this past month so anything that shows I haven't been injecting sugar water is a positive.

Nothing I can't live with!
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: Sean on November 14, 2010, 08:00:40 PM
I didn't realize that it was so common for guys on T to get hot flashes as the ovaries shut down estrogen production, but it does make sense.

My endo prefers to introduce estrogen-blockers prior to starting T for a few reasons not worth getting into. The blocker treatment I'm on does have a significant rate of hot flashes as a side effect (haven't had any yet, though it hasn't been that long yet to say if I will or won't get them).

I don't want any of you guys to get these effects, but I have to be honest - reading this does makes me feel a little bit better to know that one of the side effects I'm likely to get would have likely happened even if I just went straight to T and not a blocker first anyway.
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: cynthialee on November 14, 2010, 09:15:33 PM
You go through menapause when you start male puberty if you are FTM and past your first puberty. Part of the entire shuting down the overies process.
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: kyril on November 14, 2010, 09:23:08 PM
Yeah, I've had a couple (what I think are) hot flashes. Not too terribly uncomfortable, but...odd.
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: Lee11 on November 15, 2010, 06:27:04 AM
It is quite common and it's just a result of your estrogen levels dropping. Uncomfortable but it will pass....
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: Nathan. on November 15, 2010, 09:03:38 AM
I've been getting them every few days for the last month >:(

They're uncomfortable but not awful.
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: M.Grimm on November 15, 2010, 12:36:47 PM
I had a massive hot flash the night of my first T-shot (I'm on a normal weekly injection dose, no e-blockers). It hit me in the middle of the night while I was sleeping and woke me up, I was so overheated I thought the house was on fire.

After that, nothing, as far as hot flashes are concerned. So hopefully this will be brief for you, too.
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: JohnR on November 15, 2010, 03:53:51 PM
I had one hot flush, unpleasant experience, similar to Elijah's.
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: JohnR on November 22, 2010, 12:50:58 PM
Try not to have a hot flush in the middle of a crowded shop, passing out is embarrassing  to say the least  :icon_no:
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: LordKAT on November 23, 2010, 06:14:06 AM
I must be lucky, no hot flashes or other menopause symptoms. I thought it was cause of being on T instead of having no or lo hormones.
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: Cody Jensen on November 23, 2010, 01:56:00 PM
Quote from: Sean on November 14, 2010, 08:00:40 PM
I didn't realize that it was so common for guys on T to get hot flashes as the ovaries shut down estrogen production, but it does make sense.

My endo prefers to introduce estrogen-blockers prior to starting T for a few reasons not worth getting into. The blocker treatment I'm on does have a significant rate of hot flashes as a side effect (haven't had any yet, though it hasn't been that long yet to say if I will or won't get them).

I don't want any of you guys to get these effects, but I have to be honest - reading this does makes me feel a little bit better to know that one of the side effects I'm likely to get would have likely happened even if I just went straight to T and not a blocker first anyway.

I am new to all this. I haven't even got a therapist to start T yet. I'm just curious though: what's a blocker? Does it prevent hot flashes? Is there a way to prevent them?
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: Miniar on November 23, 2010, 04:45:03 PM
An estrogen-blocker is a drug that stops the production of estrogen or stops your body from using estrogen.

There's no way to "prevent" hot flashes.
However, there's no guarantee you'll get them.

I didn't.
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: Arch on November 23, 2010, 05:11:34 PM
I went through a regular menopause (yeah, it hit me pretty early in life) before I transitioned. The worst symptoms took a couple of years to sort out. Among other things, my allergies went nuts, I had problems with balance if I stood up too quickly, and I experienced hot flashes and night sweats. It all started soon after I went off my antidepressants, so I was hit by the post-antidepressant depression, then menopausal depression, and then seasonal depression. I guess each one built on the other, so for a little while I was struggling with all three at once. Not fun.

But that meant that I didn't have any problems with such things when I started T, so that was a nice bonus. I imagine it's very awkward to have hot flashes when you're well aware that people are reading you as a guy!

All the trans guys I've talked to who had menopausal symptoms from T said that the unpleasantness didn't last long, maybe a month or two. So I hope you're feeling better soon.
Title: Re: Hot Flash? Help!
Post by: JesseA on November 23, 2010, 06:10:19 PM
Yes I had hot flashes for a few weeks. They're still coming but sort of tapering off by now.