Alright, I know this is a ridiculous question, but anyway. One of the things my mum said when I first told my parents was that she was worried it was because of the steroids I was on. I was on prednisone for five years, and I've only been off them for just over a year. Steroids can cause mood changes and whatever, but she said when I came off the steroids, she was always worried because she'd read that after you've come off them, you can develop personality changes or mental changes (schizophrenia, for example). I don't think that's true; it can cause mental problems, and mood changes. But I've never seen anywhere say that it changes your personality. Basically, she thinks maybe the steroids have altered my mind or personality and made me think I'm transgender. I told her this can't be the case, because it's based on things I've felt all my life but never realised it was connected to my gender. But her response was that maybe I'm just imagining that the things I felt are connected to my gender when they're really not.

Personally, I'm 99.9% sure she's wrong. I mean, hey, I might be delusional, it's certainly possible, but as far as I can be certain, I am certain. But I don't know, I just want some proof or some information to give her to help her realise that she's wrong and that this isn't simply a consequence of taking steroids. Can anyone help?

I would say it's not correct. Jeeze, given how much steroids are used in medication if it were the case then you'd see a lot, lot, lot more genetic women identifying as male I suspect. Furthermore, while testosterone is a steroid not all steroids are testosterone or have the same effect.

This might help...

http://www.wisegeekhealth.com/what-is-the-function-of-steroids.htm

That's is a good reason to have a gender therapist to help you work through any comorbidity conditons.

Nothing is black and white and could be or could not.

I know very little about psychology, and much less about medicine, but Im gonna go ahead and say no to this question anyway.

challenging the validity of YOUR thoughts about yourself is kind of a serious accusation. if she truly believes that you are in such a mental state as to suddenly become so delusional, then confronting you about it probably wouldnt be the best idea. suggesting therapy is better idea. i suggest therapy.

We treat clients who have autoimmune disease, various malignancies etc with prednisone and although their medic may be transgender, none of my patients have shown any sign of a sudden desire to change gender

Short version no. Longer version not likely unless the drug permanently altered brain function.

The problem with asking for "proof" (sic) or rather evidence of psychological changes with the use of a certain drug is that many drugs have psychological effects even though their primary use might be for something completely different.

I would suggest you both attend therapy as it's likely she's using emotional manipulation in order to control your behaviour (regardless of if there is a significant comorbid psych condition present).

Quote from: Jason C on January 12, 2015, 07:39:58 PM
I just want some proof or some information to give her to help her realise that she's wrong and that this isn't simply a consequence of taking steroids. Can anyone help?

Actually, exposure to external hormones has been shown to permanently change people's personality and behaviour, and I think exposure to medical hormones is probably the main cause of transsexuality (although there seems to be a great deal of reluctance to acknowledge that fact, both outside and within the trans community). However, the exposure has to take place before birth. By the time you're a child or teenager, the sex of your brain has already been hardwired in place, and it's too late to change it.

Hormones have two different sets of effects, depending on when in life the exposure takes place. There's a critical period starting about 6 weeks after conception and ending a few months after you're born, during which sexually dimorphic development is taking place. During that time, hormones have "organizational" effects, where they direct first your body and then your brain to develop as either male or female. Later in life (from puberty onwards), they have "activational" effects, where they're basically controlling the day to day running of your body and brain in either a male or female way.

If you're exposed to hormones after the organizational phase has finished, then their effects are only temporary; during the organizational phase, the effects are permanent. If your mother took hormones while she was pregnant with you, that probably explains why you're trans. Hormones during childhood wouldn't make you trans though, because by that time the organizational phase has already finished.

There's a free to view paper which explains quite well the history behind the discovery that it's hormones and not genes that determine which sex you develop as, and also the experiments that have been carried out on Rhesus monkeys and other animal species, showing how easy it is to cause cross-sex brain development to take place by administering external hormones during pregnancy.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3146061/

Quote from: Flan on January 13, 2015, 01:12:18 AM
Short version no. Longer version not likely unless the drug permanently altered brain function.

The problem with asking for "proof" (sic) or rather evidence of psychological changes with the use of a certain drug is that many drugs have psychological effects even though their primary use might be for something completely different.

I would suggest you both attend therapy as it's likely she's using emotional manipulation in order to control your behaviour (regardless of if there is a significant comorbid psych condition present).

She's definitely not using emotional manipulation, she's just not that kind of person, and she only brought it up the day I came out. She's not stopped me from doing anything. I think she's just confused and shocked and worried, because she read this long list of potential side effects of the steroids, and I was on a high dose for a long time.

Quote from: HughE on January 13, 2015, 07:13:56 AM
Actually, exposure to external hormones has been shown to permanently change people's personality and behaviour, and I think exposure to medical hormones is probably the main cause of transsexuality (although there seems to be a great deal of reluctance to acknowledge that fact, both outside and within the trans community). However, the exposure has to take place before birth. By the time you're a child or teenager, the sex of your brain has already been hardwired in place, and it's too late to change it.

Hormones have two different sets of effects, depending on when in life the exposure takes place. There's a critical period starting about 6 weeks after conception and ending a few months after you're born, during which sexually dimorphic development is taking place. During that time, hormones have "organizational" effects, where they direct first your body and then your brain to develop as either male or female. Later in life (from puberty onwards), they have "activational" effects, where they're basically controlling the day to day running of your body and brain in either a male or female way.

If you're exposed to hormones after the organizational phase has finished, then their effects are only temporary; during the organizational phase, the effects are permanent. If your mother took hormones while she was pregnant with you, that probably explains why you're trans. Hormones during childhood wouldn't make you trans though, because by that time the organizational phase has already finished.

There's a free to view paper which explains quite well the history behind the discovery that it's hormones and not genes that determine which sex you develop as, and also the experiments that have been carried out on Rhesus monkeys and other animal species, showing how easy it is to cause cross-sex brain development to take place by administering external hormones during pregnancy.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3146061/

Thanks for the info and the link, I appreciate it yeah, it was just from 16-21 that I was on steroids for, so really, although it can cause certain physical or mental problems, I can't imagine it'd cause someone to be transgender.

Thanks everyone for your replies!

I think that changes in hormonal balance can reveal underlying dysphoria.

This is strictly anecdotal but my dysphoria was stuffed away for a while. However I started taking some medications in the past few years which affected my hormone levels and this is when it quickly moved from just a nagging feeling to "crisis."

This is just my theory, based on nothing but guessing and putting 2 and 2 together. But no doctor has diagnosed this anyway, nor am I going to get one.

Quote from: Jason C on January 13, 2015, 08:41:02 AM
I think she's just confused and shocked and worried, because she read this long list of potential side effects of the steroids, and I was on a high dose for a long time.

Is this like going on wikipedia and seeing the LD (lethal dose) 50 (in half the test victims/mice) for a common over the counter drug and thinking that taking it will result in death?

Not all steroids are created equal. Heck, estrogen is a steroid. How that affects a person is far different then testosterone. One well known side effect for all the Hulks and wannabes out there is Roid Rage. When people read or hear about steroids affecting you, this is usually the reference if they know it or not.

The counter point to your mom's can be found by looking up the story of Alan Turing, one of the leading pioneers of computer science and ace code breaker during WWII. Sadly being gay in the UK up untill a short time ago was illegal. As part of his punishment he was given a form of estrogen. For transwomen estrogen is a blessing. For cis males it is hell. He eventually poisoned himself by taking cyanide. (Well... at least that is the "Official" finding)

I'll propose the converse-  Can medication make you NOT transgender?   

Once your brain is formed, methinks that ship done sailed.

I'd like to offer the counter opinion. It's possible I'll say that maybe it could effect the brain in someway.

Though I'm no doctor, who's to say that doctors have ever proven this to be false. I'm sure its not very often that a doctor gets to observe the thought process of a person transitioning into another gender. Lots of people on here have linked their trans-ness to either a physical thing, mental thing or an early childhood lifestyle of sorts. Obviously taking hormones of the opposite gender will make you look like that gender. Steroids include a form of estradiol and testosterone in them. That tells me that there is a chance, even if slight, that it could have an effect. Also you said that you were on prednisone; which it can cause difficulty controlling Emotion, Difficulty in maintaining train of thought, depression, and anxiety to say the least. These are all something I've heard a lot of people on here mention in their transition. This could prove maybe someday doctors will factor this in with transgender people to see if it had any effect or not. Only future advancement with medicine and practice can tell.

You mentioned being on heavy doses while being at the later stages of being a teenager. You also didn't say anything about what activities you did during this time frame that would influence you to be a male. I think with all of this being said, yes I do believe its possible. I'm not sure when you first mentioned having thoughts on being the wrong gender. If your thoughts came before than I doubt it. If the thoughts came around during or after the use of this, Than yes it's possible.

Now In your case if it caused any effect, it was probably very small or very insignificant. So I think your mother has nothing to worry about. You look fine to me

ok. so I dont think that it could possibly make trans.  the only reason you are trans is because your gender identity doesn't match what you see in the mirror. I could see where takin steroids could maybe help you realize you were trans though. say when you started taking steroids maybe you found yourself hoping that the hormones would make you look more masculine.

I dont think an outside factor can make you trans. its something you are born with.

I didn't think I was tg for a long time.  My big thing is that I have never been into males.  Still don't think so, but after loosing my 2 friends due to a disease and starting on estradiol, I started having dreams about being a bottom with a male.  There I finally said it;)  I'm married happily, I guess my dreams give possibilities.   They are good dreams, but nothing I think about waking?  I still have good sex and hopefully with my wife til death.  I don't know if I will ever tell her about them though.  She was scared I wouldn't love her after the hormone change, but I think I love her more if that's possible.  My hormone change took the rage out of me and made me more of a friend to my wife. 
So, I would say it does affect your brain a little, but it's what's in your heart that you need to follow.  If you wanna be tg, you will know.  If not, just give it time and keep the option available;)
i served in the military and sadly got this horrible disease so people have the freedom to be themselves.  Your heart has more influence than a hormone.   You be who you want to be, so I don't regret my choice either;)  take care..