For primarily family reasons, I have no plans to transition from male to female right now. However, I've heard of great psychological/mental health benefits from HRT, and that some doctors will prescribe hormones specifically for those benefits even if a patient is not transitioning. Does anyone have any additional info one this? Opinions?

I'm 5'7", about 240-250 pounds and bearded. I think I could probably still pass for male after HRT if I chose to, but I could be wrong. I would also bank my sperm in case my wife and i decided to have more children at some point.

One other issue: The idea of my male parts not working doesn't bother me, but it may bother my wife, so I'd have to sort that out... frankly I just feel poisoned by testosterone... my mind is absolutely frantic and I want that calmness and peace a lot of folks say HRT helps bring.

I'll stop there. Any of this make sense, or am I a raving loon?

http://wpath.org/Documents2/socv6.pdf

QuoteCan Hormones Be Given To Those Who Do Not Want Surgery or a Real-life Experience?
Yes, but after diagnosis and psychotherapy with a qualified mental health professional following
minimal standards listed above. Hormone therapy can provide significant comfort to gender
patients who do not wish to cross live or undergo surgery, or who are unable to do so. In some
patients, hormone therapy alone may provide sufficient symptomatic relief to obviate the need
for cross living or surgery.

Hope this helps.

Anna

The grass is always greener on the other side.  Most of us trade one set of difficult circumstances for another one.  Rarely is there a magic bullet.  I know I haven't seen it.

You have a beard.  You are married.  You may want to have kids.  Being impotent is okay with you but maybe not with your wife. 

You have a lot of more important things to work out before you start taking the 'magic elixir'.

Peace of mind does not come in a bottle or in a pill.  If you aren't in therapy, get there before you make any life altering decisions.  HRT WILL change the way you think.  A good therapist will help you figure out your situation before recommending HRT.

Julie

Also The quote is from page p.14

Go Blue!

Anna

Thanks for the info/feedback!

I was in therapy with Susan O'Dell in Chicago for a couple of months last year, and on the verge of starting HRT when my wife decided she couldn't stay with me if I transitioned. So here we are: I'm trying to tolerate being male because I can't stand the idea of being apart from my wife/being a part-time parent.

I start seeing a new local therapist in about 3 weeks...

If HRT could give me mental relief while I still present as a guy, it might make things better for all concerned.

How weird, I was just thinking about you the other night, sounds like you've been busy  It's nice to see you here again!

The mental relief is indescribable.
Your boy parts will probably still work on hrt if you want them to bad enough, but you will pretty much stop ejaculating. How do you think your wife would process that?

Becca,
honestly, if it could get up enough for the very occasional sex we have, and I look like a guy still, and I have some sperm frozen.. I think even now she'd be okay with that.

But I don't even see my new therapist for 3 weeks.. stay tuned.

I've been busy, but ineffective

What's she going to think about breasts? Maybe try to get her in touch with her inner lesbian?

She's bi, actually... she likes breasts, but might not like them on my largely male, overweight, bearded body.. ha ha I already have some breast tissue (always have, even before I fattened up)

Yeah, I can imagine hairy boobs would be icky. Your wife sounds pretty cool for a girl, did you guys talk about the I-cant-be-with-you-if-you-transition thing or did she come up with it on her own? I'm wondering if she has a vision of the fat hairy you in a dress instead of the soft, hairless creature you would theoretically become?

I have been on hrt for 5 years knowing that I wouldn't begin transition for that period.  My wife approves.  In that time I have also had my facial hair removed.  I have a pretty good job making the kind of money that I wouldn't if I transitioned.  HRT has kept me sane and fairly prosperous.  The sex thing is a little slow, and I bounce a lot when I run.  My job may be ending shortly and I now have the $ to finance my transition, while not putting my wife through any financial burden.  It works for us, maybe for you.

Quote from: mtfbuckeye on September 17, 2009, 05:11:06 PM
Becca,
honestly, if it could get up enough for the very occasional sex we have, and I look like a guy still, and I have some sperm frozen.. I think even now she'd be okay with that.

But I don't even see my new therapist for 3 weeks.. stay tuned.

I've been busy, but ineffective

that makes me remember a question I never got around to asking - for the room:

Can a person who's impotent because of HRT still get an erection with Viagra/Cialis/et al?

Quote from: Becca on September 17, 2009, 05:06:45 PM
How weird, I was just thinking about you the other night, sounds like you've been busy  It's nice to see you here again!

The mental relief is indescribable.
Your boy parts will probably still work on hrt if you want them to bad enough, but you will pretty much stop ejaculating. How do you think your wife would process that?

This is entirely inappropriate.  What may have worked for you will not necessarily work for someone else, everyone reacts differently to HRT, it is not a magic elixir.

-={LR}=-

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Quote from: Laura Hope on September 17, 2009, 06:59:29 PM
that makes me remember a question I never got around to asking - for the room:

Can a person who's impotent because of HRT still get an erection with Viagra/Cialis/et al?

Seems a little like wanting your cake and eating it too.  Why on earth would a MtF want an erection?

-={LR}=-

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Seems a little like wanting your cake and eating it too.  Why on earth would a MtF want an erection?

-={LR}=-
[/quote]

Some of us are indifferent to our genitals.  It can be about the feminine expression - the secondary sex characteristics, the acceptance from society of us as a female.  Genitals for me could be either one or the other - as long as they work in some fashion, I'm satisfied(no pun intended!).

As for the question about viagra, I don't have any first-hand experience, but I've watched "->-bleeped-<-girl15's"(I know - offensive name, but she has good info!) video blogs on Youtube, and she reported to have a positive experience with it.

Becca, when you say she'll stop ejaculating, does that mean dry orgasms, or no orgasms?  That's been a concern for me and one of my road-blocks for starting HRT.

Quote from: Becca on September 17, 2009, 07:54:35 PM
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be offensive.

It wasn't offensive, we shouldn't make recommendations on drugs based on our own experiences

-={LR}=-

Quote from: Ladyrider on September 17, 2009, 07:37:49 PM
This is entirely inappropriate.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be offensive, thank you for pointing it out 

If I was with someone who never ejaculated, I'd start to get a complex after a while. That's all I meant by it. I'm rather fond of mtfbuckeye and I didn't mean to sound critical, just explore the topic with her.

I'm not in the mood to talk about erections or orgasms anymore so just wait a bit and lots of other opinions will be along shortly, or we can talk later.

Quote from: calliope on September 17, 2009, 07:56:17 PM

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QuoteSeems a little like wanting your cake and eating it too.  Why on earth would a MtF want an erection?

-={LR}=-

Some of us are indifferent to our genitals.  It can be about the feminine expression - the secondary sex characteristics, the acceptance from society of us as a female.  ...

Society accepting a person with an erect penis as a female?  Hmm... That could be stretch, but what the heck, good luck with that.

-={LR}=-

Quote from: calliope on September 17, 2009, 07:56:17 PMBecca, when you say she'll stop ejaculating, does that mean dry orgasms, or no orgasms?  That's been a concern for me and one of my road-blocks for starting HRT.

okay, speaking only for myself here with the usual ymmv disclaimer, they are dry orgasms, and pretty much nothing like the male type orgasms experienced before HRT. They are female orgasms: wavelike, multiple, full bodied, toe-curling deals that aren't just wham it's all over but tend to linger, and even when you think its over might come back for another wave or two while you lay there trembling. Definitely an improvement over the old sticky ones, and again speaking strictly for myself, erections are neither required nor desired for this to occur. I suppose Viagra would still do it's magic if that's what you really wanted.

When I visited Dr. McGinn this week, she recommended keeping in good practice with having orgasms before SRS, because this will aid in being able to continue having them after surgery. Sort of a "use it or lose it" thing for orgasms.

Thanks for the advice/info everyone... It's nice to hear that others have taken this path, and that it's possible for me.

Quote
Seems a little like wanting your cake and eating it too.  Why on earth would a MtF want an erection?

Read the thread. Buckeye speaks of taking HRT but not transitioning, and trying to preserve an existing relationship, and specifically says this:

"honestly, if it could get up enough for the very occasional sex we have"

which I quoted in asking the question.

so there's at least one reason - in order to have sex with an otherwise tolerant pre-existing partner.

While I myself have no particular foundness for my "junk" - if it helped ease my wife through my transition to postpone the day when we had sex for the last time (by her statement that she isn't now and isn't going to be bi) then there is value in that.

so yeah, when I start HRT, in those intervening months between the time when i lose natural erections but still do not have such a female form as to turn her off from sex with me altogether - I could definitely see the value in a chemically induced erection....for her sake.