I feel like I'm getting closer to actually getting a prescription for T, but I'm really worried about one thing:
the mood swings.

I have major depression anyway and I'm afraid that I'll freak out at my family over small things. For all the guys on T: How bad was it for you?

when i first started T i would find myself getting more angry and revved up easier

but now I don't notice any difference or mood swings, and I don't feel any different when I have just had my shot, compared to two weeks after my shot. some people feel more tired or irritable when their "T cycle" is ending

I've found that my moods have improved and stabilised.  I haven't had any lows or meltdowns at all.  My mother and stepdad are getting a divorce, my grandma just died, my grandpa may need surgery, my drug addict mother and aunt are manipulating him and now my sister may be getting a divorce - all this is 2 months.  I would have been crazy by now pre-T, but I'm mellow and calm.  So I have no mood issues.  Who knows what may happen in a few months, though, as I'm only 2 months on T.

I had no real mood swings.  In fact, my mood stabilized because I wasn't stressed out about passing. 

Quote from: Natkat on February 28, 2012, 08:45:46 AM
its hard to say and nobody react the same but I dont think you should worry to much about it.

but I do belive most transgender people have mood swings or depressiong Pre T.
its understandable cause we as transpeople are put under alot of stress.

T might make your alittle more depressed, but in most case the people who want to take T want to see changings, and when they see them they get happy about it. thats the reason why you take T, cause you want these changings.

I personally still got mood swings and depression as I had pre T, but I also fell T makes me way more a claim person, since it keep some of my trouble away. It gives me the change to pass, more mucle, and so on as I wish, and it nice to know its in my body to get better every day without worry about it. Not said all my problems are gone cause they arnt, but how your felling in general have much more effect on your mental helth than homones, and my problem just turned out to be problem insteed of surviving.


you can always stop T if you want and it gives you very bad sideeffects or you just dont feel happy/satified about thaking it,
but I dont think you should worry too much about it.

I have bipolar disorder, so when I started T I was worried I would have bad mood swings. My endo put me on a weekly injection because that would keep the levels as steady as possible (even with a weekly injection there will be peaks and troughs, but not as bad as every 2 weeks).

I haven't had any mood swings at all in 10 months on T. I've had normal highs and lows based on circumstance, but those aren't any different from any average joe off the street.

I was being treated for major depression with therapy and anti depressants pre-T because they didn't feel comfortable with me being on T until I had my depression under control. Not long before starting T I came off of the anti depressants and was feeling way better and in control of my depression. However, like you I was a tad scared about experiencing mood swings on T.

Well so far, if anything I just get really bitchy the night before my shot/ if my shot is late; kinda like PMS pre-T lol. But I have noticed that I have way less tolerance for things that bothered me pre-T. I'm generally just not the type of person that gets set off easily, but now it's like when I'm pissed off, I want for punch a hole in the wall. Most of the time I can calm myself down though.

Quote from: Preston on February 28, 2012, 01:09:12 AM
I feel like I'm getting closer to actually getting a prescription for T, but I'm really worried about one thing:
the mood swings.

I have major depression anyway and I'm afraid that I'll freak out at my family over small things. For all the guys on T: How bad was it for you?

I can't really say much because I've only been on a week. But I can be pretty sensitive and emotional. A few weeks before I started I had a really bad dysphoria spell. I was really worried and thought I'd be the type to react to T like aggressively.  Anyway, total opposite. I'm so mellow. Like lately stuff that would really tick me off or upset me just doesn't so much. I don't know, I just feel like I can roll with the punches better.

I'm not on T yet, so sorry for butting in here. This is also a concern of mine when the time comes for me to start it. Around my family, I'm already a "shark". I get so mentally torn apart sometimes I feel like dragging myself off a cliff is the only option. I REALLY hope T doesn't make that worse for me. And I am also REALLY looking forward to a more stable mood. That would actually be a miracle for me.

Quote from: Preston on February 28, 2012, 01:09:12 AM
I feel like I'm getting closer to actually getting a prescription for T, but I'm really worried about one thing:
the mood swings.

I have major depression anyway and I'm afraid that I'll freak out at my family over small things. For all the guys on T: How bad was it for you?

i too have major depression along with a list of other conditions, but t actually helped a bit in keeping my moods more even. less extreme lows and less extreme highs. though with the occasional low day here and there.

I'm on weekly shots, and I also feel mellower and more stable. I'm more likely to feel down about things that are stressing me out if it's the night before my shot, but that's about it. I feel pretty good about life in general as long as I get regular exercise.

Let me tell you, though, I missed a shot once, and ZOMG THE WORLD WAS ENDING. I was the world's biggest dick that week. The GF did not appreciate it much at all.

I have serious problems with some stuff that has happened, and so also a lot of textbook PTSD issues, including problems with emotional regulation. When I started testosterone, a lot of it leveled out. I'm a lot slower to get upset than I used to be, and I'm generally happier. A lot of my fear is gone. I cry less, I yell less, I can tolerate a lot more frustration and difficulty than I could before. Obviously I still have issues, but I feel normal in a way I never used to.

I'm in, like, a fishbowl with a piranha. Frequent violence and zero privacy. I'm really happy with how much better I'm handling it since starting hormones. When I do get angry it is more directed and less eloquent, but it's not happening more often or more powerfully.

For the short time I was on T it amplified my anger issues. It also felt very abnormal to me to not "be in touch with my feelings" for lack of a better phrase. It reminded me of being on xanax where I just stopped caring about if I hurt anyone or if I hurt myself but T didn't have quite that brain-clouding effect ... just really ramped me up and gave me physical side effects I wasn't cool with. I felt very detaches from situations and emotions and I didn't personally like that.

Happily (for everyone else), I seem to be an exception in that department. Quite possibly because my "normal" hormone levels are not very normal or predictable. The doctor (or rather nurse practitioner) I was seeing already knew my hormones were wacky. Your doctor should take a number of tests before and during you taking T.

I think the important thing to realize is that, yes, you're taking a chemical "drug" and that there could be side effects. But you and your doctor should be working closely together to monitor any side effects and to continue doing tests on your levels. The doctor will depend on you to be honest about any side effects that might happen, including how you feel overall and your general mood. If something occurs you can get a lower dose or try different things with your doctor to make you feel as good as possible while taking the prescription.

Good point. Dosage and timing matters. I'm on a lowish dose weekly. When I was every two weeks I had powerful mood swings a few days before I was due for the next shot. That was not fun. When you encounter problems you have to be proactive in getting things adjusted so they work better.

It is sometimes a little strange trying to process drama on T. I'm much slower to figure out what's going on and what a person is upset about than I used to be. I have to try to simplify the details before I react. I'm okay with that trade-off though. I'm a lot more careful with my daughter's feelings now that I'm not so sensitive that they overwhelm me. I'm also kinder to a close friend of mine who occasionally has extreme emotional issues. Being able to back up and be more practical helps me keep better perspective.

It's hard to explain. It will change how you feel.

It's hard to tell which factor helped my depression more: T or transition overall? The fact is, I'm doing much better with my depression. I also get Seasonal Affective Disorder. I had a few bad days last week, but this has been my most successful winter so far. In another two weeks or so, I'll be through it. I can hardly believe it. I'm managing my depression without mood stabilizers, and I'm not doing too badly. I still have progress yet to make--I become more sluggish and unfocused in the winter, and I think I can do better next time. I'll chip away at it every year.

When I was injecting every two weeks, I saw definite troughs in my mood. On weekly shots, I'm much more stable.

I went through a period during which I became extremely competitive and had to struggle with my aggression. It was weird. In discussions with my old buddy from grad school, I suddenly wanted to win any debate we were having. I curbed that pretty fast. I became a more aggressive driver, but I've toned that down. While we were still having sex, I became much more assertive with my ex. I don't think he liked that very much. In public, I'm much more likely to speak my mind, and nobody seems to think I'm being pushy. I think they see it as normal male behavior.

I do get a strong urge to punch people out sometimes, but I've never acted on it. For one thing, it would exacerbate my repetitive motion injury.

I'm still sort of revved up sometimes, but I have better control over it now. And a bunch of guys I know say that T calmed them down and smoothed them out, so I don't think you can know till you give it a try and maybe play around with dosage if you need to.

I think I'm having a hard time dealing with the fact that I have to take T weekly or bi-weekly just to feel like a 'normal' guy. this is exhausting!! thanks for all the replies!