I am new to posting on here but not new to the website itself.  I have been visiting here for a while now, but wanted to get a good feel of the site before really interacting.  I really see one common theme to this site no matter which thread I read, everyone is very supportive of each other, it is sometimes difficult to find in our day to day lives.  So I am about 2 and a half months on T and have top surgery scheduled for July 20th.  I am older compared to most of the ftm's on this site so life for me is a little different.  I look forward to being more involved and hope that maybe some of this life experience can be shared with all of you and that some of you who have are older in your transition process can share your experiences with me. 

So now that the intro is over, as I stated I am about 10 days before top surgery and due to that upcoming event my last two shots of T have been half doses and now I am in the middle of my 2 weeks of no T at all.  I am experiencing severe depression and a huge loss of energy.  I am second guessing everything, I am having a hard time sleeping, not hungry, I just feel pretty awful.  Has anyone else experienced anything similar when you have had to go without T?  I am so looking forward to my next dose of T, I can't believe how awful I really feel without it.  I was feeling really great before I had to come off it for surgery so I really hope this is just a temporary state of being and the T will take me back to that really happy, great place that I was in just a few short weeks ago.  Anything you guys can tell me would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to the site!  Glad you've started posting.

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery.  I'm not sure why you are taking half doses/no T in preparation for it, but I suppose each surgeon has his/her reasons.  I suspect it is the lack of T that is bringing you down.  When I've missed shots or gone a while in between them (from being lazy), my energy levels are way down.  So I can definitely relate.  Just try to focus on the fact that you're getting top surgery and remember that this is only temporary.

hi and wellcome,

your symtomes seams logical to me, there pretty much all the oppsite of what happent when I started T,
I had gone a time without T but only for a short period like 1 mounth when I where to get top surgery, and I honestly dont like it, I get pretty depressed and emotionally just by the thought.

I'm nothing like an expert on all this, but I am haven't heard re: cutting T for this. Was there a reason given??

BTW, I am "older". Though I am kind of genderqueer/ftm leaning.
Welcome to Susan's and good luck on upcoming surgery.

--Jay Jay

I don't know why some surgeons require you to reduce your T dosage or stop completely. I'm glad my surgeon didn't require it; I used to get mood troughs in a regular two-week injection cycle.

It is perfectly normal to feel like crap if you're not getting your hormones.

Welcome to the site. Did you know that your surgery date is Moon Day? "That's one small step for a trans man...one giant leap for transmankind."

Or somethin' like that.

I had 3 consults with 3 different surgeons when I was considering my options and 2 out of the 3 required that you cut back to half dose 1 month before surgery and then stop completely 2 weeks before surgery.  I was told by both that the reason is that T has been known to increase the chances of hematomas, so I didn't want to take any chances and decided to do what they recommended. 

Thank you all for your warm welcomes and for all of your input, I feel a little better just knowing that this is the T knowing that as soon as surgery is over going back on T will bring me back to my really emotionally solid place that I seemed to have lost in the last week or so.

I've heard vague statements about higher risk factors. Hematomas, huh? I feel that if the risks are real and significant, the surgeons should require cis men to go on T blockers for a month before surgery and see how THEY react.

I really feel for you. But you're almost there.

Quote from: Arch on July 14, 2012, 04:21:43 AM
I've heard vague statements about higher risk factors. Hematomas, huh? I feel that if the risks are real and significant, the surgeons should require cis men to go on T blockers for a month before surgery and see how THEY react.

This.  I don't understand any of the reasoning behind stopping T for almost anything.  Like you said, would you ask a cis guy to go on T blockers for surgery, or for his blood pressure or cholesterol?  Kind of off topic, but I just don't get it.  If there is a problem on T, why shouldn't that problem be addressed like it would be for a cis male?