Hi i have no idea how tumblr works but i saw some of your posts and wanted to ask a question, im a trans guy myself for 5 years now and i genuinely dont know anything about testosterone and so on. i see a lot of positive things about it but i get told about so many awful side effects and even life shortening incidents. of course i try to stay positive but its difficult to decide on what to believe. id love to start taking testosterone but ive never gotten to truly study it. i want to ask you, a trans male yourself if the side effects truly are definite and life threatening?
Hi!! I’m so glad you came to ask questions. There’s so many things about T that are hard to research, and a lot of misinfo and fear mongering around. This may be long, but hopefully can answer some of your questions.
(TL;DR: T is no more life threatening to a healthy individual as most other medications. You may see a long list of potential side effects but you could find this same list with many others, and there are things you can do to mitigate these risks, especially if you work closely with your care team.
I’m not sure what you mean by definite, but if you mean permanent, only some changes are. Most of the changes on T are reversible, and you are generally able to stop at any time with guidance from a health professional). :)
Read more just because this post is very long.
Is T life threatening?
ALL medications have the potential to be dangerous or fatal. I don’t consider T to be any more life threatening to a healthy individual than Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen, and most side effects are not dangerous. In some rare cases it can be ill advised to take T or you should take caution when doing so, however.
Things that may PREVENT YOU from taking T due to health risks:
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding, as it can cause defects in the child.
- Currently having or having a personal history of hormone-sensitive cancer such as breast cancer.
- Having problems with blood clots, such as when a blood clot forms in a deep vein (deep vein thrombosis), or there's a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries of the lungs, (pulmonary embolism).
- Having uncontrolled coronary artery disease.
- Uncontrolled cardiovascular conditions.
- Severe liver or kidney disease.
- Some psychiatric conditions, such as poorly controlled psychosis or other conditions that may impact your ability to consent to the procedure.
Things that should make you stop and talk to a healthcare provider before starting T*:
- Severe acne (T will make this worse or prolong the condition in almost every case)
- a family history of heart disease or breast cancer (for the latter you may consider top surgery before testosterone)
- high levels of cholesterol
- a high red blood cell count
- had a blood clot in your arms, legs, or lungs
*You should be discussing any of the risks/side effects with your provider prior to starting T anyway!
Some notable potential risks include:
- a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to some methods of T: rare, but most common with the cottonseed oil some injectable methods are suspended in.
- Heart-related risks: unhealthy cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, increased fat around the heart/other organs, excess red blood cells, heart disease
NOTE that all the above can be prevented/the risk can be mitigated by maintaining a healthy weight, be active (exercise!), attend ALL MEDICAL CHECKUPS, and quit smoking/vaping.
- Liver damage
- Cancer (link to cancer is speculative, it is unknown of excess T converted back to estrogen increases the risk of developing certain cancers, but it is a possibility)
- Diabetes
- Headaches
- Emotional changes
- Hair loss (due to male pattern baldness. If a lot of the men in your family are bald, you may end up bald, too).
- Worsening of/Changing of ADHD symptoms
This may seem like a lot, and that may be scary. But remember that most medications have a very long list of possible side effects & risks; There are things you can do to mitigate them.
The following GREATLY REDUCES your risk of complications and/or GREATLY INCREASES the chance that any complications will be caught early:
- Take your medication ONLY AS PRESCRIBED.
- Tell your clinician immediately if you experience any problems with your treatment.
- Follow through with ALL of your follow-ups including physical exams and blood tests, especially early on in your treatment.
- Talk with your clinician if you have or develop any of the conditions that make it risky to take testosterone. Your doctor will be able to advise you with next steps.
- If you decide to stop at any point, discuss this with your clinician first to decide the safest way to do so.
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Below is a list of what changes you can expect on masculinizing HRT, but keep in mind that these are vastly genetic and your mileage may vary. You will experience most of these, if not all, but to what extent & how long it takes depends on genetics, your T dosage, and your method of administration.
THINGS T WILL NOT CHANGE:
- If starting HRT after your growth plates have fused (after you have stopped growing; after puberty) you WILL NOT grow taller.
- Your breast size/density will not change on T, though they may become saggier and easier to bind.
- T WILL NOT prevent pregnancy. I’ve heard conflicting information over whether or not T actually affects fertility, but it seems the general consensus is that it does not. You will have to stop T if you are trying to get pregnant, however.
- T will also not protect against STIs or STDs.
PERMANENT CHANGES:
- Enlargement of the clitoris (bottom growth). This creates a “phallus” of sorts which is usually between 1-2 inches. You will grow foreskin. You will need to wash it.
Bottom growth IS PAINFUL/UNCOMFORTABLE to some when it is growing In. It becomes very sensitive, so touching it can hurt, but this discomfort decreases within 6-8 months. If you’re lucky, like me, you will experience some mild itchiness but no other discomfort.
You can reduce the rate at which bottom growth grows using DHT. This will also slow down other effects, however, such as facial and body hair growth. Discuss with your provider before doing this if it’s something you are interested in.
- Voice drop. The voice dropping is unavoidable on T, and it is an effect that cannot be reversed. Some change happened within the first month for me, with much of it occurring between 2-4 months on T. I’m still experiencing some changes in my voice 11 months in, but it is minimal.
- Thickening of some facial bone structure.
- Hair loss, for the most part.
- Increased body & facial hair growth.
REVERSIBLE CHANGES:
- Increased libido. (When people tell you this is rough, LISTEN. Truly, it was so difficult to get through the roughly 2 week period ~a month in where it was so bad. I could not think about anything else, could not focus—people were right about teenage boys being ravenous).
- Increased appetite, weight gain, and fluid retention.
- Increases muscle mass.
- Fat redistribution. (Decreased fat in breasts, butt, & thighs, increased fat in the abdomen)
- increased sweat and changes in BO
- prominence of veins and coarser/rougher/tougher skin
- Acne (may cause scarring if severe, however)
- Menstruation stopping
- Vaginal atrophy/dryness/itching that may occasionally cause pain w/ vaginal penetration during sex
- changes in mood & emotional stability
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METHODS OF ADMINISTRATION:
Injections:
As the name says. cheapest option & great for keeping your hormone levels relatively stable. Offers very quick changes.
12-weekly shots - an option different from weekly shots, they give a higher dose in one go every 12 weeks. Done by a doctor or other professional licensed to give vaccinations. I wouldn’t recommend this for people just starting HRT as it offers little flexibility with changing your dose, but you absolutely can if you want to.
sub Q - smaller needle that goes into fat reserves in stomach, thighs, or butt. Injected by yourself every week, though your nurse will likely be willing to do it for you if you wish. A partner or other trusted adult may also be able to do it for you. You will get injection training from a professional, don’t worry.
Intramuscular: bigger needle that goes into muscle in your arm. Recommended by the FDA over sub-Q, reaches your bloodstream faster. I believe offers the chance for higher doses at once. Injected once every 1-2 weeks. Usually self-administered/administered at home, but like sub-Q you can get a nurse to do it for you also. You will get training for this as well.
Patches:
don’t know much about these, but they do exist. I’d encourage you to do your own research on them, but to my understanding they are transdermal patches that go on your thighs or stomach and release the hormone over the course of a few days. Replaced 2-3 times a week, I think?
Gel:
What the name says. A gel form of T that you spread over your arm and allow to soak in over the course of a couple hours. This is done DAILY. Generally expensive & not often covered by insurance, but great if you have a fear of needles. You CANNOT allow anyone or any pets to touch this area after application or they will absorb some of the T themselves. This can be toxic to pets as well I believe.
Implants:
a small pellet that goes is implanted into your arm and slowly releases T over the course of a few months. Has to be replaced roughly every 3 months. Like the 12-weekly injections, I wouldn’t recommend this for people just starting HRT as it offers little flexibility with changing your dose, but you absolutely can if you want to.
Pills:
Until recently I was under the impression that pill forms of testosterone were banned in many places because of their toxicity to the liver. I remember hearing however that there are one or two brands that exist and are sold, but you may be hard pressed to find them. Talk to your care provider if interested and do a lot of research, but I would honestly recommend every other method to this one myself.
SOURCES:
Masculinizing hormone therapy - Mayo Clinic
Each person responds to testosterone differently. Here is a list of things which will and will not change on when taking testosterone to ma
Structured Content
Not used as a source, but I do recommend reading the gender dysphoria bible for further information: https://genderdysphoria.fyi/en
A dive into the multitude of ways that gender dysphoria manifests and what it means to be transgender.
There was this one post I saw on IG the other week in which there was someone’s werewolf oc named Evan that looked really cool and I wish I could friggin’ find it bc I just liked it that much. I tried looking through my IG likes but I don’t think it’s there. Idk why I didn’t hit the like button on that post tbh, because it somehow kind of resonated with me. But yeah, since then I’ve realized that I’m actually really attached to the name Evan and have become more drawn to the concept of being a werewolf. I used to like vampires more, but now… idk. Something about being a hairy/furry beast just kind of appeals to me a bit more now than before. And considering that being a werewolf is all about transforming into a different form, I can understand how it can definitely be a trans thing.
I feel like this might help me be more accepting of some of the changes on testosterone that I initially had reservations about (a.k.a. more body hair). I’ve not been shaving, partly for convenience, partly bc shaving leaves my skin irritated, and partly bc I thought maybe I could give growing out my body hair a try, and I tend to feel self-conscious about my long leg and armpit hair that I’ve let grow out. But hopefully I’ll come to a point where I can wear pants that don’t cover the whole length of my legs and tank tops without worrying about how I look. Idk; just thought I’d talk about that a bit.
week 1 of nnn was not TOO bad, but i’m starting to get pretty pent up tbh :-(( woke up hard as a rock this morning and a few days ago. it’s so hard to keep my hands off when i’m practically aching for it. i’m still staying strong, though!!
also, i was showering the other day and realized my tdick is definitely a bit bigger than when i started the month! so that was a nice surprise/reward of a bit of gender euphoria to end off the first week of nnn.
hrt is just so fucking great!!! :-D i’m 3 1/2 months on testosterone tomorrow. i’m growing a lot more hair on my legs and my little mustache is starting to be pretty noticeable, along with the fact i’ve started growing some chin hairs. my voice is way deeper. i just feel SO much more at home in my body!
anyways, i hope you guys are doing well. please take care of yourselves. drink water, go have a snack. get some rest and take a break from doomscrolling if you catch yourself doing it :3
p.s. thanks for everyone who decided and voted for me to do this. it’s so much fun to torture myself, and it makes it better for me to deny myself knowing someone else made that decision for me. :-)
First time ever painting my toenails.
This HRT actually made the skin on my feet look nice. I'm less than a month in and my feet are presentable. My legs on the other hand, let's just say parkour wasn't kind to them. Might be a bit till I feel fine posting pics of them. You can sorta already see my perma-swollen ankle on the left foot and shin scars on the right shin.
I see a lot of these for FtM, but I haven't yet come across one for the ladies. So I'll put all I know. Feel free to correct anything I got wrong!
Breast growth and enlargement due to estrogen now effecting your body.
Softening and thinning of the skin, making it more feminine and women have weaker collagen bonds.
Decreased body hair and growth, seeing as most women don't grow as much body hair as men. It won't be perfect, and you may need laser hair removal to completely rid yourself of it, but it will decrease.
If epiphyseal closure has not occurred in your body, your hips will widen, making your body more feminine.
Decreased acne, less oily skin, scalp hair loss, and change in body odor. Women don't tend to suffer from acne as bad as men, seeing as they often have less oily skin. Your hair will change slightly in texture and your body odor may not be as bad.
Decreased size of your penis, scrotum, testicles, and prostate. Due to the estrogen in your body, it's going to try and treat your genetalia and reproductive system as if you're a natural born female.
Suppressed or abolished spermatogenesis and fertility. Since the hormones aren't produced by your natural body, it will interact poorly with your current reproductive system, possibly causing complete infertility.
Decreased semen production. See above.
Possible changes in mood, emotionality, and behavior.
Decreased sex drive
Please be aware of the risks. You will have a higher risk for certain cancers, such as prostate or testicular cancer.
Please be sure you want to do this to your body if you plan to get on hormones. Don't do something you will regret. I love and support you all, happy transitioning!
people have to start more openly talking about specific effects of testosterone because “you’re gonna be stinky” isn’t cutting it!!
first off; yeah you do sweat more, but that’s easily combatted by switching deodorant and making sure you shower at least in the morning
what i didn’t know: your junk will straight up smell differently, sometimes more pungent and you’ll get worried about a yeast infection, but it’s in fact literally your smell changing!!!
also: you can combat the smell of your junk and potentially your urine by making sure you up your water intake!!! you will not need to be worried, your discharge is generally supposed to be white, it can change depending on your cycle, yeast infections or other UTI’s typically are paired with pain or redness or both (always just go to the doctor to be sure) AND WASH UNDER THE HOOD
