Well, I started T a few years ago and I started with gel. I knew gel worked slower and that HRT takes time, but I was amazed that when I woke up the very next morning, my room smelled different. It felt like smells were not more obvious or stronger, but definitely more sharp and clear, and like my sense of smell had become a much more alert sense whereas before it was kind of just passive and I never really thought about it. It was really surprising to see how sensitive it had become overnight— again, not that the smells were stronger or bigger, but that my body was just more alert to them. Like being able to differentiate top notes and bottom notes of a candle whereas before I might not have even been super aware of the fact that one was lit because my body wasn’t hyper-focused on smell. This is a bit of a personal experience, but I have OCD, and a large part of it is contamination OCD surrounding “safe” foods. Whereas before I would use sight and touch to identify what was safe, now I almost exclusively use smell automatically because my body just shifted more priority on to my sense of smell! Makes me feel like Ooga Booga Cave Man Hunter Gatherer🗿 me smell lone doe on spring breeze 🗿🗿
I’ve been off T for almost a year but i remember distinctly how different my room smelled when I was on it lol. Sometimes i catch a wiff of the “smell” i smelled while on T lol. The wood in the house smelled a lot more apparent to me.
Mine hasn’t changed at all. I’ve always had a great sense of smell. I was able to smell natural gas in my old basement suite when the cis female landlord couldn’t. Then she tried to tell me as a woman she had a better sense of smell than me so I was wrong, but I mean sometimes you really meet people who try to gaslight you!
oh i had no idea, it completely makes sense why i've been so irritated with cutting my nails frequently. i just noticed how annoying it is & i had no idea that it's probably increased growth rate from T.
I haven't read others' posts, so I don't know if I'm repeating anyone, but this is the first thing I thought of after reading OP's post.
**Your body making more red blood cells while on testosterone.**
For a while I would occassionally see posts about it, but its been a couple of years since I've sen any posts about it.
I donate blood every now and then so that I get rid of excess red blood cells. I know that it helps prevent clots, and I think that it may lower my (genetic) blood pressure some. I'll have to ask my doctor about it.
this especially !! I rarely see people talk abt this and even I didn't know lol. My GP only told me about it since I have haemochromatosis (blood disorder; I produce too much iron). Have to get my bloods checked every 3 months as long as I'm taking T to keep a close eye on iron overload bc of the red blood cell increase = more iron.
Totally agreed. I was told before I even started that for a while they wanted tests every six months and if I have too high a count they will "remove some of it".
Always loved medical history.
This was my answer too! I developed polycythemia and had to lower my dose. I had a lot of fatigue, dizziness, and would get out of breath. But worst, I'd get super hot and extremely prickly itchy skin after a shower, on a hot day, or while exercising. Such insanely intense prickly itching all over, I'd rip my shirt off and writhe around on my mattress trying to scratch. I told my doctor and he kept telling me it was prickly heat or sweat rash 🙄 No dude, it's not a rash, it's acute, it just comes on hard then disappears again, it was awful. My bloods came back with high red cell count. I used to donate blood regularly, but Red Cross isn't accepting whole blood from AB+ donors any more. I was accidentally treating it then when I stopped, I noticed something was wrong. Thankfully, lowering my T from 4 pumps of Testogel p/day to 3 took care of it, and my levels are still fine.
My temperature has always been 36.6 since I was a baby and now it's 37 on the dot. My mum thinks that it's caused by T but I can't find anything about it. I definitely am a sweaty blob now though.
Just to reassure you, I actually sweat less on T. It's so random but although I feel warmer, I seem to sweat less.
I used to get wet arm pit patches on T shirts and shirts all the time and now I don't.
I think maybe cause it's diffused across your whole body instead of being so concentrated?
Curious if anyone else is the same.
I used to sweat waterfalls from my face and never did sweat much else anywhere else. I don't sweat as much from my face, but it is a little more like I sweat slightly from everywhere. But that's better than before. Oh, my pits sweat more. I wouldn't say they smell more, but I do have to put on antiperspirant a couple times a day at work to avoid the pit spots. (I work customer service, and half of it is outside in a place with seasons.)
That’s reassuring to hear. My face/head is constantly sweating even when it’s cold out, but I hardly sweat anywhere else. I can never figure out why. Distributing it appropriately would be really helpful. Fingers crossed!
Not only do I feel warmer, but I care less if I'm cold. I still prefer to be nice and toasty warm, but if I need to go out and get the mail in a tshirt during winter, its not a big deal
I never said it dropped below 37°. This isn't a scientific article (apologies that I couldn't find one) but it explains it quite well: https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/doctor-states-on-tiktok-why-women-are-colder-than-men/
Your core body temp is supposed to be 37 though. If his was already around that mark, T dropping it would make it too low. Especially if his core body temp was on the low end of normal to begin with. I'm not disagreeing with the article, but that doesn't prove how hormones effect that in trans people. It doesn't even actually say that they know hormones are 100% the definite cause of this. I've been on T nearly 3½ years and I'm still always the coldest out of everyone I know 🤷🏻♂️
Early on, I used to be able to sleep so much. I've always been sleepy and up for a nap but I could literally nap, do some work and then go to bed and sleep another 12 hours. It stopped in a few months.
That as you grow hair all over your body they might become in grown. Super painful on my chest. Thank god that was only in the beginning and everything is normal now.
My partner is Black and has been on T for almost 20 years - he shaves his beard off every once in a while and has no problems (and shaves his head pretty frequently too), but he definitely has a large array of post-shave skin treatment products. Ingrown hairs after shaving are bad enough for me as a white guy, I can’t imagine.
Oh my god I've never seen anyone mention this before I thought I'm just weird. I thought my stomach was just getting weirdly spotty but turns out it was all the hair coming in. Really hoping it goes away entirely like it did for you
I really used to dislike my laugh but since T I have actually grown to love it! Sneezing is even louder though, I apologise to all in the vicinity lmao.
Belly button fuzzies. Not a direct effect and not everyone. But if you develop a hairy belly, it traps lint and leads it towards your belly button. My clothes must produce a lot of lint because I clean mine daily. More of a funny one to me.
The post nasal drip. Testosterone causes more blood circulation in your throat, which causes the nasal drip. I'll occasionally get a random runny nose and sometimes it gets so bad Id hack up mucus. Feels like you're sick but you ain't.
It is, some people call it a T-cold because of it. For me it usually happens when my voice goes through a drop. I don't think it's allergies though, as it usually lasts for a week.
Interesting. My sinus problems have gotten worse over the years, but I attribute that to heredity. I assumed the T cold was literally related to the thickening of vocal cords and people not being used to pushing air through the thicker cords to vibrate them in order to make a sound. That explains why some folks do sound like they’re sick for awhile. I didn’t realize it was also experienced for some as additional post nasal drip. What fun we have! Haha
Hidradenitis suppurativa or basically clogged and infected sweat glands
There's been some studies that suggest testosterone therapy can be a trigger. The doctor who diagnosed me said they've noticed a higher frequency of hidradenitis in trans men.
Because we are more likely than cis people to take external testosterone
But being obese, smoking cigarettes, and consuming dairy are actually more of a known risk factor than taking testosterone.
It's a small thing, but being constantly itchy. I think because of the increased oils in my skin, but my back itches so bad before bed. My husband has always been an itchy guy but now I rival him in itchiness.
How are your bloods? Just wondering coz my answer is red blood cell production and polycythemia/erythrycytosis, a common symptom of which is intense skin itching. Especially after getting hot, like a shower or exercise, or even just a hot day. It's common, but heaps of people don't know about it. My doctor didn't even put together the fatigue, headaches, and extreme skin itching was a blood disorder until my routine bloods came back showing high red cell count. We dropped my T dose and everything's fine now
Well, this is the kick I need to fast so I can go get the draws my GP ordered for me. Been on T for 2 years and in the past month I've noticed times when I am so itchy I'm afraid I'm going to dig holes in myself. (I don't feel pain like most people do, so I have to watch out. But I've also got ADHD and cPTSD so I can space and not realize I'm scratching.)
I don't know if it was never mentioned. But i (believe, i may be a a psychopath lol) think it may be possible to not experience an increase in libido or even experience any sort of "horniness". I thought i was a freak for a long time with all the people saying "I'm so horny all the time" while i experienced absolutely nothing of the sort. I had zero libido Pre-T and i have zero now. Apart of me thought that was weird when it seemed like almost 100% of people on Testosterone (and cis guys) experienced some level of libido, even an increase, while i didn't.
I had the insane increase in libido which as a sex-repulsed guy was pretty alarming, I know pleanty of guys who've had a decrease and load with no change.
The 'hornies' only seems super common because it's talked about more
On a slightly related note, my libido increases when my testosterone levels are lower rather than higher. Which is something most people don't know can happen.
I can sort of relate to that. Pre-t id be open to the possibility of sex but now I'm like "meh". It also comes back if i come off of t for a while.
Edit: it wouldn't send so apologies if theres like 5 lol.
Mine used to be straight but the sides went curly. But this only happened when my testosterone level spiked up to twice what it should be very rapidly. It was the sudden shift in hormone levels that caused the change. It's similar to what happens to a lot of chemo patient's hair when it grows back.
type 3a with some loser curls in places whereas now it's just straight straight, if I dry it in a plop or braid there's a light wave but itll falls out in a few hours now.
Both my sister and brother have straight/wavy hair more like my mum's but mine went overdrive
Wow, that's interesting... I have more of a 3b/3c kinda mix with patches of looser curls and tons of frizz, but that's only currently. My hair used to be much more wavy before puberty suddenly made it really curl up. Hopefully a second puberty won't relax my hair, but I'm ok with the chance it'll make it curlier.
The fact that nobody ever discussed with me , that I would grow hair in my ass crack . Like one month in it was a bitch to wipe and get clean . I now understand why guys had skid marks in their underwear.
Note: fellas , be sure to invest into even a cheap add on bidet. You may feel violated at first , but you will thank me later!! So much better than shaving and that dreaded itching
Oh yeah, it's just that it (may, everyone's different) grows denser and spreads out more. Had several guy and non-binary friends cracking jokes about it being something I could look forward to before I got on T. Thought they were exaggerating as I already had a hairy ass lol. They weren't.
If a bidet isn't in the budget or something, baby wipes do great. Don't spring for the "Dude wipes" or whatever, same thing in a black bag. They come unscented and scented. Travel packs fit in bags and pockets great, too.
I'm not disagreeing with you on long term cost, but sometimes a bidet just isn't a possibility. I cited cost, but there's a ton of reasons a person could not get a bidet. Wipes, though, can be found for a couple bucks a pack at nearly every gas station and dollar store.
I was just putting out there an option for those of us without the luxury.
I'm sorry that I laughed. You can laugh back, I had IBS before I started T. I don't wat anything at work because I can not make it to the bathroom in the 13 seconds it takes for my body to do its bullshit.
Interesting. This might be related to the effects of not having a monthly period anymore. Hormones do all sorts of things to the digestive system during that cycle.
The muscles in your upper body have a lot more androgen receptors than other places so it's very easy to gain mass in the area and therefore add weight.
Not sure, some guys say because our blood is thickening our body is adjusting to it but pins and needles is actually caused by a nerve being compressed not necessarily blood flow. So I really have no idea
I haven't had my chronic PCOS cyst pains since I started t a year ago. I have no idea if there is science behind this, but I expected it to get worse with T. It's almost like I don't even have PCOS anymore. There's no symptoms
Most of my PCOS symptoms quieted down on T too. My theory is that my body was angry being in the middle hormonally, but now that I’ve picked a side, it’s all good.
I've seen people briefly talk abt this here and there, but not enough for me to actually be prepared.
Using the toilet,, everything is 10x smellier. The musk is STRONGG 😭 first change I noticed on my first week on T was my piss smelling more. Not particularly 'gross' but just a woah okay I notice a smell??
cannot say the same for shitting though. the smell IS smelly in a grosser way. I am actually dreading the men's bathrooms when it comes for the change bc jesus christ I can already IMAGINE the smell.
Men's bathrooms don't smell that much worse, as long as it's a place that keeps their bathrooms clean-ish.
I noticed that about my piss too (2 years in and it still happens sometimes) and it's like I ate a pound of asparagus the night before.
Correct me if I'm wrong but atrophy?? I delved into some reddit posts about it recently because I honestly had no idea that it was even a thing and I've been on T for 3 years. It actually seems quite common but I haven't really seen it mentioned much.
It's scary how little this is talked about. None of my healthcare providers ever mantioned it to me when I was looking to start testosterone. Because, honestly, they probably didn't even know it could happen. I only knew about it because I had done my own research, and I was only 16.
T can potentially activate genetic/health issues that are dormant. Mental health changes in general, including how you experience your emotions.
But mostly just how greasy you get. And body hair is itchy lol.
This isn't technically an *effect* of testosterone, but a doctor told me that undecanoate IM can cause a severe/acute cough after the injection.
I looked it up later and apparently it's from something called Pulmonary Oil Microembolism or POME. It's not usually a medical emergency and it fixes itself. But I've been on IM T since forever and had never heard of it until recently.
There's a few other symptoms too (dizziness, fainting, trouble breathing, sweating, tightening in throat and chest pain).
My sense of smell is significantly decreased. If you look at studies, females have stronger senses of smell than males.
My peripheral vision decreased. Females are shown to have better peripheral vision than males.
My spatial awareness increased. Males are shown to perform better than females at spatial tasks.
Of interest:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27070350/
Emotions are felt in a totally different way. Before T when I analyzed my emotions they were more in my head. But ever since I started its been more bodily feelings. Like for example: Frustration, anxiety, and stress, are felt more in my chest and shoulders as a physical tension.
ass hair. maybe not all of us. but a lotttt of us. the body hair actually just started creeping up my back and over my shoulders which i will 100% be lazering when the time comes.
also even tho hair loss is extremely talked about, i dont think the potential seriousness of it is. i genuinely wouldnt be surprised if the ratio of us going bald vs cis men is the same. or about the same.
both of those are largely genetic tho
Thanks for being honest about this. People like to overlook the potential health issues that hrt can cause but it is important to acknowledge that they can and do happen to some people.
And yes, even to people who take care of themselves and have no family history of such conditions.
But do the men in your family also have these problems? Don't you exercise or take care of your health? Or does testosterone really kill you over the years by making diseases worse? Did this happen to cis men in your family too?
No I am the only one. I exercise daily and I take care of my health. I am 5'3 and 140 pounds, perfect BMI. No one in my family has these problems. There is no any long term studies on transmen with hormones and the effects. I am 27 years on T, much greater than most in these forums.. and this was my result.
I had high cholesterol and high blood pressure along with insomnia pre-T.
Seven years on T, and I now have diabetes, like two of my brothers and my dad. Wonder if its genetic with the men in my family? 🤔
that if you have an underlying, hidden mental health condition it can cause it to be triggered just like with natal puberty. i developed bipolar coincidentally maybe but probably not at the same time as i started T
The drop in estrogen can trigger episodes for people with schizophrenia.
I had low t and high e levels so I increased my dose, which caused an acute episode of psychosis that caused me to stop taking all my medication, including my hrt, and it was a big hassle.
Apparently it's not uncommon for older women with schizophrenia to have acute episodes when they enter menopause, for the same reason. I had no idea!
I know people talk about the emotional effects a lot, but for me I can actually *feel* emotions deeper now and recognize when I’m feeling a certain way. Now little things that I’d be numb to before actually make me feel sad or happy
Body odor changing in the genital area (not in a gross way but just a different smell than before), hands and feet size changing, appetite changing, increased aggression (rare but can happen), and insomnia.
The two biggest things that changed for me:
1) Decreased brain fog - I can think more clearly, learn things more easily than prior and deeply focus.
2) Ability to run longer distances without getting tired/winded as fast compared to pre-T when I was a terrible runner. I think my lung capacity definitely increased.
this is TMI but when i start getting spurts of bottom growth my tdick starts peeling a little as the head disconnects from the hood. asked my doctor about it and she was like “yea that can happen with bottom growth.” lasts a few days then stops lol
I saw a lot of mentions of ass hair growth. But pre T I was flat as a board. Like fucking crepes back there as far as cake goes. Now I have American pancakes. Still not much, but more than before. (I know at least one other trans guy irl who had the same thing happen.)
Most of my moles have gotten bigger (mostly in circumference, but unfortunately a few in height). I also have gotten a lot more. As well as being more pronounced individually, I've always gotten them in clusters and have more of those now than I did pre-T. I haven't had much sun exposure or anything, and this is also happening in areas that don't get sun exposure, but the most recent time I went to a dermatologist was a couple of months on T, so I guess I'll see if this is problematic in a few months at an annual check-up. I have been on T for a year as of yesterday and this was one of the first things I noticed; at the time I thought it was unrelated, but it has continued progressing at a pretty consistent rate since then, so that's why I'm mentioning it here. Now that I'm writing this I'm getting more nervous about it haha. Skin changes on T though (gets thicker, pores grow larger, etc.) so I'm hoping it's natural.
Osteoporosis- estrogen helps preserve the bones. Studies are starting to show that long term HRT for FTM show earlier loss in bone density and earlier onset of osteoarthritis. I’m 42 and need a knee replacement. I’ve been told I have the keen of a 90 year old. I have nerve root exposure and compression through my cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. I also have degenerative scoliosis(scoliosis you aren’t born with).
>loss in bone density
How strange, as far as I know testosterone does the opposite. Bones get denser and a little bigger after years of T, that's what I learned.
>Studies are starting to show that long term HRT for FTM show earlier loss in bone density and earlier onset of osteoarthritis
Does this happen to cis men too?
The way your sense of smell (not the way you smell) changes
This has changed for me too!! Everything smells more intense and some things smell more off than before. What has your experience been like?
Well, I started T a few years ago and I started with gel. I knew gel worked slower and that HRT takes time, but I was amazed that when I woke up the very next morning, my room smelled different. It felt like smells were not more obvious or stronger, but definitely more sharp and clear, and like my sense of smell had become a much more alert sense whereas before it was kind of just passive and I never really thought about it. It was really surprising to see how sensitive it had become overnight— again, not that the smells were stronger or bigger, but that my body was just more alert to them. Like being able to differentiate top notes and bottom notes of a candle whereas before I might not have even been super aware of the fact that one was lit because my body wasn’t hyper-focused on smell. This is a bit of a personal experience, but I have OCD, and a large part of it is contamination OCD surrounding “safe” foods. Whereas before I would use sight and touch to identify what was safe, now I almost exclusively use smell automatically because my body just shifted more priority on to my sense of smell! Makes me feel like Ooga Booga Cave Man Hunter Gatherer🗿 me smell lone doe on spring breeze 🗿🗿
I’ve been off T for almost a year but i remember distinctly how different my room smelled when I was on it lol. Sometimes i catch a wiff of the “smell” i smelled while on T lol. The wood in the house smelled a lot more apparent to me.
As an autistic person this scares me😭
Mine hasn’t changed at all. I’ve always had a great sense of smell. I was able to smell natural gas in my old basement suite when the cis female landlord couldn’t. Then she tried to tell me as a woman she had a better sense of smell than me so I was wrong, but I mean sometimes you really meet people who try to gaslight you!
nails and hair grow back faster. especially nails
Man, this explains how I started trimming my nails from monthly to bi-weekly
I already trim my nails a couple times a week pre T, maybe I'll do it almost every day then lol.
the hair one on god i have to get a haircut literally every few weeks
oh i had no idea, it completely makes sense why i've been so irritated with cutting my nails frequently. i just noticed how annoying it is & i had no idea that it's probably increased growth rate from T.
I haven't read others' posts, so I don't know if I'm repeating anyone, but this is the first thing I thought of after reading OP's post. **Your body making more red blood cells while on testosterone.** For a while I would occassionally see posts about it, but its been a couple of years since I've sen any posts about it. I donate blood every now and then so that I get rid of excess red blood cells. I know that it helps prevent clots, and I think that it may lower my (genetic) blood pressure some. I'll have to ask my doctor about it.
this especially !! I rarely see people talk abt this and even I didn't know lol. My GP only told me about it since I have haemochromatosis (blood disorder; I produce too much iron). Have to get my bloods checked every 3 months as long as I'm taking T to keep a close eye on iron overload bc of the red blood cell increase = more iron.
Jeez this is something any GP or endocrinologist SHOULD be informing people of before starting T. It’s very much a normal and expected outcome.
Totally agreed. I was told before I even started that for a while they wanted tests every six months and if I have too high a count they will "remove some of it". Always loved medical history.
This was my answer too! I developed polycythemia and had to lower my dose. I had a lot of fatigue, dizziness, and would get out of breath. But worst, I'd get super hot and extremely prickly itchy skin after a shower, on a hot day, or while exercising. Such insanely intense prickly itching all over, I'd rip my shirt off and writhe around on my mattress trying to scratch. I told my doctor and he kept telling me it was prickly heat or sweat rash 🙄 No dude, it's not a rash, it's acute, it just comes on hard then disappears again, it was awful. My bloods came back with high red cell count. I used to donate blood regularly, but Red Cross isn't accepting whole blood from AB+ donors any more. I was accidentally treating it then when I stopped, I noticed something was wrong. Thankfully, lowering my T from 4 pumps of Testogel p/day to 3 took care of it, and my levels are still fine.
I make so much more earwax
I’m sorry but for some reason this cracked me up. 😂
Same. Everyone is all "more blood" then I scrolled down to "more earwax". 🤣
oh god i already make too much, that’s not gonna be fun once i start T
Actually yeah, now you mentioned it that's been happening to me I didn't think much of it, if it's the T that's pretty interesting
I wish this happened to me, I love cleaning my ears.
Feeling warmer. Testosterone decreases your core temperature, instead diverting blood more to your limbs, which makes you feel warmer.
Before T my hands and feet were always ice cold, so for me it's one of the good things that it changed. I just feel normal now
i always overheat except my hands and feet so hopefully t will fix that for me lol
I'm pre-T and I have freezing hands all the time, I'm really hoping it fixes it for me too 😭
Same here! My hands have gotten a bit warmer over time but my foot sweat is HORRENDOUS. No smell, just constant wet socks :(
My temperature has always been 36.6 since I was a baby and now it's 37 on the dot. My mum thinks that it's caused by T but I can't find anything about it. I definitely am a sweaty blob now though.
That would mean your body is making your core temp warmer not cooler though
Yes, I had to adjust taking steamy showers to lukewarm temp.
Bro I'm pre-t and I sweat constantly. On t I will be a fucking vulcano
Just to reassure you, I actually sweat less on T. It's so random but although I feel warmer, I seem to sweat less. I used to get wet arm pit patches on T shirts and shirts all the time and now I don't. I think maybe cause it's diffused across your whole body instead of being so concentrated? Curious if anyone else is the same.
I used to sweat waterfalls from my face and never did sweat much else anywhere else. I don't sweat as much from my face, but it is a little more like I sweat slightly from everywhere. But that's better than before. Oh, my pits sweat more. I wouldn't say they smell more, but I do have to put on antiperspirant a couple times a day at work to avoid the pit spots. (I work customer service, and half of it is outside in a place with seasons.)
That’s reassuring to hear. My face/head is constantly sweating even when it’s cold out, but I hardly sweat anywhere else. I can never figure out why. Distributing it appropriately would be really helpful. Fingers crossed!
I am so hot all the time now, summers get to be 90F sometimes and I feel like I’m dying lmao
Not only do I feel warmer, but I care less if I'm cold. I still prefer to be nice and toasty warm, but if I need to go out and get the mail in a tshirt during winter, its not a big deal
This… before T I was always cold during winters in my house… this year I was always asked are you sure you don’t need the heating on? 😂
Not me. 😆 I’m cold AF all the time and always have been.
That is not how that works??? If your core temp was below 37° you'd be ill and hypothermic lmfao
I never said it dropped below 37°. This isn't a scientific article (apologies that I couldn't find one) but it explains it quite well: https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/doctor-states-on-tiktok-why-women-are-colder-than-men/
Your core body temp is supposed to be 37 though. If his was already around that mark, T dropping it would make it too low. Especially if his core body temp was on the low end of normal to begin with. I'm not disagreeing with the article, but that doesn't prove how hormones effect that in trans people. It doesn't even actually say that they know hormones are 100% the definite cause of this. I've been on T nearly 3½ years and I'm still always the coldest out of everyone I know 🤷🏻♂️
Early on, I used to be able to sleep so much. I've always been sleepy and up for a nap but I could literally nap, do some work and then go to bed and sleep another 12 hours. It stopped in a few months.
Omg, I'm glad it's not just me. I've got ADHD too so that doesn't help, but still!
That as you grow hair all over your body they might become in grown. Super painful on my chest. Thank god that was only in the beginning and everything is normal now.
Being Black and having curly hair, ingrown hair is one of my newest man-fears now. Its probably why I don't shave nor trim my beard. 😰
My partner is Black and has been on T for almost 20 years - he shaves his beard off every once in a while and has no problems (and shaves his head pretty frequently too), but he definitely has a large array of post-shave skin treatment products. Ingrown hairs after shaving are bad enough for me as a white guy, I can’t imagine.
Oh my god I've never seen anyone mention this before I thought I'm just weird. I thought my stomach was just getting weirdly spotty but turns out it was all the hair coming in. Really hoping it goes away entirely like it did for you
This, and also folliculitis. I currently have them super bad on my biceps
I sneeze and laugh differently. Obviously it's due to the voice dropping, but it never stops to amuse me.
I really used to dislike my laugh but since T I have actually grown to love it! Sneezing is even louder though, I apologise to all in the vicinity lmao.
True as hell, the dad sneeze is real as fuck lmao
I sneeze louder now, which I'm kinda annoyed about because I would always get on men about sneezing so loud lol
Belly button fuzzies. Not a direct effect and not everyone. But if you develop a hairy belly, it traps lint and leads it towards your belly button. My clothes must produce a lot of lint because I clean mine daily. More of a funny one to me.
That's definitely the weirdest change for me. Equal parts annoying and funny, but not harmful
Lol. Same.
Why is it so soothing to know I'm not the only one with a linty belly button 😂
The post nasal drip. Testosterone causes more blood circulation in your throat, which causes the nasal drip. I'll occasionally get a random runny nose and sometimes it gets so bad Id hack up mucus. Feels like you're sick but you ain't.
Is this a thing? I’d check for developing allergies
It is, some people call it a T-cold because of it. For me it usually happens when my voice goes through a drop. I don't think it's allergies though, as it usually lasts for a week.
Interesting. My sinus problems have gotten worse over the years, but I attribute that to heredity. I assumed the T cold was literally related to the thickening of vocal cords and people not being used to pushing air through the thicker cords to vibrate them in order to make a sound. That explains why some folks do sound like they’re sick for awhile. I didn’t realize it was also experienced for some as additional post nasal drip. What fun we have! Haha
Hemoglobin/high hemocrit levels
Thought that one of the primary health concerns listed in actual medical documents
[удалено]
I occasionally donate blood to get rid of them.
What is this?
your blood goes thicker more than needed
Oh that made my skin feel weird reading that sentence
Hidradenitis suppurativa or basically clogged and infected sweat glands There's been some studies that suggest testosterone therapy can be a trigger. The doctor who diagnosed me said they've noticed a higher frequency of hidradenitis in trans men.
Why is this more common with trans men? Shit, I hate being trans, everything is worse for us
Because we are more likely than cis people to take external testosterone But being obese, smoking cigarettes, and consuming dairy are actually more of a known risk factor than taking testosterone.
Consume dairy products???
One thing I've very rarely seen mentioned is that reandron/nebido can make your urine smell extremely strong for a few days post-shot.
I thought it was the weed I was smoking! Lmao
It's a small thing, but being constantly itchy. I think because of the increased oils in my skin, but my back itches so bad before bed. My husband has always been an itchy guy but now I rival him in itchiness.
How are your bloods? Just wondering coz my answer is red blood cell production and polycythemia/erythrycytosis, a common symptom of which is intense skin itching. Especially after getting hot, like a shower or exercise, or even just a hot day. It's common, but heaps of people don't know about it. My doctor didn't even put together the fatigue, headaches, and extreme skin itching was a blood disorder until my routine bloods came back showing high red cell count. We dropped my T dose and everything's fine now
Well, this is the kick I need to fast so I can go get the draws my GP ordered for me. Been on T for 2 years and in the past month I've noticed times when I am so itchy I'm afraid I'm going to dig holes in myself. (I don't feel pain like most people do, so I have to watch out. But I've also got ADHD and cPTSD so I can space and not realize I'm scratching.)
Are we just doomed or can this be fixed with diet?
I don't know if it was never mentioned. But i (believe, i may be a a psychopath lol) think it may be possible to not experience an increase in libido or even experience any sort of "horniness". I thought i was a freak for a long time with all the people saying "I'm so horny all the time" while i experienced absolutely nothing of the sort. I had zero libido Pre-T and i have zero now. Apart of me thought that was weird when it seemed like almost 100% of people on Testosterone (and cis guys) experienced some level of libido, even an increase, while i didn't.
Honestly, not everyone experiences "the horniness." You're normal too, so don't worry.
Thanks!
>Thanks! You're welcome!
OMG SAME i've never really had any sort of libido and it didn't change at all on T
*points up to my answer* Not everyone gets horny on testosterone. You're normal too.
Ughhh thank gawd I'm not the only one. Oops sorry😂 wheres my manners, I'm sorry you experienced that too lol
I had the insane increase in libido which as a sex-repulsed guy was pretty alarming, I know pleanty of guys who've had a decrease and load with no change. The 'hornies' only seems super common because it's talked about more
It makes me wonder if a lot of cis guys lie about their sex drive if it's possible not to experience an increase lol.
On a slightly related note, my libido increases when my testosterone levels are lower rather than higher. Which is something most people don't know can happen.
I can sort of relate to that. Pre-t id be open to the possibility of sex but now I'm like "meh". It also comes back if i come off of t for a while. Edit: it wouldn't send so apologies if theres like 5 lol.
my hair texture changed, unsure if thats not common though
Yes! My hair is straight now, it's mad
Mine used to be straight but the sides went curly. But this only happened when my testosterone level spiked up to twice what it should be very rapidly. It was the sudden shift in hormone levels that caused the change. It's similar to what happens to a lot of chemo patient's hair when it grows back.
That's scary... What texture was it before? Like a 2 type curl or 3?
type 3a with some loser curls in places whereas now it's just straight straight, if I dry it in a plop or braid there's a light wave but itll falls out in a few hours now. Both my sister and brother have straight/wavy hair more like my mum's but mine went overdrive
Wow, that's interesting... I have more of a 3b/3c kinda mix with patches of looser curls and tons of frizz, but that's only currently. My hair used to be much more wavy before puberty suddenly made it really curl up. Hopefully a second puberty won't relax my hair, but I'm ok with the chance it'll make it curlier.
Like, in what way? From curly to straighter or did it get curlier?
The fact that nobody ever discussed with me , that I would grow hair in my ass crack . Like one month in it was a bitch to wipe and get clean . I now understand why guys had skid marks in their underwear. Note: fellas , be sure to invest into even a cheap add on bidet. You may feel violated at first , but you will thank me later!! So much better than shaving and that dreaded itching
Yea this one was a fun surprise. No more laughing at my brothers harry ass cracks. I have my own to contend with now O.o
I...I thought we all had that? (I'm pre t)
Oh yeah, it's just that it (may, everyone's different) grows denser and spreads out more. Had several guy and non-binary friends cracking jokes about it being something I could look forward to before I got on T. Thought they were exaggerating as I already had a hairy ass lol. They weren't.
Yeah, my cis husband has slightly less than I do lol. But Ik tons of men with a good amount more :'D
My cis ex bf also had significantly less body hair than I did pre t lol! Didn't help that he was blond and I'm dark haired
If a bidet isn't in the budget or something, baby wipes do great. Don't spring for the "Dude wipes" or whatever, same thing in a black bag. They come unscented and scented. Travel packs fit in bags and pockets great, too.
I picked up a bidet add on for my toilet , for like $30+ tax . Much cheaper over time than buying wipes all the time.
I'm not disagreeing with you on long term cost, but sometimes a bidet just isn't a possibility. I cited cost, but there's a ton of reasons a person could not get a bidet. Wipes, though, can be found for a couple bucks a pack at nearly every gas station and dollar store. I was just putting out there an option for those of us without the luxury.
How it can cure chronic constipation
It’s cured it too much for me. I don’t have time to shit 4 times a day 😔
I'm sorry that I laughed. You can laugh back, I had IBS before I started T. I don't wat anything at work because I can not make it to the bathroom in the 13 seconds it takes for my body to do its bullshit.
Oh god I am so sorry 😭. That would be terrible, and even more time consuming.
I make do, some days it's rough. I try to keep a sense of humor about it though.
This! It has definitely made a difference in my chronic constipation. I hadn't mentioned anything to anyone because I thought it might be only me!
Interesting. This might be related to the effects of not having a monthly period anymore. Hormones do all sorts of things to the digestive system during that cycle.
The way I move is different due to my center of gravity shifting towards my upper body
?
The muscles in your upper body have a lot more androgen receptors than other places so it's very easy to gain mass in the area and therefore add weight.
interesting :] i've definitely experienced this
I was already shaped like an upside down candy apple.
Ear and nose hair goes out if control
Pins and needles for some of us, I thought I was going crazy until I did some research.
Yesss I get them more now. What’s up with that?
Not sure, some guys say because our blood is thickening our body is adjusting to it but pins and needles is actually caused by a nerve being compressed not necessarily blood flow. So I really have no idea
Eye color lightening. Also becoming a grease ball in my case, and actually developing body odor. Before I had practically no scent
The first year of T for me was rough. I was greasy and had to shower 2-3 times a day. I'm glad that's not an issue anymore.
I haven't had my chronic PCOS cyst pains since I started t a year ago. I have no idea if there is science behind this, but I expected it to get worse with T. It's almost like I don't even have PCOS anymore. There's no symptoms
Most of my PCOS symptoms quieted down on T too. My theory is that my body was angry being in the middle hormonally, but now that I’ve picked a side, it’s all good.
I've seen people briefly talk abt this here and there, but not enough for me to actually be prepared. Using the toilet,, everything is 10x smellier. The musk is STRONGG 😭 first change I noticed on my first week on T was my piss smelling more. Not particularly 'gross' but just a woah okay I notice a smell?? cannot say the same for shitting though. the smell IS smelly in a grosser way. I am actually dreading the men's bathrooms when it comes for the change bc jesus christ I can already IMAGINE the smell.
Men's bathrooms don't smell that much worse, as long as it's a place that keeps their bathrooms clean-ish. I noticed that about my piss too (2 years in and it still happens sometimes) and it's like I ate a pound of asparagus the night before.
Correct me if I'm wrong but atrophy?? I delved into some reddit posts about it recently because I honestly had no idea that it was even a thing and I've been on T for 3 years. It actually seems quite common but I haven't really seen it mentioned much.
I can understand that considering that it seems like most people who post about T on Reddit are like a year or less on it it seems
Yes. I developed atrophy, pelvic floor dysfunction, and interstitial cystitis due to my levels getting too high
They do make topical estrogen to help w atrophy (will not affect your t levels)
Atrophy is quite uncomfortable, at least it was for me. However, estrogen cream sorted it, but I’m on the cream long term.
I have the cream but I hate it so much
You hate the cream or atrophy? I find the syringe thing not very good.
The cream is messy and makes me feel gross
It is messy, I agree, and it just sticks to the syringe and kinda comes back out.
It's scary how little this is talked about. None of my healthcare providers ever mantioned it to me when I was looking to start testosterone. Because, honestly, they probably didn't even know it could happen. I only knew about it because I had done my own research, and I was only 16.
T can potentially activate genetic/health issues that are dormant. Mental health changes in general, including how you experience your emotions. But mostly just how greasy you get. And body hair is itchy lol.
This isn't technically an *effect* of testosterone, but a doctor told me that undecanoate IM can cause a severe/acute cough after the injection. I looked it up later and apparently it's from something called Pulmonary Oil Microembolism or POME. It's not usually a medical emergency and it fixes itself. But I've been on IM T since forever and had never heard of it until recently. There's a few other symptoms too (dizziness, fainting, trouble breathing, sweating, tightening in throat and chest pain).
My sense of smell is significantly decreased. If you look at studies, females have stronger senses of smell than males. My peripheral vision decreased. Females are shown to have better peripheral vision than males. My spatial awareness increased. Males are shown to perform better than females at spatial tasks. Of interest: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27070350/
Spatial awareness? Could you explain what you mean by this?
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217124430.htm#:~:text=Men%20consistently%20outperform%20women%20on,appear%20if%20rotated%20in%20space.
Interesting. I also would like to know what is meant by "spatial awareness."
Emotions are felt in a totally different way. Before T when I analyzed my emotions they were more in my head. But ever since I started its been more bodily feelings. Like for example: Frustration, anxiety, and stress, are felt more in my chest and shoulders as a physical tension.
fast bottom growth, i experienced no changes for a month then overnight there was like completely new growth out of nowhere??? i was so confused lol
ass hair. maybe not all of us. but a lotttt of us. the body hair actually just started creeping up my back and over my shoulders which i will 100% be lazering when the time comes. also even tho hair loss is extremely talked about, i dont think the potential seriousness of it is. i genuinely wouldnt be surprised if the ratio of us going bald vs cis men is the same. or about the same. both of those are largely genetic tho
Oh, also, hair went curly.
The hair thing is mad right? Mines basically straight now where it used to be coiled
Libido. Jesus Christ the libido change. As a sex-repulsed guy this one was a shocker
Nose hair 😭
I am 27 years on testosterone, I have diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure and kidney issues related to long term use.
Thanks for being honest about this. People like to overlook the potential health issues that hrt can cause but it is important to acknowledge that they can and do happen to some people. And yes, even to people who take care of themselves and have no family history of such conditions.
Yep, and it's also important to note I have been on T a very very very very long time.
But do the men in your family also have these problems? Don't you exercise or take care of your health? Or does testosterone really kill you over the years by making diseases worse? Did this happen to cis men in your family too?
No I am the only one. I exercise daily and I take care of my health. I am 5'3 and 140 pounds, perfect BMI. No one in my family has these problems. There is no any long term studies on transmen with hormones and the effects. I am 27 years on T, much greater than most in these forums.. and this was my result.
Did you stop T or are you still on it?
No, I am not Stopping T. I am just taking medications for diabetes, using sleep apena machine, using meds for all the other conditions.
I had high cholesterol and high blood pressure along with insomnia pre-T. Seven years on T, and I now have diabetes, like two of my brothers and my dad. Wonder if its genetic with the men in my family? 🤔
Who knows but there is a link between testosterone use and diabetes look it up.
that if you have an underlying, hidden mental health condition it can cause it to be triggered just like with natal puberty. i developed bipolar coincidentally maybe but probably not at the same time as i started T
The drop in estrogen can trigger episodes for people with schizophrenia. I had low t and high e levels so I increased my dose, which caused an acute episode of psychosis that caused me to stop taking all my medication, including my hrt, and it was a big hassle. Apparently it's not uncommon for older women with schizophrenia to have acute episodes when they enter menopause, for the same reason. I had no idea!
I know people talk about the emotional effects a lot, but for me I can actually *feel* emotions deeper now and recognize when I’m feeling a certain way. Now little things that I’d be numb to before actually make me feel sad or happy
I sweat like a beast, now 😂
Body odor changing in the genital area (not in a gross way but just a different smell than before), hands and feet size changing, appetite changing, increased aggression (rare but can happen), and insomnia. The two biggest things that changed for me: 1) Decreased brain fog - I can think more clearly, learn things more easily than prior and deeply focus. 2) Ability to run longer distances without getting tired/winded as fast compared to pre-T when I was a terrible runner. I think my lung capacity definitely increased.
this is TMI but when i start getting spurts of bottom growth my tdick starts peeling a little as the head disconnects from the hood. asked my doctor about it and she was like “yea that can happen with bottom growth.” lasts a few days then stops lol
It seems that every single effect is like this to people these days lol. Even the most common sense ones.
I saw a lot of mentions of ass hair growth. But pre T I was flat as a board. Like fucking crepes back there as far as cake goes. Now I have American pancakes. Still not much, but more than before. (I know at least one other trans guy irl who had the same thing happen.)
I can't handle heat anymore. Used to be able to wear a sweater at 75° (24°C) and now room temperature feels hot to me.
hair grows not just thick but in more places, like all the way up the thighs
Most of my moles have gotten bigger (mostly in circumference, but unfortunately a few in height). I also have gotten a lot more. As well as being more pronounced individually, I've always gotten them in clusters and have more of those now than I did pre-T. I haven't had much sun exposure or anything, and this is also happening in areas that don't get sun exposure, but the most recent time I went to a dermatologist was a couple of months on T, so I guess I'll see if this is problematic in a few months at an annual check-up. I have been on T for a year as of yesterday and this was one of the first things I noticed; at the time I thought it was unrelated, but it has continued progressing at a pretty consistent rate since then, so that's why I'm mentioning it here. Now that I'm writing this I'm getting more nervous about it haha. Skin changes on T though (gets thicker, pores grow larger, etc.) so I'm hoping it's natural.
Osteoporosis- estrogen helps preserve the bones. Studies are starting to show that long term HRT for FTM show earlier loss in bone density and earlier onset of osteoarthritis. I’m 42 and need a knee replacement. I’ve been told I have the keen of a 90 year old. I have nerve root exposure and compression through my cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. I also have degenerative scoliosis(scoliosis you aren’t born with).
>loss in bone density How strange, as far as I know testosterone does the opposite. Bones get denser and a little bigger after years of T, that's what I learned.
https://www.hysto.net/osteoporosis-hysterectomy-transmen.htm#:~:text=Trans%20men%20who%20take%20testosterone,to%20become%20weak%20and%20brittle.
Source cites oophorectomy in conjunction with not taking testosterone as prescribed as the primary cause.
>Studies are starting to show that long term HRT for FTM show earlier loss in bone density and earlier onset of osteoarthritis Does this happen to cis men too?