Icon from a picrew by grgikau. Call me Tir or Julian. 37. He/They. Queer. Twitter: @tirlaeyn. ao3: tirlaeyn. 18+ Only. Star Trek. Sandman. IwtV. OMFD. Definitionless in this Strict Atmosphere.
small observations for people who are just starting testosterone HRT
If you suffer from chronic fatigue, chronic illness, or mental illness, you may notice that your energy levels dip down very low after first starting T. this is due your body needing extra energy to process the extra hormones, not anything long lasting. after your body adjusts, this fatigue will go away, and you may actually find that you have way, way more energy now
Beards love to be patchy and mustaches love to be invisible or nonexistent at first. if your beard is patchy at first, or if you just can’t grow a full mustache, this is also normal. it can take years of testosterone HRT for beards to become full, especially if you had low T to begin with. moisturizing your beard regularly can help reduce this, and also any potential itchiness from being too long. beards will get itchy for many if they get long.
The acne (should) go away after your body adjusts, and you will not be greasy forever. you will find that your natural body odor smells different, though. this lasts as long as you are on T, as far as i’m aware for most people, but it’s only noticeable for me when i get very sweaty after a lot of exertion, or illness.
You may find after you adjust that you have generally a bit more stamina or ease with starting up or adjusting to new physical activities after you’ve adjusted. it may be easier for you to work out now because you don’t become fatigued as easy, for example, or you may find it is easier for you to put on muscle density.
The mood swings will calm down in time- they are most severe right after you start T, and then taper down as your body adjusts. it doesn’t turn you into a “rage monster”. you just go through normal pubescent moodiness. it’s manageable, especially if you have good coping skills like physical activity, journaling, or art while stressed.
Libido goes either way, i’ve noticed. many people see a huge spike in libido at first, sometimes it stays for a long time, other people don’t notice any change whatsoever. also, T for most people will not change what gender or type of person you are attracted to, however it can change how you view yourself in relationships and lead you to changing your identity labels, or questioning things. it generally doesn’t make people change their identities overnight, though
Periods do stop for the vast majority of transmascs. it can take a long time, but they do stop if your doseage of T is right for you. if yours haven’t stopped and you do not have reproductive health issues, you likely just need a higher dose to see this effect.
Breast tissue reduces in density when higher levels of testosterone are in the body, so it is very likely that you will see your breasts become flatter or even “Deflate” a bit. this is entirely normal. my chest has been like this my entire life due to very high T from hyperandrogenism & intersexuality
Balding can definitely happen, but this is generally only if you have a genetic predisposition to it. i have actually not seen many transmascs bald, although for many of us, our hairlines do shift upwards, but it’s not noticeable unless you compare how you look now to older pics of yourself, and generally it takes years for your hairline to migrate anyway, which is natural for AMAB people later in life anyway. even if you do bald, you can speak with your prescriber and have access to medications to help with balding. it’s not the end of the road and many respond very well to medication.
aight so i’ve been doing the whole self injection thing for nine/ten-ish months now, and as someone who’s always been, and still is, a little squeamish around needles, here are some things that help:
when you wipe down the injection site (I do my thighs, intramuscular injection) with an alcohol wipe, wait a little bit for the skin to dry before sticking the needle in. i’ve found this helps reduce the sting a bit.
listen to music. it helps make the whole process a little less nerve-wracking when you’re humming along to a song you like as you prep your syringe.
along the same lines as the last point, I like to use certain beats of a song as a ‘countdown’ almost, to hype myself up for the injection itself. instead of going “three-two-one” and then sticking the needle in, i’ll go “alright, i’ll put on cotard’s solution and stick it in when he starts screaming.” definitely makes the anticipation of the needle itself more bearable.
the anticipation is always worse than the actual injection. don’t let your own brain psyche you out of taking your t for fear of pain. i came into intramuscular injections thinking it’d be awful pain all the time, but half the time it’s barely more than a slight sting and usually doesn’t feel like anything after I put the bandaid on. i think i was more sore in the first couple weeks than i ever am now, though, so i may have just gotten used to it.
don’t inject too quickly, once you have the needle in your flesh. testosterone is pretty thick, so it’ll be a little slower coming out, and trying to push it too hard too fast will just make it uncomfortable or a little painful.
do all the prepwork and keep everything together in front of you before you even uncap the first needle. make sure you have all the alcohol wipes, needles, vial, bandaids, and sharps box right next to you. you don’t want to pull your needle out of your thigh and then realize you don’t have a bandaid to put on the bleeding hole. that stuff gets everywhere.
alternate your injection sites. don’t do the exact same spot every single week (or however frequently you do your injections) or it will build up tougher tissue and make it harder for you to do injections. i just switch between left and right thighs every week.
once your t is in the syringe, keep your fingers/palms FAR AWAY from the plunger until the needle is inside you. you do not want to know how many times i accidentally squeezed some t out of my syringe because i was moving things around and absentmindedly squeezed on the plunger just a little too hard
check out Howard Brown! very good high quality videos on how to do subcutaneous and intramuscular injections + how to draw medicine out of the vial in the first place. highly recommend.
that’s all i can really think of atm. might update this later if i think of more things/figure something new and cool out for myself, though. hope it’s at least a little helpful for some of you funny internet people.
i’ve found that icing the injection site for about 10-15 minutes beforehand also helps dull the pain
Im approx 1 year doing t shots and ive found that when you go to insert the needle you should gently press with the tip where you plan to do it. If it hurts a lot stop and move the tip a few millimeters and try again (still in the clean area) until you find a spot that hurts less or doesn’t hurt at all. If you were to continue at the very painful spot you’re more likely to bleed a lot than if you do it at a less painful place. The extra pain is a warning that you should listen to that there is something there (usually a close to the surface blood vessel)
i’ve only hit a blood vessel once but it was pretty scary. lots of blood, but it resolved itself in a couple of minutes. but yeah, avoid this when possible bc it’s not fun.
A note that that some of this advice is specifically for intramuscular. I personally do subcutaneous into my stomach, so I don’t have to worry about hitting veins, but that’s the only major difference.
That said…
Please do not “touch and go” with the needle like that. IDK if a doctor or nurse gave you that advice, and if they did, then I guess keep doing it, but the sanitation rules my nurse gave contradicts that. My nurse specifically said I could not “touch and go” with my needles, and that I needed to be decisive with the act of injecting. If the needle touched my skin, it needed to finish going in right there.
Firstly, the moment the needle touches your skin, it’s contaminated. You are potentially moving germs from one spot to another on your skin. Secondly, just touching it to your skin is dulling the tip, and you’re gonna make it hurt a lot more when you actually poke it in if you move it around a bunch and tap and press and all that.
This is also part of the reason we switch needles between the draw up and the injection: firstly, because we want to switch to a smaller gauge so the injection will be less painful, and secondly, because piercing the top of the bottle dulled the tip of that needle and contaminated it, so you’d have to switch needles anyway.
Please do not attack me for this, I am just spreading the info my nurse gave me.
hey friends, please check your 1ml vials of testosterone! there’s been a recall of a Sun Pharm batch because of bacterial contamination. i just checked and i had several from the contaminated lot i had to throw away.
the contaminated batch info is:
HAC3427A
EXP: 8/2023
manufactured by Sun Pharmaceuticals
and the number for Sun’s Customer Service Department is 1-800-818-4555
There’s more than one batch under the recall list now. If you have a contaminated batch # on your medication, contact your pharmacy about having them replace your medication. (I had several from a prescription I filled in March, so please check your meds)
The recall affects testosterone cypionate injection, 200 mg/mL, 1-mL single-dose vials (NDC 62756-015-40), from lots HAC1974A (Exp. 6/23), HAC1978A (Exp. 6/23), and HAC3427A (Exp. 8/23).
[ID: A tweet that reads “For my trans friends on testosterone, go check your lot number, there’s been a recall due to bacterial contamination.” The tweet includes a link to the news source detailing the recall and a screenshot from that source. The link to the news article is:
Testosterone is NOT a contraceptive, and there is a chance you can get pregnant (if you’re having sex with people who can get you pregnant) even if you aren’t having a period anymore. You CANNOT rely on T for birth control.
Hi! Wanted to share an important experience I had recently that I think you should know about, especially if you’re a fellow petite trans guy or similar!
I just got an awesome gynecologist who works with all sorts of people, including trans guys and such. She made me feel very safe, comfortable, and heard! One of the things she asked me during my visit was if I had anyone in my family who has/had Osteoporosis - a condition that makes your bones weak and brittle.
I had no idea why that would even matter, but both of my mom’s parents did, and I found out later that my mom has Osteopenia (sort of a halfway point between healthy bones and Osteoporosis). My doctor nodded and then explained that since 1) Osteoporosis runs in my family, 2) I am a trans guy taking weekly testosterone, and 3) I am petite at 5′0″ and 100-110 lbs, I should get a bone density scan done. Huh??? Why???
Did you know that estrogen actually protects your bones by suppressing reabsorption of the bone itself?? It works with the osteoblasts needed to create new bone! She explained that those of us with smaller bodies naturally have less hormones, and thus less estrogen to begin with, and when you start taking testosterone for a long time, it stops the estrogen, which stops protecting your bones. Damn!!!!
Now, because studies on trans bodies, especially over long periods of time, are in a growing field, we become part of the data. There’s not a lot to read on the subject yet, just like the similarities between being on testosterone and going through menopause.
My doctor looked at me in all my confusion and said,
“I bring all this up because I have a couple of trans male patients who have developed Osteoporosis by the time they’re 30.”
Let that sink in. (I’m almost 26.)
The scan took all of 5 minutes, completely harmless, got to keep all my clothes on. A few days later and I get a result that my pelvic bones are fine, but that my spine has “MINOR Osteopenia” and that I should do the following things to prevent worsening:
Take Vitamin D3
Take Calcium (preferably with food, but supplements are okay too)
Do weight-bearing exercises (“In regard to weightbearing exercises, we think the best is walking and/or running, hiking, and yoga. Swimming or biking is not recommended as a weightbearing exercise.”)
While this looks like a simple “eat better, get more sunshine, exercise more!” bit, (which I guess it sort of is??) it’s also… a little scary? Research on trans bodies has never before led me to this possible conclusion, and I wanted to make sure other people knew about this possibility as well, so they can ask their doctors questions to stay healthy!!
If for no other reason than spite, trans bodies have to keep living!!! STRONG BONES, LACTOSE INTOLERANCE BE DAMNED!!
testosterone is not a violent, aggressive, or evil hormone. and the more you people keep demonizing its effects, the more young trans people are going to steer clear of it because they believe it is going to make them disgusting or ugly. yes im talking about sweat and body hair and acne and bottom growth which are all normal healthy things that come with going on T and they need to stop being called “negative effects”. if YOU personally dont want them, fine. dont go on testosterone! but stop spreading this same harmful bullshit that makes trans youth fear transitioning when they otherwise look forward to it.
hope it’s ok to use ur tags to elaborate on this but YES. the demonization of testosterone and “”male traits”” is equally, if not more harmful to trans women. viewing penises as weapons, masculine traits as predatory, etc. is all rooted in transmisogyny. what hurts one of us hurts all of us
The reason vaginal atrophy in HRT is rarely discussed isn’t because some nefarious boogeyman wants to transgenderficate all your pretty lesbian crushes into chronic pelvic pain it’s because people don’t give a shit about transmasculine reproductive health and you hijacking the topic for your detransition propaganda will only make things worse as you discourage transmascs from researching the subject and learning that it’s treatable
“You’ll live with chronic pain for the rest of your life is it worth it” casual ableism aside you’re saying that as if vaginal atrophy doesn’t happen to half of all postmenopausal people, what makes you think you’re immune
Because I am on a mission to make sure everyone knows this and every time vaginal atrophy comes up, I will bring it up:
Vaginal atrophy is easily preventable and treatable. if YOU are on T and you’re experiencing it, PLEASE let your gyno/HRT doc know. They can prescribe topical estrogen which will treat the issue without interfering with your HRT!
I’ve looked into it a LITTLE and over the counter phyto-estrogen creams seem to have an effect but IDK if I’d 100% trust them.
Sorry, this is just super fucking important to me and literally everyone on T needs to know about it because when I was doing the research NO ONE brought up how easily it was treated until I looked into vaginal atrophy itself and found out because of how it’s treated in menopausal women.
When I talked to the doctor at planned parenthood she echoed this, too. That if vaginal atrophy starts to develop, I should just let her know so she can prescribe me topical estrogen to help!
the fact that we aren’t fucking told this is PART of the problem. The fact that we’re told it’s inevitable and untreatable is part of the problem. You don’t *have* to deal with that pain and discomfort.
!!!
Topical estrogen won’t affect your T levels either, from what I know. It will just affect the vagina, so you don’t have to worry that your transition will be impacted if you do get vaginal atrophy treated. If you are worried about topical estrogen affecting your transition talk to your doctor! There’s no reason trans people should suffer out of fear and misinformation.
This is true! Be aware that whether you can get effective treatments over the counter will depend on the exact pharmacy laws in your area – for example, in NZ it’s a prescription-only medicine (but prescriptions are subsidised so this isn’t too bad).
This matters because there’s a bunch of products out there that claim to treat vaginal atrophy, including lube and “vaginal moisturisers”, which don’t have the estrogen in them that makes it work properly. You’ll probably get some relief from the moisturising but it won’t be reversing the atrophy. These products are available over the counter and one is directly shilled by Buck Angel lmfao so it can be tempting to go for them rather than going through the hassle of getting a script, but please, if you can, get the prescription stuff that works the best ^_^
You’re going to fucking stink to high heaven. That’s puberty. Get a good deodorant, shave your armpits or become a hermit. Even then, you’ll still probably stink.
Right around 3-6 months on T, you’re going to be in itchy, unbearable agony as your new hair grows in. I scratched so badly that I had welts and blisters that scarred. I’d scratch in my sleep. It never stopped. It was brutal. Hydrocortisone cream and anti-itch powders will help. Avoid having your skin damp for prolonged periods. Avoid excessive heat. Don’t wear spandex. Compression clothing such as tight boxer-briefs or binders will make it worse. Crying like a little baby does not help, but you will doubtlessly try this, no matter how manly you think you are. We are all little babies during this time.
Binding causes scars under your arms and on your shoulders. It also causes acne. Cystic acne.
T promotes muscle growth and fat loss… and hunger. If you make bad food choices, you will gain weight, no matter how much you think T is a magic weight loss potion. It is not a magic weight loss potion. On that note, you will gain weight. Muscle weighs more than fat. I dropped 3 clothing sizes but gained 30 pounds in weight.
Your genitals will hurt. Your dick is going to rub against your underwear or packer if it’s not properly positioned under your skin. You will master the awkward cowboy walk to the bathroom to fix it in a way that draws the least attention. Crying like a little baby does not help, but you will probably do it anyway.
One day, you’re going to wake up and the first thing out of your mouth will sound so unrecognizable that you think you’ve switched bodies with someone else. It’ll be like going from Avril Lavigne to Morgan Freeman overnight. At least, that’s what it will feel like to you. Crying like a little baby is acceptable when this happens.
Everything causes acne. Even your acne meds. You can’t fix it. All you can do is live with it until your hormones stop going haywire.
Some lucky transmen experience temporary uterine insanity. That is, your uterus goes insane and starts cramping randomly. Some endocrinologists theorize that it’s due to the muscles increasing in size from the testosterone so rapidly that they cut off their own blood supply. The pain level from this ranges from “a bear on PCP ate my toe off” and “I just took a shotgun shell full of lemon and rock salt to my external genitalia.” Crying like a little baby does not fix it, but you will do it. You will probably have random bleeding, painful intercourse and lower body weakness. Go to your doctor. Get pain medication. Try to avoid getting addicted to the pain medication. Don’t send nudes of yourself to Pizza Hut when high on the pain medication (as I have done).
Sometimes your voice will break completely in half and you can sing baritone AND soprano. This is great at parties. It gets even greater when you’re drunk.
Drinking before a blood test will mess up your results and may lead your endocrinologist to change your T dose when it’s not necessary.
100mg/week is not the gold standard magic-making dose. That’s where most endocrinologists put you until you figure out the best dose for yourself, with blood tests to monitor your levels so you don’t make your heart explode. Sometimes it’s more, sometimes it’s less. It’s trial and error. Don’t inject T into a vein. That’s really stupid. Crying like a baby will not help. You’ll probably hurt yourself and look like a giant idiot in the ER.
You will mess up your injections frequently. Golf-ball sized swellings, redness and heat can be common even without infections. Sometimes it will hurt so much that you can’t even walk, sit down, masturbate or shit without being in horrible agony. Cry and move on. Biofreeze will be your best friend. Note: wash your hands after applying Biofreeze, especially before you attempt to use the restroom. Ibuprofen helps with the pain better than tylenol and is less likely to make your liver turn black.
People who don’t know you well, such as your favorite barista or your pharmacist, will stop recognizing you at some point. This is normal. Use it advantageously.
T will change your emotional responses to things. A lot of people think that it makes you angry and this is not always true. You may have stronger emotional reactions to things. You may have less strong reactions to things. You may get sad where you once got angry, and vice-versa. This is normal. Adapt. If someone tells you that you’re being an asshole, listen to them. It’s also appropriate to tell them to go fuck themselves.
Your informed consent sheet will tell you that your genitals will be drier than the Sahara in the summer. This is not always true. In fact, sometimes the opposite can happen and it’ll be quite swampy. Learn to adapt. Or get Summer’s Eve. Sadly, they don’t make it in Axe scents.
If you’re under 21, it’s possible that you might get taller. Remember the growing pains you used to get as a child? Now imagine those but 500% worse. That’s what it will feel like. You will also have to relearn your spatial relationships with the surrounding world. You will be awkward and clumsy. You will knock things over and be in a constant state of bruised.
You will be less iron deficient on T if you stop menstruating. If you have iron-deficiency anemia, it may clear up entirely.
The copper IUD contraceptive Paraguard can cause your periods to come back. Transgender men looking for an IUD are encouraged to choose Mirena, which is infused with progesterone. Progesterone-only hormonal contraceptives such as Depo-Provera, Implanon/Nexapro, the morning after pill and some daily oral contraceptives are less likely to interfere with your HRT but will likely worsen your acne, cause weight gain and affect your moods. If you are under 25, are on T and have Mirena placed, it is likely your body will reject it. This is very painful and it’d probably be less painful if you stuck both of your feet into a bear trap. You will cry like a little baby. You will also throw up and shit yourself.
Do not attempt to STP while intoxicated. If cis guys can’t control their urine streams while intoxicated, you sure as hell can’t.
And just to piss you off: Testosterone therapy is a subjective experience. No matter how much you can prepare yourself for the changes, you’ll be surprised by what’s happening to you. After you start T, it’s likely you’ll feel lost. You spent a lot of time and mental effort getting to this point and now there’s not much to do but wait. At some point, your changes will slow down. Some day, you’re going to wake up with a beard and not remember the time you didn’t have one. And neither will anyone else. So just be and stop worrying.
To all the dudes who need to have this info before having freak-out episodes because any or all of these things happen to you!!
ALT
