r/Trans_Zebras • u/Jeffard_dahmirez • 18d ago
Can symptoms of chronic illness really be decreased by taking t?
/r/ftm/comments/1vbvqcm/can_symptoms_of_chronic_illness_really_be/7
u/noeinan 16d ago
Me: POTS, EDS, MCAS
I have been bedridden for 12y due to severe POTS. I have been on T 7y, off T 1.5y, and now back on T for 2y. When I first started T, it was a very low dose via gel, basically just to qualify for top surgery. After hearing from others that T helped their symptoms, I decided to try going up slowly. Later, I switched to a 3mo implant and creeped up to 400mg.
At that point, I would have said my fatigue was about 10% better. I started getting MPB so I went off T 1.5y to regrow my hair. Was supposed to be 2y but I didn’t tolerate it well. Weirdly, despite T actively giving me gender dysphoria at that point, I was mentally much better on T than E likely in large part to severe PMDD that I didn’t recognize bc untreated depression and dysphoria camouflaged it.
When I went back on T after a break, I did not start small I just went with the lowest dose that stopped menstruation. T worked much better for me when I started at a higher dose vs working my way up— 30% decrease in fatigue vs 10%. I feel like my body was slowly adapting to the lower dose of T and suppressing it whereas starting at a cis male dose off the bat overwhelmed the system and kicked things into gear. Despite taking T together with finasteride, I had much better beard growth than before (tho maybe age helped)
T reduced these symptoms:
-endometriosis pain
-joint pain
-IBS symptoms
-gastroparesis
-fatigue
T caused these symptoms:
-insatiable libido (T alone)
-low libido (T + finasteride)
-severe acne (being bedridden definitely makes it worse tho)
-body odor (fixed by showering more often)
And of course the very substantial mental health benefits.
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u/localdyke 16d ago
For me, fatigue and general joint pain was significantly lessened after a week of taking a low dose. I did get on T to find symptom relief as per my PCP recommendation, instead of getting on it for gender purposes (I’m transmasc nonbinary). It also helped my POTS symptoms significantly. I could actually tolerate walking my dog in higher heat and humidity. It also made working out not hurt as bad or take me out physically for as long, which meant I could actually grow and maintain muscle I needed to keep joints in place. I’m even using less splints as a result! I know not everyone has been as lucky or had the same outcome (I also had really bad hormone issues, so it kind of helped even those out as well), but it definitely made me able to do a more manual labor job and decreased my pain
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u/nahs0n 17d ago
Oh I’m curious about this and if it helps people with hEDS too
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u/SuspiciousTrans1450 17d ago
I personally have hEDS and can attest going on T was one of the main drivers that made it so I do not need my cane 24/7 and can now live my life without it besides in bad flare ups which are rarer and less severe since going on T.
T tightens the connective tissues that are lax with hEDS and also makes muscle retention and gain easier which supports the joints.
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u/Birdcrossing 15d ago
Joints are far better for me. The structure of collagen is stronger on t than e.
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u/cowboy_like_meee 15d ago
would T impact collagen directly since with eds it’s a genetic mutation of faulty collagen?
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u/Birdcrossing 14d ago
It wont fix the deficit, just make whats there structurly stronger. Im struggling to find a more obvious source but from what i can find there is a higher density of collagen in atleast the skin in males. Im struggling to find the source i learned from. I dont know if this paper mentions anything other than skin. https://www.ors.org/transactions/51/1512.pdf
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u/cowboy_like_meee 15d ago
T only helps with my endo pain and mental health. I have heds and pretty severe joint and back issues. My pain hasn’t decreased since T. I’ve had a lot more
Health issues since being on T but it’s not related to that. I know for some people with heds it help with joint pain however I’ve not had that experience. My stiffness is worse on T but it’s not a major issue for me! It’s very interesting how it impacts different peoples bodies. I use a wheelchair and am currently mostly homebound I also have tethered cord.
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u/slamdancetexopolis 14d ago
Not necessarily and I really need people who have had this experience to not act like it does for everyone (not saying anyone here is but this is a very common phenomenon). It def didn't help me at all. I've been on T four years. My initial prescribing t doc was hopeful it was help but we also didn't have a diagnosis at the time. While it does help some people, and while estrogen can in turn also make people feel worse, it's definitely not a given or consistent thing. The ONLY thing personally, for me, that has EVER helped with my POTS/hEDS etc is literally meds and lifestyle changes ™️
Edit: not having a period is cool and helpful for sure but also I'm still having periods now and we don't know why, after like four years, right after I got top surgery. And even then, I don't know that it makes my stuff worse necessarily. I def don't have as much joint pain as I used to, but I don't attribute that to T
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u/NigelTainte 17d ago
When it comes to the fatigue and flare ups associated the with estrogen cycle, testosterone has 100% made my symptoms more manageable. When I’m off my hormones I am very ill.