2 replies to this topic

[Vampire]

Hi everyone, well I have an issue, but I will to that after I do a little introducing. I am male, 20 yrs old , 5'7.5, 198 lbs, have vision problems like astigmatism and myopia, feel slightly fatigue daily, and could have acne if it weren't for Retin-A. My diet for the past 4 yrs more or less is mostly healthy with a lot of high-calorie items like milk/eggs/bread..., very little junk food (as colas, chips, butter, trans fat). I also live a sedentary lifestyle. I also been taking piracetam on-off for a yr, and Retin-A for wrinkles, complex B pills (skip sometimes), Omega-3 (few tablets), multivitamin (1 day), melatonin (skip sometimes)

My brain has been fuzzy, slow, and I have a hard time in understanding people when they speak too fast, or there's too much going on around me. People have told me I seem like I am "high", even though I am not, and never touch anything that would.

Now my issue is... when I was 18 I began Spiro (an anti-androgen.... not estrogen) because I thought I was a transgender woman, to prevent further masculine traits. I been doing this on-off until last month, and I finally think I rather be a man in this life. That's extremely weird for most people, but I need advice anyways. So going into SPIRO I thought I would be stunting my height, weakening my sex drive, and everything has to do with being a male. I don't care about the permanent effects like height, if it did happen (since I can't fix it).

----------------
My issue is; I am tired a lot, my ankles ache a lot, I am overweight, my brain feels fried. I want to be as healthy as I can, and live as long as I can. I want to improve my T-count as well.
I feel like I am a 40 yr old man a lot. I look 25 yrs old.

[niner]

Have you always been heavy, or is that a new thing? Either way, you need to get your weight down, which will require a comprehensive approach. I'm not going to advise starving yourself, but rather changing your diet. You should start thinking of bread more as a junk food and butter as non-junk. In other words, cut back on refined carbs, particularly sugar. This is easier than you might think, if you simultaneously increase your intake of healthy fats. Olive oil and coconut oil are two that I rely on. Animal fats are ok. I would avoid seed oils, which rules out a lot of packaged and fast food. You should try to eat lots of non-starchy vegetables. Eat fruit, preferably berries which have a better ratio of beneficial compounds to sugar. Avoid fruit juice; it's only one step up from soda.

You need to start exercising, but you shouldn't do anything too strenuous too quickly. If you hurt yourself, you won't want to do it any more, and it's pointless to try to make a muscle do something it isn't ready to do. I'd recommend some light cardio; walking or recumbent bike; enough to get your heart rate up and maybe sweat a little, but don't go crazy. Very importantly, you should be lifting weight, with a well-rounded circuit. You should use weights that you can do two sets of ten on without a huge struggle. You should try to work out three times a week.

Diet and exercise are not the end of things you can do to make yourself feel better and be healthier, but they are the foundation. If you do these things, at your age you will gain strength rapidly, and the increased muscle mass will help you lose weight. Everything about your health will improve.

BTW, we are all weird around here. Being T* is nothing unusual. It doesn't matter which direction your gender goes, as long as you're healthy. It's a lot easier to stick with whatever you are genetically, if it's a reasonable fit for your brain. If it's not, well, there's options. Good luck with getting healthier; I know you will like it.

[jadamgo]

You probably do have Low T, so a visit to an endocrinologist is in order. If the endocrinologist is judgmental about your use of anti-androgens or makes you feel uncomfortable about your gender, kick him/her to the curb and go find a new one. Judgmental doctors do not provide the same level of care to people they're prejudiced against, so you will only really get taken care of by a nicer doctor.

You're definitely reporting some depression-type symptoms. Sometimes, Low T can cause depression, and fixing it will reverse the depression. If not, it'll be time to find a good therapist. It's very important that you find a therapist you get along with, and one who does NOT make you feel uncomfortable about your gender, or about any of the actions you've taken related to your gender. Our society is very hard on people who don't uphold the standard gender stereotypes, and sometimes therapists (even well-meaning ones) will reinforce those stereotypes. But if you find someone who is understanding, empathetic, and genuinely helpful, you will be very pleased. You can expect the "brain-fog," low mood, and fatigue to go away. You didn't report insomnia, but I'm expecting that you have either problems with sleeping too much or too little. Those problems, as well as increased appetite, low sex drive, unexplained aches and pains, and weak-feeling muscles can also go away when depression lifts. Also, your self-image will improve. I don't mean this as criticism, but you sound like you have poor body image. Improving your body image will be very important to resolving these symptoms you're experiencing.

To sum it up, my advice is to see an endocrinologist first to get your hormone levels straightened out. If you still have depression-like symptoms after the hormones are taken care of, it'll be time to see a psychologist and improve your emotional well-being. A good psychologist will help you feel more energetic and confident instead of fatigued and uncomfortable. A good psychologist will also help you resolve any doubts or questions about your gender, and will do so in a way that is supportive and understanding rather than judgmental.