Would You

Question for those women in transition. What if you discovered after starting, or maybe a few years in, that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) you're taking is crashing your mind and body, literally. The purpose of HRT (meaning for male to female transitions) is to lower male hormones (with Spironolactone) and to raise female hormones (estradoil or something similar).

Some people, however, are sensitive to changes in their hormones, namely lowering your testosterone level to where it's in the normal level of women, but that your body needs at least the minimum level of male hormones and reducing it induces major changes in the body, metabolism and brain

Not possible? Really possible because some people are that sensitive to changes. Your, and every, body needs all your hormones to work. They're not just there for sex or gender but your whole body and mind. Almost everyone is born with both, all males have some levels of female hormones and only a rare few females have no male hormones (like one in a million).

Back to the question. HRT is the second step in one's transition, right after therapy since all physicians require letters of recommendation before prescribing HRT to ensure the diagnosis is right to prescribe them. HRT changes the body, stopping the normal aging and changes of male traits and to some degree creating female physical traits, eg. breasts.

Most transitioning women usually take HRT for 2-5 years before getting their final Gender Confirmation Surgery (GCS) depending on your family, life career and finances. They often begin living as women from part-time and often fulltime before but always after starting HRT, but that also is a personal decision on the same factors.

All of this depends on HRT for its effects and changes. And if you can't take it? And if it means post-GCS you'll probaby have to take both some HRT to keep staying female but also take testosterone to keep your body normal, even as a woman?

Would you still transition? Or is the answer obvious because you know it's who you are and want to be? The question doesn't become if but how and when.

I ask this because it's like a fence when you start and are on HRT. Almost everyone finds the physical and mental changes for the good and are happy. But for some evidence (mostly anecdotal) shows some people get the physical changes but experience worsening effects and changes in their metabolism and mind.

The mind part is where the individual is susceptible to depression. HRT can, and often does, exacerbate their depression, and with the worsening health and/or fitness, the depression gets even worse, and the transition seems so distant and successful, the individual has to think about their goals with their transition.

If you continue your transition, how will you do it? Staying physically male but living as female? Trying to pass as a woman while being physically male? How long? What choices do you consider? Not getting GCS despite you want it to be a whole woman? Or getting GCS and taking both male and female hormones?

Just a question. But one many women in transition face with their body and mind.