Testosterone gives transmen incontinence, bladder & bowel problems

[MrsOvertonsWindow]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/26/trans-problems-urinary-bowel-incontinent-young-detransition/

The Telegraph reporting on worrying data showing that young women who've been persuaded that they've been "born in the wrong body" and are on cross sex hormones are experiencing major problems from their use with 95 per cent developing pelvic floor dysfunction.

"Around 87 per cent of the participants had urinary symptoms such as incontinence, frequent toilet visits and bed-wetting, while 74 per cent had bowel issues including constipation or being unable to hold stools or wind in. Some 53 per cent suffered from sexual dysfunction".

And our sainted NHS have been contributing to this without conducting any research.

As a post menopausal woman I'd been told some testosterone helped with pelvic floor issues, a friend was told the same after an early hysterectomy. Are post menopausal women being misled?

An aside but does anyone know what impact transitioning has on the health of boys who take puberty blockers/cross sex hormones?

I’m sure I’ve read something about an increased incidence of MS but can’t remember if that was in men or women.

And also problems with mobility- again I can’t remember the details but I imagine that might be to do with osteoporosis.

I’d appreciate any links. Thank you.

Osteoporosis sounds likely.

I did read one study that found trans women taking hormones (aka males) were 46 times more at risk of developing breast cancer than males who didn't. Don't know if any studies have been done on children though 😡

*Forhecksake · Yesterday 19:02

I hadn't heard about the increased cancer risk. Do you know of any links to related articles?

My sister transitioned around 5 years ago and now has stage 4 cancer. Everyone insists that it isn't related to the testosterone, but it's hard not to wonder.*

How awful Forhecksake, I’m really sorry. I’m very concerned about my trans-identifying female family member too who is on testosterone and in line for a mastectomy - and obese, so the potential cancer risk, heart/clots risks and complications risks are exacerbated.

Though the study may not be very strong, it clearly is a basis for a more thorough follow-up. Plus we know about the many health problems suffered by women athletes who were on similar drugs in the past, so this isn’t a new claim.

Increased risk of heart attacks with cross hormones in males.

Women have testosterone as well as estrogen, relatively small amounts are released by the (healthy) ovaries just enough for what a body needs.
This is why once menopausal the testosterone disappears.

It's a question of what dose, how often, for how long.

That's interesting. Do you have a source for the persistence of testosterone in the body?

Yes the human body has lots of substances in small or specific amounts that would be extremely dangerous at a different level - salt, copper, vitamin A and so on. Even too much water in the body can be deadly. It’s not that testosterone is in itself bad, it’s that a huge excess of it is harmful for the female body (also bad for males if they have too much as well).

RE cross-sex hormones and the male body, I'm sure that (pre-cancerous) changes to the testicals has been raised as an issue. I need to do another search to check, but maybe this was mentioned in the WPATH files?

I did find this.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5868281/

So it can be beneficial in the right does? I didn't go down that route, my friend did but we haven't discussed how it worked out for her so I'm not sure about the outcome. So many decisions to make, mind you at the moment I just wish the 2nd course of antibiotics I'm on would get rid of this horrible chest infection.

I'm guessing you'd be taking a very small dose to raise your testosterone levels up to pre menopause levels.

In comparison Trans men take huge doses to suppress oestrogen and grow facial hair etc.

Fuck's sake.

I know a delightful young transman who is currently having health problems, intestinal issues amongst them. (He's a relation, which is why I know some of the details.) I have suspected from the off that it's all connected to taking 'T', because 'he' was perfectly healthy as 'she' except for a bit of skin sensitivity to certain things which seemed to have largely resolved into adulthood.

Honest to God, I am sitting here waiting for a large group of transitions to sue the NHS. It will cost the country a bloody fortune that it can ill afford, and will not compensate these young people for the fucking-up of their bodies.

I find it so enraging and distressing that I just can't think about it too much.

@Runskiyoga I've just had a peep at reddit, and it seems like most of our problem is in trying to protect people who just don't want to be protected. There is such rage on there!

Sex hormones can act as an catalyst to some cancers. Eg women with a family history of breast cancer advised not to take the pill/hrt.

People in general are very uninformed about human biology.

You think it would be important to people as we all have a body and knowing how it works and what is good and bad for it should be invaluable knowledge.

Sadly this isn't the case which is why so many people make really obvious bad choices regarding their health.

Yes I think there is a phenomenon where suffering adverse health effects is seen as more validation and membership of a special group who have so much to endure etc. I can understand why that happens mentally - as saying “hang on this is really harming me” (as Scott newgent does so forcefully) is effectively bursting the bubble that trans is beautiful and a wonderful community and so on.

I agree and I find it incredible that anyone would think its a good, healthy idea.

Replacing missing hormones necessary for life: insulin, cortisol etc = good

Over riding healthy levels of naturally occurring hormones with synthetic cross sex hormones because you want to change your appearance = a really stupid idea for long term health.

I don't think its any accident that cross sex hormone medication and surgery has grown from the USA where its all about money rather than actual healthcare.

I didn't do it so don't know what the dose would be. I just didn't want to do it, didn't do any HRT.

I haven't read the Sharron Davies book, but I just googled the effect of testosterone on female Eastern European athletes, and it's incredibly sad - terrifying, in fact. I don't understand how doctors are now blithely dishing these hormones out to mentally disturbed young women.

https://globalsportmatters.com/health/2019/11/07/ex-east-german-athletes-struggle-with-health-problems-due-to-the-consequences-of-ped-taking/

Sadly that is the nature of mental illness, and why it is such a cruel condition. When my son first became unwell, any attempt to deny his delusions or get him to realise he was ill would be met with extreme anger and denial. We were simply absorbed into his illness, becoming another enemy intent on hurting him. But in our case, he was hospitalised so he could receive the care he needed.

We are rightfully horrified when we look back at how mentally ill people were treated in the past. I can only imagine in 100 years from now this point in history will be judged the same.

Anyone who hasn't read Abigail Shriers book Irreversable Damage, about the trans movement in America, I would highly recommend it, and would highly recommend it to youngsters, particularly girls, who are considering transition.
It's a big eye opener

It's hard to know for sure where the cancer started. By the time it was discovered, it was in the liver, lung and several different bones. There's been radiotherapy, chemo, immune therapy and now a new form of chemo. But none of it is curative--just trying to buy time.

I remember reading that transmen who become pregnant have smaller babies, and that the babies often have to be delivered early because inadequate placentas fail to supply sufficient nutrients to the foetus. And that is just known problems with the pregnancy, goodness knows the effect on the children in later life.

The closest example I can think of were the first anti-virals to treat HIV.

The clinical studies for AZT were, iirc, terminated early because it was becoming clear that AZT worked. Campaigners wanted everyone who needed them to be given the drugs, so pushed for early approval at FDA etc. They kicked up a huge fuss in the USA.

Then sometime later, the pattern of side effects of AZT and similar became the subject of lawsuits from the same campaigners who insisted the drugs be approved early without finishing the clinical trials (which would have included gathering safety data including side effects).

This wouldn’t happen nowadays because FDA and EMA and others have better processes and clinical trial designs have evolved to allow more “open label extension” arms, which means once you complete the controlled part of the study, all patients are put on the drug - you still gather safety information and the patient continues to receive the medication until the drug gets approved. And approval processes have gone from several years to about 10 months now (even quicker for urgent need like Covid vaccines), in part due to the HIV crisis showing up the poor ability of agencies like FDA to respond promptly in medical emergencies.

if anyone is interested in this area, Google the history of PDUFA. In Europe, the EMA was set up around the same time to similar effect. It basically created my profession.