Trans FTM First Cycle Help Neded

[tpain91]

need some help with my first cycle. i've found these forums super helpful and need some advice on my situation.

so, i'm female to male transgender. been on HRT for 4 years (100mg Test C/week), lifting for 5.5 years consistently. i've had all surgeries--top surgery (breast tissue removed) and lower surgeries (including a hysterectomy removing all female organs uterus/ovaries/etc).

Stats: 5'9, 156, 11% BF, 26 years old

my cycle I was planning on doing a 12 wk test only cycle at 400-500 mg/week. goals are to add ~10 lbs on a lean bulk, my diet has been on point for a few years now. these are my questions:

- Do I stop my regular HRT shots while on cycle?
- Is there any reason I should use Test E over Test C or vice versa? Just curious given that I'm on test C for HRT.
- Should I use an AI regularly during cycle? If so, how much? If not, how might I tell that I'm experiencing high E symptoms given that I don't think I can experience gyno or any other typical indicators of high E. Just emotionally how I'm feeling? Last time I had my blood work done my E was high and I did feel on edge, emotional, and short tempered, not sure if the two were related.
-If I do experience symptoms do I take an AI until they stop or for the rest of cycle?

here is blood work from my most recent visit
Estradiol 52 pg/ML (Reference Interval: < OR = 39)
Testosterone 636 ng/DL (Reference Interval: 250-827)

thanks in advance.

[Sh0tsf1red]

need some help with my first cycle. i've found these forums super helpful and need some advice on my situation.

so, i'm female to male transgender. been on HRT for 4 years (100mg Test C/week), lifting for 5.5 years consistently. i've had all surgeries--top surgery (breast tissue removed) and lower surgeries (including a hysterectomy removing all female organs uterus/ovaries/etc).

Stats: 5'9, 156, 11% BF, 26 years old

my cycle I was planning on doing a 12 wk test only cycle at 400-500 mg/week. goals are to add ~10 lbs on a lean bulk, my diet has been on point for a few years now. these are my questions:

- Do I stop my regular HRT shots while on cycle?
- Is there any reason I should use Test E over Test C or vice versa? Just curious given that I'm on test C for HRT.
- Should I use an AI regularly during cycle? If so, how much? If not, how might I tell that I'm experiencing high E symptoms given that I don't think I can experience gyno or any other typical indicators of high E. Just emotionally how I'm feeling? Last time I had my blood work done my E was high and I did feel on edge, emotional, and short tempered, not sure if the two were related.
-If I do experience symptoms do I take an AI until they stop or for the rest of cycle?

here is blood work from my most recent visit
Estradiol 52 pg/ML (Reference Interval: < OR = 39)
Testosterone 636 ng/DL (Reference Interval: 250-827)

thanks in advance.

I'll take my best shot at this but hope some other members weigh in.

1. Don't stop your HRT shot, your first cycle should be test only so if anything you will increase this.
2. Test C is a different ester then test E, I believe the test C is longer so it stays longer. I'm not sure that it will make a significant difference in this application.
3. AI on HRT is a hot topic. Some users will swear you can't live without it but your regular bloodwork from your HRT doc should dictate it.
4. I am not sure about this given your transgender status, I've never seen a similar question so your guess would be as good as mine.

Not sure how to interpret the bloodwork either for the same reason.

Hope some of this helped and your able to find the info you're looking for. My overall suggestion would be to up the test for 8-12 weeks then go back to your HRT dose.

Best of luck

[MuscleScience]

Are you required to get regular blood work for your transition therapy or have they have pretty much got your dosage dialed in? Do they not have you on estrogen blockers anyway?

[PT1982]

You're going to have to especially be careful when doing this. Your masculinity is coming from synthetic hormones and I know that you have that under control being as you have been on hormone treatment for 4 years. But keep in mind that for men, estrogen is a very carcinogenic substance and for women testosterone is. Even when keeping everything in check and staying on top of bloodwork, your chemistry and every gene in your body is still female. I say this because this is a harm reduction forum, for the most part, lol.

If I we're approach by someone transitioning female to male, I would say stick to the protocol the Dr's have you on. Testosterone, at any more-than-average level for a female, is still going to be dangerous for you. If you add even more, your risk goes up significantly. That why you constantly will see us being stem with guys who don't use an aromatase inhibitor and seemingly don't care about estrogen related side effects until its too late. These same guys are only concerned about the physical side effects and not the internal ones which are the actual dangerous ones. With you, you're not going to have to worry as much in my opinion.

If you were hellbent on ruining a cycle, I'd say anavar for 6 weeks along with your Dr prescribed testosterone. About 40-50mgs daily. I feel it's going to be your safest bet. No need in any of the typical ancillaries for pct and no need to waste money on hcg, as hcg is more geared towards testicular function.

With all of that said, I would first consult your Dr on the matter. I would assume he's not of the conservative nature and you can probably go to him/her to talk about issues such as this. You're in a situation that we don't often encounter, but i would still say to get bloodwork regularly and check ups often.

What do you think of that proposal?

[tpain91]

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm required to get blood work every 3-4 months but more or less my levels have remained the same throughout my transition (T around 300-650). The only thing new was my recently elevated estrogen levels (52), typically my E levels have been between 18-24. They are doing my labs again on Monday to see how the E is looking, as you know it is a difficult test for labs and often there are errors.

I am not on an estrogen blocker--I don't know of any and don't know of any transmen that are on this, but I'll ask my doctor.

I'm open to an anavar only cycle. And will discuss with my doctor the risks associated w/ raising my T dose to see if she would be open to doing so as part of my HRT. I know she wouldn't be comfortable w/ more than doubling the dose but see if I can't push my levels a little higher. As far as testosterone being carcinogenic for women--do you have a journal article that discusses this? All the studies I can find indicate that the carcinogenic properties of T are related to the prostate and not in women. Just curious in learning more.

[PT1982]

It is wise to listen to Dr advice. That will be the best thing for you to do. High levels of test in women, like high levels of estrogen in men, are well documented as being hazardous in terms of increased risk of cancer and other health issues. If you need studies I will provide. However, I used Google and found a mayo study showing the effects of primary sex hormone function in the opposite sex. But that's a given. During a transition phase, a woman, for instance, is 100% female. This includes every single gene in her body. With the use if the characterizing male hormone testosterone, it will cause masculinizing effects in women. It won't change a woman to man, but will give them the features. Science is still behind in recreating God's work, but given time (if time exists), anything can be accomplished.
Just remember that anything worth doing comes at a risk. The question then becomes "is the risk worth the reward?" For most, it is. For some it isn't. It's all about what you want in order to be happy in the end. That's all of our end goals. We don't want to live a miserable life. I'd rather have a shorter and happy life vs a long and empty one. I get ridiculed for my faith, but I'm happy. It's a daily struggle, but it's one I find most rewarding.