Considering castration, need some health related pointers

[jcaimbridge (imported)]

Hello,

As a 24 year old male, I am considering elective surgical castration (not for a MTF transition, but for reasons I would rather not bring up due to their inflammatory nature potentially distracting from the topic of this thread) and I have found a urologist that is willing to perform the procedure. I was also considering chemical castration, but the idea of being tied to a drug like spironolactone for the rest of my life is not appealing to say the least (side effects, cost, doctors visits, a general proclivity I have to avoiding dependencies). For this same reason, if I were to be surgically castrated, HRT is not something I would consider.

I've enumerated my general concerns/questions below so they may be more easily responded to.

(1) My concerns with the procedure are primarily around those of loss of bone mass and loss of strength. These concerns are not motivated from the standpoint of my appearance of outward masculinity (e.g. amongst peers or something), but rather from my ability to function. My job necessitates that I am able to lift/carry somewhat heavy objects (but not straining/backbreaking heavy. e.g. there are women on the job that are able to perform these tasks) and perform relatively strenuous outside work. In addition, although I spend my free time indoors in more sedentary, cerebral pursuits, I like to stay in good physical condition with various exercise (aerobic, e.g. jogging and mountain biking, and also calisthenics and yoga). I do not mind if this exercise becomes more difficult, but I would be distraught if I were unable to continue with it due to overbearing exhaustion or something.

(2) As far as concerns of bone density go, my understanding is that both the testes and adrenal glands are responsible for testosterone production. Would it be wise to have tests done that can evaluate the level of testosterone for which my adrenal glands are responsible? (assuming there is such a test) If so, what is the formal name of this test? (am I looking to test my DHEA levels?) If my adrenals are not up to par, then I believe it may be wise for me to forgo this procedure. Considering the fact that I am by nature a seemingly unmasculine male (at least outwardly), this is a concern of mine.

(3) In addition, I am somewhat concerned/curious about the effect castration will have on my ability to have sex. However, to be clear, this concern is certainly not to the extent that it would affect my ultimate decision (the former concerns are of more importance). You could say that while I would at times certainly prefer not to be so much of a victim to "the drive," there are still aspects about losing this that I quite naturally find negative--it's just a negative that I am willing to concede to given the benefits I will reap. As a healthy and physically active young male, how likely is it that I will still be capable of having an erection?

I mean, I understand that one's libido is greatly reduced (or can be entirely eliminated) by the procedure, but I've also read accounts of men that are still capable of having sex afterwards. I'm not only referring to those historical accounts of male eunuch sex slaves/harems (this is not my interest), but it seems some eunuchs still maintain some small level of sexual activity. Is this typically relegated to eunuchs that go on HRT? Or is there a significant percentage of HRT-less eunuchs that remain sexually active? And does a one's lifestyle affect this? (e.g. my impression is that males which are physically fit generally have a higher libido, so I would assume this would be at least somewhat true for eunuchs too)

(4) Lastly, is the Eunuch Calm "real"? The main thing I've found on this is that it gives one a "more serene outlook on life." I think I have somewhat of an idea of what that means, but something more concrete is certainly welcome. Does it mean that one is no longer so vulnerable to the innate drive to reproduce, thereby reducing the "stresses" and energy devoted to it? Does it simply mean that one has a more even temperament due to the reduction of testosterone levels? There is certainly a personal bias of mine that came into play when formulating these particular questions, because both of them seem very favorable to me.

Thanks in advance and I look forward to some responses. If anyone wants to discuss my reasons for castration, I would prefer that this take place in another thread. I am not insecure about my reasons for doing so--I just don't want this thread to lose focus.

And I'm not sure if this matters, but some other health related info: my diet mostly consists of green leafy vegetables, rice, nuts, soy bean products (tofu, tempeh), yogurt, almond milk, and sometimes eggs. I do not eat meat. I already take calcium lactate and vitamin D3 (this is not due to any observed bone weakness--it's just a preventative measure I've been on even prior to my considerations for castration).

[Eunuchus (imported)]

No one can tell you that you should get castrated. It is a very personal decision that is yours alone to make. I am doing the alcohol injections. I still have all of my original equipment, so far. My T level is now low enough to cause concern for my doctor. I have started a Testosterone replacement regimen so I don't have health problems. What I am looking for is control over my T levels.Trying to find a happy medium.

Read everything you can before making your decision. Remember castration is not reversible. Private message me if you like.

Good Luck and think it through.

[EunuchAusTX (imported)]

I am a eunuch who is not taking HRT, so can answer some of your questions from personal experience. The effects of castration are a little different for everyone, but it's possible to give some generalizations that you may find helpful.

As for loss of bone mass, that is definitely a concern after castration, but it is easily minimized by taking calcium supplements. Taking the dose recommended on the package should be sufficient to prevent osteoperosis.

You will definitely lose some strength after castration if you do not take hrt, however if you exercise and specifically lift weights you can help keep that loss from becoming debilitating.

As far as sex post-castration goes, this is definitely a case of "your mileage may vary." Many eunuchs lose all ability and interest in sex, however some retain the ability to perform occasionally. It isn't really possible to predict what will happen, so make sure you can live with losing the ability before you decide to go forward. Of course you can always go on a low dose of T to retain some libido if you wish.

From my own experience, I can tell you the eunuch calm is definitely real. It partly has to do with no longer being a slave to the sex drive, but it is also an evening out of the temperament and emotions. I find that I am much more balanced without testosterone. I was a constant emotional roller coaster before castration, now I'm on a much more even keel.

Hopefully these answers will be helpful to you in deciding whether to go through with castration. If you have any further questions, feel free to PM me. Good luck to you.

[nullorchis (imported)]

Hard to tell if jcalmbridge will return or not. Interesting sexual orientation in his profile. "5"

Anyway, if you do return JC, if you ever want to have children you need to either a) not damage your testes or remove them, or b) store your sperm in a sperm bank before you do anything else.

I spent a lifetime thinking I needed to be castrated. In the end elimination of testosterone was all that i really needed.

And lucky you, as you can order and take medications that will temporarily suppress the production of testosterone so that you can experience what it is like to be free of testosterone. And give it time, a year or two. This is not something that is instant gratification.

Good food, exercise, and increased vitamins and minerals will keep you in balance.

If you get out of balance, modern medicine has loads of blood tests that can be done to determine what is too high, or low, and adjustments can be made.

If you over think it, you will get a brain freeze.

Decide what you REALLY NEED (not necessarily want) and proceed to obtain all the information you can before deciding on a course of action.

If you can't do this, put this whole idea out of your mind and move on to doing something else.

If the need is great, real, eventually you will know that you are not just toying with a fantasy and you can revisit this idea again at a later date.

[devi (imported)]

As far as the "eunuch calm" is concerned a lot of it has to do with that you just don't have the compulsion to to go out on dates, let alone seek out a partner, or to have sex. And finding out in retrospect this really does freak a lot of people out. But I think you do enjoy life more. It's just that some day when you're old you may look around and suddenly realize that every one around you and all of your friends have not only dated a lot and still feel the need to date, have had children, have had families of their own, have even had grandchildren, have married, have divorced, and not only that but they have done so a multiple of times. Whereas the one with the "eunuch calm" is still quite naive about a lot of things, can talk with women better than anyone but never dates. "Strange", some people will say.

[BossTamsin (imported)]

One small thought. There's nothing saying that chems vs physical castration has to be an either/or proposition. Why not try chems for 6 months to a year first? You won't be 'tied to a drug for the rest of your life', just a few months to see if castration is right for you. It would answer most of your questions, and would still be reversible in the event that you discover castration isn't for you.

[jcaimbridge (imported)]

These responses have been very helpful and have made my concerns much more clear. I took so long to respond because for the first two days afterwards I saw a lot of views on the thread without any responses, so I figured it would be best to let it sit for while instead of hawking over it. Oh, and no idea why my sexual orientation is listed as '5' in my profile. For the record, I'm sexually attracted to females, but I'll leave it as is because I find it amusing

I still feel very strongly about surgical castration, but from your responses I am tempted to temporarily try a testosterone inhibiting drugs. I have 2 months worth of 100mg of spironolactone on hand, but my only hesitation with this is the possibility of long term side effects (in the case of spiro, cancer).

I had already planned to visit a sperm bank prior to seeing the urologist. Now, I have no desire for children. While I understand that many people end up changing their minds after quite normally having no desire for that in early adulthood, I'm kind of an oddball and truly don't expect that desire to manifest. Regardless, I'm going to do it just in case.

[erikboy (imported)]

I don't rememer I had desire for children when i was younger than 25, it developed over time slowly until I realized I need to have them by age 30.

[jcaimbridge (imported)]

One more thing: can anyone comment on their energy levels post castration? I understand that energy loss is expected for the few months afterwards, but is there any recovery of energy over time? And has it affected your sleep? I'm specifically referring to those that have gone without HRT.

[DavidB (imported)]

One more thing: can anyone comment on their energy levels post castration? I understand that energy loss is expected for the few months afterwards, but is there any recovery of energy over time? And has it affected your sleep? I'm specifically referring to those that have gone without HRT.

Without HRT you are going to have less energy and are going to get more tired. It took time but I was able to adjust to less energy and not have it effect the quality of my life but I am not nearly as strong as I was.