A warning about chemical castration

[mrt (imported)]

Many thanks to everyone for their concern. Just to let you know I am just out of the psychiatric ward. Still feeling pretty miserable, but not quite so suicidal anymore.

Welcome back to the world! Please keep in mind things ARE getting better everyday. I know how miserable angry, and upset I was when my hormones were really in the tank. Life got 1000x better when I got this under control. Did you speak to your doctor about the antiandrogens you were on? Are they doing anything to reverse the effects or are you just letting them wear off?

Hang in there! Life is going to get better.

Mr. T

[plix (imported)]

I am so glad to hear that you are out of the hospital and doing at least somewhat better.

This is another one of those things that is so variable among individuals. My own surgical castration made my ongoing clinical depression no worse than it had ever been. I do not seem to be very sensitive to mental/emotional issues with hormonal changes.

It seems that most here do not have a dehabilitating depression as a result of castration, although many have mild adjustment issues. But there are a few here who have had very serious depressions, and this is why everyone considering castration needs to be looking for it.

If you really wanted to try again, it is not completely out of the question, but next time you would need to be extremely cautious. You would definitely need medical supervision, and you would definitely need a large support group consisting of family, friends, and professionals. If any signs of depression appeared you would need to undergo treatment immediately.

The initial adjustment is the hardest part. Most eunuchs who experience serious depression eventually adjust to their new state and the depression lessens, although it may never leave completely.

Of course if you do not want to try again I do not blame you, and I wish you well in whatever you do

[Eunuchist (imported)]

Unwisely, I thought that the anti-depressants I had been given would be enough to help me deal with the depression caused by lack of testosterone

Well, that about sums it up. Your suicidal behavior, I strongly suspect, was almost certainly due to the well-documented harmful (and sometimes permanent) neurochemical effects of SSRI's on the brain. There have been many cases reported of otherwise midly depressed individuals who went straight downhill only a short while after taking the drugs. Extreme suicidal behavior (with no prior history before the initiation of treatment) has been observed even in those who take their meds regularly. If anything, your post is a good advice to those considering taking SSRI's for things like libido control and mood swings.

[twaddler (imported)]

I recall the first SSRI I tried, Zoloft, made me incredibly suicidal -- like urgently must end it now type shit. Maybe the combination of that with depression from lack of androgens are to blame? I found at first when I started chemical castration I became very depressed and suicidal (though I was very depressed before), but after a while once I got used to it I love it.. dunno... sorry you've had such problems.

[Eunuchist (imported)]

The initial adjustment is the hardest part. Most eunuchs who experience serious depression eventually adjust to their new state and the depression lessens, although it may never leave completely.

That is an interesting issue. Recently published results of the EA survey suggest that eunuchs do not - statistically - experience more depression than other men, with a non-statistical trend to lesser self-reported depression following castration. The largest study that has been carried out on prostate cancer patients (ca. 55,000 subjects) on ADT therapy, reached a similar conclusion (the slightly more diagnosed depression in the ADT group vs. non-treatment group was largely attributed to other confounding factors such as age and disease progression, according to the authors of the study). Similarly, we do not typically see depression problems in neutered pets (for example, my friend has a neutered dog that is as palyful and active as ever).

Personally, I know of a considerable number of eunuchs who actually report less depression following castration. In my personal experience, there was an obvious, almost overwhelming progressive increase in positive moods and the overall sense of well-being with decreasing\eliminated testosterone, up to the point of feeling very much "like a kid again", with the exception of increased calmness and somewhat reduced energy levels\motivation (but maybe that is just a natural continuum of a theoretically prolonged "pre-pubertal" development? There appears to be some loss of energy between 2 and 12 years of age, f, inst - at least it was in my case). And yes, it only seems to get better with time (years), on many levels (while it is typically the reverse with testosterone, ie. the "sensitivity" issues, etc.).

[mrt (imported)]

That is an interesting issue. Recently published results of the EA survey suggest that eunuchs do not - statistically - experience more depression than other men, with a non-statistical trend to lesser self-reported depression following castration. The largest study that has been carried out on prostate cancer patients (ca. 55,000 subjects) on ADT therapy, reached a similar conclusion (the slightly more diagnosed depression in the ADT group vs. non-treatment group was largely attributed to other confounding factors such as age and disease progression, according to the authors of the study). Similarly, we do not typically see depression problems in neutered pets (for example, my friend has a neutered dog that is as palyful and active as ever).

Personally, I know of a considerable number of eunuchs who actually report less depression following castration. In my personal experience, there was an obvious, almost overwhelming progressive increase in positive moods and the overall sense of well-being with decreasing\eliminated testosterone, up to the point of feeling very much "like a kid again", with the exception of increased calmness and somewhat reduced energy levels\motivation (but maybe that is just a natural continuum of a theoretically prolonged "pre-pubertal" development? There appears to be some loss of energy between 2 and 12 years of age, f, inst - at least it was in my case). And yes, it only seems to get better with time (years), on many levels (while it is typically the reverse with testosterone, ie. the "sensitivity" issues, etc.).

I don't think polling EA members is "science." How many of the reponders have been castrated? How many have low testosterone? and how many are here due to pure fantasy? I would instead look into "medical" studies of Hypogonadism or eunuchism not doing a popularity poll.

I also would have said that I felt "normal" when I was having hormone issues. Unfortunatly everyone else said I was not "right" and when I got on healthy levels again I was able to see myself as they did.

[Eunuchist (imported)]

I don't think polling EA members is "science." How many of the reponders have been castrated? How many have low testosterone? and how many are here due to pure fantasy? I would instead look into "medical" studies of Hypogonadism or eunuchism not doing a popularity poll.

I should note that I was also quoting another, MUCH larger study that was done in controlled medical settings relying on diagnosis data instead of self-reports, noting that the results of this study were strikingly similar to the results of the EA survey. Of course, as with many other things, there are still significant individual differences not well reflected in "statistical" analyses such as these.

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/conten ... /166/4/465

[kristoff]

I don't think polling EA members is "science." How many of the reponders have been castrated? How many have low testosterone? and how many are here due to pure fantasy? I would instead look into "medical" studies of Hypogonadism or eunuchism not doing a popularity poll.

I also would have said that I felt "normal" when I was having hormone issues. Unfortunatly everyone else said I was not "right" and when I got on healthy levels again I was able to see myself as they did.

Do read the studies, and the qualifications posted. And yes, as presented they are in fact science.

[davidballs (imported)]

Sorry, I felt the despair you've experienced in every word. Yes, I can relate to how being an upbeat person, with total cessation of testosterone, for many of us is a fate worse than death, mentally. My solution was is, I take a very small injection 1/4 to little under 1/2 cc of T every two weeks, which provides a modest libido, bone density and a sense of well being that is normal for me. If you have not, I hope you consider a using a modest does of testosterone as an alternative. No one should struggle with depression as I know have

[mlooking2 (imported)]

I was on androcur for a year. I kept cutting the pills in half then 1 quarter of a pill. And stayed at that dose for a year. I was always very tired.

After a year I stopped because my breast grew very big and being tired got to me

So stopped. My gf at the time loved me on the pills and didn't want me to stop.

I wanted the shots because they last 3 months.

But way to much money.