hello all,I am two weeks post op 8-25-04.can someon tell me if I still have large amounts of testosterone floating around in my bloodstream.I still get upset,but instead of getting pissed I get a hotflash.thanx in advance for any help.It's just that I havn't seen alot of change yet.[bigtwin]

bigtwin (imported) wrote: Wed Sep 01, 2004 4:41 pm hello all,I am two weeks post op 8-25-04.can someon tell me if I still have large amounts of testosterone floating around in my bloodstream.I still get upset,but instead of getting pissed I get a hotflash.thanx in advance for any help.It's just that I havn't seen alot of change yet.[bigtwin]

Large amounts, no. Unless you choose to take replacement testosterone, you will wind up with a testosterone level somewhere around 5% of your pre-castration levels.

But that 5% comes from the adrenal glands, which have been given the signal by the pituitary gland to increase testosterone production. In addition, testosterone stored in your tissues is now leeching out.

Will you have physical, mental, and emotional changes? Yes, but the level of those changes, and their timing, are very much a YMWV thingie. And your body has been through a traumatic surgery.

So watch out for post-surgical depression and try to take it easy for the next few months. Try not to force anything. Let the body and mind adjust at their own paces.

:kittygray :catclock:

thanx andrew,makes sense to me.As far as the depression goes.I am having trouble understanding why the majority have a bout with it.I have an awsome support person with me who likes me better since seeing kimmel.

Maybe the depression comes from not really thinking things through long enough before being castrated.I think most people would prefer the new me also.thanx again [twin]

For most, the depression is caused by chemical changes in your brain as a direct result of the castration. It has nothing to do with 'regret' or 'not thinking things through'.

Not being an endochrinologist, I am unsure as to the exact mechanism, but according to some of the reading I have done, there is a link between testosterone and serotonin (the chemical thought to be responsible for mood regulation).

Now, regret may not be the cause of depression, but I'd be willing to bet depression can be the cause of regret.