Mood swings

[expedient-traveller]

I am once again not sure where to put this so I am trying here.
How do you all deal with the mood swings? I normally am a "perky" and "up" (no breast reference intended) type of person but sometimes out of the blue I get depressed. It can last from a few hours to a few weeks and it is annoying! I know it is related to my hormones being way, way out of balance but is there something that can be done about it? Vitamins or supplements or such? Thanks!

[hammer]

I went through that as well as night sweats too. I felt as though I was going through menopause! 

I can't help you as far as if there is anything you can take to help, but I can say that for me it went on for a while, but it was on and off again however it does come to an end!

Good luck in learning to put up with it.

[Paa_Paw]

I have never experienced that.  If you suspect your hormones are erratic, you should be seeing an Endocrinologist.  

[expedient-traveller]

I have been dealing with this for years. Someone postulated that it could be a lack of B-12 in my diet, but would that account for the night-sweats, breast itching and moodiness at times? I think an endocrinologist may be needed as you state. Life is interesting. Thanks.

[Maxx]

I have mood swings, often. I can get easily annoyed, or downright read to cry at times. It is hard for me to tell if it is hormones or just good old fashion depression. I often feel like my cup is running over, and i never can seem to get ahead of the waves of irritating things going on in my life. I have had some really traumatic things happen in my life over the last few years. I sometimes wonder if it is a form of PTSD, and not really just hormone related. There seem to be triggers that can send me into a tailspin of anxiety...in an instant.


Having gynecomastia, and going out in public when you are not 100% accepting it, is a huge trigger of anxiety for me. My head understands, but my ego and heart have not caught up with my reality...it seems. In my own world, I am fine. But in public, it still feel like all eyes are on me and I am somehow minimized as a man. It makes me not want to perform music live in front of people, at all!


I have noticed that when I am using Androgel (testosterone replacement therapy) I seem to be much more on edge, and more likely to have a low grade anxiety attack. They are never crazy attacks, but an intense need to get away from the situation i am in...followed by bowel issues and an general sense of feeling like crap. Classic fight of flight symptoms i think. I feel much more calm when I am not taking that stuff, but I then suffer worse from annoying ED symptoms.  


I dont really get night sweats. Sleep seems to be one of the few places I can really find peace. For that, I am grateful.

[TigerPaws]

Like many of us it sounds like your hormones are out of balance, as has been suggested go to and Endocrinologist.
As for what to do, there is very little, sometimes it is better to make the switch to Estrogen dominance verses fighting by supplementing with Testosterone.

There are many benefits and few side effects.

[Maxx]

Is taking estrogen, rather than testosterone, your endocrinologists idea?

[TigerPaws]

Is taking estrogen, rather than testosterone, your endocrinologists idea?

Yes, after suffering many of the side effects trying to balance my system. My Endocrinologists had me come in every other day for a month for a blood draw in order to get a complete image of my hormone balance. the resulting data clearly showed wild swings in both Testosterone and Estrogen, along with Progesterone and Prolactin.


As the Testosterone was doing more harm than good (causing my Prostate to enlarge) I was offered the choice to "Switch Sides". 


The side effects are nominal and manageable, the benefits are numerous. The trade off is breasts. An acceptable trade off. 

[Maxx]

Interesting...thanks for sharing.

My biggest long term concern, other than ED, is osteoporosis. My uncle as that very bad in his spine, and it is ruined his ability to sit, walk, etc. Always in pain.

In addition to my Primary HyperAldesterone problem, I have a renal calcium leak. Without treatment, I am at high risk of pissing out my bones (endo's words, not mine).

I like what Testosterone supplementation does to me for about two weeks. Then it seems to go the other way and leave me worse than before I started. Increasing the amount I took did not help. It also made my scalp hurt and hair start to fall out.

I may ask my Endo if Estrogen would be useful in my case. I already have boobs, and my junk is only somewhat functional, and rarely without a struggle. I just want to feel stable and physically better. I am not. My moods are all over the map. I generally just have an overall feeling of being unwell.

What are some of the benefits you have experienced from taking Estrogen? What form are you taking in it? Pill, Patch, Gel?

[TigerPaws]

Interesting...thanks for sharing.

My biggest long term concern, other than ED, is osteoporosis. My uncle as that very bad in his spine, and it is ruined his ability to sit, walk, etc. Always in pain.

In addition to my Primary HyperAldesterone problem, I have a renal calcium leak. Without treatment, I am at high risk of pissing out my bones (endo's words, not mine).

I like what Testosterone supplementation does to me for about two weeks. Then it seems to go the other way and leave me worse than before I started. Increasing the amount I took did not help. It also made my scalp hurt and hair start to fall out.

I may ask my Endo if Estrogen would be useful in my case. I already have boobs, and my junk is only somewhat functional, and rarely without a struggle. I just want to feel stable and physically better. I am not. My moods are all over the map. I generally just have an overall feeling of being unwell.

What are some of the benefits you have experienced from taking Estrogen? What form are you taking in it? Pill, Patch, Gel?

Benefits of Estrogen dominance, softer skin, lower blood pressure, will shrink your prostate, more youthful look, no mood swings (unlike a woman your levels will be level), reduce cholesterol.

Negatives, increased breasts, more sensitive breasts, penis shrinkage (as much as half), no morning erection, not necessarily a loss of sex drive but lower need. It will take you longer to become excited, but you will stay longer and the orgasms will be 100 times more intense. Some fat redistribution to your butt.

In your case possible calcium loss could be a problem, on the plus side by taking a Testosterone blocker such as Spirolactine you can have all the salt you want (and you will need extra).

The patch is good, pills are bad, injections are best.

[hammer]

Maxx, I understand what your uncle is going through with the back, however, the one thing I can do is sit! I was asked by one doctor as he looked at my last MRI, when did you fracture your back? I have no idea, but I've got a back full of arthritis, degenerative disk disorder, and I've already been fused from L2 down to the SI joint!

With all that who gives a damn about having breast!

[Maxx]

TigerPaws: Thanks for sharing.
After 8 years on Spironolactone, I have nearly every effect of Estrogen dominance you described. Skin is thin and as soft as my wife's, BP well controlled, prostate is small (based on doctor comment from last DRE), PSA of like .3, I do look younger for my age, and my cholesterol is in the 180's...but I have high trig and I am early type 2 diabetic, and got 30+lbs fatter.
I grew sizable breasts, although that started before the Spironolactone by about 2 years. Yes they are sensitive (that is not a negative to me), no morning wood, and my junk is substantially shrunk. My wife says she cant tell, but she is either blind, numb, or just being gracious. Either way, she isn't complaining about anything except my moodiness.

It can take a long time to get excited, or downright fail to function. I now have less appetite for sex than my wife, which is good.  It is somewhat nice not being a raging slave to my male libido. You are right...I last a lot longer and the orgasms are crazy intense. Semen volume is about 25% of what it use to be.

Salt! I crave salt sometimes...mostly pickles. My blood labs come back with potassium about mid-range and salt on the lower end of normal, repeatedly. I supplement with calcium and balance that with PTH blood tests. I also take 100,000IU of vitamin D per week, just to keep in the normal range. My urine calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium are all higher than normal in my 24 hour urine collections. I drink a ton of fluid, else I would have for sure had kidney stones by now. By a ton, I need 2 collection jugs almost every time I do the testing. Always over a gallon of liquid gold.

I do have the mood swings, as indicated above. But, I have all the changes to my body without even adding Estrogen. It doesnt seem like there are much negative side effects left for me to experience if my doc prescribed it for me, and perhaps just positive outcomes for mood and overall well-being. It is an interesting concept.

Hammer: Are you thinking that years of low T caused your back trouble?

[hammer]

My back trouble comes from years of doing stupid things just because I could! I was extremely strong, like strong enough to lift the back end of small cars when I wanted to show off in my younger years, so I would do heavy lifting alone when I should have had help.

Some of the issues could also be from hard falls when scaffolding fell and I was on the top installing siding, a motorcycle accident and being hit broadside and landing 40 feet away, jumping out of helicopters with full SCUBA gear on, having a come-along brake and falling back on a pile of steal L shaped barge floor braces, ect.....

My bad back just had a lot of abuse!

[TigerPaws]

TigerPaws: Thanks for sharing.
After 8 years on Spironolactone, I have nearly every effect of Estrogen dominance you described. Skin is thin and as soft as my wife's, BP well controlled, prostate is small (based on doctor comment from last DRE), PSA of like .3, I do look younger for my age, and my cholesterol is in the 180's...but I have high trig and I am early type 2 diabetic, and got 30+lbs fatter.
I grew sizable breasts, although that started before the Spironolactone by about 2 years. Yes they are sensitive (that is not a negative to me), no morning wood, and my junk is substantially shrunk. My wife says she cant tell, but she is either blind, numb, or just being gracious. Either way, she isn't complaining about anything except my moodiness.

It can take a long time to get excited, or downright fail to function. I now have less appetite for sex than my wife, which is good.  It is somewhat nice not being a raging slave to my male libido. You are right...I last a lot longer and the orgasms are crazy intense. Semen volume is about 25% of what it use to be.

Salt! I crave salt sometimes...mostly pickles. My blood labs come back with potassium about mid-range and salt on the lower end of normal, repeatedly. I supplement with calcium and balance that with PTH blood tests. I also take 100,000IU of vitamin D per week, just to keep in the normal range. My urine calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium are all higher than normal in my 24 hour urine collections. I drink a ton of fluid, else I would have for sure had kidney stones by now. By a ton, I need 2 collection jugs almost every time I do the testing. Always over a gallon of liquid gold.

I do have the mood swings, as indicated above. But, I have all the changes to my body without even adding Estrogen. It doesnt seem like there are much negative side effects left for me to experience if my doc prescribed it for me, and perhaps just positive outcomes for mood and overall well-being. It is an interesting concept.

Hammer: Are you thinking that years of low T caused your back trouble?

Maxx,


With a small addition of Estrogen, (like the patch) you will likely find that your mood swings are significantly reduced and with careful monitoring (by keeping close track as to when you apply a patch) your mood swings will be all but eliminated by changing how often you need a new patch or how long you go without.


You may find another benefit of switching sides your sex drive is likely to increase. Not that it will be anything like you were in your 20's, 30's and even 40's but you will notice an increase. The down side is that when your sex drive has been satisfied it will take up to 2 plus weeks to build back up. The plus sides of this increase in sex drive are numerous but that will depend on your Lady. 


One slight down side of complete Estrogen dominance is that you will be more emotional, for most men there is a trigger, for each man it is different. When you hit that one thing that sets you off you will know it and you will cry. But once you know what that trigger is it is relatively easy to avoid it. Mine is related to PTSD from Vietnam, Mogadishu Somalia and Afghanistan 1 (1988 to 1989). As long as I stay away from videos, shows, movies and conversations about what happen to my men I generally do not have an issue keeping my emotions in check.

[expedient-traveller]

TigerPaws: Your last post is very interesting and somewhat revealing. I usually cruise along all fine and dandy, when something seemingly innocent happens and my emotions want to hit the roof. It has happened so often for so long that when it hits I push it down inside till it fades away. I am normally a very happy go lucky fellow, so I know the emotional roller-coaster is related to something not normal for me. Thanks for shedding some light on an interesting area of my life. Unfortunately, I no longer have a regular doctor so I am trying "Obama-Care". Life is certainly interesting.