There is no evidence that you are regaining your level of physical fitness or sexual function. Gender-affirming hormone therapy may affect other medical conditions, although research is lacking. These include autoimmune diseases, which can sometimes improve or worsen with hormonal changes, and migraines, which often have a hormonal component. Ask your healthcare provider if you have more questions about risks, health management needs, and other long-term considerations when taking hormone therapy.
Some of the effects of hormone therapy are reversible if you stop taking them. The degree to which they can be reversed depends on how long you've been taking testosterone. Clitoral growth, facial hair growth, voice changes, and male pattern baldness are not reversible. TRT doesn't cure low testosterone levels, so symptoms may return if you stop taking it.
In many cases, identifying and treating the underlying cause or condition can improve testosterone levels. Rarely, testosterone therapy can cause you to completely lose your ability to produce fertile eggs or to become pregnant. People who start taking testosterone later in life may experience less overall facial hair development than those who start at a younger age. Your doctor may also have certain requirements before allowing you to go ahead with testosterone therapy.
A known risk is that testosterone can cause blood to become too thick, also known as a high hematocrit count, which can lead to a stroke, heart attack, or other conditions. Approaches to controlling hair loss in trans men are the same as in cisgender men; treatments may include finasteride, a partial testosterone blocker, minoxidil, also known as rogaine, applied to the scalp and hair transplant. Transgender and transmasculine people who seek to achieve and maintain certain changes often use long-term testosterone therapy. Testosterone therapy is used as long as a person and their healthcare team feel that it benefits them and affirms their gender, he says.
Forcier. Although available data is limited, testosterone does not appear to increase the risk of uterine, ovarian, or breast cancer. However, to date there have been no well-designed studies evaluating the risk of long-term dependence on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Millions of American men use a prescription testosterone injection or gel as a form of testosterone replacement therapy (often referred to as TRT therapy) to restore normal levels of the male hormone.
If you have abnormally low testosterone, increasing your testosterone levels with TRT can help bring your energy levels back to normality. Chronic stress can raise cortisol levels, interrupt testosterone production, and increase the risk of heart disease and other conditions. Testosterone will cause the vocal cords to thicken, making the voice sound more masculine. In addition, lifestyle changes, such as abstaining from drinking alcohol, exercising regularly, or changing certain medications, can further improve testosterone levels.
Some people will only take testosterone for as long as needed to develop changes that are generally considered permanent, such as a deeper voice and increased body hair.