[Maru]

I have so many side effects with birth control so really didn't try taking it until I was older. I tried one that I had hoped I'd tolerate better since it was supposed to simulate our actual hormones, ie, adjust itself throughout the month, and ended up with serious short term memory loss and not being able to drive for about a year. Can only imagine if someone had tried to put me on puberty blockers in my youth. I really don't think I'd be here with the way I respond to certain meds if that were the case. I knew friends who were getting prescribed things left and right for their issues when we are all in our preteens when depression/etc was just beginning to become a major concern...

And I'm sure bad responses to medication will just get sorted out as part of the overall trans suicide statistic rather than found out as a bad response to medication. The suicidal thoughts while on certain meds is actually a real thing. There was a medication I was on that was newer for an issue I had that gave me suicidal thoughts at about the same time everyday based on when I took my medication (usually night before)... it didn't do anything to me emotionally so it was just bizarre, but it was there cognitively in a very overt way and would last for about an hour. Almost like the brain would tune into a radio station where cognitively everything I was reading, listening to, or thinking was being dosed with this weird feeling of "meh, it's all meaningless, never-ending, horrible stuff, etc... should just end it now", etc... so yeah, that is a thing. For me, it was just bizarre, but I wonder if someone is vulnerable if they would have a worse response... how would they be able to tell the difference between bad reactions to medication and actual suicidal thoughts?... Hormones can do crazy unexpected things to the body and mind without medications, especially to women...

[user104658]

Originally Posted by MaRuDolph

I have so many side effects with birth control so really didn't try taking it until I was older. I tried one that I had hoped I'd tolerate better since it was supposed to simulate our actual hormones, ie, adjust itself throughout the month, and ended up with serious short term memory loss and not being able to drive for about a year. Can only imagine if someone had tried to put me on puberty blockers in my youth. I really don't think I'd be here with the way I respond to certain meds if that were the case. I knew friends who were getting prescribed things left and right for their issues when we are all in our preteens when depression/etc was just beginning to become a major concern...

And I'm sure bad responses to medication will just get sorted out as part of the overall trans suicide statistic rather than found out as a bad response to medication. The suicidal thoughts while on certain meds is actually a real thing. There was a medication I was on that was newer for an issue I had that gave me suicidal thoughts at about the same time everyday based on when I took my medication (usually night before)... it didn't do anything to me emotionally so it was just bizarre, but it was there cognitively in a very overt way and would last for about an hour. Almost like the brain would tune into a radio station where cognitively everything I was reading, listening to, or thinking was being dosed with this weird feeling of "meh, it's all meaningless, never-ending, horrible stuff, etc... should just end it now", etc... so yeah, that is a thing. For me, it was just bizarre, but I wonder if someone is vulnerable if they would have a worse response... how would they be able to tell the difference between bad reactions to medication and actual suicidal thoughts?... Hormones can do crazy unexpected things to the body and mind without medications, especially to women...

Not to get all "all genders" but it is actually very similar in men, low testosterone is a HUGE depression trigger, and is ultimately one of the reasons that so many depressed men feel a lot better if they fix their diet and exercise more. It's not just that it makes them feel better about themselves - high protein diet and increased physical activity naturally raises testosterone levels and that alone can completely change mindsets.

Hormones are fascinating and I honestly don't think we should be fking with them UNLESS it's to correct something that's out of balance without a clear reason.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Quantum Bauble

Not to get all "all genders" but it is actually very similar in men, low testosterone is a HUGE depression trigger, and is ultimately one of the reasons that so many depressed men feel a lot better if they fix their diet and exercise more. It's not just that it makes them feel better about themselves - high protein diet and increased physical activity naturally raises testosterone levels and that alone can completely change mindsets.

Hormones are fascinating and I honestly don't think we should be fking with them UNLESS it's to correct something that's out of balance without a clear reason.

Absolutely, it's literally the reason so many men go through midlife crisis

[Vanessa]

The toilets at the theatre where we went had gender neutral ones as well as male and female. Like Arista says, sign of the times.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Santa's NaughtiNess

The toilets at the theatre where we went had gender neutral ones as well as male and female. Like Arista says, sign of the times.

Having the third option is a good call if there's room for it

[Vanessa]

Originally Posted by ChristmasNeeve

Having the third option is a good call if there's room for it

Yes definitely I agree.

[Cherie]

Unfortunately we have moved to a situation where people dont want to fix themselves they in the main want to take a pill to make it all go away, exercise, diet, routine, sleep issues should all be addressed before medication is offered, and in the case of children they need to be allowed to grow up before they inflict life changing hormone treatments on themselves, parents need to get a grip as well and not pander to everything their child thinks they want particularly in medicine, pretty sure most parents would not allow their children to go under the knife for cosmetic purposes but are happy for them to pill pop if they think they are in the wrong body