Testosterone Therapy

Aside from the acne - which is expected when you on a steroid and the increased body hair (which I welcome) - I have none of the other side effects you mention.

If everyone read every side effect of every medicine - no one would ever take anything.

Common testosterone side-effects:

"Headache and other aches and pains."

Never had, or if I did I didn't associate them with testosterone.

"Mood changes,"

Yes I think it definitely gave me a better mood.

"feeling dizzy."

Nope, never.

"Feeling sick, tummy (abdominal) pain"

Nope.

"Skin rash and irritation, acne, swollen hands or feet"

Nope.

"increased blood pressure,"

Well not when I was young, and now when most men my age have similar health issues I really don't think testosterone is the sole, or contributing cause.

"increased breast size,"

Maybe, but I had it surgically removed.

"breast pain,"

Nah, nope.

"increased body hair"

A desirable 'side effect'   

"prostate problems"

Not when I was young.

"increased weight"

Not until I was over 50

"baldness."

Not until I was over 50.

"Changes to some blood test results"

Andriol, testosterone, LH, FSH, GnRH, oestrogen all altered, which I'm happy about.

Another side effect in my literature is increased duration of penile erections, (desirable)  and painful erections. (undesirable)   

"Plus if you have liver or kidney disease, or taking other medications, TRT is not suitable."

Yes, depending on your age, and level of physical maturity, testosterone may not be indicated?   Unless a baby XXY boy has a very small penis it's not indicated,  and if an XXY man has prostate cancer it's not indicated.

Hi xxyguy. 28 years old I just wanna ask I've been diagnosed with Ks and I'm thinking about TRT. Wanna ask you if you don't mind that how old are you and when did you start TRT and how are you functioning with TRT I've asked my doctor all this already but I'll rather hear it from someone with the syndrome. And what other health problems do you have now and has TRT contributed any of them. Sorry to sound like I'm interrogating you just been really overwhelmed with all this.

Hello Spud!!

I'm closer to 60 than 50.     I started testosterone therapy in October 1977 when I was 18 years, 3 months, 2 days old.    

I don't believe I have any health issues caused by testosterone therapy.  I believe I have health issues associated with being male.  Many males my age have prostate problems, and I do too.  Many have erectile issues, and I do too.   I was once taken to task by my advocacy of testosterone for teens as testosterone is associated with aggrovating prostate cancer, and my response to that is "how many teenage boys have prostate cancer?"  I don't advocate forcing XXY's into leading an unnatural life simply because they MIGHT develop diseases in the future.  

Some XXY's claim they didn't experience puberty, that would be unnatural from my way of thinking.  I don't actually believe those men, I think they're confused.  XXY's can't develop KS unless they've started puberty.  

I'm treated to prevent the symptoms of seminiferous tubule dysgenesis from showing, those symptoms are what you'd call KS.  So I have no symptoms, if I was forced to live with symptoms we'd not be having this conversation as I'd be dead.  I'd have killed myself years ago.  So whatever your doctor says, testosterone saved my life.  

I'd ask him/her if s/he had anything negative to say about testosterone, "How would you like to live permanently with the symptoms of disease, and without sufficient sex hormone appropriate to your sex?" 

Thanks so much for your fast reply.

My doctor hasn't said anything negative towards trt I just have been reading about the symptoms of trt and like I just wanna know I'm abit new to all this Im worried about not living a normal life in my older years when I grow old hopefully. and the diseases that come with ks has really scared the sh*t out of me it's really thrown my whole life upside down. And I've been reading about the life expectancy and its reduced by 5 years and I'm just confused weather to use or don't use trt if using trt is gonna increase the diseases or not using trt is gonna increase the diseases sorry for rambling about this but I just feel the doctors don't understand my concerns.

Maybe you mean 'side effects?'   I don't regard any side effects of testosterone as negative.  If you're typical you'll look much younger than you are, testosterone at the right level will change that.  

When I was first disgnosed there was a lot of negativity from the medical profession about testosterone therapy.  There was also very little informaton for patients.  Where I am every snippet of information had to be censoored before I was allowed to read it, the argument being that I'd imagine my 'condition' to be far worse than it really was.  I argue that's a problem I'll just have to deal with, if it happens.  XXY's do worry, they do misunderstand things, but then so do XY's and XX's.  

Now that the internet exists the freeflow of information can't be stopped.  In the future the types of diseases affecting XXY's may well change, as previously the patients did not have therapy and all sorts of diseases that may well be associated with long term low testosterone may have been the cause?

When I was first diagnosed (yawn)    there was no association made between XXY/KS and psychological, psychiatric, educational issues,  everything was about hypogonadism and additional chromosomes causing mental retardation, and retardation was not regarded as an education issue, but something that makes those with them sub human etc.  Now the medical profession knows more, but they're still somewhat slow to change.  We each deal with our own doctors who don't all have the same knowledge.  What they learned when they first trained is all they know, and as they're not interested in genetics generally, they don't update their information.  In time you will probably gain more information that your doctors, you will become their teacher.  What you need to do, IMO, is not take all you read as being about you personally.  It's just interesting information about the person or people you're reading about, some of which you might relate to?

Thanks for the information xxyguy.

Having ks will it alter my life in a big way from your experience I know everyone is different. Will I live a normal life. Like for example you what's the biggest health problems you've got from having ks.

Also am I more as risk if I don't have the trt.

Sorry mate I just really feel depressed at the moment don't know what's happened.

Well Spud, I don't know.  Who was born with a crystal ball?  Did your parents know they had a different child?  Were you educationally affected?  Did your mother throw you down a set of stairs when you were 4?  Were you misdiagnosed with epilepsy when you were 4.5?  Were you given meds that made you really grumpy for 8 years?  Were you repeatedly beaten up by your parents, them believing beating up children was proper child care?  Who can say what events influence your life, and how you respond to them, and what other influences impact on you?

According to my doctor, when I got to 40 all lifes problems were to have ironed themselves out, and everything would be sweet, and nice, and lovely.  That wasn't my experience, but maybe it will be for you?  

Maybe the 9 men Dr Klinefelter studied the notes of didn't have any difficulties other than hypogonadism?  Maybe pigs really do fly?

You asked "can I live a normal life" - this is quite an ambiguous statement.

You have lived with KS since birth - everything that has happened to you good or bad that seems out of the norm in relation to everybody else is probably related to KS.

Typically you cannot have children natuarally and you have to live with that. All the other symptoms, diseases, etc., are part of KS and some can be reversed, others controlled.

I was diagnosed at 49, I was on Nebidio within 6 months - best thing I ever did - it has changed everything.

Can you live a normal life? Yes you can - as long as you take care of yourself; as long as you research everything and keep on top of your condition; as long as you push your GP and Endo's to give the best treatment to you.

Like a moving flute to a King Cobra, since bulls are colour blind and snakes have no ears/are deaf.     Notice how I prefer accuracy?   

"You asked "can I live a normal life" - this is quite an ambiguous statement."

I definitely read "can I lead a normal life" as a question, nothing ambiguous at all.

"You have lived with KS since birth"

Has he, has anyone, my tagline on all my emails and page image on one of my YouTube accounts "Nobody was ever born with Klinefelters syndrome."   Then of course there is Dr Arthur Robinson from Denver who said "I never refer to newborn babies as having Klinefelters, because they don't have a syndrome"   page 5 Understanding Klinefelters syndrome, a guide for XXY males and their families. (write to me privately and I'll send you the web address)  Also if XXY (and other) males were born with KS they'd be diagnosed at birth, but they're often never diagnoosed at all.  "Long term outcome in children of sex chromosome abnormalities" by Dr Shirley Ratcliffe.  

"everything that has happened to you good or bad that seems out of the norm in relation to everybody else is probably related to KS."

I doubt that, since Ks can only have become manifest after the onset of puberty.  Good things that happen, how can good things be related to hypogonadism?  KS is a form of hypogonadism.  Actually KS is the symptoms of disease to be exactly correct.  What other symptoms of disease produce 'good things?'  

"I was diagnosed at 49, I was on Nebidio within 6 months - best thing I ever did - it has changed everything."

I know what testosterone does change, and I'm pretty sure "everything" encompasses a great deal more than the things testosterone is directly responsible for, so what do you call 'everything?'

I'm sure given the right interventions everybody CAN live a normal life, but to say any particular individual can live a normal life might be a bit presumptuous?  We just don't have enough information - well I don't.   

xxyguy thinks he is an expert on everythinhg, so beware regarding his comments. He has criticized me for my commenT's on xxy. I believe xxy is genetic, he has an opposite view that his opinion, not the medical field.

Anyway, if you are cosidering ne hormone replacement therapy, it is your choice. Not every xxy gets HRT. with testosterone. Some get female hormones.

The only side effect I got was more acne, and more body hair on my chest, back, arse and face. But I can't grow any hair directly under my nose. I have limited hair on my legs. Or I should say on my half leg. Due to my diabetes and loss of circulation due to my 2 kidney disorders, I developed gangrene and eventually lost part of my left leg due to an infection and all my toes on my right leg. Both dialysis and the amputations were in 2014.

I was diagnosed with xxy in 1982 at age 29 and that's when I started on injections. I am now 65.

As I indicated on this forum, I habe over 20 different disorders. Are they caused by xxy. I have no idea.

Some studies indicate that having xxy, you may have diabetes, have a high pitched voice, have very small little fingers, have tooth enamel problems, be a daydreamer. and very small testicles or penis and various other problems. But not every xxy have these problems. I dont have enamel problems, but I have everything else.

I've never said XXY is not genetic, you must be confused.  What precisely is the oposite of genetic?  

In order to have KS the male person must have small firm testes, a female person with XXY chromosomes does not have KS.  Females can be XXY, you (not me as I already know) can find examples of XXY females in medical literate on he internet, all you have to do is search the topic.  If you do search the topic and do read what you find, you will metion you found the informtion rather than keep it to yourself, won't you?  I know I would, oh look I already did! 

 John somebody says "xxyguy thinks he is an expert on everythinhg," but what he really ought o have said was "XXYGuy thinks he is an expert on everything"   

Of course I don't recall sharing my thoughts on everything with John, nor proclaiming I am an expert on everything, but I do have a poor short term memory, I may well have asserted I am an expert on everything and forgotten I said it, maybe John can quote me?  

I believe I say "I  don't know" from time to time, that is probably because I really don't know, or it could be that I'm an expert  on not knowing something, and not too proud to admit it?  

Oh and I have (don't tell John this)  argued that some XXY guys may well do OK with Oestrogen therapy as Oestrogen stop linear growth, that is prevents excessive tallness, so if a parent knows their child is likely to be excessively tall, that paarent might want to give him sufficient Oestrogen (or testosterone) to initate epiphyseal closure early?  This has nothing to do with feelings of sexual identity, as both males and females have the same sex horomes, just at different levels, at different times.

If you didn't want this fascinating information, just ignore it, no-one is compelled to learn anything, ask John, he's an expert on ignorance.          

I forgot to mention thing, if you have 47 chromosomes then you have KS.otherwise you would have the normal 46 chromosomes. It is a genetic marker. No matter what anyone says on this forum. You were born with KS or xxy.period.

If you don't want testosterone, then beware that you may be prone to osteopenia or osteoporosis. Your doctor can advise what you must get(medications/ vitamins or ?) in order to sustain good bone growth.

Good luck in getting correct advise on xxy.

Everyone has their opinion and I have mine and nothing can persuade me to change my mind on KS. I was born this way and it is God's gift to me and I gladly accept this wonderful gift.

I'll be sure to pass your comment to the 47XXX and 47XYY people I know, they will be impressed I'm sure!

The idea of gaining more information is to benefit people, if you don't want to benefit that's just fine.

" Everyone has their opinion and I have mine and nothing can persuade me to change my mind on KS."

True, but he didn't write to you, maybe because you don't post very often?  You can choose to be as ignorant as you like, for as long as you like.

"Your doctor can advise what you must get(medications/ vitamins or ?) in order to sustain good bone growth."

Umm, bones don't continue to grow, they stop growing actually.  It is oestrogen that stops bone growth.  Males get their oestrogen from their testes - but I'll stop there, don't want to challenge your mindset.