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I am now on my way to chemical castration - I picked up my prescription this afternoon, and about an hour ago injected my leg w/ a 30 day dose of Lupron Depot...

So I'm on my way to zero-T / testing chemical castration.

It is a pretty nice setup - I got a clamshell package with a prefilled syringe a couple of alcohol swabsand the scary information pamphlet w/ all the info about treating women's issues... (I need to be careful not to get pregnant....)

The syringe was a fairly complex multi-section unit with the actual drug in one section as a dry powder, and the injecting fluid in the other. You screw a plunger into the end and push it part way up to mix the two chambers, and shake well... Then you purge the air and jab...

Right now I'm feeling a bit odd, but it's hard to tell how much might be from the shot and how much from just anticipation....

Considering all the stories I read here about the difficulties folks have had getting , I'm still surprised at how quick and easy my experience has been...

WheelyCurious

Well four days after the shot, I can't really say that I feel any different... Either it's a lot more subtle than I was expecting, or Lupron takes longer to really kick in?

I was under the impression that it was one of the drugs that was pretty fast acting, was I wrong?

WheelyCurious

WheelyCurious wrote: Mon May 09, 2022 10:34 am Well four days after the shot, I can't really say that I feel any different... Either it's a lot more subtle than I was expecting, or Lupron takes longer to really kick in?

I was under the impression that it was one of the drugs that was pretty fast acting, was I wrong?

WheelyCurious

I'm going with it's a lot more subtle than you might imagine.

One thing people need to keep in mind, just because you take a shot, or a pill, etc., doesn't mean everything related to testosterone production or your testicles come to a screeching halt 20-minutes later. It takes time. Even when your testicles are physically removed, it takes a while for your natural supply of testosterone to leave your system.

I'm usually quite amused that people think that if they have not had the desired result in a day or two, it's not working. My advice, be patient. It might have already happened and you've just not realized it yet.

I think the first thing I noticed was hot sweats. Once I realized I was having them, I noticed other things. It was a very pleasant journey. I loved the mental and emotional place it took me.

Losethem (imported) wrote: Mon May 09, 2022 1:18 pm I'm going with it's a lot more subtle than you might imagine.

One thing people need to keep in mind, just because you take a shot, or a pill, etc., doesn't mean everything related to testosterone production or your testicles come to a screeching halt 20-minutes later. It takes time. Even when your testicles are physically removed, it takes a while for your natural supply of testosterone to leave your system.

I'm usually quite amused that people think that if they have not had the desired result in a day or two, it's not working. My advice, be patient. It might have already h

Cseriess (imported) wrote: Mon May 09, 2022 11:18 pm appened and you've just not realized it yet.

I think the first thing I noticed was hot sweats. Once I realized I was having them, I noticed other things. It was a very pleasant jou

rney. I loved the mental and emotional place it took me.

Thanks for the responses, sounds like I'm just getting to anxious... My seemingly mistaken impression was that Lupron kicked in very quickly w/ noticeable effects. However I'm not in any sort of big hurry so will just keep waiting to see what happens next...

From what Cseries says, it sounds like my big sign to wait for is sweats and hot flashes... (Of course I prefer the term some of the women I know in the pagan world use - it isn't a 'hot flash' its a "POWER SURGE" )

WheelyCurious

WheelyCurious wrote: Thu May 05, 2022 9:18 am I am now on my way to chemical castration - I picked up my prescription this afternoon, and about an hour ago injected my leg w/ a 30 day dose of Lupron Depot...

So I'm on my way to zero-T / testing chemical castration.

It is a pretty nice setup - I got a clamshell package with a prefilled syringe a couple of alcohol swabsand the scary information pamphlet w/ all the info about treating women's issues... (I need to be careful not to get pregnant....)

The syringe was a fairly complex multi-section unit with the actual drug in one section as a dry powder, and the injecting fluid in the other. You screw a plunger into the end and push it part way up to mix the two chambers, and shake well... Then you purge the air and jab...

Right now I'm feeling a bit odd, but it's hard to tell how much might be from the shot and how much from just anticipation....

Considering all the stories I read here about the difficulties folks have had getting , I'm still surprised at how quick and easy my experience has been...

WheelyCurious

Did a doctor prescribe that to you or did you find it online without a prescription? I've always wanted to try Lupron injection over Andorcur which is why I'm curious. I start Androcur in a couple of days.

I am on a similar trip and can only hope you are taking the meds under medical supervision. It was important for me to determine beforehand what I wanted to achieve with Androcur etc. in the first place: a) Surgical castration without TRT or b) Surgical castration with TRT. In my case I aim for b), whereby the dose should be as minimal as possiible. Maybe I can get by without TRT, which is why I wanted to try out what chemical castration does to me.

snippedandcalm (imported) wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 3:56 am Did a doctor prescribe that to you or did you find it online without a prescription? I've always wanted to try Lupron injection over Andorcur which is why

Castor wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 6:31 am I'm curious. I start Androcur in a couple of days.

I am on a similar trip and can only hope you are taking the meds under medical supervision. It was important for me to determine beforehand what I wanted to achieve with Androcur etc. in the first place: a) Surgical castration without TRT or b) Surgical castration with TRT. In my case I aim for b), whereby the dose should be as minimal as possiible. Maybe I can get by without TRT, which i

s why I wanted to try out what chemical castration does to me.

Thank you both for your concern and question about my source... I am doing everything under medical supervision, and with prescribed meds... As I've mentioned elsewhere, my SCI makes my medical condition complex in general, as it leads to all sorts of 'secondary complications'. In regards to castration, I have particularly great concerns about bone health, as osteoporosis / osteopenia is a very major health risk for those with SCI, mostly below our injury level.... My last DEXA scan at the beginning of this year said I had normal bone density above my injury, and osteopenia levels below it... (And I was taking a good number of meds, including calcium supplements, D3, and supplemental T before I started this journey...)

I am working with a doctor at the Mass. General Hospital TG Center (I also get my other medical care through MGH, which has Spaulding as part of their network, so has more experience w/ SCI patients than the other local hospitals) and she in turn has been working with the other doctors in my care team on what will let me reach my goals safely...

Right now I'm doing a chemical 'test drive' to see if being a eunuch matches my hopes and expectations... Assuming it does, I hope to get surgery to get rid of balls & scrotum, and hopefully improve access to my extremely shrunken penis so that it is easier for me to catheterize. (Worth noting that the Draft SOC 8 calls for a minimum 6 month test before surgery - IMHO a good idea...)

The doc has said that three months on Lupron won't make any significant difference for my bone health, but that I need to make a decision about how to handle it if I want to keep going with it or surgery - hormone-free is NOT an option....

Since the whole point of the exercise is to get rid of testosterone, supplemental T is off the table... (Folks are free to follow their own route, but I've never understood the point of replacing the natural T factories w/ synthetic....) So I basically get to pick between estrogen or a SERM like ralaxofine....

Estrogen has the potential downside risk of more body feminizing than I'd like (I don't want to look like Dolly Parton ) SERMS have less risk of feminizing, and possibly are better for bone health, but don't give the claimed mental calming that estrogen does... I'm not sure which way to go, I've been thinking about asking the doc about the possibility of 'splitting the difference' and getting a smaller dose of each....

I have to say that thus far I have not noticed ANY significant effects from the Lupron... I'm at the 18 day mark from my first shot, and aside from a couple of very short, mild feelings of being hot at night (If those were hot flashes, I don't know why people are bothered by them) I can't say I've noticed any changes. The medical info says Lupron can actually BOOST T levels for up to about 2 weeks initially, as it overstimulates the signalling mechanism until it shuts down, but that T is supposed to drop rapidly after that initial period... So presumably I've been dropping for at least 4 days, but that isn't very long, so I'm basically waiting....

WheelyCurious

WheelyCurious wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 7:48 am Folks are free to follow their own route, but I've never understood the point of replacing the natural T factories w/ synthetic.....

The reason for this is actually quite simple. There are men with decidedly strong sex drives. In my case, I would like to get rid of it, but not at the price of damage to my health, such as osteoporosis. As far as I know (I am not an expert), it is difficult to predict how far testosterone in the blood will drop after castration, because the adrenal cortex produces quite a bit of testosterone independently of the testes. I would like to be able to control my testosterone levels after my castration so that I don't need gel, or just very little, depending on the level of natural "self-production". I think many men with abnormal libido feel the same way.

WheelyCurious wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 7:48 am Thank you both for your concern and question about my source... I am doing everything under medical supervision, and with prescribed meds... As I've mentioned elsewhere, my SCI makes my medical condition complex in general, as it leads to all sorts of 'secondary complications'. In regards to castration, I have particularly great concerns about bone health, as osteoporosis / osteopenia is a very major health risk for those with SCI, mostly below our injury level.... My last DEXA scan at the beginning of this year said I had normal bone density above my injury, and osteopenia levels below it... (And I was taking a good number of meds, including calcium supplements, D3, and supplemental T before I started this journey...)

I am working with a doctor at the Mass. General Hospital TG Center (I also get my other medical care through MGH, which has Spaulding as part of their network, so has more experience w/ SCI patients than the other local hospitals) and she in turn has been working with the other doctors in my care team on what will let me reach my goals safely...

Right now I'm doing a chemical 'test drive' to see if being a eunuch matches my hopes and expectations... Assuming it does, I hope to get surgery to get rid of balls & scrotum, and hopefully improve access to my extremely shrunken penis so that it is easier for me to catheterize. (Worth noting that the Draft SOC 8 calls for a minimum 6 month test before surgery - IMHO a good idea...)

The doc has said that three months on Lupron won't make any significant difference for my bone health, but that I need to make a decision about how to handle it if I want to keep going with it or surgery - hormone-free is NOT an option....

Since the whole point of the exercise is to get rid of testosterone, supplemental T is off the table... (Folks are free to follow their own route, but I've never understood the point of replacing the natural T factories w/ synthetic....) So I basically get to pick between estrogen or a SERM like ralaxofine....

Estrogen has the potential downside risk of more body feminizing than I'd like (I don't want to look like Dolly Parton ) SERMS have less risk of feminizing, and possibly are better for bone health, but don't give the claimed mental calming that estrogen does... I'm not sure which way to go, I've been thinking about asking the doc about the possibility of 'splitting the difference' and getting a smaller dose of each....

I have to say that thus far I have not noticed ANY significant effects from the Lupron... I'm at the 18 day mark from my first shot, and aside from a couple of very short, mild feelings of being hot at night (If those were hot flashes, I don't know why people are bothered by them) I can't say I've noticed any changes. The medical info says Lupron can actually BOOST T levels for up to about 2 weeks initially, as it overstimulates the signalling mechanism until it shuts down, but that T is supposed to drop rapidly after that initial period... So presumably I've been dropping for at least 4 days, but that isn't very long, so I'm basically waiting....

WheelyCurious

I would say that you are just days away from experiencing some strong and lasting relief from your sex drive. That should be a big positive moving forward. Testosterone sucks in my opinion. A good bumper sticker or shirt that says, "Testosterone Never a Calm Moment", is fitting for a lot of us. Your situation is worse than mine and I hope that you find the relief and solutions that you are looking for. If I were you I would stick with the Lupron and go for the surgery as soon as you qualify. And then I would go on low dose estrogen. I haven't tried medical grade estrogen yet but I did about 6 weeks of Bovine Ovarian Glandular capsules. I took 6 a day and they were cheap and readily available Amazon. It was surprising because they were over the counter but it raised my E levels up enough to really make me feel good. Estrogen is the feel good hormone when compared to testosterone. I've missed the way that I felt ever since I stopped. I was calmer, happier, and in an overall better mood. I'm not sure if going natural and living with no T is right for me, or if no T with a little E is the right way to go yet. Growing boobs is going to happen to most of us anyway, and either choice will cause them. It's better to embrace it so that it doesn't keep you from feeling your best.

Castor wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 1:14 pm The reason for this is actually quite simple. There are men with decidedly strong sex drives. In my case, I would like to get rid of it, but not at the price of damage to my health, such as osteoporosis. As far as I know (I am not an expert), it is difficult to predict how far testosterone in the blood will drop after castration, because the adrenal cortex produces quite a bit of testosterone independently of the testes. I would like to be able to control my testosterone levels after my castration so that I don't need gel, or just very little, depending on the level of natural "self-production". I think many men with abnormal libido feel the same way.

I think the threat of osteoporosis tends to be a bit overexaggerated by the need to sell drugs. Good diet and regular exercise is really your first level of protection against it and other problems. I think this is especially true if you get castrated after 50 because of the length of time that you have left to live is much less than if you got cut in your 20's. In my opinion mental clarity and energy levels are more important things to worry about. Depression is also something to consider even if you never suffered with much of it before it can rear its ugly head.

I agree with you that the issue of osteoporosis is overrated. Since I am absolutely not sure what the best way is here, simply I trust the advice of my urologist. But, as I said, I also try to reduce my T-level to as low a level as possible.

snippedandcalm (imported) wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 2:40 pm I think the threat of osteoporosis tends to be a bit overexaggerated by the need to sell drugs. Good diet and regular exercise is really your first level of protection against it and other problems. I think this is especially true if you get castrated after 50 because of the length of time that you have left to live is much less than if you got cut in your 20's. In my opinion mental clarity and energy levels are more important things to worry about. Depression is also something to consider even if you never suffered with much of it before it can rear its ugly head.

In general it may be the situation, but is it worth the risk? It seems that once you've lost bone density, it is difficult or impossible to get it back, the best you can hope for is to slow it down... In my case I simply CAN'T do regular exercise below my injury level, as I can't move those parts... Outside of being in a standing frame that props me up, I can't even load bear, and I have lost density already, despite diet and medications. Worst case (and this is definitely known to happen) is that you start getting fractures from the stresses imposed by normal activities like doing transfers.

In the general population, osteoporosis is a problem commonly seen in the elderly, with the result that falls often lead to fractures - particularly hip fractures.... Hip fractures generally result in long stays in nursing homes, and in most cases the person NEVER returns home.... I don't want to take that chance!

So I didn't need the doctor to tell me that we needed to do something to preserve my bone health, it's more like I'm glad that she agreed with me...

WheelyCurious

Castor wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 1:14 pm The reason for this is actually quite simple. There are men with decidedly strong sex drives. In my case, I would like to get rid of it, but not at the price of damage to my health, such as osteoporosis. As far as I know (I am not an expert), it is difficult to predict how far testosterone in the blood will drop after castration, because the adrenal cortex produces quite a bit of testosterone independently of the testes. I would like to be able to control my testosterone levels after my castration so that I don't need gel, or just very little, depending on the level of natural "self-production". I think many men with abnormal libido feel the same way.

I've seen this sort of idea before, and while I can sort of get the logic, it just doesn't compute for me, perhaps because I've never had such a strong drive that it was a problem for me... As I said others may feel differently, and that is fine by me. I am just more on the point that if T is enough of a problem to want to get rid of it, I don't want to put it back artificially, which is why I'm thinking more in terms of E or a SERM....

WheelyCurious