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Reddit user /u/Mundane-Search9868's Detransition Story

Detransitioned: 18
male
took hormones
regrets transitioning
influenced online
body dysmorphia
retransition
puberty discomfort
anxiety
benefited from psychedelic drugs
ocd
This story is from the comments listed below, summarised by AI.
On Reddit, people often share their experiences across multiple comments or posts. To make this information more accessible, our AI gathers all of those scattered pieces into a single, easy-to-read summary and timeline. All system prompts are noted on the prompts page.

Sometimes AI can hallucinate or state things that are not true. But generally, the summarised stories are accurate reflections of the original comments by users.
Authenticity Assessment: Not Suspicious

Based on the provided comments, the account appears authentic. There are no serious red flags suggesting it is a bot or an inauthentic detransitioner/desister.

The user's posts are highly personal, emotionally charged, and consistent over time, detailing a specific and complex history with HRT, addiction, and mental health struggles. The narrative is not generic and includes specific details (e.g., 18 days on estradiol, specific side effects) that are characteristic of a genuine personal experience. The passion and anger expressed are consistent with the stated harm and stigma faced by detransitioners.

About me

I started taking hormones because my anxiety and OCD convinced me I had to transition to keep my naturally feminine appearance. The estrogen and spironolactone made me incredibly sick with anxiety, chills, and weakness almost immediately. I stopped after only 18 days, terrified of the permanent damage I might have caused. Now, I'm trying to accept that I can be a feminine man without changing my gender. My health has suffered so much that I deeply regret ever taking that step.

My detransition story

My whole journey with gender started because I always looked very, very feminine my whole life. This changed how people saw me and the roles I had in relationships, and I think that's what caused a lot of my confusion. I felt a lot of discomfort with puberty and hated the idea of losing that feminine appearance as I got older. I have OCD and severe anxiety, and those conditions really played a huge part in everything that happened. My mind latched onto the idea that if I didn't transition, I would spend the rest of my life in regret and eventually kill myself. It felt like an ultimatum.

I was heavily influenced by what I saw online, especially in places like 4chan, and by femboy and "egg" culture. Those anime memes about HRT being this great, magical thing made it seem like the only path to exploring my femininity. I thought I had to change my gender to be a feminine person. Society has such a negative view of feminine men, and it felt like people were always looking for an explanation—you must be gay or you must be trans. That pressure created a lot of self-doubt for me.

I decided to start hormones. I took estradiol for 18 days and spironolactone for only 3 or 4 of those days. Almost immediately, I experienced some of the most severe effects I've ever had from any medication. I felt the worst anxiety of my life; my body had chills and I was constantly shaking. I felt so wrong, like my body was betraying me. My vision got worse, especially at night, and I felt a lot weaker. I was terrified that in just 18 days I had done permanent damage to myself. I realized these medications are not safe. The doctors who prescribed them to me in a single two-hour appointment brushed off my concerns and later would have blamed my pre-existing health issues, like my past addiction to fentanyl and Xanax, if I had continued.

I decided to stop. I realized that transitioning was extremely bad for my physical health and that the long-term consequences of these synthetic hormones are not fully understood and are downplayed. I wish HRT was healthy; I wanted the body I thought I always wanted, but knowing what it was doing to me every second I was on it was too much. It's not worth destroying your health.

Since detransitioning, I've been trying to deal with my gender dysphoria and body dysmorphia in different ways, like laser hair removal, exercise, and makeup. I'm trying to learn that it's fine to be a feminine man. You don't need to change your gender to explore your femininity. My quality of life has gone down so much from that short time on hormones; I can barely leave my room or see the people I care about. I am so sorry I did this to myself. I was just so scared of losing my feminine appearance and I let my OCD and anxiety get to me. I didn't even get the femininity I traded my health for. I had always looked feminine anyway, and I should have just been grateful for that.

I briefly tried taking estrogen again after a psychedelic experience with shrooms, which somehow made me feel my femininity as a tremendous loss. But I am very fearful of the health consequences and don't know what the future holds.

I don't believe you need to be a different gender to be feminine or masculine. I think we should just let people be happy with who they are and judge them based on their actions, not their genitals. My regret is immense. I will never be the same person I was before those 18 days, and I worry constantly that I have caused permanent harm to my body.

Age Event
18 Took estradiol and spironolactone for 18 days. Experienced severe anxiety, chills, shaking, weakened body, and worsened night vision.
18 Stopped all hormones. Began process of detransitioning and addressing dysphoria through laser hair removal, exercise, and makeup.
18 Briefly restarted estrogen after a psychedelic experience, but was filled with fear and uncertainty about continuing.

Top Comments by /u/Mundane-Search9868:

13 comments • Posting since June 22, 2022
Reddit user Mundane-Search9868 (detrans male) explains how online communities on Reddit and 4chan use denial and memes to justify medical transition and avoid confronting the harm of puberty blockers.
43 pointsAug 7, 2022
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Me too as well as 4chan. Over time I have realized that the only way these people can justify doing this to themselves is by denial and refusing to even consider any information opposing their viewpoint that puberty blockers are the best thing ever. If they admit they are bad that means that they have fucked up a lot of lives maybe even their own so they just double down and deny and the cycle continues. It’s just evil that medical professionals are overseeing this all. I am so sorry this happened to you. Everytime I see one of those anime trans memes about HRT and how great it is I get so mad cause that’s the exact type of shit that made me transition especially the femboy and egg culture.

Reddit user Mundane-Search9868 (detrans male) explains how 18 days of HRT (estradiol and spironolactone) worsened his anxiety, vision, and strength, and describes his regret over being prescribed hormones after a single 2-hour appointment.
42 pointsAug 7, 2022
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What hormones did you go on and what type of symptoms are you having if you don't mind sharing. I took estradiol for 18 days and spironolactone for 3 or 4 of them. I feel like my anxiety has gotten substantially worse, my vision especially at night is worse, I feel a lot weaker, and generally just wrong. So wrong. I made a big mistake too. I thought that this was the only way I could keep myself from a life of regret and depression. I thought that if I didn't transition I would spend the rest of my life regretting it and eventually kill myself. I was just so scared of loosing my feminine appearance and let my OCD and anxiety get to me. I just hate that these doctors allowed me to do this to myself in a 2 hour appointment. I will never be the same person again. I didn't even get the femininity I traded my health for. Honestly, and I mean honestly, I have always looked really feminine anyway, I should've just been grateful I even get to be somewhat ok with my appearance. Instead I risked throwing my health away and now I don't know if I will ever fully heal. And this was only 18 days. 18 fucking days. Why did I do this to myself. What's wrong with me. I am so sorry you are going through this too, I really really am.

Reddit user Mundane-Search9868 (detrans male) discusses the billion-dollar Lupron industry and the growing number of detransitioners who can no longer be silenced, reflecting on the ease of transition for youth.
39 pointsAug 7, 2022
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Yea I’ve done a lot of research on Lupron and the only reason it is expected to be worth 1.04$ billion by 2026. Eventually the sheer number of us will mean that the activists and medical community will no longer be able to silence us all. I’m so sorry this happened to you I always think about what would’ve happened if I didn’t hide my confusion towards gender for so long. If I was pushed to transition so easily at 18 I can only imagine how easily I would’ve at 13 if that was what I was surrounded by and sadly that’s becoming the case for more and more of us.

Reddit user Mundane-Search9868 (questioning own gender transition) explains why trans communities may react negatively to detransitioners, describing it as a defensive response to having the risks and permanent consequences of HRT pointed out.
29 pointsJun 23, 2022
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I get why they hate us, having someone point out the risks of your decisions and the negative consequences they have when you otherwise believed there were none is scary. Especially when many have been on these medications for so long that permanent effects have already occurred and there really is no way to fully detransition. When my parents would point out some of the more benign side effects of HRT I would get mad and think they were trying to attack me, thankfully as the side effects persisted and I read more about the treatment I eventually saw reason and stopped estradiol.

Reddit user Mundane-Search9868 (questioning own gender transition) explains how 'egg culture' pathologizes feminine men by pressuring them to identify as trans, linking it to societal stigma and criticizing the movement's use of suicide statistics.
25 pointsJun 30, 2022
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I think it's because society has always and still has such a negative view on feminine men. If you like something traditionally female people view it as some type of problem with you that needs an explanation. You must be gay or you must be trans cause something is not right. But because being gay or lesbian is based in reality and it's viewed as wrong to assume someone is gay or lesbian. But since the trans movement has these make it up as you go along rules it's much easier to outwardly blame what they view as a personality deficiency on you being trans. This is also a great tactic to cause a lot of self doubt and for people with OCD and other mental disorders to give them this ultimatum of "you better figure out if your trans while you still can cause if not you WILL commit suicide." when in fact the suicide rate is much higher 7-10 years after transition then before.

Reddit user Mundane-Search9868 (questioning own gender transition) explains their severe reaction to 18 days of estradiol, including extreme anxiety, chills, and shaking, and warns that HRT will cause harm.
22 pointsJun 22, 2022
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STOP please I was on estradiol for 18 days and had some of the most severe effects I've experienced from any medication. I felt the worst anxiety, my body had chills and I was constantly shaking. The things I have been learning about HRT honestly scare me and I'm worried in 18 days I have done permanent damage and continuing will only make it worse. You will feel a little worse for a few days but then it WILL get better. These medications will hurt you its not a matter of if it's a matter of when. For me personally I've decided to pursue different ways of dealing with my gender dysphoria/body dysmorphia, like laser hair removal and exercise and makeup. It's fine to be a feminine man you don't need to change your gender to explore your femineity.

Reddit user Mundane-Search9868 (detrans male) explains the severe physical health risks of transitioning and critiques the social pressures influencing young men.
14 pointsJul 6, 2022
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Speaking only about the health aspect I can tell you that you will experience an extreme reduction in risk and severity of side effects you will experience as you get older. Transitioning is extremely bad for your physical health. When I detransitioned I was worried that I would never recover fully from the issues that I was having but I can say that I am now doing better physically and somewhat mentally but that's a little more complicated. If this isn't something you want BAD it's not worth it. Hell I still wish I could transition but knowing what these synthetic hormones were doing to my body every second I was on them was too much. And if your not a rapist or millionaire your not a "systematic oppressor", that's bullshit made up by corporations and radical political parties to further separate people and yet again turn away blame from the real people doing the "oppressing". This degradation of the male by feminists is creating a mental health among young men who are now being burdened with all the wrongs of the world for their gender. Getting rid of sexism doesn't mean reversing it. Why don't we just let kids be happy with who they are and judge people based on their actions and not genital's. It's so funny how a movement about equality is bringing back sexism and racism. It's just as much a choice to be male as it is to be female.

Reddit user Mundane-Search9868 (detrans male) explains his experience as a former addict, warning that doctors will dismiss health problems caused by HRT as side effects of drug use and admit the treatment is experimental.
12 pointsJul 7, 2022
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I'm on methadone and was addicted to fentanyl and xanax for 5 years. Hormones aren't safe and I can tell you that when you get sick the doctors writing your prescription will be the first to tell you that it's an "experimental treatment path" and that "all the long term side effects and related conditions haven't been studied" and knowing your a addict they'll do the same shit they did to me and blame it all on the drugs.

Reddit user Mundane-Search9868 (detrans male) explains his severe health decline from HRT, stating his quality of life has deteriorated so much he can barely leave his room and fears he will die from the side effects.
10 pointsJul 7, 2022
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That’s all I’m trying to do is help you. I wish hrt was healthy, I WAS ON HRT, I GOT THESE SIDE EFFECTS MYSELF, my quality of life has gone down so much that I can barley leave my room or see anyone I care about. I am probably going to end up dying over this. Sometimes u should look into what people say. You’ll see lol.

Reddit user Mundane-Search9868 (questioning own gender transition) explains why they advise against retransitioning, suggesting the integration of femininity without HRT due to potential long-term physical and mental health consequences.
9 pointsJun 24, 2022
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I would first try some other ways to address your dysphoria and explore yours femineity in a more healthy way. The long term use of hormones will eventually yield consequences although how severe is not fully understood. I feel that a lot of detrans mtf feel that they either need to be transitioned and able to explore their femineity or detransitioned and forced into the box that created the dysphoria to begin with. I think that trying to integrate both of these sides into your life may help alleviate some of your dysphoria and help you deal with making your decision, but I can never say say that I think hrt is a good idea. As much as I'd love to be able to put a estradiol path back on and get the body I always wanted I recognize that it's not worth my health and once you realize just how bad the health consequences of long term synthetic hormones can be not only physically but mentally the risk will outweigh the benefit.