#hormone therapy

[clowningcrows]

taking my first dose of t today and literally feel like i could implode from pure excitement

[diangelodork]

hey folks. guess who’s calling my local clinic tomorrow to make an appointment for medical transition stuff??

AAAAA i’m so nervous- it took me a long time to understand that i want to go on T because of a lot of external factors which pushed me to feminize myself subconsciously and make myself believe i was closer to the middle of the gender spectrum than i actually am (firmly leaning toward masculinity).

now, i don’t know if i’ll be able to afford it, and i don’t think my health insurance will cover it, but i will be starting to set money aside for this. i wanted to announce that all the profits i make from selling my dbda merch will be going toward my transition. thank you so much to everyone who has purchased from me in the past. thank you for helping me toward this goal. thank you.

i don’t mean to push anything on anyone at all, but i will be linking the my dbda merch designs to this post in case you decide that you want to help support my journey. if not, i would just love to have your verbal and emotional support.

ik this isn’t very related to dbda, but this community and the people in it helped me learn a lot about myself and i just want to thank you all so much for that. sorry for tagging w dbda stuff despite the little relevance, but i want yall to know that i wouldn’t be able to even consider scheduling a consultation were it not for yall. thank you. i love you guys.

[atlastheatticrat]

Posting this here as well

[syntheticsylvie]

Overview of My First Year of HRT (2021-2022)

Hi, my name is Sylvie, and I'm transfemme! I started hormone replacement therapy on September 25th, 2021 and I've been through quite a lot on my journey to a year of HRT so I'm making two separate posts: this one focusing on the medical side and physical changes, and another that will focus on the social side of transitioning. So, here we go!

I realized I was trans the last week of August 2021, then September 9th I came out publicly, September 15th I had my first appointment with Plume, and I received my first Estradiol script September 24th, but consider my official "first day" of HRT the 25th.

I started HRT on sublingual Estradiol pills, 2mg twice a day (morning and night). Psychologically, taking the first pill hit me like a psychosomatic lightning bolt, and the first meaningful change estrogen granted me was an opening of my feelings- I could suddenly experience a "true range" of emotion, I experienced ambivalence for the first time. Physically, within the first week, I was experiencing tingling in my chest/nipples and by three weeks they actively ached, and after about two months my nipples looked different (darker, larger), and my chest started to stick out (36" to 37")

At 2 months my Estradiol was increased to three times a day and Progesterone 100mg (at night) added. By two months, my body's sensitivity had reached astronomical levels, particularly in areas that weren't sensitive before: for me, this was my nipples, armpits, and butt. My skin overall became more sensitive, slight touches made me quiver and my pain tolerance dropped sharply. During my second month my body's smell changed too and my sweat production cut back.

At 3 months, Spironolactone 50mg once a day (morning) was added and during this month my nipples had noticeably expanded and become dark enough to see through shirts, and my chest had grown enough to be noticeable small mounds in a tight shirt (38"). Also by 3 months, random erections completely stopped happening, whether asleep or awake.

Between months 3 and 5 a lot of things happened in my life; the stress and inactivity caused me to lose 50 lbs. As a result, I lost a ton of muscle mass. My thighs, upper arms, and butt became soft and jiggly, I could not lift things I could before, even with great effort.

3 month bloodwork results: E @ 133 and T @ 320

At 4 months, I asked my doctor for Finasteride, which is a DHT blocker- DHT is an androgen created by testosterone and an excess of DHT is related to hair loss, as well as some research I read back then relating to DHT and thicker/darker body hair. Since starting Finasteride, I have only shaved and used Nair on my body itself and I have experienced 75%-80% body hair loss, and much of what hair remains is now vellus hair (light, short, soft).

Between months 4 and 5, I started experiencing sexual dysfunction. Even if aroused, it was a 50/50 shot of whether I could get hard or not. Likewise, I began producing much less semen. This was when I started experimenting with different forms of masturbating too (i.e. using a vibrator).

Between months 5 and 6 I started gaining weight again, and this was when my breast growth was the greatest, going from 38" to almost 41". However, in the growth it seems I lost the sensitivity I had in the early months- my nipples and armpits are still erogenous zones, but not as potent. Additionally, I noticed fat redistribution caused my hips and waist to take a more stereotypically feminine, almost hourglass appearance (and increased from 32" and 34" respectively to 35" and 38" by 10 months).

6 month bloodwork results: E @ 258 and T @ 22

Months 7, 8, and 9 saw only slight breast growth (41 1/2") due to losing weight again from stress, but at this point I have very little body hair left, and even areas which were full before (armpits, groin) thinned out significantly over time- the most astounding of all being my butt, which the cheek hair just disappeared without me doing anything, like the hair just fell off.

Somewhere during months 8 and 9, I completely lost the ability to become erect without medication (doctor prescribed me Sildenafil, aka viagra) and no more ejaculating. Reaching orgasm became a concentrated effort instead of something that came easily, and very little clear liquid would come out during.

9 month bloodwork results: E @ 57 and T @ 28

For some reason my levels dropped between 6 and 9 months, and during that time I became very mentally and emotionally unwell due to the hormone imbalances. My doctor suggested a few things: me not waiting/letting the pill dissolve long enough in my mouth or the pill just not having the same potency on me anymore. So...

At month 10 I started injections and almost immediately started feeling much better. There is a hormonal low day for me every week, the day before I do my injection again, but it's not hard to deal with. I feel like myself!

Now months 11 and 12, nothing really noteworthy to update except I'm desperately trying to eat more so I can gain weight to grow my boobs. Just stopped taking Spiro though, but I use Tgel to maintain my girldick because I'm a Switch.

Lastly, I'd like to say I'm open to any questions anyone might have, and I'll do my best to answer them. You can DM me, email me secretly from a fake account (bellatrixnovus@gmail.com is my email), whatever! I just hope this information is of some value to someone out there!

[moonfableflor]

I love you binders I love you breast forms I love you packers I love you tucking I love you stps I love you top surgery I love you bottom surgery I love you hormone therapy I love you growing hair out I love you cutting hair short I love you shaving I love you experimenting with gender and presentation I love you transness I love you trans people I love you I love you I love you

[acti-veg]

is it true that hormones given to trans people are animal derived? is there any alternative to this?

They will usually contain either gelatine, or lactose, or both. They have also been tested on animals. That latter reason is why almost no medication is cruelty free, even if it doesn’t contain animal ingredients. There is no alternative to that, at least not for hormones.

We should keep in mind though, that hormone treatment is medical care in the same way any other medication is, whether it is used for gender transition, fertility, erectile dysfunction or menopause. Hormone therapy is life altering, and in many cases life saving.

We can’t reasonably expect anyone to avoid all medicine because it involves animal exploitation, and there is no way to effectively boycott modern medicine. People should take their meds and advocate for change, that is really all anyone who is forced to rely on animal tested/derived medication can do.

[bynux]

Detailed description of HRT's sexual effects below the cut. Can use some input from other transfems on this.

Minors please skip this one. :P

So I guess my body's nerves and responses to touch have just decided I have a pussy now.

I don't. Like, bottom surgery is likely a decade or so away from me at this rate, both because it's not a super high priority and because it's expensive af.

But being touched between my legs, having pressure put where the vaginal opening would be? It does so fucking much for me now. Being eaten out or rubbed when I'm bent over or have my legs spread is a surefire way to get me off…which leads to the other side of this.

Climaxing is now an entirely different experience than it used to be.

Like, I'm now capable of having two distinct kinds of orgasms. I still get the one I'm used to, that's stronger than it was pre-HRT but is still primarily based around my genitals. It's now actually a rare occurrence and extremely difficult to achieve, but it's possible.

But then there's the new kind. It feels like an extremely intense version of the relief you feel after a really good stretch. When I'm touched like a cis woman, these massive waves of ecstasy c r a s h over me and leave me damn near breathless.

On top of them being significantly more intense than "guy" orgasms, they can also happen much more quickly and frequently. I can cum again and again and have it absolutely rock me to my core every fucking time.

And, unlike "guy" orgasms that leave me tired and satisfied, cumming in this new way often leaves me craving even more until I'm too physically tired to continue. It's very reminiscent of how some cis lesbians have described their sexual encounters to me.

So I guess I'm just trying to ask…is this normal? Am I imagining something? Or is my body just this enthusiastic about me being a woman(-ish person)?

[ursulakats]

Okay, we need to talk about perimenopause. Again.

I've been suffering from severe panic attacks that like to pretend they're a heart attack (as in, near-indistinguishable) and come without trigger or warning for years and years. No doctor, no therapist, no gynaecologist, no one ever mentioned that this exact symptom could occur due to fluctuations in oestrogen and/or progesterone levels.

I only figured it out now, because we were trying to treat excessive sweating with oestrogen gel for three months, and when that didn't work, I stopped taking it. And, after a break of three months (which had never happened in the years I've had the attacks), the panic attacks were back. Only now, I knew what to look for, and guess what I found 😑

So, should you ever be treated for something that behaves like a heart attack, and your heart is checked and okay, it might be (early) symptoms of perimenopause. Even if you think you're too young. Talk to your gynaecologist. (Just, really have your heart checked, okay? 😅)

Please share! Someone might need to hear this.

[imtylered]

This post is specifically to inform people about the new bill Trump is trying to pass. Reminder to all people to stay safe and strong during this time. Don’t be afraid to message me on here if you need someone to talk to.

Last night he announced that he was going to pass a bill banning anyone under the age of 19 from receiving gender affirming care. Unfortunately this bill will likely pass because a lot of people, even if they support the LGBTQ+ community, believe that people shouldn’t be getting gender affirming care until at least 18. Eventually this bill could be used to try and get rid of gender affirming care all together. Please stay safe, especially if you’re part of a minority and/or a minor.

[love-ardour-anarchism]

when i was a guy i had gynecomastia, now I just call it having really nice tits

[gwydionmisha]

Water is wet studies are essential for making arguments in court, to policy makers, and to people who haven't made their minds up yet.

[clowningcrows]

im literally gnawing on the bars of my enclosure all i can fucking think about lately is getting on testosterone

[frameacloud]

Zinnia Jones (May 31, 2021). "Early use of masculinizing steroid oxandrolone in trans boys can add 2 more inches of height compared to testosterone." Gender Analysis. Live link. Archive.

The above blog post is about a study about looking for more suitable sorts of puberty blocking and hormone therapy for transmasculine youth. It found a treatment that is more effective for letting them grow up to be a couple inches taller, if they start it early, at age thirteen or fourteen. It's about this study:

Grimstad, F. W., Knoll, M. M., & Jacobson, J. D. (2021). "Oxandrolone Use in Trans-Masculine Youth Appears to Increase Adult Height: Preliminary Evidence." LGBT health, 8(4), 300–306. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2020.0355

[frankencanon]

*HRT stands for Hormone Replacement Therapy, while GAHT stands for Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy.

-

Edit:

Yes, GAHT is a real thing.

To my understanding, GAHT specifically refers to the type of hormone therapy that's prescribed for trans reasons, while HRT is more of a broad term for any type of hormone therapy in general.

Online health services for trans peoples (such as Plume and FOLX) use the term GAHT in place of HRT (which is where I learnt of it).

[mercurialbadger]

Whoever invented hondosing was certainly an evil genius - to see this attack on transfemininity be carved into culture as ubiquitous eunuch syndrome in sympathetic depictions of transfem people will go in history alongside prominent thyroid on paintings and lead makeup.

And, before you ask, no, estradiol is an anabolic compound, you should be gaining muscle and bone on proper dosages:

If you feel like you are getting weaker because of HRT - your dosage is probably off.

[artisticallygay]

This is real. This is actually happening.

Ever since I'd come to realize I was trans at 15-16, being able to start testosterone was one of my main goals, to be able to help this body feel more like myself.

But with the way my life was at the time--conservative state, no money, no insurance, unsupportive parents--I didn't know when or if I'd be able to reach that goal, even after becoming an adult.

Then I packed myself up and took off to Kansas, where my amazing partner @saturn-seraphim and his family took me in, taking care of me and helping me and treating me like one of the family. Without them and the help of my therapist who've I've been seeing for over a year now, I wouldn't have been able to do this, at least not for a while. I didn't expect to be able to start testosterone until I was maybe in my mid-30s if I was lucky and had a good job.

But I get to finally have something go right in my life for once, starting testosterone at just a month shy of turning 23.

I've never felt happier about my identity than I do now. 💖