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Tips for HRT prep?
(lemmy.blahaj.zone)
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this post was submitted on 18 Dec 2023
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I think it's important to note that almost every step in transition takes a lot of time, so you must be patient. Getting on hrt is a big step for sure and congratulations! But be prepared that it will take time to start seeing tangible results from it. Don't be afraid to get started on some of the other aspects like makeup and clothing in the meantime.
That being said, (and this is also partially a personal gripe of mine,) don't be afraid to shop around for a good doctor. Far too many doctors are unwilling to give trans people proper dosages, either out of malice or ignorance, and this can make the process of second puberty much harder of a process than it should be. I hate to reference the infamous Dr. Powers (his personal views are pretty... Weird, to but it lightly. And a lot of doctors practically despise him), but I can't help but admire his patient-first attitude. Even though his personal opinions are kinda gross, he takes his patients seriously and does more in depth testing than any of the doctors I've had throughout my own transition. Too many doctors will give you a bare minimum dose that barely does anything for you and refuse to increase it, citing poorly researched statistics or basing it off of cis hrt which was never designed to induce a second puberty. Listen to your body, keep track of changes and when they happen, and be patient. But don't let a doctor gaslight you into thinking that things are happening when they're not.
And on that note, take some good before pics that you can compare yourself to down the line! It can really help when you're feeling down or feeling like things are too slow, to see how far you've come and what changes have actually happened.
I was feeling pretty frustrated about my transition progress up until earlier this year when I finally switched to injections and was taking a way higher dose. And now I can confidently say that my boobs show through my shirts. As it turns out, I don't think having sub 100 E levels is enough to actually start going through puberty. It did do some changes for sure, but they're basically nothing compared to how my body has changed since I managed to switch.
Thank you, this is all great. I'm definitely going to be exploring all aspects of transition to find out what sticks. This post was meant more for things that might otherwise catch me by surprise, directly from the hormones.
I really like that idea about tracking statistics and checking levels. Do you know a good resource for understanding what metrics to track in terms of hormones, and what levels I should be looking for and at what times? Suggestions on which specific measurements are best to track the effects on my body over time are also welcome. Hoping to hit a sweet spot where I'm not leaving out anything meaningful, but also not going overboard.
Well the thing with trans healthcare is that it's been hardly researched so what I'm about to say is not official medical advice. Especially considering that everyone's body is different and will develop at different rates. If you have a sister, you could use her as your benchmarks for approximately what changes you'll see. Otherwise, your mom may be a second option. If you don't have either of those people available to you, you're basically just taking a shot in the dark.
In terms of more scientific stuff. Again this is not medical advice so I urge you to make your own conclusions. You may want to check out the dr powers subreddit for the types of tests he uses. Just a warning though, don't look at any of his personal opinions. Because honestly he kinda sucks. But people also generally love his care and it's pretty radically different from the status quo, so tread with caution.
In a nutshell, some of the key differences include that he tests for not just total E levels but more importantly free E levels (don't ask me what the difference is, I didn't study biology or medicine). Also more generally, he tries to match up the low point in your hormone cycle to the low point of the average E level of a cis woman. Being below the low point of the average E level when you're at your trough level means that you're not getting enough E. Testing at peak levels can be pretty unreliable and I personally don't think it really makes all that much sense to match up the peaks of your cycle to the lowest point of the average.
https://transfemscience.org/ is an excellent resource for everything related to HRT.
Really all you need to measure is Testosterone and Estrogen, though there's plenty more you can keep an eye on, such as DHT, E2, your liver and your thyroid levels.
Perfect, thank you! This is a great starting point.