This is the Trans Help General thread. We'll try to help you here with everything related to being transgender.
This includes questioning, appearance, daily trans problems, medical info, general info and other interesting stuff to name a few.
MTF, FTM and questioning people are all welcome here to help eachother and discuss possible solutions.
You can also share your transgender related stories here. Just came out? Or you just need to get something off your chest?
Maybe something wonderful happened today! We'll be glad to hear it, it's always good to know we're not going through this alone.
Links:
Articles, Studies and General information about Questioning, Transitioning and other stuff: http://pastebin.com/CyW1dXV8
Lots of useful links about/for transgender people: http://pastebin.com/h1vLPxyV
Transgender FAQ: http://pastebin.com/8QbKyShU
Am i trans/ trans help threads archive:
http://deploy.loveisover.me/lgbt
search with google for specific threads
Therapists: http://www.t-vox.org/index.php?title=Therapists_by_region
http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_search.php
sort by transsexual issues
What will hormones do?
mtf: http://imgur.com/lDBLSVR
ftm: http://imgur.com/HqTqvJg
Previous thread: >>6444057
Usual tripcode missing. It's a trap.
>>6496384
Reposting since I asked it at the end of a dead thread
>6496044
>Hey. Figured I'd ask here before making another thread for this. Basically, I'm going to be getting ffs (or well, just a brow reduction, nothing else) and was wondering if anybody has any experience with Dr Raphael in Plano, or had any pictures of his work. I've heard this doctor is pretty good but I just want some other opinions. Doubt this'll get any answers, but I'm hopeful, thanks in advance for any help.
>*unequips trip*
So I'm on Estradiol and Spiro. I was told that it's better to take half the dosage in the morning and the other half at night. I'm currently prescribed 2 mg Estradiol (1 pill) and 50 mg Spiro (also 1 pill).
The thing is, I've heard splitting up pills is bad and that you lose some potency if you do it. What do you all do?
>>6496624
This is only true for modified release versions of medication.
>>6496389
I was gonna, but i got distracted.
I'm in a very awkward phase where I feel extremely feminine and would just love to have boobs and wear girl's clothes, but wonder whether this phase will pass soon, just like it did last summer and the year before that...
>>6497137
Is there anything happening during those nulls that allows you to forget about it?
Also, you can wear girl clothing. Just don't overdo it with pink flowery dresses. Or do, whatever.
Hey everyone,
I've posted in multiple threads about this across multiple boards, but I have yet to receive an answer. I want to expand my wardrobe into more gender-neutral territory and am looking for some suggestions on where to shop for shorts/pants. I've tried thrifting at all the places near me, but I haven't had too much luck. Can I get some recommendations on so,e websites that sell more gender-neutral clothing? Preferably cheap clothes, but I'll take whatever I can get.
>>6498689
Buy second hand online. You can easily find great designer clothing for $100-200. Shop places like eBay and Grailed. Large online retailers such as SSENSE and Farfetch have 70% off sales several times a year.
I'd like to wear a waist cincher for an upcoming event. Anyone here have experience with them? Which brand is good?
Exactly how bad is it to miss my morning dose and just take 2 doses in the evwning?
>>6501885
Considering it's not necessary to split your dosage in the first place, not bad at all.
>>6501913
>Considering it's not necessary to split your dosage in the first place, not bad at all.
Even if that's true (and I have never heard the like) it's not like that dose applies retroactively to the time they missed the medicine only works for the time it was in the body, and then they'll take their normal morning dose the following day, possibly raising levels for no reason again depending on half-life.
>Physically female, somewhat bothered by it but not enough to do anything more than wear male clothes, I try for an androgynous appearance but am not concerned with fully passing as male, the odd he/sir is enough to keep me sated
>When I'm aware of myself in a dream I'm usually a male, often with a generic female romantic interest
I'm not trans or a lesbian. But dreams like this are a solid majority among the dreams where I was aware of anything about myself and not just the environment I was in. Could it suggest anything or does it just boil down to "dreams are weird"?
>>6501943
>Could it suggest anything or does it just boil down to "dreams are weird"?
Both. It could mean something but doesn't necessarily. It entirely depends on how you want to interpret it.
Idk if this is a place to ask but I guess I'll repost because 420chan is dead:
I don't have any motivation to get throught the day other than smoking weed at night, I'm about to graduate high school (maybe, I still have to retake an exam) and though I'm going to a community college next semester I have little interest in the courses I'm going to be taking (but I didn't like anything else so it's better than nothing), none of my old hobbies interest me anymore and because I'm a tranny I should have started to practice things realted to that, but everytime I even try I just end up hating myself more. Is there any advice I could get to maybe start turning things around? I've gone to smoking weed all day to just at night so I guess I can still try to change things a little bit.
If I'm sitting here typing this in female clothing, crying, does that make me trans?
>>6502001
I've heard weed kills motivation. Try quitting it. Also, what have you done to explore your interests? I had a good idea of what I wanted to do going into college because I went to a vocational high school and got to try out a bunch of different things, I think experience is important for knowing what interests you. But since you can't quite sample a bunch of different fields/occupations over the summer, try what's available to you. Go the the library and just look for topics that catch your eye, read about them a bit to test your interest, or if you can think of any more hands-on ways to test things out, that's even better, but I don't know what your resources are. If you think you might be even slightly interested by something, look more into it, research relevant careers and what those people do. Don't pick your major just for the money. I know people who don't really know what they want to do and went into engineering/business/etc because they're only looking for a future high-paying career, and I know people who are majoring in their biggest passion and love everything about it. I'll give you a hint, one group is much, much happier. Try quitting the weed, and then explore your old hobbies and new ones.
By turning things around do you mean untransitioning? Or just getting your life together? You sound depressed, you may want to see a therapist. And is trying to practice gender-relevant things distressing because you don't pass, or something about it feels wrong? Again, a therapist would likely do a better job at helping you to work this out.
>>6502017
Depends heavily on why you're crying.
>>6502067
I'm going with a terapist but so far she hasn't helped too much, she did mention I was starting to show signs of depression but next appointment is until Wednesday.
Everything trans/woman related just ends up making me feel bad, I haven't made any progress on voice because every time I start practicing I see how ridiculous I look and can't keep going, clothes make me feel shifty because I still look like a guy, make up leaves me frustrated because I can't manage to make it look decent, HRT leaves me worrying because I should have gotten certain mess changed but I'm too much of a lazy idiot to tell my doctor, the only trans group I managed to find in my country can't tolerate me because I'm too immature and aren't able to help me because I'm in another city.
None of my old hobbies really interest me because they all seem like a waste of time now (ironically to a stoner), I've read a lot and considered lots of career options but none of them really interest me, all I know is I never want to do manual labor again.
Idk gain interest for something I guess, be motivated like any normal person to do what I have to do instead of being a good for nothing stoner.
Last night I dreamed I was back in college and had long hair and was wearing a girly outfit and it was great. Is this part of being trans?
Does smoking diminish the amount of estrogen i have in my body or does it make the estrogen im putting in to me less effective? If i still want to smoke like a few cigs a day can i just take more e to offset the smoking or will that not work?
halp
>>6502373
My endo told me shed literally take my hormones away if she caught me smoking, so i cant help you there
>>6502373
smoking is all around terrible and you should quit
>>6502373
Smoking diminishes effectiveness of hormones and increases chance of blood clots greatly, hence why endos advise against doing it.
>>6496384
So I tried going on alldaychemist today and the DNS address couldn't be found. Is that something to worry about? They offer the best priced progynon depot.
>>6501943
I'm pre everything mtf and in my dreams I'm always female and desperately trying to hide my dick but everyone clearly sees it.
>>6502523
>vaping
>vape is life, vape nation
>vaping is my life
Ive read so much on this shit but everything seems to be so contradictory.
So does progesterone lower or raise T, ive read both.
Does progesterone compete with estrogen receptors in a significant or meaningful way? Ive read it does and it doesnt.
And lastly is there any point in taking it really, im mostly interested in it lowering T and helping with breast development.
>>6502849
>So does progesterone lower or raise T, ive read both.
Lower.
>Does progesterone compete with estrogen receptors in a significant or meaningful way? Ive read it does and it doesnt.
It doesn't.
>And lastly is there any point in taking it really, im mostly interested in it lowering T and helping with breast development.
Some say yes, some say no. Lowering T should be done through adjusting your antiandrogen dosage.
>living with 2 roomates and gf
>tfw too embarrassed to practice my girl voice
how can i live like this
>>6502871
Im taking bica so it doesnt lower T, I mean my T is already in female ranges just from E suppressing it but I was just thinking of ways I could lower it in case it spikes. Just me being paranoid I guess.
>>6502877
Do it elsewhere, outside.
>>6502849
if you take cypro you don't need to take progesterone because cypro is a progestin by itself
>>6502879
That's not what E does though anon
>>6502885
Taking bicalutamide so no progesterone like effects, so I thought it might be nice to pair it because A. it might lower T and B. compensate for the lack of prog effects.
>>6502891
Whatever you know what I mean, the loop thing where it eventually lowers T.
>>6502523
What do you mean supplement your HRT regimen? If you mean increase the amount you're taking, that will slow the process down because your body will convert the extra estrogen/testosterone into testosterone/estrogen.
But definitely stop using tobacco ASAP. Blood clots are no joke and will kill you real quick.
>>6502893
i don't really see why you would be concerned about raising or lowering T if you're taking bica, because bica doesn't lower T, it only prevents the body from using the T
a blood test while on bica would give you a male range T
>>6502905
Who told you estrogen can be turned into testosterone by the body? Testosterone to estrogen is a one way street.
>>6502893
Bicalutamide is a progesterone. This is why some report a developing case of gynecomastia while taking it. I think it might be only in high doses like 150mg though, I'm not sure.
>>6502915
I know it only blocks it, but its hard to work out how much is needed to block it so I thought lowering T would be easier. I mean its redundant to have this conversation anyway because my T is already low.
>>6502934
Ive never heard that before? I mean low testosterone can cause gynecomastia anyway cant it?
>>6502964
Searching "bicalutamide and gynecomastia" brings up a lot of medical studies. Also, my doctor literally said it's a progestin, which helps with breast development. So.
http://www.europeanurology.com/article/S0302-2838(07)00076-0/pdf/bicalutamide-induced-gynaecomastia-do-we-have-the-answer
>>6502997
>Block all T-receptors
>LH rises and releases more T
>Excess T gets aromatized to E
>Gyno becase no T and more E than usually
Gee I wonder why bica causes gyno sometimes when it doesn't look anything like a steriod.
>>6503060
Yeah, I get that.
Also, I'm actually not sure where my doctor saw bicalutamide as a progestin and I can't find any information about it, but I'll take her word for it.
>>6503072
Your doctor is wrong.
>>6503075
Maybe. I'll ask my endo about it.
Can antipsychotic medication and/or schizophrenia cause gender dysphoria to a degree where I feel being female is my best choice?
Has anyone here ever taken biotin (or something similar) for hair growth? Does it actually work or is it complete bullshit?
im desperate and impatient for more hair
>>6505727
I take 20,000 mcg a day as recommended by my dermatologist. I don't know what effect it has had on my hair since I'm also taking finasteride and estrogen.
>>6505770
20,000 mcg? I was thinking of splitting 10,000 mcg tablets into 5,000 mcg.
Not that anon, by the way. But I'm also impatient for faster growth.
>>6505903
Whatever my body doesn't use, it pisses out.
>>6505995
That's why I thought of splitting 10,000 mcg tablets in half.
If I weren't actually transexual (I mean the srs/gcs version of transgender) wouldn't I feel something towards my genitals? I feel almost nothing towards the genitalia I was born with and that's starting to bother me. Shouldn't the idea of having the surgery done seem crazy to me? Shouldn't I not be able to imagine life without a penis? I don't even flinch like most men seem to when somebody is hit in the testicles. These things have to mean something don't they?
>>6506572
You don't dislike your genitalia? Then what's the problem?
>>6506572
it's okay. i'm mtf and the only thing i dont like about my genitals is the bulge they make. I'll probably get SRS one day, but only when I hear it's gotten better. For now, I'm just sort of ambivalent towards it.
>>6503060
So, what dosages would be recomended of both bica and estro to help ?
>>6507504
Help with what exactly?
>>6507515
Feminization and breast development.
>>6507504
Standard HRT procedure is 200mg spironolactone and 4mg oral estradiol.
bicalutamide is still relatively new but standard dose is 50mg, although I would ask your doctor about that because it could very well be excessive.
>>6508878
The reason i chose bicalutamide is because i have read tht helps developing gynecomastia and it mantains sexual functions .
>>6508965
It's different for everyone.
>>6509044
Ill give it a shot then.thanks bub
If i stoped taking my meds now how fast whould i detranssision?
Where can I order HRT online that can be delivered to EU without having it confiscated at customs? (Sweeden/Denmark) Preferably estrofem/spiro.
Was self medding for a bit, almost out now, decided to eventually go legit but I'd prefer just a little bit longer of self medding. Not sure what site to use.
How does one "shop" for a cosmetic surgeon? Is there a comprehensive directory somewhere or do I have to go through dozens of early 2000's websites?
I intend to one day have a trachea shave, maybe chin reduction, brow reduction and nose reduction.
>>6497137
This happens to me to; feel extremely feminine during the winter and less during the rest of the year
Bi dude here (w a large focus on men). I don't think I'm transsexual. I don't feel any physical dysphoria or disgust with my current gender. But I constantly fantasize about being a woman, dressing up in women's clothes, what I would look like if I were female, etc, and not just in a sexual way either. Is this normal for cis people? Is stuff like this often an early step of realizing you're transgender? I don't know what to make of it.
>>6510396
You don't have to change your gender, you can just take hormones and become a femboy/trap, that's fine
>>6509501
Here's a guide that an anon wrote up a few nights ago. Hope it helps.
>>6510421
This guide has a lot of dangerous misinformation.
>>6510649
I didnt make it buddy sorry
Also misinformation where? Everything seems pretty accurate to me
>>6510421
>just swallow chemicals daily
>nothing is going to happen
>there are no side effects
This is why the internet is a shit hole.
>>6510361
That's because you want to be cuddled and groped next to the fireplace with the whole room bathed in the warm light of the flame during those chilly winter months.
>>6510697
>what is google
Also this is just a guide on how to get the meds without a doctor, or if you can't access a doctor. You obviously shouldn't use this as your only source on what to take and how much.
>>6510669
Not him, but from a short glance, Finasteride is not even a t-blocker and there are way less shady ways to get MTF hormones.
>>6510669
Finasteride is an easily obtainable alternative to spironolactone, but don't make the mistake of thinking it's superior. It's fucking not. Source: My endocrinologist. There are better alternatives, albeit they are harder to obtain, like GnRH agonists.
Nowhere does it mention loss of fertility or permanent breast growth. Worse, it says the effects are reversible. This is not true, especially for someone who is still going through puberty.
5mg finasteride and 2mg estradiol is an unusual HRT regimen which could lead to an imbalance of hormone levels and cause health risks. The guide doesn't cover information about necessary blood work either.
The worst thing about it all is it suggests HRT as if it's like a temporary lifestyle choice. But now that's just my opinion.
>>6510769
People can be stupid. This guide is leaving out important information and could really fuck up someone's life. If you're going to play doctor and tell people to take life-changing medication, then you better know what you're talking about.
>>6510797
Hmm I see, thanks for the useful information anon, sorry I just assumed you were wrong right off the bat.
As for the guide I'll put a hold on posting it for now, and I'll try and forward your post to the guy that made this, and hopefully get him to revise/fix/completely scrap all this. I'll also suggest to him maybe just repurposing the whole thing as just a guide on how to get the meds, not which to get and how much to take.
>>6510819
I have a feeling they suggested finasteride because they think it won't result in infertility, which is wrong. Enough estrogen can do that in itself. Again, this information is from my doctor.
>>6510857
He said that he suggested finasteride in place of Spiro because he was concerned about the high potassium part of spiro (like he said in the guide). He explained that he knew a mtf that ate two bananas and then died from a heart attack from all of the extra potassium.
>>6510871
I find that hard to believe. I usually eat potatoes or plantains for dinner, and both are high in potassium. Yet when I was on spironolactone all I felt was kidney pain. Of course, my kidneys could have been failing which is part of why I switched, but that wasn't a heart attack.
>>6510871
Spironolactone is the preferred anti-androgen by doctors for good reason. A majority of people can take 200mg without issue. If someone is concerned, they can have blood work done every one to three months. If getting blood work isn't an option, then they simply watch their potassium intake and be observant of any adverse side effects that might occur.
I was taking 400mg and my potassium levels came back normal, lol. I was pissing like crazy.
>>6510871
Was this person 85 by chance with a lifetime of heart problems?
>>6510046
Where do you live
Is it too late for a 15 year old to go on estrogen? Or are you forever doomed to still be a male because you didn't start before puberty?
Just curious
>>6511896
>Is it too late for a 15 year old to go on estrogen
no unless your parents hate you and put you on HGH at a young age or something
>>6511907
hgh?
What I mean is, lets say you start estrogen at 15 instead of before puberty, like age 14, do you still have a high chance of actually growing into a female, the body and face etc, or has puberty already taken its toll on you?
>Trans help thread
>>6511913
I would say you still have a very high chance of looking female (face/body) at that age just remember though hrt does nothing for the voice it just won't get deeper once you start blockers
>>6511924
alright thanks
>>6511913
Yes, you have chances, but often times you'll end up with narrow hips... But your shoulders will remain smaller.
Everything else will be fine, usually.
There are obviously some individuals who look really masculine already at age 15, but not too many of them.
>>6511914
You're so right :D every trans person should get a gun to defend themselves with, although I think a .45 is a bit much for the average transgirl, probably should stick to 9mm unless if you're a transguy
I will see my family doctor in a couple hours. Please give me some words of encouragement so I don't tell her that I just came for bloodwork. Also how do you bring up that you have gender dysphoria and want to start HRT? I'm socially inept, pls help.
>>6512248
>how do you bring up that you have gender dysphoria and want to start HRT?
Hello Dr, I'm transgender and am experiencing dysphoria. I would like to seek help and HRT please.
It's seriously that simple, they'll refer you on to a specialist who will ask more in depth questions. But for your GP it's just this.
>>6511914
>not CCing a mosin
>>6512248
Start with saying, I want to be female/take female hormones.
Force yourself to start, after that there's no return but to explain however you can manage.
>>6512195
I like .357 mag.
>>6512248
Do what this anon >>6512268 said. And write a letter or something in case if you freeze up, you can just hand it to them and commence having your panic attack as they read it (speaking from experience here >.<)
>>6512464
Haven't shot one (never been a fan of revolvers) don't they have a lot of recoil? Or is it pretty manageable? (Er. That is if we're still talking about self defense...)
>>6512516
I think it's manageable but in case of this one its more than manageable cause it doesn't flip up that hard but its more of a force going inside of your hands and arms since it's got an underbarrel.
Wouldn't really recommend .357 snubs tho those are kind of weird but I think they work fine with .38 special (+p).
>>6512464
>It's high noon
>>6512617
I think revolvers have a special kind of fear and surprise factor to them.
>>6496384
Hey, easteuro wannabe tranny here.
You americans and westerners in general don't know how well you have it. I've been going through possible coming out scenarios in my head and I've yet to find one that doesn't end with me being disowned/getting a literal pitchforks and toeches mob in front of my house/getting beaten to death by asholes etc.
I'm planning to leave to america in 2 years when I finish college. Problem is, every day I feel the time ticktocking away, I feel that once I start its gonna be too late to make any meaningful difference.
So, what I want to ask is, should I wait those 2 more years, risking the successfulness of the transitioning, or should I bite the bullet right now and face the consequences?
Start HRT now and try to hide the effects for 2 years?
>>6512800
Is it realistic to think I could hide it well enough for my family not to notice for 2 goddamn years? Idk about you but that sounds pretty impossible to me. Like, not just my family but any people who may hang around me. Rumors spread fast
Alldaychemist site seems to be down for a couple days now, and I really need to get my next shipment ordered ASAP. How long does it take inhouse to ship to the US? Would it be a good alternative?
>>6512815
Perhaps take antiandrogens like normal but with low or infrequent doses of oestrogen (if any)?
>>6512781
Congrats <3 I'm really happy for you anon
>>6512858
Thats a good idea actually. Problem is I would need to get those perscribed somehow, because of shitty easteuro state healthcare. The alternetive to that is getting them from gray sources, which probably wouldnt be too hard actually. I'll probably do that. Thanks for the advice!
>>6512915
Note that having no low sex hormone levels (testosterone or oestrogen) will probably make you depressed, and if you go too long without those levels it causes bone density issues. You should take a small dose of oestrogen to counteract that, balancing it so it doesn't cause too much in the way of outwardly obvious physical effects. I don't know what dosage that should be though; you should ask /femgen/ about it.
>>6513438
Oh, damn. I guess no solution is perfect. Will look into that. Depression I've learned to deal with but the bone issues don't sound so good. Thanks for the advice again fampai
>>6513438
>no low sex hormone levels
*low sex hormone levels
>too long without those levels
*too long with those (low) levels
>>6512781
How did it go? I'd love to hear
For job interviews when I present female should I use my natural voice or the more fem one I am practicing?
I the way I see it they will likely hear my natural voice sometime. Why put up a front?
>>6515471
I've got a job interview tomorrow and i'm just going to use my male voice. My name is already changed so i don't really care what they think.
>>6515471
If you're presenting female you should use a female voice; when you're presenting male you should use a male voice. Why would you do anything different? If nothing else think of how much it would dissuade the interviewer from hiring you if they see you presenting female with an obvious no-effort "tranny voice".
When you change your voice it's with the aim of doing it full-time until it becomes your natural voice (and you have to make a deliberate effort to speak in your old voice). They shouldn't hear your masculine voice unless you let them.
what the fuck is the point of transition when you just get more and more dysphoric as time goes on
>>6516603
Yeah but if your female voice is still shit, you should use your male voice.
I was suddenly prescribed estrogen in gel form instead of my usual patches. How do I use this stuff? It says to apply on a clean & dry surface and to swap locations every day. How clean? And how long do I need to wait until I use the same surface again?
>>6517816
Can you ask your doctor? Try giving them a call.
Hello I really need help with this one because i don't see my doctor for another 3 months but I've been on HRT for a little over a year now(21 yrs old mtf) and I recently noticed on my latest lab results Endocrine disorder. Should I be worried?
>>6518208
Endocrine disorder as in? What were your values? If you post your blood test I could probably tell
>>6518254
Testosterone, Serum 87 348-1197
Comment:
Prolactin 2016-05-19
Prolactin 6.5 4.0-15.2
Estradiol 2016-05-19
Estradiol 47.7 7.6-42.6
CBC With Differential/Platelet 2016-05-19
WBC 9.2 3.4-10.8
RBC 4.84 4.14-5.80
Hemoglobin 14.9 12.6-17.7
Hematocrit 42.5 37.5-51.0
MCV 88 79-97
MCH 30.8 26.6-33.0
MCHC 35.1 31.5-35.7
RDW 13.4 12.3-15.4
Platelets 230 150-379
Neutrophils 72
Lymphs 17
Monocytes 10
Eos 1
Basos 0
Immature Cells
Neutrophils (Absolute) 6.6 1.4-7.0
Lymphs (Absolute) 1.6 0.7-3.1
Monocytes(Absolute) 0.9 0.1-0.9
Eos (Absolute) 0.1 0.0-0.4
Baso (Absolute) 0.0 0.0-0.2
Immature Granulocytes 0
Immature Grans (Abs) 0.0 0.0-0.1
NRBC
Hematology Comments:
Comp. Metabolic Panel (14) 2016-05-19
Glucose, Serum 95 65-99
BUN 11 6-20
Creatinine, Serum 0.88 0.76-1.27
eGFR If NonAfricn Am 123 >59
eGFR If Africn Am 142 >59
BUN/Creatinine Ratio 13 8-19
Sodium, Serum 141 134-144
Potassium, Serum 4.7 3.5-5.2
Chloride, Serum 101 97-108
Carbon Dioxide, Total 22 18-29
Calcium, Serum 9.7 8.7-10.2
Protein, Total, Serum 7.3 6.0-8.5
Albumin, Serum 5.0 3.5-5.5
Globulin, Total 2.3 1.5-4.5
A/G Ratio 2.2 1.1-2.5
Bilirubin, Total 0.7 0.0-1.2
Alkaline Phosphatase, S 61 39-117
AST (SGOT) 20 0-40
ALT (SGPT) 27 0-44
>>6518276
Your estrogen is elevated for a man. You have low T because you're a tranny. But the test doesn't take that into account, it just has the automatic ranges for male set, so it thinks something is wrong.
>>6502373
smoking cigarettes and tobacco products fucks with your hrt, but weed is totally fine. I made sure to ask my endo specifically about weed
>>6517816
I used to do gel pretty long but combined with patches. Gel alone will spike your levels, but diminish fastly. I had to take gel every 12 hours, combined with patches (one per 3.5 days) it's not a good idea to be on gel alone. Be aware of that.
However, your upper arms are best for it. Switch between left amd right
>>6496384
>>>6502373
>smoking cigarettes and tobacco products fucks with your hrt, but weed is totally fine. I made sure to ask my endo specifically about weed
Only if you take pills. Patches,gel and injections are fime as far as estrogen goes. It only puts you at a slightly higher risk, not even worth mentioning it. Still, smokin is back so I'm gonna quit that soon
>>6498689
Uhh. Idk how much you're wanting to spend. I personally found some decent gender neutral stuff at Target when I first started, but idk if any of it would be what you're looking for.
>>6518352
>it's not a good idea to be on gel alone
Really? Damn. It's only a temporary measure though since patches are unavailable right now. I only apply 1mg per day in the morning. I'll probably talk to the gynecologist about that.
It says clean surface, does that mean i have to clean with soap and water before applying?
Is it really okay to just have two places to swap between? I've used my thighs so far because it says to apply on the lower part of the body.
Is it bad if I don't shower before applying gel to the same surface again? I only shower every three days if I don't go outside.
Are patches as good, better or worse than pills when it comes to estrogen?
I know patches are safer and release the E slower and more spread out which is nice but im worried the potency isnt as good as pills.
Anyone know anything about this?
>>6516873
I can't see why you'd present female without having a passing voice; you will be instantly clocked if you speak, which you have to do for basically every meaningful interpersonal interaction so you pretty much don't pass at all. To me, transitioning on the job once you're able to do it properly and pass would be vastly better than applying for the job while trying to pass and failing.
>>6518593
It really doesn't matter if you didn't shower aslong you're not covered in dirt. If you're worried about that, use water to clean yourself.
Don't use soap or any shower gel, it could lessen the absorption rate.
Your upper arms are best for absorbing it. Google it if you don't trust me :)
I had like 0.6mg gel in the morning and then again 0.6 in the evening. If you don't take patches I recommend doing it twice like I did. In the end only blood tests will show. Still it's not optimal to be on gel only.. Talk to your endo about it..
>>6518942
Why is it important to avoid uneven levels?
So I feel like the little nubs that were behind my nipples when I was starting HRT have begun to disappear. Is that a bad thing?
>>6519199
Uneven levels aren't a problem, if it's like weekly. Having your levels skyrocketing, but going to 0 every single day just won't give you optimal results
I either hate myself or everyone else does it for me. What's the point?
>>6521813
To maybe get to a place where those things don't happen.
>>6519644
Give it a couple of weeks. They turned into disks for me.
Sup guys MTF here, so I've been feeling way more aggressive these past few weeks, this is partially due to having to hang out with my bitchy ex but I think it might be hormonal also. I got hurt the other day and loudly yelled "OW" in a rather manly way, very embarrassing. I've been more easily angered and I can feel a kind of aggressive energy coming from me.
Of course women can be aggressive and angry too and all but I'm worried my hormones might be fucked up. Should I get my levels checked?
I'm 4 months into HRT. I take 200mg spiro and 4mg E every day.
>>6514237
I talked a little bit ambiguously but there were no misunderstandings. She asked couple questions and wanted to refer me to a specialist. I said I would prefer to go through it with her, and told there is a guide by a clinic for family doctors. She said she will go through it and look for referrals at the same time. So gave me another appointment for the next week.
And now, sooner or later I'll have to speak with my mom, that will be harder
>>6518879
>I can't see why you'd present female without having a passing voice
surprise, surprise, voice training is hard. There are a lot of transwomen who present female way before their voice is good.
>>6523517
And they are disgusting fetishists.
What's the point of passing when you get clocked the moment you open your mouth?
Most people will have more than enough times to get their voice to an acceptable level even if they decide to transition from one day to the next and immediately start self-medding.
So for calorie calculators and stuff like that, do I put male or female after I've been on mones for a few months? Which setting would be more accurate? Not sure how much hormones affect metabolism.
>>6523688
Female.
But be sure the get an approximate amount of your body fat%.
Any advice on finding shoes for a questioning mtf with somewhat large feet? I'm size 9 uk and Converse's women trainers only go up to 8.5 (half a size large) so I would barely be able to fit in the biggest size they have ><
>>6524545
Nike air maxx!
Just got bloods back after a few months on a low dose, 107pmol/L oestradiol, 1280mIU/L prolactin and 19.7nmol/L test.
I think something has gone wonky.
>>6523385
You should be getting your levels checked regularly anyway, especially that soon into HRT.
If you've had the same dose the whole time and this has only just started then it's likely not anything to do with your dosage. It'll probably pass.
>>6523517
Which, as I said, means they pretty much don't pass. Transitioning of your own accord before you pass is pointless unless most of your dysphoria comes from not being treated as female (in this case, it would have to be alleviated if people deliberately humour you, because they certainly wouldn't genuinely believe you were female).
Does anyone know how much space the 60 vial progynon depot package from ADC takes up and how far the expiration dates usually are from when they're sent?
I might have to get a P.O. box because I still live at home and my dad doesn't want me ordering drugs online. He's in the habit of waking up early and being active around the house while I'm in the habit of waking up late, so I can't race him to the mail even if I did wake up early. If the mail were delivered in the afternoon it wouldn't be a problem because he leaves for work at 11:00 AM, but it's usually delivered at 10:00 AM. No worries about hiding the stuff once it's actually in the house because I have space for that, I just can't sneak it past him if it's delivered at the usual time with the other mail.
The only exception is when he has an appointment somewhere, but it's not like I can predict his appointments a month in advance.
>>6525719
I had to sign for all my packages from ADC. Delivers via USPS.
>>6527245
So I can't sneak it past him afterall. My father didn't care what I bought online until I came out and he started suspecting self-medding. The reason I came out is because they would have kept pestering me to cut my hair, and I can't afford to lose time regrowing hair.
>>6511896
That's hella young, please stop asking, it's torture for those of us in our 20s
>>6527716
they know exactly what they're doing and they delight in it
>>6496384
I'm planning on calling a therapist today to try to schedule an appointment so I can begin my transition. What kind of stuff should I ask? I hate to admit it, but I'm really nervous. This is the first real step I'm taking to medically transition, and that's kind of a big deal. I wanted to wait until the end of the summer, maybe, but I realized that I have no idea what the hell the wait times are going to be like, or when I'm even going to be able to make an appointment.
I had a couple tiny doubts.
I've heard masturbating often causes testosterone to be constantly spiking and thus means greasy skin/hair. And that abstinence doesn't have effects on lowering testosterone levels until a couple weeks after stopping.
Is this true? If it is how often can I masturbate without fearing looking like a greasy, stinky NEET?
I've also been drinking green and spearmint tea, which are supposed to help me obtain cute male aesthetics alongside soy products and cardio, my problem is that spearmint tea is kinda hard to find over here, would pennyroyal-mint tea have at least similar effects?
>>6528141
doesn't matter how often you masturbate and herbal shit does nothing
>>6528267
Fuck (For the herbal stuff, yay for the fapping fest).
Soy and cardio does though? I've been making sure to keep a routine and it has done wonders for my weight, but I would want to end up looking manly if I'm going to be skinny. I just want to make sure to at least have a relatively cute looking body before I go any further with transforming my appearance.
>>6528283
soy won't do anything unless your diet is literally 95% soy and even then it probably wouldn't do much. exercise and cardio is always good though.
>>6528293
I've been doing some radical changes to my diet, dropped red meat, eggs and replaced regular milk with soy milk, also been eating veggies even for breakfast, I guess I'll learn eventually if it actually works.
What about things like Pueraria Mirifica? Are they worth it?
>>6528306
It probably won't make you more feminine but you'll definitely be healthier.
>>6528311
Okay! Thanks again.
>>6528128
- What experience do you have working with transgender clients? How many have you worked with in the past?
- Would you be willing to write a letter of recommendation for HRT?
- How do you approach therapy with someone who has gender dysphoria?
And when you finally see them in person, if they don't ask for your preferred name or pronouns upon the first visit, then the therapist likely doesn't know shit about trans people.
is boob growth in the first month a bad sign or anything to worry about? i thought it didn't happen until 3 months in, but im just shy of b cup now
im takin finasteride, spiro and regular old estradiol
>>6529332
Sounds like bs, but I'll bite. Age and dose
>>6529343
22. the finasteride is one 5 mg tab, spiro is two 100 mg tabs and estradiol is two 2 mg tabs. that's the daily total
>>6529354
How do you know their B cup? Are you using your measurements on a website?
>>6529363
yes, i had a friend measure so i didn't BS myself
>>6529374
Those websites don't work for trans girls. They don't take the shape of our ribs into account. I got fooled the same way when I started too. Buy a B cup bra and you'll see, you won't fill it.
>>6529332
Breast development is usually the first things people notice. I'm 25 and had a large spurt of growth in the first month.
>>6529391
>yet another reason you should end your life because you didn't start before puberty
>>6529395
how did your boobs grow after the first month?
>>6529470
Steep decline in development. Three months in now, growth is still noticeable every one to two weeks but it's not an overnight difference like before.
>>6529483
do you mind if i ask what size they are now
>>6529526
I barely fit an A cup I think?
>>6528132
then they can fuck off and suicide
it's completely intentional
>>6530013
Can you tell your life story in how you dealt with being transgender and the people around you? It sounds like you didn't have much idea when you were younger, or that you had a particularly harsh upbringing.
>>6502877
Buy a car and practice it in the car while driving through nice scenery
>>6530343
Different anon but
>tfw I only want a motorcycle and I also can't practice my voice at home
Hello, I've been a lurker on this board for many years and over those years and long before I have suffered with my gender identity. I will share my story in hopes of getting advice on where I should go and what I should do to find peace with this part of my life though my story isn't as tragic as many of yours, I would still benefit from help immensely.
For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a girl, all my friends growing up were girls, I enjoyed dress up and was generally picked on as a kid for never being big into masculine things. Early childhood has ups and downs (mostly downs) but the only major thing in regards to this topic that happened was that my elementary school teachers bullied and neglected me from what once was a sociable little kid to an outcast everyone talked poorly of who had only a few friends. One day when I was 8 or 9 I was using google for one of the first times and I, being the faggot I was, looked up if it was possible for a little boy to become a girl. Due to my spelling and the state of the site at the time I didn't find anything. On top of that a kid I was friends with at the time found this search in the history and told me I was a weirdo, so for a long time I was oblivious to transsexuals despite living in a very liberal part of the US. I went though many years after that being the same depressed and lonely kid I was before, and I still dreamed of becoming a girl even though I thought it impossible. When high school rolled around I decided to go to their gay straight alliance. While it was riddled with the kind of gender and sexuality trending trash most liberal towns are brimming with in their teenage population, I did learn about gender transition. And for the next two years I pondered how worth transitioning would be to me and I came to the conclusion that if I could, I would. Around the summer after my sophomore year my bisexual friend accidentally found out about my desire to be a woman. He helped me though a lot Cont.
>>6531710
he ended up betraying that trust when he told his gf about me. I ended up telling a few other very close friends of mine about it to varying responses but I was too afraid to tell my parents. I ended up going on a trip to Africa to volunteer, so I didn't want my parents to worry about my fagging up and getting lynched. After that trip I ended up trying to talk to my mom about the issue. She freaked out. She is a chemistry major who got her PHD in estrogen and didn't want her child to ruin their life with these steroids. I was crushed. Should've seen it coming from her, she always hated when I was the one to my important decisions about my life over her. She insulted and verbally abused me and dug up old wounds to try and stop me. I'm not sure she will ever seen who I really am. My father was more understanding but is too pussy whipped to fight his wife and said that if I wanted therapy I would have to do it when I had the rights to my insurance (I was 17 at the time). Well it has been almost a year and I am 18 now with rights to my own person. And I chose to go to school out of state so that I could hide my faggotry from my parents if I could find a way to transition. I did research and decided that I would only take estrogen till the effects were properly set in, then I would take herbs to neutralize a lot of the negative effects of the steroid. But I am torn. Not over transitioning though I want a professional to analyze me before I take anything. I want to figure out how I should go about getting that help. I'm not sure if getting a doctor in the town I grew up in is a good idea but I also don't want to wait and see my growing desire for death overtake the drive to live and see myself as what I want to be. And I have the issue of my sexuality where for a long time I thought I only liked women but now I slowly find myself liking men, but I'm repulsed by them right now because I am repulsed by the body I have. Please give me advice as this is killing me.
>>6531710
>>6531755
In no particular order :
> I thought I only liked women but now I slowly find myself liking men, but I'm repulsed by them right now because I am repulsed by the body I have.
Pretty common, gets better as you become more confortable with your body.
>Please give me advice
Transition. :^)
>I want a professional to analyze me before I take anything.
Google "gender therapist <your area>". Check review for the one you chose. Switch to another therapist without remorse if it is not "productive", ideally you need to find someone you can talk openly.
Note that you don't necessarily have to be approved by a therapist/psychiatrist to get HRT, there are informed consent clinic.
>I would only take estrogen till the effects were properly set in, then I would take herbs to neutralize a lot of the negative effects of the steroid.
It doesn't work like that at all. You have to take estreogens for life to keep your body the way you want it. Herbs do nothing. You seem to have some misconception about the "negative" effects of steroids.
>>6537186
How do you shave twice a day without fucking up your skin?
>>6537638
Aftershave? Better razors?
>>6537638
1 warm face towel or shower to soften the hair an open the pores
2 exfoliate
3 use a smooth conditioner instead of foam
4 shave with the grain
5 reapply conditioner
6 shave against the grain until you feel no hair with fingers
7 reapply the conditioner
8 shave with the grain again this will realign the hairs and prevent in growth
9 clean face
10 moisturise
I'm very uncertain on talking to a doctor or gender therapist about transitioning purely as I worry I may not pass, on top of having lifting as a thing that I genuinely enjoy, making me conflicted... What's the best thing to do?
>>6538506
Talk to a therapist about it. They won't pressure you into making any decisions you don't want to. In most countries there's no RLE required for hrt so you can keep lifting and living as a guy even on hormones. It helps to talk to people.
Quick question. Who's the best/highest rated FFS surgeon out there? Someone you'd choose if price weren't an issue.
>>6538544
Thanks, I'll chat with them and see what's best for me.
>>6537808
Thank you!
Any advice on chosing a conditioner?
>>6539198
My personal favorite is ogx argon oil. It's silky smooth and the razor really glides on it. Remember a little goes a long way as well, you only need a blob the size of a bean.
>>6496384
Trying to get info on what to do, I'm pre HRT, if I know a endocrinologist, do I still need to go to a general physician to get a recomendation, or can I just make an apt. with the endo?
>>6538665
I actually am interested in this question as well. With all of my research, Im left choosing with either Dr. Mayer from beverly hills, ca or dr. Z who is in the east coast. I plan to go to a consultation with dr.mayer around september this year
If youre 5 months into hrt and you feel way better mentally than you did before, is that a sign that youre for real trans and you dont have to question it anymore?
>>6540510
What you have to do depends on your country/state. Usually you will have to get a recommendation from a doctor or psych before any endo will see you.
>>6541087
pretty much, unless you dislike the bodily changes.
>>6516866
If you're getting more and more dysphoric while transitioning then you should probably stop transitioning. That means the treatment isn't working and your problem might not be rooted in being trans. Just saying.
>>6542280
but turning more into a man is bad
>>6542286
solution: become a eunuch
>>6542289
but that doesn't make me feel better either
>>6542296
How would you know until you did it? Without something to constantly feed you testosterone in large enough doses to masculinize you, and without continuing transitioning which obviously isn't helping you any, you'll reach a perfect middle ground that, should you feel dysphoric toward either side, you can remedy by briefly indulging in hormone therapy until you start feeling dysphoric again and then stopping.
Alternatively you'll just be so tired and mellow your body won't even bother making you feel dysphoric. Win win win if you ask me.
>>6542300
everyone knows you need a sex hormone
>>6542335
When in doubt, andogyny
I feel like killing myself right now. Am I a hon at 21? I started on e just before I turned 20 and I turn 21 in October. Should I just jump off a building?
>>6542357
i honestly do think youre pretty. just hang in there anon. the long youre on e, the more effective it will be.
>>6542340
it's just not really even that. the hormones only make me want to be a girl more and get angrier that i'm not and can never be one. maybe it is a matter of being a hon
>>6542357
Longer hair + different style of hair would help.
>>6541368
Aren't there insurance plans that let you go straight to whatever specialist you want without needing to ask your PCP? EPO or PPO, maybe? I would assume if you're paying out of pocket the specialist wouldn't require a referral either. The entire point of referrals is so there's proof the PCP deemed an issue beyond his knowledge, so the insurance company must pay a specialist to treat the patient instead. If you're paying instead of the insurance company, there's no need for that proof to charge you.
>>6542634
I'm not american so I have no idea about how american insurance works. There are informed consent clinics that will basically interview you then provide you with hrt right away. I don't know if there is one near you. I think Planned Parenthood does some informed consent but it might not be at every one if their clinics or something like that. If there is no one near you who is doing informed consent then you will need to get a psychiatric referral before seeing a specialist. You can also order hrt online but even if you do decide to go that route it is very useful to have someone like a therapist you can talk to and get help from if you need it.
>>6516866
I'm early in transition and this has been happening to me too, even though I know I'll pass (already did before hormones)
I can't tell you if it's normal or not, but I've read lots of stories on here that discuss that, there's even a little comic I think.
>>6542357
u look like a princess
>had a laser patch test 2 weeks ago
>developed a "blister"
>went down after 2/3 days
>replaced by a small scab
>scratched it off after a week
>seems to look fine, thought the skin would grow to cover the gap
>2 days pass and it looks bad, skin in light pink and slightly raised
and that's when I realised I had been burned
Guess I'm not doing laser then
Maybe going to have to quit this whole transition thing
>>6542841
Electrolysis
>>6542841
electrolysis, waxing, if ur feeling cheap and have the time tweezing helps everywhere but face
worst comes to worst you can learn how to do makeup (something u want to learn anyway) and cover ur beard shadow.
>>6542944
Expensive but permanent, and it works on light hairs too. I do two, one hour long sessions a month at $90 each. I did laser for 7 treatments before hand with dark hair/light skin and I wish I knew about this electro place back then.
if i've reached the fat redistribution/boob growth phase of HRT, should i start eating like a pig in order to help fat redistribution and breast development?
i've been dieting and i'm down to a weight i'm kind of comfortable with, but i'm worried that eating at a caloric deficit is going to result in tiny tiny tits
pls help
>>6543215
was also curioius about this
>>6542357
Way better off than me and it sounds like I started exactly when you did.
I'm scared my self-medding HRT isn't working. GP allowed one blood test when I was a few months in to check I wasn't harming myself but refuses to allow more and I don't want to change GPs because she's being useful for other stuff I've struggled to find a GP that was good for.
I've realised that with QHI meds being about £100 per 3 months it might be more economical and sensible to spend about £500 on getting diagnosed / seeing an endo privately to get legit HRT than to keep self-medding or to wait the 16 months I have left before my first appointment with Nottingham GIC and then the 2 years RLE.
Those with experience in UK private trans care, is this a good idea? And what private therapists / agencies in the UK would you recommend? I'm 8 months and looking at how much difference other people have gotten already at this point compared to me I'm getting worried.
Is it too late for me to trans?
>>6544360
What effort have you made to try looking more female?
>>6544360
chin/nose might be a problem otherwise you are good to go, f a m
>>6544360
I can see it if I squint
you might be able to manage, depending on age and body type
>>6544375
Zero. I actually look more manly when I shave because my facial structure becomes more apparent.
>>6544411
I thought I was the only one.
>>6544411
>Zero
There's your problem.
Do you have any idea how masculine women look when they put zero effort into their appearance?
I would really suggest experimenting with makeup and more feminine haircuts before you give up hope.
I've read bunch of stuff how people feel that were female as young as 4 years old but i only felt like i was different is this normal or is it some other mental illness? I did do stuff like wear girls clothes secretly but i never really connected that it would mean i'm a girl and i probably even talked about it to my parents since i was the only child put into private school because they feared i would be bullied (which i was even in the private school.)
>>6542770
Gross
>>6544605
The whole, "feeling like a female" thing is probably just a meme, or at least a poor way of explaining things to normies. Most trans people I've talked to on here seemed to have just hated their bodies (or parts of them) because they aren't female. That's pretty much how I feel too.
>>6545065
This
For me dysphoria is seeing someone else in the mirror, not feeling like there's a "woman inside me" like all the hons seem to have
>>6545098
Mostly this. I'm still myself. I hate that the passing issue gets turned into "oh, you just want to be a beautiful unattainable model". No, I just want to be the girl version of myself, whatever that would have looked like.
I see the "woman inside" thing more like saying "hey, for a long time I feigned disinterest in [whatever girl thing] because I was scared of people's reactions".
I am having a hard time getting hrt legally. Im tired and desperate.
I want to self med, my major problem is that I have Hepatitis B.
What is the safest method to work around my liver disease?
Please help me put together a plan with which Anti- androgen and Estrogen medication I should purchase and how I should go about self meding with it.
>>6545334
Forgot pic.
>>6545334
I believe injections don't take a huge toll on the liver.
That is gonna be a huge mess with self medding if you don't like needles, but it might be neccessary. Can't say too much about it though.
>>6496384
so, I'm post FFS an I'm gonna be post-SRS at the end of the year. My question is, should I go deep-stealth? my family and friends accepting of me, but the always out me on purpose because they think I should be "honest"
It really hurts me that strangers treat me like a "real woman," but my friends and family don't.
But I really don't want to cut ties with everyone I know.
also, thank you to whoever's been posting this thread this whole time, it's been a lot of help
>>6545504
>my family and friends always out me
That is fucked up. The point of transitioning isn't to be transgender, it's to be viewed as the gender you're transitioning to. If you've explained that and they still always out you, don't feel bad for cutting ties. I hate that you've gotta deal with that shit, hope you're coping.
Can someone explain the process of getting hrt? Like from the start of the first appointment until being able to pick up prescription?
For what reason could I be denied hrt? I have clean mental and physical history.
Allegedly there is a doc in town that will prescribe day one. Is that a meme?
>>6542841
>scratching off scabs
no, you're just retarded
>>6544444
>Do you have any idea how masculine women look when they put zero effort into their appearance?
like women
it is extremely rare for a woman who puts no effort into her appearance to look like a man
>>6545649
If it's informed consent it's basically make an appt. show up, tell them what you want, they go over the consequences and risks of treatment, you sign and waiver and get a blood test. Script may happen that day or subsequent appt.
>>6545707
The point of informed consent is to make it easier for those without outlying issues to get treatment correct? I shouldn't be worried about being denied?
There is informed consent in town I can go see. I was thinking going in the very near future.
>>6545725
It's unlikely they would turn you away, but you'd have to go anyway to find out, so just go for it.
>>6545649
>>6545707
It depends on the place you're living in, in many European countries you have to see doctor who sends you to a therapist who then sends you to a psychiatrist who finally will give you the prescription, although if they conclude it might be some other mental problem they won't even give the prescription.
