The Danger Of Diy Hormone Use.

[VickySGV]

SRS was about $3K LESS than my last vehicle cost. Think of it that way and you may get some ideas. I actually was at a point where I had some equity in some property, and refinancing it would also improve my tax situation, thus surgery money, at a cost which I was paying anyway, but now virtually tax free for ten years. Not to mention the write off for my medical expenses this year.

[Guest Galia]

Thank you Cynthia for the advise. I was unawar that there are insurance companies that do help with srs. If you have some advise on how to do this on a shoe string budget, please email me I'm a complete newbie, but I'm getting to the point where I'm just not happy in this body anymore. I'm sure you can relate. Lol I don't even know where to begin. Do I try to find a therapist first or an endo or talk to my gp? I have so many questions ahhhh! Lol also, if there is anyone else in the central florida are that knows some good docs or is willing to help me, please email as well.

Vicky, your absolutely right and sound like a very intelligent woman. You can't put a price tag on happiness. between having bad credit, rent, car payments, yada yada, I just can't see the light, but I guess where there is a will there is a way! Thank you ladies for your kind advise. This is such a great site to be able to share this stuff because I have nobody else to talk to about this.

Edited June 6, 2013 by MaryEllen
email address removed per rule 11 of the site Terms and Conditions

[Cyndee]

Thank you Cynthia for the advise. I was unawar that there are insurance companies that do help with srs. If you have some advise on how to do this on a shoe string budget, please email me I'm a complete newbie, but I'm getting to the point where I'm just not happy in this body anymore. I'm sure you can relate. Lol I don't even know where to begin. Do I try to find a therapist first or an endo or talk to my gp? I have so many questions ahhhh! Lol also, if there is anyone else in the central florida are that knows some good docs or is willing to help me, please email as well.

Hey Galia, highly advisable to set up a visit with a therapist, talk it over with them, open up abt your discomfort with them, even if you don't need to see a therapist often, I would advise having a relationship with a therapist, cuz it could get bumpy on the HRT ride, it's $$ well spent....Many clinics adopt the "informed consent" model. If you reach 5 posts here on the forum you can use private messaging with our membership.

C Rae -

[Guest Galia]

That is great advise C Raeand I definitely appreciate it, but what do you mean a bumpy ride?

[VickySGV]

I think she means the number of ups and downs that HRT can give us. Your emotions and triggers for the emotions are going to catch you off guard more than you can imagine for the first several months or years, and you can lose sight of reality sometimes without a person who is used to seeing and helping with the roller coaster you are getting onto. Learning to cry and let yourself use the crying for good needs to be coached and checked, since as males we have not learned before about it. Other emotions such as frustration over what HRT is NOT doing on your schedule also come into the stew. Those of us who have been there already can help yoiu somewhat, but having a expert in your corner is best.

[Guest ~Sara~]

i hate and thank for this post at the same time, lately i have been dreaming a lot about me going through hrt, and all kinds of things that in my dreams make me feel great but turn into nightmares once i wake up, i am desperate for this, i cant wait here doing nothing until i can afford an endocrinologyst, i want this long wait to end! why wont people share dosages!! that's why i hate this place, and i thank this place because i know that if you do share the dossages, many of us would probably die, and i dont want to die. im crying as i write this, what can i do now?, i mean right in this exact moment, what can i do so i can feel better??!!?!?!

[Guest Edu]

i mean right in this exact moment, what can i do so i can feel better??!!?!?!

I wish I had seen your post when you wrote it, but I can't go back in time so I'll try to give you a suggestion now.

Take a deep breath. Seriously. It won't do a miracle, but it will help. Maybe even take a few more breaths.

I know that won't solve the problem, but it should put you in a better condition to look for actual solutions.

If your issue is about affording an endocrinologist, you can start by brainstorming:

Take a pen and a piece of paper. Then write down every idea that crosses your mind about how to earn the money you'd need. No matter how silly it sounds, writing it down won't hurt. It may happen that, the more you write, the more ideas you get. Remember to breath as you write them.

Now, take a look at each of those ideas. If it's dangerous (either for you or for other people), illegal, or incompatible with all known laws of physics, strike it through. Like this. Don't delete nor scribble all over it, let it remain readable, so you don't spend anymore time reevaluating an idea that was already discarded. BTW, keep breathing.

Keep that paper handy, and try to write any new ideas as soon as you come up with them. Also, try to evaluate them as soon as you have some spare time. That may also serve as a reminder to breath from time to time. Eventually, you should have some ideas that can actually work. Even if they don't look too great, as long as they involve no risks and can push you a step closer to your goal they are worth trying.

HTH

PS: Did I mention how important it is to breath?

[Guest ~Sara~]

Hello Edu, thank you for the reply, that day when i wrote that i basically cryied it out, those are good suggestions you make, will do the brainstorming and of course breathing! again, thank you!

[Guest Allyda]

Hi girls,

This has been a well informed thread with some good information and advice. There was a time when I considered herbals. I was stuck with a PC who wouldn't even prescribe me finasteride for an obvious hair loss issue. I am xxy, and in his words, "you look too feminine already" and he flooded me with blood tests trying to find another cause. Long story short, I found another Doctor (PC), and now have an Endochronologist with transgender experience. I'm 2 months into my hrt now, but at 3 days in my hair loss stopped dead in it's tracks, it was like my body had been starving for this all it's life. I'm now beginning to develop my breasts, my skin is becoming noticeably softer and my hair is getting thicker. These are only the physical changes. The most profound have been mental. Like many here I've known I was female inside at an early age but for a number of reasons mostly family and career related I thought I was unable to transition sooner. I know now how wrong I was. But not to stray too far off topic, I posted the above to let you know it's well worth the wait to do hrt correctly with the correct meds prescribed by a Doctor.

I thank all of you for sharing your experiences, and can only advise to be persistent to do it correctly monitored by a physician and a therapist if possible. I myself live in a very rural area of West Central Florida and own my home. I'm not renting so I just can't pick up and move when my lease is up. So I understand some of the problems we girls can run up against in obtaining our hrt, and long one way commutes to our Doctors. My Endo is an hour and a half's drive away 3 counties over. I'm also disabled and have been since 1991 so I know the difficulties of transitioning on a "shoestring budget," as Galia put it. But mostly I understand the desperate need to transition, to be making progress, and the hurt that comes when it has to be put temporarily on hold in order to do things correctly under a Doctor's care. I've cried myself to sleep many nights over the years. So please, if your thinking about going at it solo read through this thread again. You can find the right doctors if your persistent enough. After all, we deserve long happy lives as the person we were supposed to be. What's the use of transitioning if you won't live long enough to enjoy being who you are?

Ally

[JJ]

Thank you Ally. Beautifully said

Johnny

[Guest DianeATL]

I guess there are two reasons one would not be concerned about self medicating. One if they were uninformed, the second if they did not fear the potential risks. The "girl or gone" syndrome.

[Cecilia]

On 2/19/2011 at 6:28 PM, Sascha said:

I asked Laura permission to share my story with you all. The reason I asked, is because it is serious stuff.

You probably heard the warning everywhere you went: Don't do it yourself, get help, get an endocrinologist, get therapy. And it is true. I cannot stress this enough, and that's why I want to share my story.

Literally hundreds (if not thousands) beautiful transgenders already died due to self-medication. We probably will never know how many. But the fact is, people get strokes, people get liver failure, people die, people like YOU and ME. And the only reason I am still here is because I came back to my senses. I know how bad you want hormones, I've been there too. I understand how smart and cautious you are, I was too. And yet, I used self medicating hormones with disastrous results. My doctor told me that If I never have done that blood test and kept on medicating myself, my liver would have collapsed beyond repair. I am in "luck" that I was smart enough to get my blood-work done before that happened.

I used herbal hormones for over two years.

I felt great, I felt what I wanted to feel. I did not feel any discomfort, and did not know that I was slowly poisoning my liver. You only notice when something is wrong with the most important organ in the human body when it's too late. You might think, it's herbal so it's natural, right? Wrong. In fact, some herbal hormones are so potent that they release a large dosage of metabolites in the liver when it processes those herbs. Phyto-hormones contain so many different chemicals that you are playing dice with your liver. If you use herbal hormones to enlarge your breast, (think about how ridiculous this actually is) you might want to consider to quit. Hormones do not only work on your breast tissue. They go throughout the body, in the brain, in the liver. Anyone who says that herbal hormones only works on the breasts is a flat out liar. I got all the blood-work. I got it all on paper. I got a damaged liver.

My liver was leaking enzymes into my blood.

That only happens when liver cells are dying, or when you are on the brink of a heart attack. But you won't notice it. You think you are fine. And that is the danger. Liver disease is like a silent killer hiding in the distance to take you down when you least expect it. Not only liver enzymes were leaking into my blood, also my blood was thicker than normal raising the risk of a stroke and heart attack. Do you want that to happen? No, you don't. The stone cold reality: People, manufacturers take advantage of your weakness and sell you the pipe dream of bigger breasts. It simply doesn't work that way. Please learn from my mistakes. Learn from Laura, learn from those who warn you from the grave: those who aren't here anymore because they did the same as you and me. Let us, let them be a reason for you to NEVER EVER consider to self medicate yourself with hormones. I didn't heed the advice I was given, so I don't expect anyone to learn from me either. But I feel it is my duty to WARN you. If you read this and if you are self medicating or if you want to start self medicating, please read this again and again.

You are loved, we know how difficult it is for you. But stand your ground, keep faith, trust in the wisdom from the members on Laura's forum and be willing to learn form our mistakes. Please.

Thank you for this post.  I just threw away my herbals.  I was doing Fenugreek, Saw Palmetto, Wild Yam, Dong Quai, Maca, Red Clover, Aguaje, L-Tyrosine, Fennel, Chasteberry, and Blessed Thistle.  I googled each ingredient and each seemed perfectly safe.  But better safe than sorry.  I found a Trans MD and am meeting her for the first time in August.  I hope she puts me on HRT.