Low dose HRT

[Michelle_Anne]

I just started with a therapist and wanted to ask a question on starting HRT on a low dose.

I’m not out to anyone yet and not sure how long it will be  till I am.  I wanted to know if the doses of HRT are low enough can it it help with the dysphoria and improve things mentally and just all around help me feel better with showing very little to no physical changes?   Just wanted to ask in here to get some real feedback before it comes up in therapy.

 

[Carolyn Marie]

That's a tough question to answer, hon.  IMO, it is certainly possible to start with a low dose and get good results dysphoria-wise.  But it is more difficult to make predictions about physical effects, as they differ dramatically from one person to the next.  That probably isn't a very helpful answer, but it's the best I can do.  I doubt that even most Endos could do better.

 

Carolyn Marie

[VickySGV]

Since 2009 I have been on a dosage that friends who know it have claimed would do nothing for me, and yet I have had great results with the whole works.  As my Endocrinologists  and a couple or six medical books have told me, it is not nearly the dose you receive as what YOUR body was programmed to do with it back in your mothers uterus as you were getting ready to be born.  It takes 3 to six months to get up and running with physical change on you, and then three to 6 years to peak out.  I have always been on the "ineffective" dose level my friends talk about but if you read my comments here and other places on the forums, you will see I am pretty happy with life.  Some medical teams are using HRT as a test to see how far you need to go, and some people get nothing from it but are still Trans, out and Happy without the stuff.  If you like it, the 3 to six months and then 3 years + will give you and others time to think at least.

[Michelle_Anne]

23 hours ago, VickySGV said:

Since 2009 I have been on a dosage that friends who know it have claimed would do nothing for me, and yet I have had great results with the whole works.  As my Endocrinologists  and a couple or six medical books have told me, it is not nearly the dose you receive as what YOUR body was programmed to do with it back in your mothers uterus as you were getting ready to be born.  It takes 3 to six months to get up and running with physical change on you, and then three to 6 years to peak out.  I have always been on the "ineffective" dose level my friends talk about but if you read my comments here and other places on the forums, you will see I am pretty happy with life.  Some medical teams are using HRT as a test to see how far you need to go, and some people get nothing from it but are still Trans, out and Happy without the stuff.  If you like it, the 3 to six months and then 3 years + will give you and others time to think at least.

Agree.  The three to six month time frame was kind of why I was asking.  I’m still trying to sort out when I would ever come out to family. But figured a Los dose would help me internally in the mean time.   I’ve read a lot where people will start out low and feel way better than expected and want to keep going. 

[VickySGV]

41 minutes ago, Michelle_Anne said:

  I’ve read a lot where people will start out low and feel way better than expected and want to keep going.

 

This would be a definite sign that it is right for you.  I had a visit with my Endocrinologist last week, and she was saying that they give low doses to Cis women who are having depression problems after menopause and getting good results with apparently very tiny tiny risk.  She grinned at me and said that it is something being learned from Trans women, and helping cis women. 

[Ivy]

I started on a pretty low dose.  It was gradually increased over the last 3 years.

Some people told me they could see physical changes in the beginning.  I'm not so sure myself.  I certainly felt better.

 

In the past year I've noticed considerably more physical changes.  Apparently I'm on a fairly normal dose now*.  However I'm pretty sure I could pass as a man with a loose top, if I actually wanted to.  (I'm in my 70's anyway)

 

As is often said,"Your milage may vary"

 

 

*I had a whole thing going on about doses with a couple other girls lately.  Turned out I was comparing patches to injections.  I'm kinda dumb like that sometimes.

[Michelle_Anne]

9 hours ago, VickySGV said:

 

This would be a definite sign that it is right for you.  I had a visit with my Endocrinologist last week, and she was saying that they give low doses to Cis women who are having depression problems after menopause and getting good results with apparently very tiny tiny risk.  She grinned at me and said that it is something being learned from Trans women, and helping cis women. 

I’m in no rush.  There’s a lot of exploring with my therapist that will happen over the next few sessions. I’m sure a discussion about hormones will come up soon enough.   I’m just so happy I found a solid gender affirming therapist.  The fact that hormones is even on my radar tells myself how far I’ve come. 

[Bobbi-BI]

I have a question pertaining to HRT. I'm now into the 30th month of the 36 month regime and my mind is almost exploding with the desire to write Poetry of both slightly humerus and serious in content for the past 6 months. This has resulted in my having to release my first book shortly.  My question is has anyone else had an almost compulsive need to wright and to want to acquire friends?

 

[Ivy]

 

10 hours ago, Bobbi-BI said:

My question is has anyone else had an almost compulsive need to wright and to want to acquire friends?

 

I've had a compulsion to write for most of my life. (although I'm unpublished)  I'm not sure it has much to do with my HRT though.  I do feel that being transgender does affect my writing now.  As far as in the past… maybe… probably… hard to say.

 

There's a lot more to this of course.  I'm open to talking about this stuff, but I am just a dumb dumb about it.

[Bobbi-BI]

 

BI

response to @Jandi - Has your style or your topics changed post HRT?

 

 

“My mind having freed itself of shackles will no longer be suppressed”

BI

 

[CD Rachel]

@Bobbi-BIMy "compulsion" to write has sky rocketed. I feel like I am much more in touch with my feelings. I am writing poetry and have even written a short story. I often feel as like if I do not start writing what I am feeling that I will explode. I am also feeling much differently about reaching out to others. Before I wanted to but it was a weak desire, but the urge to go out and be seen as Rachel and wanting to be where the people are has greatly increased. I feel that I am willing to put myself out there now and meet new people and make new friends. Oh and I almost never danced before. I was very self conscious and felt like a total idiot out on the dance floor. BUT Rachel dances!! She loves to dance. Dancing is better than $3x!!! Do not stand between me and the dance floor, someone may get hurt. LOL

 

Oh also when I write it is an emotional thing. I can only seem to write when I have tears pouring down my cheeks. I look up from my tear soaked keyboard and something beautiful has appeared on the page.  Something that has been purchased with my pain. 

 

~Rachel

 

[Ivy]

On 8/13/2022 at 5:19 PM, Bobbi-BI said:

Has your style or your topics changed post HRT?

Well, I'm certainly more open about things transgender.  I'm not sure how much would be due to hormones.  

When I first started on HRT I was in a local writers' group.  Everyone else was female.  One story I was working on involved a switch into another "world."  In the switch, the character also switched genders.  I hadn't really planed that, it just came out that way.  I was real hesitant to share that, but the women actually liked it.

 

Since then I have posted some things in online sites with transgender themes.  And written some poems about this stuff.

 

But I don't know if the hormones were specifically involved.  I do get emotionally involved with my characters, perhaps a little more. IDK.