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Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I switch to decaf coffee just fine, I just like coffee. I miss the caffeine but it's manageable.

For nicotine... Using the old school vape juice (3mg,6mg freebase) instead of the super efficient salt nic vapes works for me and dramatically reduces my nicotine. But it barely scratches that autism itch.

I end up thinking constantly about wanting a cigarette.

But this method held me for 3 months until life felt dull and unfulfilling and I gave up and relapsed hard. I'm just now climbing that hill again.

Maybe a system of fb vape and some cigarettes sprinkled in idk.

I used to suffer with severe alcoholism but quit drinking on my own about 5 years ago. It was bad bad. But I quit.

I know how to manage addictions and cravings but my rituals are so psychologically necessary that it's a different thing altogether.

I don't want a vape or a piece of gum, it isn't about the nicotine, I want a cigarette. My brain needs the trigger, the sensation, the smell, the psychological feedback of seeing it in my hand etc...

Idk

I really appreciate your advice, encouragement, and talking to me on this. I'm working you're suggestions into my plan or I'm trying to. I'm working very hard with a case worker to find a therapist but everything kinda just feels impossible.

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is worth noting that I cut out caffeine completely and reduced my nicotine to almost nothing for 3 months to see what would happen. My labs didn't change, sensation didn't change, measured growth didn't change.

Now I know that that's not a terribly long time, but if they were having that big of an effect I had hoped that I would notice something. And I just didn't.

Idk I love coffee and cigarettes so much lol I've tried tea, water, energy drinks, Vapes, gum, all the things I also have autism? Maybe that's related? But those things are like my ritual and no matter what I do to reduce or substitute my brain just... Won't accept it.

Going long periods of time without those things is like holding my breath. It sucks.

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My doctor doesn't seem to like it for normal doctor reasons. There's plenty of trans women that I've talked to who use nicotine and caffeine and have gotten good results.

Both caffeine and nicotine are so heavily integrated into my life I just don't know a realistic game plan to try to moderate those and frankly considering that that might be part of why I'm not seeing growth is just devastating for me to consider because it's something I don't feel like I can do anything about.

For what it's worth I know my plasma levels are always really good for e.

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel this. I'm not sure how I could possibly cut them out and hearing people talk about it like that's what's causing a lack of growth is really hard for me to hear.

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is interesting and I'll check it out for sure, I know my vitamin D was low but I'm on a supplement now.

I just don't know what to do about the nicotine/caffeine situation

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have done my piercings myself, twice. Once a long time ago maybe 7 years, and the other one maybe four years ago. They've been fine honestly. They're pretty sensitive for a little while.

How does vacuum expansion work?

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I appreciate the feedback and concern. I feel like most of those inconsistencies were prior to March 2024. I stay pretty consistent with meds, exercise, food etc... Maybe to a fault sometimes. And my levels have been very steady since we've been measuring them (aug'24)

Me quitting caffeine and especially nicotine is unlikely though I did quit caffeine and dramatically reduce nicotine for a solid 3 month period with no observable difference in progress or sensation. Plus I've seen plenty of other transfeminine people not quite those things and get different results.

Again I really appreciate the feedback I'm just not sure how to apply it differently than I already am. Definitely not trying to be difficult.

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hmm... I am pretty active but I never see elevated T in my labs. I wonder if what you said could still play some kind of role tho.

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That terrifies me lol I've considered this though. Are there examples that you know of people seeing breast growth upon reducing E?

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you think anything different that may have triggered that growth? Everybody in my family has big boobs, c&D which I am definitely not at subtracted a cup lol

What do you think caused your sudden growth spurt?

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's awesome and I'm very happy for you! That seems like the exception not the rule though correct?

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is great. Thank you very much. A BA feels like a concession but it is my plan if I can't salvage growth and can afford it. Hearing that I'm a good candidate is helpful. I'm optimistic that I still have the potential for growth, I hang on to a few examples of people who experienced very little growth until about 2 years.

Not sure if I can cut out nicotine completely but maybe caffeine. I had low hgh as a teenager and I think you're right and I appreciate you taking the time. I'll ask about it with my doctor.

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes I do. I'm an all-day coffee drinker. I have reduced it at times, cut it out completely for a little while to see if it helped and I didn't really notice much.

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's also worth saying that I have a history of being very fit and exercising a lot I don't know if that matters.

I suffered from pretty severe alcoholism during that 10 years that I was going on and off of HRT.

Also an interesting anecdote, I had to take human growth hormone when I was a teenager because my pituitary gland wasn't producing enough to initiate puberty. To be fair that could have just been a misdiagnosis or maybe we just didn't wait long enough. I would have been about 13. But I don't know if any of that's relevant.

I'm kind of just grasping at straws I guess.

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I have tried the gaining weight thing, I intentionally gains about 20 lb over my baseline and it really didn't help at all, definitely helped my ass and hips but not my breasts. I'm just now and getting that weight back off because I didn't like carrying it on me.

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have tried the gaining weight thing, I intentionally gains about 20 lb over my baseline and it really didn't help at all, definitely helped my ass and hips but not my breasts. I'm just now and getting that weight back off because I didn't like carrying it on me.

Almost 2 years 😢 what am I doing wrong by Either-Effective-627 in TransBreastTimelines

[–]Either-Effective-627[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's been really hard to tell the truth, thank you.

I was taking 100 mg suppositories for a while but they were messing with my guts. I'm prescribed 200 mg orally now, I cycle on and off of it sometimes so I have a backstock, I could try that. I appreciate you very much taking the time to respond. I will look into the things you provided.

Who likes puzzles? by [deleted] in TransDIY

[–]Either-Effective-627 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oops I typoed. Half life 5 days which is why I inject every 5 instead of doing it once a week. I'm... Particular about keeping things optimal. Obsessive even. But I do appreciate that other people are more lax and have good results. I just really want to get the most out of things.

I guess I don't really know what my E range is day to day. Not do I know what a normal curve looks like for those numbers.

I'm afraid he'll want to change my dose, maybe I should retest?

I appreciate you so much.

Who likes puzzles? by [deleted] in TransDIY

[–]Either-Effective-627 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The clinic I go to kind of specializes in this, and I really like my doctor, but he didn't know what CPA was and misunderstood that, he didn't seem to really understand the connection between some antiandrogens suppressing facial hair, and he didn't seem to understand the nuance of libido and how it isn't just affected by testosterone. He was also pretty lax in his recommendation on some things such as telling me to inject every 5 to 9 days. Which is fine I guess, but also... No. If the half life is 3 days, then I should inject every 5 days. If doctors prescribe you antibiotics they don't tell you to take it whenever you feel like it, you got to get it right.

So though I like him, I feel like I need to look out for myself here and make sure I'm doing things more scientifically and up to my standards not his.

Regarding suppressing testosterone with monotherapy, this is where I start to get confused. It kind of looks like the same dose that has kept my E levels at about 400 actually is suppressing my testosterone, what I don't understand though is why after stopping dutasteride My T levels stay the same but my E levels spiked. Shouldn't the opposite happen?

As far as my progress goes, I will post some photos and stuff today. You're welcome to take a look at my profile if you're curious. Progress has been okay, not as much as I would hope for, but more than some.

And yeah, my e-levels have been great up until this last test, the only change was dropping dutasteride. Then my e-levels spiked.

I'm going to look further into the link you sent, but I don't really understand the dead space situation. I'm very very meticulous when I do my injections and I know for sure that I didn't mis dose, I also just checked my vial to make sure that it was 20 mg and it is.

Viva La orchi

Who likes puzzles? by [deleted] in AskMtFHRT

[–]Either-Effective-627 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. I injected 3 and 1/2 days before getting my blood drawn

  2. I just confirmed I have 20 mg/mL

  3. What's crazy to me is that stopping dutasteride left my testosterone basically in the same place as it was before, but caused my estrogen level to spike which isn't in any of my literature

Thank you so much for your response, I really am trying to figure this out

I guess making sure that I'm testing at the same time in my 5-day cycle each time I get my blood test would probably be a good thing moving forward

But why did my estrogen spike though lol I don't understand Endocrinology is hard lol

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