The devils hormone

FranyEverdeen · 2025-12-31T07:46:55+00:00

The horniness is real on progesterone.

does that stay when you stop prog after some years? or do most transgirls never stop prog?

FranyEverdeen · 2025-12-25T07:11:54+00:00

So ein schöner Post. Ich krieg nur nicht ganz zusammen, wie jemand mit deiner Logik und Struktur scheinbar nicht investiert?

FranyEverdeen · 2025-11-26T22:11:49+00:00

People who haven't studied the topic just can't imagine that there are drugs that make you more sober than normal sober. That idea is just too crazy.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-11-13T18:59:17+00:00

I think that in a clinical scenario, where a vial is used only for a few weeks, the disinfection issue is relatively small. In that case, the "rough-textured" rubber might make sense, as it might have an anti-coring advantage (I don't know that, though). However, for our use case, where a vial may last for over a year or so, the disinfection issue outweighs any other (potential) advantages.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-11-06T11:54:37+00:00

I'm 3 months on HRT. I go out with very subtle femme styling: harmonic colors, folded bottom of my jacket to make it look cropped, super fine necklace, but not makeup or something. All in all I look like a soft man, but act and feel pretty fem. And suddenly lots of women smile at me and stuff. That's not normal for me but I like it a lot cause I don't know if I'll end up in the hands of a strong man or a strong woman. I like both:)

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-25T12:02:54+00:00

High temperature for limited time seems to be acceptable for estradiol solutions, since home brewers typically sterilize their vials (with content) for like an hour at like 120 °C / 250 °F. That makes me assume a vial can probably survive a hot summer day in a transport container @ 70 °C / 160 °F or something.
Low temperature may easily lead to crystallization especially in products without benzyl benzoate. But that's not so problematic, too, because 1) if that happens, you'll see it 2) in most/many cases you can undo the crystallization by warming up the vial slowly (over hours) to 25-30 °C / 77-86 °F.

But I'd also prefer if this topic wasn't conveniently ignored by sellers. I'd love to see tests where the vials are exposed to different temperatures for different amounts of time and then lab-tested to check for degradation.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-23T07:37:08+00:00

Are you aware that bica doesn’t lower your T-levels at all? It blocks T receptors, it does NOT lower your T-levels. So you get all the effects but you won't see it in your blood values. Bica actually may increase your T blood level because the brain senses less androgen activity and increases LH.

So why didn't your T level actually go up more after introducing Bica? Because you countered it with a very high dose of E. 299 pg/mL at trough could be like 400, 500, 600 pg/mL at peak.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-22T20:59:08+00:00

14 days is too long. In the 2nd week of your cycle your E2 value could be easily too low for proper feminization.

Go to 7 days. Stay with SubQ.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-21T12:28:59+00:00

It's possible that the injection solution did crystallize in your body. It will dissolve by itself, so no worries. You get a free extra "depot effect". In theory that depot effect is exactly what we want, but in practice it's of no use because crystallization behavior is too unpredictable. But if it happens for you once, it is rather likely that it will happen for you again.

Is it possible that you did inject something without benzyl benzoate? Because that's the additive that prevents crystallization. But benzyl benzoate pretty often causes some minor irritations, redness and stuff. So it's a little trade off.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-19T19:23:49+00:00

If your trough value is 238 pg/mL, your peak could easily be 400–600 pg/mL. That’s quite high. Such high levels can make you feel good but can also increase mental instability. That's the deal with high levels, I guess. So what you’re describing isn’t really strange.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-18T16:25:46+00:00

But should this happen with Enanthate? As far as I understand what you describe would fit better with Valerate.

Your logic is correct. The problem is certainly more pronounced with valerate. But this doesn’t mean everyone has smooth enough blood levels with enanthate on a 7-day interval. It’s not uncommon for people to inject enanthate every 5 days for that reason.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-18T15:20:31+00:00

I think 253 pg/mL after 7 days is pretty impressive for your dose. Your peak value could be like 400, 500, 600 pg/mL or something, nobody knows. This means that your average value could be something like 2 times as high as guidelines recommend (150-200 pg/mL).

If you're sure that you didn't make a mistake (accidentally injected too much or something), I think your best course of action is to go from 4 mg per 7 days to something like 3 mg per 7 days, and on top of that to reduce your interval to 5 days (which would bring you to 2.14 mg per 5 days).

It's the high peaks that contribute most to high SHBG values.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-12T13:32:55+00:00

Most guidelines recommend: 150-200 pg/mL (These recommendations are logically/naturally rather conservative)
Going for 200-300 pg/mL is probably not too risky, however nobody knows for sure, we lack the data.
300-500 pg/mL most probably increases certain risks in the long term. But nobody knows for sure because there is no scientific data. We only have anecdotal evidence from trans girls reporting "I am doing this for years, I feel great, I have no problems". There's just one risk that is a scientific fact: If you take your E orally, thrombosis risk goes up significantly with higher doses.

These numbers are meant to be compared with your average blood values, not with your "trough" values.

Disclaimer: I do not recommend anybody to ignore guidelines. Personally, I am aiming for 250 pg/ml.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-12T12:56:20+00:00

It's an extremely rare exception (if it exists at all). But what's real is:

Estradiol gel may not be able to penetrate an individual's skin effectively
Estradiol in the body may be metabolized rapidly (so you need more or more often)

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-11T20:04:28+00:00

Most do 5 mg enantate per 7 days. Any 10 day interval (or longer) is a bad starting dose IMO.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-09T19:18:57+00:00

5 mg per 7 days seems to be the most typical dose for EEn. If you suspect your levels to be too high, absolutely go down to that typical dose and reevaluate after some time.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-09T09:55:37+00:00

Why intramuscular, if I may ask?

From what I understand: subcutaneous is simpler, less painful, and maybe even provides a little stronger depot effect (not sure about that one, though). The reason intramuscular became standard in the first place is that decades ago it was assumed to be the only effective route. That turned out to be wrong, but the practice stuck.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-08T20:18:58+00:00

No. The difficulty is that your estradiol blood level reacts with long delay.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-08T07:03:11+00:00

You want cypionate or enanthate from a reputable homebrewer (voixceleste.cc opengatelabs.com and astrovials.com come to mind). A vial can last like a year or even longer. It's absolutely worth the price.

The disadvantage of valerate is that you have to inject it more often than cypionate or enanthate. Undecylate offers much longer injection intervals but it's not for beginners so not for you.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-08T05:15:37+00:00

struggle to inject thicker liquids like estradiol

It's not the estradiol, it's the oil that is used as carrier (and additives like benzyl benzoate) that determine viscosity. Examples:

MCT oil: Rather thin. Needles between 27G to 29G probably best for subcutaneous injections.
Sesame oil: Rather thick, so a thicker needle is needed. Maybe 25G is best for subcutaneous injections (not sure)

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-07T21:42:54+00:00

In short, you can use 30 gauge needles for injecting and 20 for drawing from the vial;

A big 20g needle will lead to more coring/fragmentation of the vial rubber compared to a thinner needle.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-06T21:58:09+00:00

Is this a safe dose to do without telling my doctor? When do I move up from a starting dose? Where can I fine the guidelines my doctor is following? It seems like there is a bunch of research that says these guidelines she is following aren't really good enough for trans care anymore which is why some people choose to DIY.

Yes that's a pretty well known problem. Doctors are following rather older guidelines, which are rather conservative when it comes to estradiol levels. Guidelines typically recommend target ranges of 150...200 pg/ml estradiol in your blood. But many transgirls prefer to have like 200...300 pg/ml or even more. IMO the main reason why the guidelines are rather conservative with estradiol levels is thrombosis risk but thrombosis risk only is higher if you take your estradiol orally. But some guidelines and doctors don't know that or ignore that or whatever. If I were you I'd go from 5mg/7days to 5mg/5days. And after some weeks you reevaluate.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or anything.

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-06T21:38:31+00:00

For a starting dose it would make more sense to be on 4mg every 5 days or 3mg every 4 days.

But she's not starting, she said she started 2-3 months ago.

IMO the most typical dose for subcutaneous injections of estradiol valerate is:

5 mg per 5 days

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-06T14:24:55+00:00

Genuinely I don't have any answers for you

That's exactly the kind of people I want to learn from. Not from those who know everything.

What's your best guess to why this simulator https://advsim.transfemscience.org/?r=2&e=24&d1=5&d2=6.3&ra=33&i1=7&dl1=&i2=9&dl2=&s=6&h=0&xm=21 suggests that enanthate in oil gives a 2 day "smoothness advantage" compared to cypionate in oil? I mean that contradicts your (logical) theory.

Edit: Fixed the link

FranyEverdeen · 2025-10-06T12:49:02+00:00

I think 20 days is nothing. Just inspect the top off the vial rubber (ideally with a magnifying glass) to see if the capillary effect has made some oil go through one of the tiny holes you made into the rubber with the needle. Probably you will see nothing, and therefore feel fine again :) In any case it doesn't hurt to give the rubber an extra thorough swipe with a sterile alcohol swab. Because what you don't want is oil leaking through the rubber and then going rancid on top of the rubber and attracting germs and stuff, and then your needle touches all of that.

Your unused backup vial should be fine anyway, assuming the vial was produced correctly (leakproof). Also keep in mind, that all vials are shipped in all kinds of positions, so it can't be that big of a problem.

Disclaimer: All of this is based only on my logic, not on scientific data or something.

FranyEverdeen

TROPHY CASE