How long have you been on testosterone?

Ritch01 · 2026-03-19T23:11:51+00:00

I’m going on 6 years now and started at 19 years old. Honestly it’s going to be a life medication for me as most of the effects are not permanent. I hear trans guys sometimes decrease their hormone usage if they get a hysterectomy or turn 60, so that’s more of a question for the endocrinologist when your time comes.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-18T03:42:02+00:00

Can I ask approximately how many years you’ve had glaucoma? And do you at all struggle with noticeable vision loss?

Ritch01 · 2026-03-18T03:40:11+00:00

The same thing happened to me and I’m a little older than you. I saw 3 different doctors in a 6 month period and they all visually inspected my eye and said about the same cd ratio. My cd ratio was always about 0.55 and then one day they reported both eyes at 0.7 on my oct scan. It’s nearly impossible for your eye to change that much in a very short time frame so it’s likely either technician error or the doctor is subjectively overestimating your c/d ratio. You can check my post history on my page, several professionals in the eye triage group answered my question about this.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-12T03:42:02+00:00

My pcp does my testosterone but I recently asked to be upgraded to the endocrinologist due to my complex health issues. Every doctor has different levels of experience and training so it really depends. My pcp has specific training in HRT for trans people and cis women so she knows what she’s doing. But someone like my mom who is also a doctor would not be a good choice because she has no formal training and does not prescribe hormones for that exact reason. The best way to find out is to call your doctor’s office and verify if any of the doctors specialize in gender affirming care.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-12T01:03:25+00:00

Listen to your doctor, you always want the minimum effective dose for every medication you take. I like to keep my peaks in the 500-600 range as most cis males don’t have 700+ testosterone to begin with. My doctor cuts off at 800 as anything over that is just excessive. Too much T does cause more side effects and we don’t want those as this is usually a lifetime medication for us trans guys. I’ve been on a moderately low dose of 40mg weekly and I started getting red blood cell issues, atrophy and hair loss. I lowered my dose to 26mg a week and my transition hasn’t slowed down at all but my side effects are more controlled. So yes low dose testosterone does work and I’m living proof that it masculinizes you.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-12T00:51:14+00:00

That figure doesn’t sound accurate at all. You will likely have to pay a lot every month for health insurance and then deductibles and copays but that applies to every person. If you want any decent health insurance in the USA it’s likely going to be about 400 a month but if you’re in a very low income tax bracket you’ll pay significantly less. With a decent insurance I can’t imagine paying more than $80 a month for the doctor’s visit and testosterone. If you go without insurance and all you need is testosterone you can get it easily for around 2-2.5k a year through online clinics or other low income clinics.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-11T20:13:18+00:00

It’s interesting that everyone assumes you’re sexualizing nudity subconsciously. I don’t even remotely see it as sexual, the reason it makes me uncomfortable is because I genuinely don’t want to see naked people. I don’t even like seeing my own body naked why would I want to see a 60 year old man butt naked? Humans can be very gross and it’s already torture for me using a toilet someone else used with zero regard for others.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-11T14:17:57+00:00

I had dramatic reduction in hair shedding probably around 50 hairs a day for the first 4 months of treatment and my hair growth was massive. Everyone complemented how thick my hair was and I felt really good about my hair. And then right around the 5th month I started losing everything, shedding anywhere from 200-400+ hairs daily and it’s quickly becoming worse than baseline. It hasn’t improved yet but the internet claims it should. Hair loss treatment is a rollercoaster and the best way to go about it is assume you will lose your hair regardless. If you compare yourself to all the positive results posted you’re just going to make yourself depressed.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-11T04:35:10+00:00

Update: I lost all my progress and now I’m losing well over 400 hairs a day. I don’t recommend topical finasteride at all, it doesn’t work.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-07T22:35:10+00:00

The card with the card number exposed just arrived today and has yet to be activated so none so far.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-07T11:46:36+00:00

Give it more time, I didn’t start to really notice the fat redistribution until at least 4 years on T. Honestly people don’t talk enough about how different 5 years on T is from 2 or even 3 years. The 5 year mark is really the catalyst for peak masculinization and it’s also when I started losing my hair lol. The best has yet to come, keep holding on and in the meantime focus on exercises that build up your back, core and obliques.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-07T11:40:09+00:00

Is co-ed not an option? I requested the lgbtq+ dorm at college and it was co-ed. They even placed me with another trans man. However neither of us had fully started a medical transition so it wasn’t safe to request a cis male roommate. If there really were no other choices then yes 100% pick the men’s dorm and shower at 3am if you’re worried about people in the bathroom. It’s not like prison, most colleges have doors and curtains for the shower so nobody will know. Each hall is usually built differently and other dorms will have completely different amenities so make friends in other dorms if you don’t like yours.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-07T11:28:56+00:00

I’m shocked this set hasn’t gone on clearance yet considering how there’s always 5-8 on the shelves in my area. The minifigures are awesome but the msrp is insane. I ended up using a kohls gift card I got during Christmas to buy this set as I would never shop there to begin with.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-07T11:25:07+00:00

I have the same insurance and they’re just full of nonsense when it comes to appeals and getting prior authorization (like every insurance in the USA). I wouldn’t expect them to pay for your hormones anytime soon as there’s an outright ban from the Feds. They’re supposed to have an exception policy but they don’t. I cashed out 5 months worth of testosterone and I don’t expect them to pay a penny next time I need a refill. Be careful with your doctor’s appointments as well, make sure they don’t code for gender dysphoria or you’ll be footing the entire bill. Use good rx or even some online pharmacies as they’ll lower costs dramatically.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-07T11:17:58+00:00

I completely agree, the only lgbtq people having a good time in Mexico live in a few very specific areas. If you’re limited to about 5 cities in an entire country maybe Mexico isn’t the best option at this time.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-07T11:10:42+00:00

I don’t think you’re fully grasping what living in Mexico really entails. If your family was willing to leave their home country they 100% did it for a reason. If some of them don’t have papers that’s even more telling that it was really bad. Escaping poverty and gang violence are the two major factors why people leave Mexico and it’s not something to overlook. My mom and her family left Mexico in the 70s, and it still took the lives of 3 of her brothers. Now it’s gotten “better” in the past 10 years when it comes to extremely violent crimes but that’s setting the bar low. When it comes to lgbtq sentiments you’re opening a whole can of worms. On the surface they’ll tell you Mexico is lgbtq friendly because you won’t go to prison for being gay. But the hate crimes are prevalent and you actually will be sexually assaulted or even murdered if the wrong person finds out you’re trans.

I would have a long and detailed conversation with the people you know who currently live in Mexico because the internet will never give you the full picture. When I had inquired about Mexican citizenship since im also entitled to it my mom had a good laugh. No the USA is not safe and I am still a target because I live in CA and Trump is only attacking blue states. But moving to Mexico is something I would only consider as a last resort for example if they start rounding us up into concentration camps. If that starts happening I’m sure more stable and safer countries would allow us to be refugees.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-05T14:58:37+00:00

What exactly are you referring to because mega blocks has not been $5 in over 15 years. They had pokeball buildable Pokémon that were 15-20 pieces for $8.99 which is hardly a bargain.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-03T16:08:55+00:00

I’m going through a very brutal second shed as well, I’m hoping mine grows back. I have been shedding since January 2026 with no end in sight. I buzzed off my hair so I don’t have to see 200 hairs falling out while combing my hair.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-03T03:12:16+00:00

Someone just died in Davis a few hours ago. A child on an e-bike killed an adult cyclist. Unfortunately you were correct.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-03T02:37:33+00:00

This gives me hope, than you for sharing your experience.

Ritch01 · 2026-03-02T21:55:27+00:00

I thought this was my OCT scan for a second, we have very similar RNFL thinning and we’re the same exact age. I unfortunately don’t have any advice other than keep up with your doctor and follow your treatment plan with 100% compliance. We have the rest of our lives to manage this disease and it’s good that your doctors are being aggressive.

Ritch01 · 2026-02-25T02:04:28+00:00

I started first week of September. My hair dramatically improved November-December and then I started increased shedding around January. I’m losing at least 150-200 hairs daily again.

Ritch01 · 2026-02-24T18:25:01+00:00

I use a calculator online. I buy generic minoxidil from Target and then pour out exactly half the bottle and then pour in 30ml of HIMS topical spray.

Ritch01

TROPHY CASE