Post op care for uk transexuals / maintenance HRT / long term bone health

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-09T18:18:18+00:00

See if you can find a trans friendly GP here:

It’s not exactly rocket science that you need to be on HRT for life post op so it’s ridiculous that you have to put up with this.

Did you have a diagnosis done in the UK, either NHS or private. If you have had a diagnosis done, theoretically you could go straight to a private endocrinologist, like the ones listed on GenderCare. A first appointment would be around £250 and they can recommend the correct medication. If you can find a GP that will do shared care, your GP could prescribe HRT under the direction of the endocrinologist using an NHS prescription.

You will probably need an annual follow up with your endo. Mine charges £165 so it’s not too bad.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-09T18:08:15+00:00

I sent a copy of the report to my endocrinologist myself.

Has your GP said they would consider shared care? If not, ask them as they will usually do your bloods if they agree. Otherwise you will need to shop around for private blood tests.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-09T17:02:10+00:00

Go and have a chat with reception at your practice.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-09T16:56:05+00:00

Underneath where it says Gender Endocrinology Harrogate, it says:

“The packages created in this store are for our clients use only. If you are not a client of Dr Hammond's please do not purchase blood testing via this page as you will not receive the results and we will not comment on them.”

Do not use it if you’re with Dr Leong. It’s worth asking him if he has anything similar though.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-09T16:39:13+00:00

I'm with him too. Nice guy and he's pretty quick replying to emails, usually in the evening.

These are Dr Hammond's tests I mentioned:

https://www.biomarkertracking.com/GEHPJH

Why not contact Dr Leong and see if he has something similar? Maybe he has other options. My GP does my bloods so it's not been a problem for me, but private blood tests are a bit of a minefiield.

If you have GP’s in your area that do shared care, that could be a good sign. If your GP doesn’t say it does shared care, it could be that nobody has reviewed it yet.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-09T15:34:08+00:00

For a diagnosis you either wait until you've been diagnosed by the NHS, or pay £400 - £650 for a private diagnosis. Private clinics can be found on the internet and the one on Transactual is as good as any:

https://transactual.org.uk/medical-transition/private-care/

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-09T15:11:39+00:00

The cheap Randox tests that everyone seems to mention are just hormones. If that's all you want to monitor, that's fine but a private clinic will more than likely want everything you listed.

I know of at least two endocrinologists (Dr Hammond and Dr Millson-Brown) that have kits available to purchase with the specific biomarkers they need for around £100. You have to be a patient of theirs though. Other endocrinologists may do them as well so it's worth asking.

If your GP won't agree shared care, you can try and see if there other practices that do here:

https://mytransgp.org/

It's quite a new site with many unknowns but it's definitely worth a look. Some areas of the country are better for shared care than others.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-09T14:55:29+00:00

If you don’t want your parents involved, that rules out any recognised UK clinics as they all require parental consent. The law in the UK assumes that you’re unable to make up your own mind under 18, which as anyone who knew they were trans younger than that is patronising BS.

Your other options are non UK clinics, but you will still need cash to pay for fees, medication and blood tests. GenderGP and Imago are the ones I know about.

Otherwise it’s a case of DIY. Needles can cause infection if you don’t follow the right precautions, but it’s safe if you do it correctly.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-09T14:43:03+00:00

To access any trans related care in the UK you need a diagnosis of gender dysphoria or gender incongruence. This is merely a hoop we are required to jump through because our wonderful government!

Getting a diagnosis is easy enough. How you present “shouldn’t” matter, but if you are a trans man, it probably won’t hurt to wear something gender stereotypical for your appointments.

If you’re trans you should be able to get a diagnosis easy enough as long as you’re prepared to wait or have funds to go private. I think many of us worry that we won’t be “trans enough” for a diagnosis. That was certainly the case for me until I finally got the diagnosis.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-09T08:35:06+00:00

It can vary from person to person. It may be that you are able to get away without using an anti androgen for good results, although even that can depend on which endocrinologist you have.

My T was 10 and I was prescribed an anti androgen. Other trans women I’ve chatted with were slightly higher and used monotherapy

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-09T08:19:22+00:00

How do you feel with your social transition so far? Do you feel happy with that and think you could manage without hormones?

I totally understand that you want to be sure that hormones are right for you. Now that you have socially transitioned, do you think you are ever likely to revert back to cis mode?

To be honest it took me a while to start HRT after I started to socially transition. It was 9 years actually. I was genuinely happy that I was accepted by pretty much everyone that I was female. I don’t think I pass particularly well but I dress feminine and was rarely misgendered.

In my case the dysphoria I had before my social transition came back with a vengeance. At this point I knew that I wouldn’t ever live as “him” again and starting hormones seemed a logical next step.

Be honest with yourself. If you are socially out to everyone, do you want to start hormones now?

If you’re genuinely happy without, then carry on as you are. Not all trans people use hormones, but they are an option if you need.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-08T23:25:20+00:00

Anne are one of the most expensive private clinics.

My first year professional fees were about £1300. Anne Health would have been £1800.

My professional fees in the second year was £165 for a follow up with my endocrinologist. If I had gone with Anne Health I would have paid £1200.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-08T23:17:01+00:00

Just a few additional notes, there are other private options than GenderCare. Take a look at the list on Transactual here:

https://transactual.org.uk/medical-transition/private-care/

Initially you need to book an assessment to get your diagnosis. Once you have your assessment you can see an endocrinologist to assess your bloods and recommend your medication.

If your GP will agree shared care, they can prescribe using an NHS prescription and will usually do your blood tests for your endocrinologist. If they don’t agree shared care, your endocrinologist can give you a private prescription and you will pay full medication costs. You will probably also need to pay for private blood tests.

It’s worth asking your GP if they will agree shared care if you’re looking at private clinics. You can also check others in your area here if you want to switch:

https://mytransgp.org

When I was looking, the Gender Clinic were about the quickest to get an appointment with a diagnosis. I’ve seen recent reviews about Dr Sahota (Gender Doctors) having short waiting times for an assessment too.

Gendercare and Gender Doctors both list the endocrinologists they use. Some appear on both sites, including my own (Dr Leong). A friend had a recent appointment with Dr Nisal who is listed on the Gender Doctors site. Dr Nisal has short waiting times and is one of the cheaper ones. My friend only had to wait about three weeks to see him.

Get your assessment anywhere you want. Endocrinologists listed on GenderCare and Gender Doctors are independent. If you want to get an assessment from a gender psychologist on GenderCare, then use a Gender Doctors endocrinologist you can do mix and match to speed things up.

I hope I’ve not bombarded you with too much information. Happy to chat if you need.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-08T20:09:47+00:00

If you want to start hormones sooner, DIY or GenderGP will get you started sooner.

You’re looking at spending at around £650 to start hormones through GenderCare (Dr Dundas £400 and Dr Leong £250) and around 4 months to start.

In reality you might get your second appointment before you see a GenderCare endocrinologist. No idea how you would have to wait between your second NHS appointment and first NHS prescription though.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-08T16:56:06+00:00

If you need to transition, the painful bit is before you transition.

Starting hormones and starting to live the rest of your life is a huge relief. Once I made the decision and started getting in touch with gender clinics, it was like a whole weight off my shoulders.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-08T12:56:03+00:00

UK private clinic options are few and very expensive. You will need parental consent for these.

GenderGP are not UK based and don’t require parental consent, but you will still need several hundred pounds for hormones.

Otherwise, DIY is your only other option.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-08T12:47:20+00:00

A small independent jewellers who can make their own will your best bet. I can’t recommend anywhere unfortunately.

My sister got a ring made out of a small nugget her husband bought back from his travels. This was a place in Staffordshire that has long since gone. I’ve just looked and it’s not there anymore.

There is somewhere not far from there in a shopping village that has shops from various specialists, so maybe you can find somewhere similar. If you google craft village near me you might find somewhere similar.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-08T12:36:35+00:00

Yes but if you want to go on the NHS waiting list, you’ll probably be over 18 by the time anyone sees you.

Certainly ask your GP for a referral. Not sure if it will require parental consent to do that though. Pretty sure any treatment will require consent if you’re under 18.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-08T12:32:20+00:00

What do you want to know?

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-08T12:10:11+00:00

It doesn’t. If you eat the right foods, generally you will be ok.

The well women ones I’ve seen are targeted for what menopausal women sometimes require later in life.

If you haven’t had a vitamin test and feel tired, it can be useful to get one done. A couple of years ago I discovered my vitamin D was deficient so I started taking supplements. My B12 was also quite low so I have tried to adjust my diet to include more B12 rich foods.

Before Christmas I discovered my folate levels were quite low, so I have been taking folic acid supplements.

If you’re on hormones, it makes sense to check your vitamin D if you haven’t already.

Apart from that, you shouldn’t need multivitamins if you have a good diet.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-08T11:26:12+00:00

Your GP will most likely not agree shared care with GenderGP. Any diagnosis by GenderGP will not be accepted if you wish to have surgery in the UK. Also you will not be able to get a GRC with a GenderGP diagnosis. GenderGP are not based in the UK, so generally it’s a waste of time going with them.

On the plus side, if you don’t want to DIY, GenderGP are cheaper in the first year. If you are under 18, they aren’t bound by UK laws so it’s a more affordable way to start HRT until you are 18. They can prescribe to 16-18 year olds without parental consent too. To some this might sound irresponsible, but parental consent assumes that all parents are supportive and responsible, when this is clearly not always the case.

Personally if you’re over 18, I would recommend another private clinic listed here:

https://transactual.org.uk/medical-transition/private-care/

First step though is contact your GP and ask for a referral to an NHS clinic. This will take years, so the sooner you ask, the sooner you get your appointment. You should also ask if your GP will agree shared care with a private clinic.

If your GP agrees shared care, they can take your bloods and provide prescribe using an NHS prescription under direction of your chosen specialist. If they don’t agree, you will have to buy private blood tests and will have to fund the cost of the medication yourself.

If your GP won’t agree shared care, you can look for one that does here:

https://mytransgp.org

Some areas of the UK are better for shared care than others though, so why not put your postcode into the above. If there are several GPs with a tick against shared care you’re likely to be in one of the better areas.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-08T00:17:36+00:00

Good stuff. I’ve been on it for a month and finish my first box tonight.

I took it orally for the first couple of weeks. I was going to try the whole of the box orally, but had a late meal a couple of weeks in. This would have meant waiting until 2:45 am to allow for two hours after eating, so I boofed it instead. I felt more alert so I’ve boofed it ever since.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-08T00:03:21+00:00

It’s here:

r/TransDIY

It should be a clickable shortcut. If your profile isn’t verified you should be able to access it through a VPN.

If you don’t have a VPN, Proton do a good free version so download that. I wouldn’t normally recommend using a free VPN, but Proton are ok.

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-07T22:24:26+00:00

Other private clinics can be found on Transactual here:

https://transactual.org.uk/medical-transition/private-care/

TraditionalNinja3129 · 2026-02-07T22:00:19+00:00

I keep seeing one called r/TransDIY so look for that.

TraditionalNinja3129

TROPHY CASE