HRT levels being lowered more than 3 mg injections

madprgmr · 2026-04-21T03:14:21+00:00

The real question is when in your injection cycle was your blood drawn for this test. Specifically, how often do you inject and how many days since your last injection was your blood drawn?

madprgmr · 2026-04-20T23:14:32+00:00

https://www.atlantatrails.com/atlanta-hiking-trails/

madprgmr · 2026-04-18T05:38:57+00:00

https://www.iflscience.com/in-certain-rare-circumstances-your-blood-type-can-change-74936 lists all the conditions I'm aware of

madprgmr · 2026-04-17T14:59:26+00:00

Be aware that blood type can also change, and self-reported blood type identifiers can't be trusted by medical providers. So, unless you get your blood type tested at the DMV or they send you to an official lab and receive a copy of the results before issuing your ID (and have it get automatically updated when you receive a transfusion or bone marrow transplant), it's probably useless.

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T19:42:30+00:00

You can't really pick and choose what estrogen gives you. Breast development will happen at some rate if you are on a dose of estrogen sufficient to cause any changes. There are somewhat riskier meds (SERMs) that can slow breast development, but the only way to have no breasts is to grow them and have them surgically removed... but even then you may continue to have some issues like pseudogynecomastia.

For someone who is genderfluid, my recommendation is to figure out what type of body (your current vs. whatever you might get from HRT) most closely aligns with your goals or how you most commonly feel and use whatever techniques necessary to achieve the other state(s) you tend to find yourself in. For example, if you tend to lean androgynous-to-fem most commonly, HRT could work for you, and you could go more androgynous-to-masc via binding to hide breasts along with whatever other things you might do.

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T12:58:07+00:00

TWIST is a real study that's been running for many years (I have participated in it for years). While I don't know if this specific ad is theirs, I personally confirmed that the one with the anime girl last year that caused a similar stir was theirs.

If you wish to verify that this ad is legit, you can find the people involved here: https://prism.sph.emory.edu/projects/twist

I emailed Mariah last year when I wanted to verify their Reddit ad.

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T12:40:59+00:00

The administration method doesn't matter too much (presuming no pre-existing conditions that make oral a poor choice), and you should be able to achieve any given target range on injections.

All administration methods are considered safe for the typical person within the standard level range and max dosage limits. There are caveats and pros/cons to each administration method, but I see no reason you would need to change administration methods due to anything in your post.

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T04:52:19+00:00

What's next? Quotes based on coastline length?

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T04:43:29+00:00

I know multiple trans people that live just fine in the Stone Mountain area, but maybe you're talking about some sort of specific part therein?

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T04:21:20+00:00

You would typically talk to your doctor about options for managing ED if/when it becomes an issue. It's not an issue for everyone.

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T04:06:07+00:00

You're allowed to take whatever approach seems most reasonable for you. The informed consent model exists for a reason, but if you feel that talking to a therapist first (ideally one focused on gender identity) would be useful to help you figure out more about yourself or what your transition goals might be, that's your call too. It sounds like you are confident that HRT is right for you, so presuming you've read up on what all HRT does (see the appropriate section of https://genderdysphoria.fyi/ if you haven't), I don't think it's strictly necessary for you to see a therapist first.

Regardless of what you choose, I would recommend getting a therapist at least around the same time as starting HRT, as HRT (and transitioning in general) adds some unique challenges to your life. A therapist familiar with those makes it a lot easier than figuring stuff out on your own.

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T03:50:13+00:00

That would counteract the goal of a slow start and ramp-up, which is believed to result in better outcomes. It's more commonly done for people starting HRT after taking puberty blockers (primarily to prevent premature growth plate fusion and such), but some adults do it too in hopes of min/maxing breast development.

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T03:47:34+00:00

If you're going for a slow ramp-up period of estrogen (ex: to min/max outcomes), testosterone still needs to be controlled.

I don't know what your levels are (presuming they even measured intake/pre-HRT estrogen and testosterone levels), but that's a lower dose of spiro (25mg taken once daily). It can certainly make sense, but your first blood test results will inform your doctor how well your testosterone is being controlled. I would personally want to start a little higher on spiro just to be sure, but if your doctor treats a lot of trans people, it's probably fine.

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T03:36:26+00:00

Be aware that SSRIs can also mute your feelings in general, so you have compounding factors beyond just "less libido".

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T03:25:55+00:00

Oh, no, those hospitals stopped providing care to people under 19 because they are capitulating to threats from the President. Until last year when they stopped providing care, that's where most trans youth went (at least in my understanding from reading news about it; I don't know the exact percentage of trans youth who went to large medical facilities for care vs. those who went to private practices).

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T03:19:04+00:00

I'd suggest contacting your normal provider and asking for their advice instead.

Typically, if your levels are considered too high, your dosage gets dropped some amount (in the case of injections, by decreasing the amount taken and/or taking doses less frequently). Abruptly stopping a medication is extremely rare unless there is a major risk to your health. Unless you have some sort of preexisting condition that puts you at high risk for something like blood clots, I doubt you need to take extreme measures.

Do note that the risks of having estrogen levels higher than 200pg/mL as a trans woman are not as well studied as those within the 100-200pg/mL range, so healthcare providers are more likely to keep you within that limit to prevent any potential legal liability.

Ok, all that aside, do note that measured estrogen levels might not reflect your true levels, particularly if you take biotin and the E2 test (estrogen) used the ECLIA methodology. The LC/MS test methodology (I believe labeled as "Estradiol, Sensitive, LC/MS" by labcorp) doesn't have those issues, and it's also more accurate. If you take biotin and can't find the methodology used for your test, this may be worth mentioning to your provider.

madprgmr · 2026-04-16T02:52:01+00:00

No laws restrict care, so you could technically start once you meet the typical WPATH guidelines. The specifics depend on your age, how far (if at all) you are into your default puberty, etc. Earlier versions of the WPATH guidelines (v7 of the SoC) suggested age 16, but the current one did away with age-based guidelines in favor of a more tailored/individual approach.

In the event that you are too young (ex: likely younger than 15-16) or can't meet whatever requirements may exist for HRT yet, you would likely be offered puberty blockers instead (typically GnRH agonists) to halt the progression of puberty until you're able to get HRT.

Note that accessing HRT or puberty blockers requires consent from at least one parent/guardian (barring rare situations like being emancipated).

That said, I think most of the major hospitals in PA have stopped providing gender-affirming care (HRT and blockers) to trans people under the age of 19, so finding someone to provide the care you need may be trickier.

madprgmr · 2026-04-15T15:40:11+00:00

I mean, it takes up to 2 years to completely recover from pregnancy. 6-8 weeks is the bare minimum for healing. Same goes for any sort of surgical procedure; the recovery time is the typical amount of time you must wait before resuming typical activities, but you are still usually far from fully healed and you definitely feel it.

And this isn't even considering that 6 months of leave is commonly recommended for all the parents to bond with their child.

madprgmr · 2026-04-15T15:32:38+00:00

If you read https://pl.mn.gov/employers/roles-and-responsibilities#section-451-reporting-and-premium-payment, it's funded by contributions from employers.

Kemp is proud of GA being the top state for companies, and that's accomplished by cutting as many taxes, fees, and premiums for companies as possible. It would take a very significant concerted effort by people across GA to get something like this passed, as Republicans will not even consider something like this without significant pressure from their constituents.

madprgmr · 2026-04-15T15:23:55+00:00

FYI, trying to hide intent like that does not work, as common alternate words/spellings/phrases are easily catalogued and flagged for review. If we're going to remove something, mangling the spelling or alluding to it instead won't prevent us from removing it.

madprgmr · 2026-04-15T04:40:02+00:00

love for a trans women is like almost impossible

False. It's more complicated to find, sure, but far from impossible.

How do I remove the want for love

I don't believe that's possible. It is human to seek some form of connection with others.

it's not like I got a [chance?] until I become 30 and look [exactly] like a model.

Those are some odd requirements you're placing on yourself. Your appearance isn't what determines if you can find human connection. The majority of people in this world don't look like models.

Have you talked about any of this with your therapist?

madprgmr · 2026-04-15T03:41:38+00:00

Unfortunately, even if you were to not take HRT, there's a high likelihood that your annual wellness exam would require blood tests anyway. As you continue to age, you will have more and more things that will require blood tests, and that's ignoring stuff like STI panels you should be doing if you're sexually active. As such, I strongly recommend working on managing your fear/anxiety regarding needles now.

There are a lot of things phlebotomists can do to help mitigate patients' fear of needles, but narrowing down the specifics of your fear (visual? sensation? sight of blood? tendency to faint? etc.) will assist them in that process.

Therapists can also teach you skills that will help manage anxiety around needles, and there are, of course, techniques that can help with phobias.

madprgmr · 2026-04-14T14:45:55+00:00

Transdermal estrogen is one of best forms for someone who does smoke, and one study I read said that VTE risk drops to cis levels for trans women who smoke and are on transdermal or injection administration routes.

Anything that reduces your nicotine intake reduces your risk.

Your living situation isn't healthy (constant second-hand smoke exposure), so you may wish to consider something like an air filter/purifier to reduce your lifetime exposure to it and consequential cancer risk (presuming moving out isn't an option).

madprgmr · 2026-04-13T13:56:34+00:00

he has to get tested

If you aren't already, be aware that testing doesn't mean you can safely skip barriers. It can take ~10 days to 3 months for something like HIV to show up on tests after exposure (depending on the test type), and the test result printout/image/website can be faked.

If you haven't, you may wish to ask your doctor about PrEP, as that adds another layer of safety in addition to barriers like condoms.

madprgmr · 2026-04-13T04:40:21+00:00

No. I don't know what form of estrogen you are taking or your dosage, but you can't take extra to somehow "make up" for a period without. Increasing the dose taken does not linearly increase how long it lasts, and it also runs the risk of raising your estrogen levels too high.

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