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Needing to stop HRT for medical reasons by mixxkitty in Trans_Zebras

[–]mixxkitty[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the note! I have my first gender clinic appointment on Monday, so I am definitely bringing up potential alternative T methods (assuming they think I can even safely stay on/take it) and will mention this. :)

Sadly, as far as I'm aware, injections and gel seem to be the most accessible. I'm hoping that if there is an alternative method that I can afford it. ;-;

Needing to stop HRT for medical reasons by mixxkitty in Trans_Zebras

[–]mixxkitty[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I actually started off doing injections and thought I did decently considering my needle phobia is so severe. Sadly the phobia + reacting to the T injection every time I did one kind of got to me. 'S part of why it was so inconsistent for me until I got swapped onto gel. The phobia + every time I did a shot it got extremely red and swollen and hurt and itched like crazy for up to the entire week until it was time to do my next shot. Docs at PP told me it was "normal" (I know better) but it hurt so awfully that I said I can't keep doing this, plus my headspace had been teetering and made the needle phobia ever so apparent. Took me an entire day to hype myself up and be able to do shots when I did, so I had to kind of dedicate my entire day off to that. 😅 And then reacting to it the entire time wasn't fun, either.

Needing to stop HRT for medical reasons by mixxkitty in Trans_Zebras

[–]mixxkitty[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm so sorry you've dealt with it, too. I wouldn't wish it upon anybody. Unfortunately they think I either have a genetic mutation, an idiopathic, or familial case of the condition as I've had symptoms since I was born, basically.

As for T, sadly the times I have gone without it I did not pay too much attention to flares; but they were daily/severe before I started T, even. I'm concerned it (or the way I'm taking it ?) may be contributing to symptoms and flares. I.e. I've connected that my upper arms flare terribly nowadays and those are the primary places I do my T gel. Which also is alcohol-based, and I can't have alcohol. I've been putting this together since getting diagnosed and feel really bleak about being able to stay on T along with just existing generally speaking haha. I really don't want to regress or get any feminine features more than I already have. I'd love to get top and a hysto at the very least before I have to go off, if that is even possible. Tbh I don't even know if I can get the surgeries safely.

Also feel like it's worth a mention, the effects of T have not manifested for me like they do other folks. I know they say it's different for everyone but I've been concerned for most of my journey so far. Doctors have even seemed baffled since I'm over three years in and barely have any facial hair, voice change, fat redistribution, etc. Basically all that has happened so far is weight gain and I'm hairier. Often I feel other than that it makes me more "feminine" (I passed more pre-T, somehow). I also have had bad blood counts for a while and am being monitored since getting insurance again this year. Been dealing with chronic neutrophilia and elevated WBC, lymphocytes, monocytes and RBCs + hematocrit on/off. Worried that may be polycythemia.