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Hello everyone, this is my first post here.
im at the stage where i want to begin to transition. so obviously ive been doing my research.
I'm in a very loving marriage and my wife is incredibly supportive. the main concerns we have are to do with our relationship and sex life.
i have a couple of questions which id like to get some help with.
apart from the physical changes how do people find the hormones affect your sexual feelings/libido?
how does it affect your relationships with people? specifically if you have a female partner?
i have no interest in men whatsoever and have always had female friends over male ones. sexually im only ever attracted to women. especially my wife.
as i cant perform sexually at all unless im in a female role anyway i guess that wont change!?
my main concern is ruining my wonderful life with my wife. we have talked a lot about the future if i transition and she is not worried about being with me as a woman only that i might not want to carry on my life with her. which i cant imagine in my wildest dreams at the moment.
i hope that makes some sense and thank you all for the support.
xx
Hi Jody and welcome to the site.
First off, everyone reacts differently to hormones, both physically and emotionally, so expect varying answers and don't assume that your experience will be identical to anyone else's.
I was with a male partner when I began hormones, albeit a fairly casual relationship, but I think it's fair to say that hormones don't make you stop liking things that you like, or loving people that you love, and they don't cause you to instantly switch your sexual preferences either. So you're probably not going to lose interest in your wife and start fancying men instead. Love conquers all.
In fact if you are only comfortable with sexual matters in the female role you might find an increase in the desire for sex! There are inevtiably implications from the physical effects of hormones though, especially long term. Again, it varies, so I will try and politley describe my own experience for you. As they say - YMMV.
It was probably several months to a year on hormones before I started noticing an impact on my sexual life, there was some slight shrinkage and erections became less automatic. And less firm, eventually. Production of semen was gradually reduced, eventually to zero. Sorry to the squeamish, I am trying to be polite!
But none of this affected my desire to have sex, or really my ability, it was still entirely pleasurable; my last sexual experience in "that" way being only 2 weeks before my SRS. Needless to say I do it differently now, but no problems there; sex and the orgasm experience itself is even better. I wonder if you plan to go as far as SRS? There's still a good chance of a sexual relationship with your wife if you do, (but choose your surgeon wisely) and of course only if she really is that supportive! If you plan to stay on hormones indefinitely and not have SRS then there may well be more of an impact on your sex life after time. I had SRS after 3 years on hormones, so I can't say how it might affect a non-op after a greater length of time.
But I don't think that's really what you're asking; your loving feelings towards your wife will not change as a direct result of hormones, and your libido is unlikely to be adversely affected, at least in the first few years. And if you can't imagine not living your life without your wife, then you're not likely to start wanting to just because you take hormones to make you more feminine.
Keep doing your research, there's quite a bit of information in our own forums about which are the safest type of hormones to take, you should be armed with as much information as possible before you start seeing doctors about it, because in my experience they're not experts either. That may sound like a flippant comment, but the fact is it's a relatively new science; there may be guidelines, but there is no handbook for succesful feminisation. My doctor is great by the way, he asked me questions about hormone treatment because it was as new to him as it was for me. GP's tend to be bound by guidelines from one's gender clinic though, and they are less willing to listen and more inclined to just do what they always do - a cookie cutter approach. In my opinion, any TS patient should take responsibility for their own health and well-being; when it comes to TS HRT, there's a difference between being cured, and being made better.
Your supportive wife sounds awesome. Good luck to you both.
xx
Hi Lucy, nice to be talking to you. ive already read a lot of topics on the forum and will continue to do so.
i appreciate the advice very much and what you said resonates with exactly how i/we feel.
i know how lucky i am to have such a supportive partner and i am thankful for that constantly. We have talked about how life would be if i transitioned fully and that is my long term goal.
im just in the planning/research/thinking phase right now but i will hopefully approach my gp soon to start the process once i am comfortable with the decision.
i am normally presenting as female when not at work so that would be the final hurdle towards the RLE. although the way i generally look anyway i doubt it will be much of a surprise to a lot of people. and the need to do this outweighs any concerns i have along those lines.
the hormone debate seems to be very complicated. how does one know what is the best thing to do? i would assume that my gp doesnt know that much about the subject if anything. is there a definitive guide to the hormones you might be able to get on the nhs? and how much choice would i have? as you said the GIC will go with the usual approach and may not give any choice.
Jody asked...Is there a definitive guide to the hormones you might be able to get on the nhs? and how much choice would i have? as you said the GIC will go with the usual approach and may not give any choice.
First of all your doctor and anyone he refers you to, has a duty of care, so its not just a choice. when the time comes to prescribe your HRT after going over your medical history, doing blood tests, The GIC will probably refer your results to an endocologist, who will tailor your meds to fit your specific needs.
Again, your experience on prescriptions etc will vary depending on which gender clinic you go to and the attitude of your GP.
I went to Charing Cross (in gender clinic terms I live in the middle of nowhere), I guess you'd go to the one in Nothants.
As I recall...
I'd been experimenting with a very low dose of oestrogen and told them so at my first CX appontment. I expected some sort of slap on the wrist, but they said something along the lines of, "Well we're supposed to tell you not to do that, but we'll write to your GP and get him to organise your prescriptions..."
So at least I could now get my hormones considerably cheaper than online, and was officially under their care and supervision. Of course it took them months to actually get a letter off to my GP, but it got there in the end, around the time of my second CX appointment in fact! As I understand, they won't automatically prescribe hormones to everyone on their first appointment, but I know I'm not the only one, anyway I think the standard procedure is to do so after your second appointment, as long as they find no reason not to of course. Incidentally I did get a letter several weeks after my first appointment which gave a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and they also included a letter for me to send with my passport application confirming the reasons for my change of name and gender.
My GP was instructed to prescribe me estradiol which is the strongest form of oestrogen (the others being estrone and estriol). CX initially recommended a dose of 4 - 6mg, but my GP wanted to discuss this with me. So he looked on his screen and he asked if I had any preference as to which form of estradiol I'd like. Premarin was at the time still available on the NHS (it may still be, not sure) as were (and are) estradiol valerate and ethinylestradiol. Having done my research I opted for 17-Beta bio-identical estradiol, which he was happy to go with, it being the safest type. I also asked that rather than just take the tablets if I could also use Oestrogel: also 17-Beta but as the name suggests, in gel form. Again he was happy with my reasoning (less stress on the liver etc) and prescribed that along with the tablets. Having gradually ramped up the dosage myself already, he actually prescribed me 6mg of tablets plus the oestrogel, perhaps thinking that the gel wouldn't make much difference (but it's great stuff). Some may consider that a high dose, I don't.
Following a slightly shambolic 4th or 5th appointment at CX supposedly for a consulation on throat and voice surgery but where they decided they might as well do a quick blood test while I was there, my estradiol level came out higher than previous tests, still well within normal female range though. In fact my train had been late the night before, I'd rushed out to eat forgetting that I hadn't taken any of my hormones that day, took them all just before bed, had a short night's sleep having to get up early for my appointment, took my hormones for that day just before going to the clinic (didn't want to be doing my gel on the train home), shortly after which they promptly gave me the blood test. So the test was basically showing the levels for 2 day's worth of oestrogen. Despite me trying to explain this later to them and my GP they refused to budge, and dropped my dose down to 4mg of tablets. They never mentioned the gel so my GP carried on prescribing it.
Sorry for the long story, but this is one aspect of CX's approach that I don't agree with; "optimum" hormone levels in the blood are entirely arbirtrary, no-one knows what they should be to adequately allow feminisation, or even if it's relevant to base expected results on blood test readings. So to raise or lower dosages follwing each blood test is not necessarily the best course of action. You will know whether your dosage is working out for you, at least I did, and I was better off on the orginal higher dose, better skin, fewer spots, more measurable breast growth etc.
I also think dosages should remain constant once they "feel right" and are showing good results, not upped or downed as it always takes a while for your body to adjust to a change in hormone levels. Anyway, CX have their guidelines and they will probably stick to them, I'm just glad my GP was reasonably understanding and prepared to listen as far as he could without entirely ignoring CX's instructions.
I've now been signed off by CX and am completely under the care of my GP and away from the gender clinic's meddlings. I now have my blood tests done by my local surgery and my GP is only really interested in liver function and other such results, so much so that when my last test was returned with "insufficient blood specimen" to examine estradiol levels, he wasn't perturbed in the slightest, saying, "Well, your hormone levels aren't really that important are they". When you take the same dose long term, your readings are going to be fairly constant, which is why I tried hard to explain the circumstances surrounding my higher reading - it was simply a one off; the packets all say to take the pills straight away if you miss a dose!
Hopefully your GP will know which oestrogen is the safest, and if not you can now tell him: 17-Beta estradiol. Bio-identical means it's identical to human estradiol, it carries the fewest risks of all types and you can also get it in patches as well as tablets and gel. Injections are another option, but I know little about these. I was offered Goserelin (anti-androgen) injections by CX but declined; my tesosterone levels were so low as to be not accurately measurable, ie practically zero (thanks to estradiol).
Perhaps the more you know, the more they will be prepared to listen. If they want to prescribe you something else, ask them why not 17-Beta estradiol. They should start you on a low dose, quite rightly so your body can adjust gently, but you should eventually be on more than 2 or 4mg, which is a piddly dose of 17-B, but for many of us guinea pigs it's all we're allowed. Try to insist on more after time if you need to, especially if you get a blood test showing a low level, as this may be the only reasoning they will accept.
Not that I know any better than the doctors of course; they are the experts, I just take the stuff and experience the results. Oh, plus 10 years of my own research, but what do I know..?
xx
Don't ask a bunch of amateurs on here. Your health and your body are too precious. Ask an endocrinologist.
Listen ladies, the point has already been made - there is no one size fits all. So get advice from one -or two - endocrinologists.
Don't be afraid to ask anything here Jody. Under the NHS you will pretty much get what you are given, but as I've said any decent GP will be willing to discuss your ongoing treatment with you, so the more you know the better. Asking about others' experiences will be a great help in your quest.
I never actually saw an endocrinologist, that is not common procedure at Charing Cross who do indeed take the attitude that one size fits all. Even if you did get to see an endo, Jody, he wouldn't expect to be answering the sort of questions you asked in your initial post!
So I appreciate the sentiement Amanda, but please let's not stifle debate here. This is the hormones forum and we are here to discuss all aspects. As far as I can see, Jody is not talking about unsupervised self-medication, but more what to expect from hormones.
TS's who have undergone hormone treatment can probably answer those sort of questions better than any endocrinologist!
xx
Hello all.
I am not really the best one to be responding to this but I will just say a few things and how it worked for me. Firstly I did not see an endocrinologist before my hormones were prescribed , in actual fact I had not even had my first appointment at The London Gender Clinic. My GP prescribed my hormones well before my first appointment at CX. Saying that I had been lving my life full time female for about 18 months and had legally changed my name previous to my first CX appointment. I had a full medical history check and blood tests and full medical before any hormones were prescribed.
I had been seeing a local specialist who had discharged me then refered me to CX. That specialist was attacked by a member of this website for not refering her then shortly after the attack he took early retirement. I know that is off topic but when she did eventually get her appointment at CX she flushed it down the toilet and never turned up. I guess he was right in his decision to hold off refering her.
I have no interest in getting involved in any relationship with anyone male or female or transgender. I do get offers from men and had a couple of lesbian genetic females showing an interest in wanting to be more than just friends. I cannot say if it is the hormones that are putting me off any sexual interests in anyone as it could just be my defences stopping me. I have a defence system of never wanting to feel the hurt of losing another loved one if that makes sense.
As my GP had no previous experience of a transexual patient before I entered her life I guess she must have consulted someone as to what to prescribe me and I did have to sign a consent form before any prescription was issued at the start. I always have regular blood tests which are sent to The Gender Clinic then they advise my GP on dose or as just recently a change in medication. I have not changed my medication and I am not going to untill I know why because everything is fine. To me it is not broke so why try to fix it and I have asked my GP to find out the reason they want to change it. I have discharged myself from CX with their support and continued support because I can see no point in wasting their time or my own. I am happy as I am living my life the way I should.
I doubt the above is of any help but it just shows we are all different and professionals all work differently too.
All the best , take care x
Hello Jody and welcome to our site! I am an non-op transexual but an "amateur" in terms of ability to prescribe medicinal advice. So all I can share is my 6+ years journey on hormones and that I am happily married to my wife for 35 years! I will not tell you what to take, or how much, but will share that estrogen will make many changes in you, both physical and mental. For the mental, you will still be the same person you were pre-hormones. Do not go into this with emotional baggage and think hormones will fix everything. It doesn't! But what it has done for me has been to eliminate all of my former male anger, angst, anxiety, and aggression. Things became "clearer" for me in terms of perception and understanding as my judgement was not clouded anymore by testosterone fueled emotions. I began to listen more and in conversation, never felt compelled "to win". Compromise and common sense began to rule my personality. It was if time began to slow down. It also became so much easier to express empathy and compassion and I felt "ego-less". The mental changes are by far the best part of transitioning for me!
Physically, my body slowly morphed from a hard, athletic frame to a softer, decidely feminine one. As I was 59 when I began, I was not expecting miracles. But miracles did happen...if I never grew another inch up top or on my buttocks, I'm perfectly happy!
Which leads me to the sexual part...as a "non-op", I still have "it". But "it" has shrunken about 50% in length and thickness. It still gets erect but only dribbles a tiny amount of clear fluid. I can penetrate my wife, but it is not fulfilling for her. That said, over the years, I've learned to use my pubic bone to apply pressure on her to bring her to climax, which coincidently, is equal to climaxing for me as a female. I experience numerous femme climaxes during lovemaking...but the old libido is gone! Testosterone/male libidos are very visually tiggered! I do not get aroused by visual things at all anymore. It is all about caresses, tender kisses, scents, sounds, and moods...my arousal today takes a long time but is a wonderful ride to an immensely pleasurable climax that begins at the extremities and works inward until it erupts in a tingling wash of pleasure outward. So in short, it is possible to maintain a loving, satisfying sexual relationship with another. It just will be different!
Hope this helps!
Best wishes always!
Traci xoxo
Thank you very much ladies.
that clears up some concerns i have. i will be doing a lot of reading in the near future but im more confident about approaching my gp now.
best wishes to you all and i may be calling on you in the near future.
J. xx
Hi Jody.
Although all GPs should treat you with respect and it is their job to provide a duty of care to you , you may find that making an appointment with a female doctor you will feel more relaxed. I have throughout my life always registered with female GPs even decades before I transitioned. I have seen many male GPs if I had to and they have always been respectfull but I have always found females are more understanding. I suppose it is because they can relate more than men do as to how you are feeling. Please do not get me wrong as I have seen some very good male doctors it just may make you feel more comfortable talking to a female.
Take care and best wishes xx
As there seems to be some confliction as to how things work where the London Gender Clinic is concerned I will attempt to clear a few things up.
Firstly Amanda I know your heart is in the right place but as we have been through the system we may be a bunch of amateurs but we know how it works. If Jody wants to see an endocrinologist on demand she will have to go private. The Gender Clinics run by the NHS in this country are under so much strain made worse by cuts by the current government you cannot demand anything.
Everyone is entitled to a duty of care but it also has to work both ways. The amount of last minute cancelations make life very hard for the ones that are there to care. At a rough guess I would say based on others I know of more than 50% do not turn up for their first appointment. Most do not even let them know or leave it untill the day therefore making it impossible for the appointment to be given to another on the very long waiting list.
With the Clinics under so much strain which I have witnessed many times they are cutting as many corners as they can without putting the patient at risk. I have stated that I have never seen an endocrinologist but it is most likely done now via a 3 way system.
GP refers patient to gender clinic. The specialist who the patient see's then contacts the endo. The endo after seeing the patients blood tests and records then passes their results back to the gender specialist. The gender specialist then passes all of the results back to the GP with instructions on hormone treatment. The GP then issues a prescription and arranges regular blood tests and results are then passed back to the gender clinic.
Me being an amateur and some others in this have been through the system but we have a real life experience of how this works. We are very lucky to have a system here that works but is only held together by pieces of string. That system cannot take any more cuts but the patients can make things better. If any person here or anywhere reading this has no intention of attending an appointment at any of the gender clinics we have then tell them. If you were paying for private treatment you would not hesitate to cancel an appointment because you will be charged. The NHS is not there to have the piss taken out of them.
Take care x
Edit: Spell errors corrected.
Firstly Lucy was made moderator of this forum because of her knowledge and experience.
I went private at the West London clinic at Wimbledon Parkside, Where doctor Bellringer has a practice, My first blood tests and full medical were carried out there and the results were passed onto an endocrinologist after seeing a specialist and doctors, I was then refered to the Gene clinic at Addenbrooks in Cambridge. the results were then sent back to Wimbledon, where I carried on seeing a councellor and had regular consultations with a doctor, I eventually had my surgery done at the Berne clinic in switzeland in 2007. So it appears one gets extras by going private.
Funny the first therapist I was reffered to by our GP, was'nt a specialist in Gender issues He kept refering to himself as ''we'' rather disturbing, or was it to give the impression we were paying for a team? 
or did he have an invisable friend.
Firstly Lucy was made moderator of this forum because of her knowledge and experience (The words of Cristine Shye above).
In the past I was guilty of showing disrespect towards Lucy for which I did make a public apology. After paying more attention to Lucy's posts I can now say without a doubt that she does know what she is talking about. Mr Google does not have all of the answers because Mr Google has not lived Lucy's life.
With regards to Cristine's post above about first refferal from GP. I too was reffered to a man whos title was " A Psychosexual Therapist" . If you Google NHS Psychosexual Therapist you will find no mention of gender dysphoria on the NHS website. There was nothing sexual that I needed Therapy for. Our NHS is the envy of the world and is being destroyed.
All transgender patients in about a 50 mile radious were refered to him and although he was a decent man he was not really the man for the job. I did ask him one day do you know what you are doing?. His response was I have seen enough in my career and there is no one else to do it.
I did mention above in another post that he was attacked by a member of this website , he was physically attacked. Here where I am situated in the UK that left others with no one to be reffered to. That did not affect me as he had long discharged me into the care of The London Gender Clinic but it did cause a back log of others waiting.
One of reasons this website is here is to offer support and advice (Which should not always be taken). Members here that have had experiences that others are asking about can share their experiences and knowledge that Mr Google has not experienced. Cristine and Lucy have far more experience than I do because my surgery was cancelled twice due to my health both times. I have years of experience in living my life as a woman though and my hormones and all that comes with it. We learn from each other though and we (or I do) learn from my mistakes. I learn something new here everyday as I do in my life away from here. Call me an amateur but please never refer to Cristine and Lucy as amateurs. Their knowledge seems endless and they have my greatest respect. Please remember there is no exam to be taken to gain a certificate to state you are a fully qualified woman.
Take care x
Edit: Spell error! See I am an amateur
.
I am sorry Jody that there has been a few things said here that are nothing to do with what you asked. You just continue seeking the guidance you need to here. This website is a mine of information that you will find hard to beat anywhere else . Maybe I should have stayed out of this and I do not mind being referred to as an amateur , I have been called worse.
When I see trusted members being referred to as a bunch of amateurs it does piss me off a bit. They are far from amateur and are here because they give up their time and their knowledge in the hope that it helps others. So keep searching the site , it is full of answers and also a lot of nonsense from amateurs. Some join here knowing nothing and the next day are handing out advice "Avoid those ones" . They are easy to spot through condradiction after contradiction.
Take care x
Edit: Guess what! More spell errors corrected.
I think my phrase "bunch of amateurs" was ill-chosen. It was not intended to demean the experiences of members who have gone down different paths on their journey., and if has done so I offer my unreserved aplogies.
It was however, intended - and I stand by this - to reduce the risks to members who might self medicate without professional advice. Yes, I know that that can work for some, but can also destroy.
I know you would not intend to demean others here Amanda. Your phrase, in as many words, is often spoken on our hormone forum, indeed by many when someone is asking about self-medicating, actual doses and so on. I am not in any way having a go at you, I'd just like to respectfully request to everyone that this sort of comment doesn't become an automatic reply to any new question on this forum. In this case the original poster was asking others for their specific experiences on the various subtle ways hormones had affected them, answers which you're not going to get from any (non-trans) health professional; all they can do is speculate and regurgitate, and will not be able to tell you how they have been affected personally.
As I often say, hormone therapy for trans people is not an exact science, and anyone who has been through the system will know that hormone dosages are not really tailored for their needs, but just dished out an a "little as possible" basis to ensure the physical health of the patient. There is also an equally small amount of information coming from the professionals surrounding all the intricacies of the many types of hormones and anti-androgens.
So we must talk about it; it's important. Some of us want to understand better than simply following an instruction to take one tablet twice a day. Self-medders will be warned of the dangers and rightly so, but let's not do it by rote, in every post, in every thread. Let's be sensible about it whilst also stimulating discussion.
People who've been taking hormones for 10 years may be more "expert" than you think.
xx
Hi Amanda.
Your comment was not aimed at me as I joined in this after it was made. With regards to Lucy and Cristine. Cristine and myself have been friends for a very long time and so many people have learnt from her including myself. Her posts and threads are well thought through and well researched and also based on her life experiences and then well posted. Lucy and myself are not very close but , I have been reading her posts in more depth than I used to. I can say that she to posts very sensible and well thought through answers and also the reasoning behind them. She does not cut corners to get to the point , they are explained in good thought through English.
This website is very lucky to have them both here. I cannot think of anyone here who could replace them. This website is lucky to have you too but as you told me very recently to stick to what I know best. In this case I am going to have to say the same to you and as your friend it is in no way meant to be disrespectfull or hurtfull. All Three of you are very special but in different ways.
Remember this day because I did not think this response through because I had no need to. It comes from my heart. You are three special people who all have so much to give.
Remember this day because I think from my experiences I have got something right for once. Three very special people with 3 different areas of expertise.
You all take care xx
Well i have my first appointment with the gp soon. does anyone have any recommendations how to approach things?
should i just be asking for the refferal to a GIC or is there other things worth discussing with the gp?
i have noticed that it is possible for the gp to prescribe a bridging dose of hormones, which i think would be useful as im finding it harder and harder these days to cope with things. is there a way to convince the gp this is appropriate?
im looking forward to this journey and im starting to feel more comfortable with myself now that ive made the decision to proceed. ive had some really graet talks with my wife and its so wonderful to be able to finally start letting go of the fake persona ive been using my whole life. it feels like a new world opening up to me. im so tired now of not being myself.
so thanks again to you all and ill no doubt be asking for more assistance as things progress.
Love, Jody. xx
When I saw my GP he said he would have to research the procedure and get back to me. Which he did pretty quickly and wrote me a letter saying he had sent a referral to my chosen gender clinic as we'd discussed at my appointment.
I don't know about getting a bridging dose of hormones, it's pretty rare in this country that GP's will prescribe without instruction from a gender clinic, but there's no harm asking. Showing some knowledge in the subject might help, but don't get your hopes up too much.
One thing that will help speed things up is going full time, as soon as you can provide evidence of that, eg name change or something, then your real life experience will be considered as begun. I'm sure that presenting as a relaxed and happy woman wearing jeans, jumper, and trainers did me the world of good in the gender clinic's eyes when I went for my first appointment. I'd changed my name 6 months earlier, no longer needed a wig, and had bank statements, utility bills and a driving licence in my new name. It goes a long way to showing that you are sure about what you want and aren't going to change your mind!
Good luck with it all Jody, keep us posted with you progress.
xx
Hi Lucy, i booked the gp appointment online and put Gender dysphoria s the subject! lol. so hopefully they have a heads up.
the only reason im not full time yet is facial hair i suppose. ive been having my face laser'd so hopefully that will sort that problem out fairly soon. ive already got long hair and other than at work i do present as a woman. all my family and friends know im TG. other than my wife nobody knows about my decision to transistion yet. i thought id get the ball rolling first.
once im confident with the facial hair issue ill certainly be building up the guts to come out at work.
my overriding feelings at the moment are of great relief and hope that i may finally be able to live as myself. its an amazing feeling an i get very emotional every time i think ill no longer have to hide away anymore. my wife is happy too as she can already see that its what i need to to be totally happy with our life together. i think she has made more plans for the future than i have. she is already planning spa trips and manicures etc etc. she is so wonderful.
so heres to the future. and ill keep you posted.
x
I have been on HRT here in the U.S., since end of January of 2015. At first I was on 4mg of Estro and 50 mg of Spiro. My levels were to low so My dr., upped me to 6 mg of Estro and 100 mg of spiro. So anyways, I am becoming very happy with the results.
Amanda, one does not elect to see an endo or two, Its common practice in GIC's that blood tests and health test results are sent to endo's after screeing for abnormalities, and suggested prescriptions, one does not actually see an endo.
Katie Wish....there are better alternatives than spiro, which primarily is used to reduce fluids due to congestive heart failure. There are health risks with it and you must be vigilent about potassium intake as well as keep hydrated. If it were such an effective anti-androgen, wouldn't the millions of male heart patients world wide be bitching about breast growth??? Seriously, ask for alternatives. If a Dr. is prescribing spiro today, he/she are probably only "copying and pasting" solutions without really looking into it. Sorry about that....but it really is not a good solution despite so many people using it.
It's worth your time looking into it and finding other solutions....
Best wishes always!
Traci xoxo
Traci, I went to a seminar on Hormone Therapy at the Fenway Center in Boston. Dr. Cavanaugh who is considered one of the leading endos in Transgender Care gave the talk. I raised your comment regarding spiro. He told me that yes, in England that use other treatments, but those are not approved in the states. He said unfortunately, spiro is the best they have at the moment. So once again, American medicine is backwards. Probably because they can get more money for spiro.
The talk itself was quite interesting and there were about 30 people in attendance. Some were students doing research.
On another note, he also mentioned that they are working with Emerson College to train voice coaches to work with the transgendered. A lot has changed since the 90's. I tell you that. I went through under the Benjamin protocols and was challenged at every step by my psych. I had to prove myself. It has all changed. Benjamin became WPATH and is a kindler, gentler way of working with transgendered people. They said the next revision may even reduce the need to have two doctors sign off for SRS. They feel that if you have gone through all the process, changed your name, living full time and been on HRT, then why are they then going to force you to see yet another doctor just to get a letter from somoene other than your primary.
He also noted that they are now coordinating with other smaller clinics around the country so they can get more data and do more studies. The Institute of Health has funded four satellite projects to study transgender issues at different locations around the country. So there are advancements being made in care.
That's terrific information Emma...there is another AA other than the Androcur they use in the UK here in the US. I think it is called bicalutamide (Casodex).
I used a herbal version that really knocked the T out of me and no longer have to use them....I know others will jump me for mentioning it but it was very effective and a ton better than spiro, meaning I had no side effects or any health issues from using it.
Traci xoxo
Once again, *crickets*! (smile)
xoxo
