October 5, 2002 6:04 AM BST
Randy, I've talked to some female friends who use herbals as part (or as their entire) hormone therapy for imbalances, etc., and I've received a lot of second-hand info from their doctors (advice which wasn't tailored for me, so I can't apply the info with certainty). I've also done (and still do) a lot of research on-line (you have to be careful and take everything on the Internet with a grain of salt, depending on the sources). I haven't sat down and discussed herbals with a doctor, yet, but I really should. Psychologically, talking to a doctor about my femininity is a big step, and I'm trying to put that off, for now. I don't have any major illnesses or bad reactions to any of these herbs, so I've decided to experiment on my own (which one should never do with synthetic hormones).
The reason large doses are necessary is because we are genetic males, and we're using them for a different reason than most customers. Females who use these same herbs usually take much smaller amounts, because they aren't trying to use the herbs to overcome the effects of testosterone, at least not at our levels, and because they already have much larger estrogen levels than do we, so they don't need to supplement their levels as much. Compared to synthetic prescription hormones, herbs are very weak, and to get a fraction of the results, we need take 1) as much as is safe, and 2) as much as our bodies can utilize without being wasted. From all of the research I've done, I'm taking about as much as my body is supposed to be able to actually process, without taking anything that can harm my system (theoretically). The truth is that there is a lot of guessing and estimating involved.
Obviously, I have to pay close attention to my body's reactions, especially while my system is getting used to these new substances. When I first started using Propecia, it took a couple of months to get used to it, even though I had no serious problems. Now, I don't even notice I'm on it. The bad thing about herbs is that even doctors don't know everything about them, so there is a large degree of trial and error. The good thing is that most of these substances are fairly harmless to most of us, so as long as you don't use them irresponsibly (mainly, overdose), you'll probably be fine, as long as you are in good health. Still, the best thing is to discuss them with a doctor first, but I don't always take my own advice.
If you do plan to take as many different herbs as I'm using, be sure to spread them out over the course of a day, and take them with food, even if it's just a couple of bites of something. Even though most of mine are in capsule form, which digest easily, taking too many at once can upset your stomach.
A site that Rikki and others have suggested, Lisbeth's Rose Garden, has a lot of information in one place, and I've verified most of the dosages from several other sources. I disagree with that site regarding Saw Palmetto, but, like you, I'm not a professional or an expert by any means. Don't trust any single source. Go find several sources and compare them to get a general idea of what we actually know about specific herbs. Usually, there simply isn't enough research available to determine whether an herb will be effective (for feminization or whatever), and even when there have been tests, you still can't be sure which combinations will work for you personally.
Eventually, I do want to discuss taking prescription hormones with a doctor who has experience with tranny patients. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't bother taking herbs now. By taking herbs, I'm just hoping for a glimpse of what female hormones can do for me, and hopefully, this will prepare me for a bigger decision in the (near) future. Psychologically (I know, again with the psychology), it does make me feel like I'm doing something positive by taking herbal hormones. I feel as though this is another step forward, and I'm a little closer to accomplishing something. Maybe I'll discover that it's a waste of time and money, but I don't think so.
October 7, 2002 7:29 AM BST
With real prescription drugs, like Premarin, you really need a doctor's advice (or two or three), but most of my research leads me to believe it's a drug I'd rather not mess with, even without the morailty issue. Here are two sources with very different views on the drug.
http://www.premarin.com
http://www.premarin.org
Many trannies wind up taking a combination of things to increase estrogen and progesterone levels and decrease testosterone levels. This is one possible hypothetical combination I slapped together, but I just did it to give myself a general idea of what I might be getting into down the road, depending on how my experience with herbal hormones turns out, and depending on what a doctors tells me. This is not based on professional advice, just reasearch and discussions with others.
Estrogen:
Estradiol = 2 to 8mg/day
Progesterone/Progestin:
Medroxyprogesterone Acetate = 10 mg
or
Dydrogesterone = 20 mg
or
Natural Progesterone USP = 400 mg
Anti-androgens:
Spironolactone = 100 to 200 mg
and
Finasteride = 1 mg