Forum » Gender Society Public Forums » Hormone City » To Hormone or not to Hormone?

To Hormone or not to Hormone?

Tags : None
  • I think to me the main thing about hormones is that they make me feel SO GOOD. The changes they produce in my body seems secondary to that. But it is nice, too :)


    hugs

    Laura
      December 10, 2002 9:01 AM GMT
    0
  • Randy, how long have you been using Red Clover?
      December 16, 2002 11:14 AM GMT
    0
  • Thanks. http://mywebpages.comcast.net/fashionlab/Images/Smileys/Smile01.gif

    There are some things I disagree with on that page, but much of it fits with the research I've done. Of course, I'm not a professional.
      January 22, 2003 1:31 AM GMT
    0
  • Hi again!

    Here's a good place (at least, they've been good to me) for vitamins and herbs: www.vitaminworld.com. They have a very good multi: Multi Vita Min for Women. I take two a day. I quit using GNC because they quit carrying herbs, at least in my neighborhood. :P

    Stevie, dear--Saw Palmetto does not feminize per se, but is intended for men's prostate health. It's the only reason I continue to take it; I have had enough health problems without wanting to add prostate trouble to them...and it seems to run in my family, anyway. For what that's worth.

    Based on your advice, I will be adding Red Clover to my next herb order... ;D

    Luv 'n hugs,

    Jayne Sakura :)
    "Almost-Angel, T-Girl Genius, and Ultra-Flirt"
    Living as the woman I am!
      January 22, 2003 1:47 AM GMT
    0
  • Hi girls

    I have been taking my daily spiro 100mg and my ethinyl estradiol 100 micrograms for some three and half months now.

    The exciting small changes, which at the beginning made me  jump up every morning in order to check me in the mirror, has become routine. Or maybe not that, but the procedure seems to have levelled if not slowed down.

    I know, it goes on, and I can even measure the changes. But it must be, just like learning a new language, a combination of spurts and stillstands. And I´m too eager to see what follows.


    hugs

    Laura
      January 22, 2003 7:16 AM GMT
    0
  • Jayne, I have yet to find anything negative regarding Red Clover, and it appears to fill in some gaps and offer things most other herbs don't. Plus, as a source of isoflavones, it's much cheaper than most Soy products I've found. It just seems to be an often overlooked herb.

    If I weren't already taking Propecia, I'd consider Saw Palmetto, too.


    Laura, that's good to hear. I really hope to move forward to prescription hormones before too long, but I have to take it slowly, for now. I'm almost through my fifth month of herbals.
      January 23, 2003 1:26 AM GMT
    0
  • Just found out something interesting - If you move onto chemical hormones you need to stop natural ones - They compete with each other and the natural ones reduce the effect of the chemical hormones - If I can find te technical explaination again I will - But Trust me I noted the effect when I stopped taking all natural hormones -
    Luv and Huggs Rikki xxx Proud to be Transgender
      January 24, 2003 1:07 AM GMT
    0
  • Yes, I've read that, too, from several sources. Good advice.
      January 28, 2003 4:02 AM GMT
    0
  • Hi

    For those who think to start hormones. Be ready that you will change mentally, too. You will cry in sad movies and sometimes laugh so much that you´ll have wet undies... It will be easier for you to talk about your feelings and much easier to cheer up and hug your friends...
    You will not change into some stranger to yourself, you will be your female self. Not more, not less.

    Laura
      January 28, 2003 12:30 PM GMT
    0
  • I've finally started noticing some physical results from the herbs, but (as expected) what I'm seeing is minor compared to the reports from trannies who are using prescription hormones. However, even with herbs, I've noticed some of the emotional changes that Laura mentioned. Early on, I assumed the emotional changes were just the result of my mind playing tricks on me because I wanted the herbs to work, but now that I'm actually seeing a little bit a fat redistribution, I'm more comfortable with giving the herbs credit. I'm on my sixth month now, so things appear to be on schedule, based on what others have said they've experienced.
      February 13, 2003 3:50 AM GMT
    0
  • Stevie :)

    You are right. Herbals DO work, too, though very slow. Maybe you remember that I started with herbals last August and I noticed some effects right away. As the smoothening of my skin. But real hormones are of course a turbo version when compared with herbals.
    It is funny how they change your face, for example. You think you look the same, but have problems with your id-cards or your old friends just walk by and don´t see you.
    Mentally, I think for me the main effect is calming and a certain high, brightness... but at the same time it is just too easy to burst in tears, if there is a reason...

    Laura
      February 13, 2003 7:46 AM GMT
    0
  • Shelley

    Your mention about spironolactone strikes me with surprise, because I have never heard about problems with spiro before. The drug is mainly used as diuretic, that is to take water out of your body. Its side effect is that it blocks the effects of testosterone. And causes gynecomastia.
    In ts drug combination there normally ALWAYS is either spiro or cyproterone, which is very expensive. By blocking the effects of testosterone we can use much lower dosises of estrogen. And that is overall healthy for you.

    Laura
      February 14, 2003 7:04 AM GMT
    0
  • Girls,

    Follow Lauranatalia, she's very clever and seems to know a lot of the subject. I'm agree with her. Anyway I think that the herbal program it's a lose of time and money. Prescription hormones such 17 Beta Estradiol, are the right ones for breast and hips in a short time.

    hugs
    annik
      February 17, 2003 2:55 AM GMT
    0
  • Shelley :)

    The substitute for spironolactone is cyproterone. So you could try that. But it costs some threes time more than spiro. A drug as Diane-35 contains estrogen and cyproterone, and it is a common starter of ts people, but on the long run it is not strong enough.

    Thanks Annik for your trusting words. I am just a girl, who is interested in these things and have read everything I got into my hands about it. But I´m no doctor...

    Laura

      February 17, 2003 8:56 AM GMT
    0
  • Annik, if you know for certain that you are ready to deal with the drastic changes that prescription hormones cause, I agree with you. However, they aren't right for everyone. Unfortunately, I'm not at a point in my life where I'm ready to have a body so feminine that I can't go back to being a guy. I still have to live as a man at work and until I resolve several lifestyle issues, I can't take the plunge. The herbal supplements I've been taking over the past six months have actually worked, but they haven't done so much to my body that I can't still pass as a guy.<br><br>For those in similar position to mine, herbs might be the only option for a while (or forever). Going in, I had my doubts about their effectiveness, but I've experienced noticeable results, emotionally and physically, although the physical changes took a while to manifest themselves. Herbs won't do anywhere near as much as real hormones, but that's what makes herbs an attractive option for some of us. I can say that I have definitely not wasted my money, and I've got a much better perspective regarding a possible decision to use prescription hormones in the future.
      February 18, 2003 3:05 AM GMT
    0
  • Personally, I prefer to mix my herbs myself, rather than taking those pre-mixed formulas. However, if it works for others, that's great.

    Crowe, your results are moving along a little faster than mine. After six months, I still haven't noticed any change in my hips. The mild breast development took most of the six months, and so did the slight change in the shape of my behind (slight, but a change, nonetheless). As far as completely changing one's body, herbs aren't supposed to do that. It takes prescription hormones (and often some surgery) for that "all girl" look. However, two years sounds about right, as far as getting the most out of herbs. I've heard it takes even longer with some individuals, though.
      February 21, 2003 1:58 AM GMT
    0
  • Here are a few on-line stores. I haven't used them all, but I do recommend The Vitamin Shoppe. Click on the links below.


    Vitamin Shoppe

    Drugstore.com

    GNC (I don't think they actually have an on-line store of their own.)

    Green Canyon

    Mother Nature

    Web Vitamins

    Cedarvale Natural Health

    Total Health Discount Vitamins

    Herb Cupboard

    Vitacost

    Herbvine

    Answers with Herbs

    Penn Herb Company, Ltd.


      February 22, 2003 12:09 AM GMT
    0
  • Crowe, I really think you'll get better results buying individual herbs and taking them together than you will from taking an herbal cocktail such as Estroven. Not that Estroven doesn't have good things in it, but you probably won't get enough from its ingredients to produce the results you want. Then again, if it's working for you, who am I to tell you to switch. Herbs are strange, and if you find a combination that works for you, it might not work for someone else. Unlike chemical hormones, herb use is based on tradition and word of mouth, not clinical studies. However, my personal experience with herbs and some of the information I've gotten from others who've used them is that full doses of various herbs taken together usually get the maximum results offered by herbal therapy.

    Red Clover is a good phytoestrogen, so if you're taking Estroven already, that should be a good combination. I've gotten good results (well, good for herbs) with Red Clover and several other herbs together.

    Everyone knows that chemical prescription hormones shouldn't be taken without consulting a doctor, but I know many trannies experiment with them anyway. Not that I condone the use of chemical hormones in the absence of a doctor, but if you are going to use them, you really shouldn't mix herbal hormone supplements with chemical hormones of the same kind, based both on my research and what I've been told. For example, don't take Estradiol and Black Cohosh together, because they both affect estrogen levels in the body. Also, don't take Saw Palmetto (a phytoantiandrogen) with a chemical antiandrogen, such as Spironolactone or Cyproterone Acetate.

    As for using herbs and chemical hormones of different types, I haven't found anything that suggests that's unsafe, or that there are any negative interactions among any of the specific herbs and prescription drugs I'm using. For example, I've been using chemical antiandrogens to block my testosterone while using phytoestrogens and phytoprogesterones to increase my estrogen level.

    I wouldn't recommend using birth control pills alone to feminize. If you're going to move from herbs to chemical hormones, you should use the ones developed for HRT. I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of a doctor prescribing contraceptives for M-to-F feminization, unless they are part of a multi-drug prescription. I know some drugs used to prevent pregnancy are similar to drugs used in HRT for females and HT for M-to-F trannies (I think Provera, for example, is used for both), but to use a drug for HT that was specifically designed for birth control is probably unwise, unless a doctor specifically prescribes that drug for you. Even then, in the case of Provera (Medroxyprogesterone Acetate - a progestin), the doctor would probably prescribe some form of estrogen, and possibly an antiandrogen, to go with it. Maybe some of the other girls can verify this for me. I know just enough to know how dangerous it can be to misuse these drugs.

      March 22, 2003 12:29 AM GMT
    0
  • i cant seem to break the live from day to day stuff... food, clothes, rent, work, sleep, etc.
    i wanna go further.....
    can anyone "make me their project?"( take me from this man to the woman i wanna be...)

    sadly living as a man most of the time, i need a change....
    there are endless loops that seem to re-occur, so i cant move forward. need to smash the chains... any ideas??

    love you all....


    julie.

    patience is a virtue, or is it simply a card game, and whos the dealer?
      March 22, 2003 5:12 PM GMT
    0
  • I can see it now... "The Julie Project"

    I wish I had some advice to offer. Maybe someone will have an idea. Deciding whether to make a specific change (or changes) is tough, but actually making the change is often just as difficult, more so, in some cases.

    My social situation keeps me from going at a fast pace, but that's probably a good thing. I'm ready to advance, but I've got to be careful.
      March 23, 2003 3:45 PM GMT
    0
  • Hi Stevie and others

    I have now had my daily spiro 100mg and ethinyl estradiol (plus levonogestrel) 100 mikrograms for over 4 months. I feel maybe more stable than in the beginning, no more easy cryings. And the main thing...I feel much more confident about my goal and I´m starting to be sure about myself passing as a woman in later phase.
    Hormonally I am a woman already. And my male dog can smell it, he has started rebelling, not obeying any more. "Who would listen to a girl". So in him I have a good training for a new female how to handle men later on...



    hugs

    Laura
      March 24, 2003 10:47 AM GMT
    0
  • Thanks Laura.

    From MediResource:

    "Levonorgestrel - ethinyl estradiol is a progestin (levonorgestrel) and estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) combination birth control pill used for the prevention of pregnancy. This medication may also be taken to regulate the menstrual cycle."

    As you see, Laura is taking that birth control pill with other drugs.
      March 24, 2003 12:45 PM GMT
    0
  • Yes Stevie

    My dosis is the double to three times higher than the amount used in birth control on born females. Lower dosises would not change my hormone level into the female range. Essential in the whole is also the spironolactone. Without spiro the necessary estrogen input should be still higher and thus more dangerous to the patient.

    Laura
      March 25, 2003 6:01 AM GMT
    0
  • Have you noticed any problems with the Spironolactone?
      March 25, 2003 12:55 PM GMT
    0
  • Hmmmm.. Stevie

    Only maybe that you must remember to drink more water. It makes you thirsty because its main function is diuretic. And flushing your body inside doesn´t harm anything. If it is only water and not BEER.
    But if you mean REAL problems, NO.

    Laura
      March 26, 2003 5:43 AM GMT
    0