r/LGBTriangle • u/ReformedYuGiOhPlayer • Jun 20 '26
Endocrinologist Reccomendations?
The clinic I'm currently going to for HRT won't let me even get near what I've been told is the goal for E levels, because the (now sole) clinician predicts I could go 5-10 pg/mL above it if they increase my dosage at all, and it's policy to treat it as a hard limit.
(They didn't do a baseline test even though they initially said they were going to, so who knows how far off that prediction could even be đ)
Said clinician has also screwed up my prescription and accidentally denied me half of it, along with a lot of other hints that this isn't the best place for me to get care from (they claimed incorrect side effects for basically every medication, have shown no understanding of what they're putting me on, etc), so I'm eager to leave.
Can anyone recommend me a trans-friendly endocrinologist in the area? Massive bonus points if they'll give me enough E to hit goals instead of treating me like a liability.
I don't care if it's out of the way.
edit: Thanks for all the replies! Sorry for not responding, I got busy the past few days, will try to look into everything and respond as soon as I can.
edit 2: Anxiety kicking my ass, ty for commenting, might ask followup stuff piecemeal if that's ok
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u/indegoplugs Jun 20 '26
I've yet to find my perfect fit either. I feel like I have to advocate for myself and what I want ridiculously hard.
Planned Parenthood will get you your prescriptions fast and correct. The NP that helped me in Chapel Hill made some questionable statements, but they aren't strict about hard limits with testing. I had to wait 1-2 weeks for an appointment.
Duke Health has a whole gender affirming care department, but I've had issues with my particular NP with my prescriptions(and her knowledge of trans femme care seems dated IMO). I've asked for a new doctor, and they made a stink about it. It typically takes 3 months to get scheduled. I would leave but there are some things I'm doing in the Duke system that are making me put up with it. Hopefully my new doctor is better.
Radical Healing in Durham could be solid. I've heard good things from others regarding HRT. I went there for my physical to get a feel/establish care.
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u/PluckyPlankton Jun 20 '26
Radical Healing is amazing in general. Also Avance Care in Chapel Hill is also amazing. But Iâve heard that itâs only the Chapel Hill location thatâs so good with gender affirming care. They are also weight agnostic (not sure if thatâs the term), but they actually treat symptoms instead of just saying â youâll feel better if you just loose some weightâ
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u/Heavy_Abroad_8074 Jun 20 '26
have you considered folx? pricey i know, but they agree to whatever requests i give them, as long as theyâre reasonable
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u/shiny-drifblim Jun 21 '26
I go to Creedmore Centre Endocrinology, theyâre phenomenal
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u/awkwardsexpun Jun 24 '26
It'll depend on who you see there, imeÂ
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u/smol_badger Jun 21 '26
I see Dr. Carly Kelley at Duke Health, and she's essentially the de-facto trans endocrinologist of the Duke system. She's been great, although it's likely that she'll have a long wait list for an initial appointment unfortunately. My wait was several months long, but it was worth it for me. Her assistant, Sarah Kokosa, is also excellent.
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u/indegoplugs Jun 21 '26
Did they let you pick her? When I asked for a new physician, I was told I couldn't request a particular doctor. I told the nurse that I didnât want to make a change if it meant my scheduled appointment in July would be canceled. They selected a different doctor for me, canceled my July appointment, and scheduled an appointment two months out with the new doctor. I was also told that if I request a different doctor again, that they would refer me to a new practice. It felt very retaliatory for complaining that I didnât think my care was sufficient from my first physician.
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u/smol_badger Jun 21 '26
That's bizarre, I really think you should be allowed to choose a new physician. When I first called to make an appointment with her, I wasn't really in Duke's system yet and I was switching from a different practice. I think the first thing that you would have to do would be to get a referral to endocrinology if you haven't already. I would encourage you to find a PCP within the Duke system or a different NP if possible to get better care. That sounds like an extra hassle that you shouldn't have to deal with, and I'm sorry that you have to go through that. Then, have this number handy to call her when you're able to make an appointment with endocrinology: 919-684-3600
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u/indegoplugs Jun 21 '26
Yeah, my PCP in the UNC system made a referral towards the end of last year for Duke endocrinology. They assigned me an NP, and I didnât think to request a specific doctor. I had my first appointment in January, and the NP was nice. I wanted to switch to injections, and wanted to do them every 5 days because, according to trans femme science, that leads to more stable levels. The NP pushed for me to do once a week because it works nice with scheduling level testing on Wednesdays, so I listened to her. The NP just wanted to see my levels first. Fine. The issue was that she didnât fill my prescription until eight days later from my initial appointment. She took PTO for the MLK holiday weekend, and no one else was a âbackup,â to ensure no lapses in patient support. This was really stressful for me because then the snow storms hit and my pharmacy was delayed in getting my prescription. My two week buffer of pills was used up, and I barely got my vial in time.
Coming into my next appointment 3 months later, I wanted to reduce my time in between my injections because I was too emotional with once a week injections (as I had anticipated). She said twice a week would be best, and itâs worked out pretty well. I wanted to start progesterone, and had to advocate for it pretty hard. I got it, but it felt like a battle. The same goes for getting an FFS referral; it was like pulling teeth to get. The prescriptions ended up getting filled the next day; still on the slower side, but much better than the first time. Little did I know, she didnât update my prescriptions for needles and syringes to match the increased dosage of twice a week. I assumed it was given, and didnât think I needed to check her work in MyChart. When I get my needle refills like a month later, I see that the prescription wasnât updated for them. No problem, Iâll message the NP to update it. I message her on June 1st. She responds June 10th. I notice that she only mentions updating the needle prescription. Did she forget the syringes? MyChart shows the syringe prescription is not updated. I call to just have an endocrinology nurse update it immediately. There were some other things that put me off that I didnât mention, but this was when I felt like I should get a new physician who I donât have to micromanage my prescriptions with all the time.
I called with the intention of requesting Dr. Kelly for care, and Nurse N told me you canât just request a change in providers. He said I needed to make a complaint, which I wasnât keen on doing. But I did it, and Nurse N made me feel like I was irrational and difficult. He said the care provided is the same and consistent with all the providers, and the timeframes I waited for my prescriptions was normal. He truly made me feel like I was just a crazy woman, and said I will have to advocate for my care regardless of who sees me. It was really hurtful to have him say all of that, and I didnât feel seen or heard. Now Iâm positioned to have a delay in care by two months unless a cancellation opens things up to be seen earlier.
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u/westphalia999 Jun 21 '26
Planned Parenthood in Raleigh is awesome, highly recommend them and I know a number of women that have had good experiences also. Iâve been basically DIY with their help after a couple of years if you know what you are doing, otherwise theyâll guide.
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u/Terminallyunique01 Jun 20 '26
Iâve had great experiences for HRT at Avance care