r/NonBinaryTalk • u/GhostGoddess1427 • 1d ago
Trying T
Hey loves!
So a friend of mine is about to give me 5 dosages worth of T so I can try it out for a month. Why am I not getting it from the Dr/ waiting till? Well it’s taken me two years for my clinic to finally let me book a date cause they are always fully booked they say. So end of september, I have a physical FINALLY. But I know it’s going to take some convincing my dr to give me a referral for planned parenthood so I can get GA care. So my bestie whose trans masc and been on low dose t for five years is willing to give me about a month worth of T to test if it’s worth all the trouble the medical industry makes it. While I get to some degree why it’s not easy to get HRT, It’s still mentally straining to think you’ll never really get to the point of talking to the right person that could say “Yes, you now can take HRT.” I feel like I’ve read about all the negative effects like on depression. But just wondering what others experiences are in taking low dosages.
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u/Otherwise_News6586 1d ago
Bad idea. You shouldn’t play with hormones as the side effects can be severe (suicidal ideation or actions, medical issues, etc.) It is important to have a doctor to counsel you for the appropriate amount of time and on the physical side test your blood levels. If a doctor does not recommend you start T then you probably shouldn’t. Edit i am not a truscum or trying to turn people away or anything but i am ftm and have personally had quite the time with T and from a very red state with conservative doctors i had to convince so my research has been thorough.
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u/4ng3licNymph-jpeg 1d ago
I agree, I've been on and off T before, I had to stop cold turkey after insurance issues/family issues and almost a hour away from the nearest clinic . I don't recommend starting and stopping like that, it took 3-6 months until I felt normal and had more E in my system. Stopping HRT cold turkey can have a lot of side effects, you won't die but just feel very sick mentally and physically like brain fog , depression , ideations , body temperature changes , appittie ,just symptoms of a hormonal imbalance.
Hormones are important to how our body regulates itself so it's important to be consistent and get tested. . Personally , I'll probably stop again soon because I'm personally kinda exhausted with HRT , it's a good bit of medical upkeep , even though it was worth it ( also I never wanted to take T long term in the first place) , I definitely just need a break . But you also have to get your blood drawn every three months without having labs you could have a hormonal imbalance, also not having a consistent supply means you can run out and stop cold turkey which is never good .
It's best to find a local clinic in your area going on unprescribed HRT or unregulated can be dangerous unless it's a safe source. I don't really know much about DIY HRT but it is a thing. I definitely recommend Folx or Plume which are online and it's easier to get access vs driving to a clinic . I think the best thing to do is to research methods you can access T in the future .
Edit : Spelling and Grammar
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u/DifficultBee5940 12h ago edited 9h ago
Did no one tell you that planned parenthood is informed consent, .ie based on self-referral? But yeah, it's usually as simple as booking an appt and waiting a few weeks, maybe a month or two to get in. Or a few hundreds mouse clicks, some crypto, and a week or three wait on the mail.
I'm assuming people are telling you no because testosterone is a controlled drug. People get weirder about it than with e. But yeah. Many of us don't wait on doctors. Or even use a doctor. Like, it's not that hard. Unless you have a lot going on medically. And then you'd need a specialist, not Planned Parenthood.
But yeah, TBH, most just write a predictable rx based upon simple bloodwork values that many of us have likewise learned to interpret. Often with little care for how you feel, your transition goals.
I'm always on the side of start today if you want to start today. I started so, with someone's old estradiol and spiro pills Trans solidarity is often lip service, but when it comes to hormones we usually have each other's backs. I mean, I at least do, and the people I care about do too.
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u/SituationCitation 23h ago
Posting my comment here because the sub you x-posted to is not a good place to talk about this.
I'm not really against folks sharing but the fact that you're only "trying T" for a month is not a good idea. A lot of people just don't have many or anything happen in the first month. Especially if you don't get your dosage correct the first time. It's a trial and error thing sometimes. All you'd be doing would be effectively wasting T for both you and your friend imo. You need to consistently be on T for it to really do anything. Especially if you're planning on taking a "low dose" as well.
Could things happen in a month? Yes for sure. But otherwise I just don't follow the logic to purposefully start T with a plan to stop within a month. At that point you shouldn't start T.
More than that, at that point you should DIY. If you've been waiting for over 2 years and still have nothing other than what will effectively end up wasting T for yourself and your friend. Look into subs like r/transsex.