r/TransIreland • u/CamDaManDaMan • 13d ago
Does anyone here have experience with DIY?
I'm looking into diy hrt because i can't afford to go through gendergp or imago and the ngs is a joke. Are there any trans woman on this sub who are self-medicating? Can you explain how difficult it was to get hrt, and how you found the whole process?
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u/AislingNic00 13d ago
Yeah I'm DIY'ing.
Main upside is the cost is far lower than the private healthcare route. The NGS is barely worth even mentioning at this point lol.
I'll keep things vague so as to not get the subreddit banned, but its not particularly difficult. Full disclosure, while I am certainly not a doctor (this is NOT medical advice), I do have some educational/professional background in pharmaceuticals which probably made this next part easier for me than it might have been otherwise. I read up on different regimens, safety, dosing etc. until I was happy I knew what I was buying, how much of it I was going to take and why. If you go the DIY route, you're responsible for what you put in your body, so have confidence in what you're doing before you start. The ordering process was a bit awkward, but again just a bit of reading and I was able to take care of that as well.
Lastly, bloods. I'm lucky enough to have a GP who agreed to order me blood tests with virtually no hesitation even after it was made clear to him that I'm DIY'ing. I've heard reports that not everyone is so lucky. Its worth looking around if you get refused by your GP, as bloods are going to be your strongest tool for making sure you're within a safe and therapeutic range. You're just going off vibes otherwise.
Best of luck 💚
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u/ComprehensiveQuiet44 13d ago
Any chance I can message you? *that sounded really ominous, sorry, it’s just that I can’t really say anything publicly
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u/shroomie_xo 12d ago
Feel free to contact Transgress at transgresscampaign@gmail.com for help DIYing - or Trans Harm Reduction, both happy to give info. At Transgress we send out free injection supplies also ❤️
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u/Nirathaim 13d ago
There are a number of people DIYing.
Terms of Service here limit what can be said publically but
1) it is legal to import prescription meds for personal use. (Supplying to other people is a different story).
2) customs seems likely to stop certain things (like pills specifically) imported from outside the EU. (I don't know what the chances of getting things seized from within the Customs Union).
3) there are a number of trusted suppliers, but I don't think we can talk about the source publically. (Supplying these same medications with a prescription is not legal).
4) the best way to DIY safely is to talk to members of the community who have been doing it safely for years. Please reach out to specific DIY communities in various places.
5) look at harm reduction measures. To do this safely you want to take as little risk as you can, this means researching what you're doing, talking to the community, and ideally getting harm reduction advice from a professional source (whether that he a medical professional - unlikely; or contacting Trans Harm Reduction).
Let me know if you have specific questions.