Wtf

[Aprilrain]

So I am starting progesterone today and one of the "CAUTIONS" is "you may experience absence of menstrual periods if you experience irregular menstrual periods contact your doctor" I suppose mine are very regularly non existent so there is nothing worry about.:)

But seriously I went to see this doctor to get blood test and be under the care of a physician. After three months on HRT my blood work is normal, same as it was before HRT when I also had blood work done. I told her how much estrogen and anti androgens I was taking and so she prescribes 1/3 of my current dose of E and I guess the progesterone is supposed to be the anti androgen even though we talked about Spiro when I met with her. :straightface:
I'm certainly not going backwards so I will use what she prescribed to supplement what I already have and continue with what i've been doing until I can get in with the Endo here in town who works with transgirls. He's good but it's freaking impossible to get an appointment! My therapist sent my letter in February and I was able to get an appointment for July 21! Oh well I'm happy my blood work was normal and I have a cool little prescription bottle with my name on it now:)

[Frances]

I am not understanding this. If your blood work is the same as before HRT, why would she reduce your estrogen? And how are you going to feminize your body without anti-androgens? Is your doctor looking at male normal or female normal?

[Aprilrain]

I am not understanding this. If your blood work is the same as before HRT, why would she reduce your estrogen? And how are you going to feminize your body without anti-androgens? Is your doctor looking at male normal or female normal?

I don't have the first clue what she was thinking. My guess is that she felt like she should give me something but she's covering her butt by making it ridiculously low. The odd part is she knows what I've been taking and where I got it sooo....... yeah I hope she doesn't seriously think Im going to take 1/3 of what I was taking especially considering my blood work is normal. Anyway she also didn't seem to think finding out what my T level and E level were was important? instead she said its more about finding a safe dose. hhhhhhhmmmmm wouldn't that require knowing what my blood levels were not just arbitrarily picking a dose that wouldn't even feminize a squirrel (no reference to you Zenith) let alone a 150 lb human but thanks for the progesterone doc!

On a side note she ordered like every sexually transmitted disease test there is after I told her I haven't slept with anyone except my wife for 10 years. I wonder if she thought I was lying because my wife was sitting there? Obviously those were all negative.

[StaceyJane]

My doc didn't order any STD tests when I started HRT.

[sandra-leigh]

The STD tests: I saw someone write that where-ever they are, the policy is to refuse TG/TS on hormones from donating blood, on the premise that if you are on hormones then you must be gay and since you are gay, you must be sleeping around and have HIV.

I really don't know what your doctor was thinking when she ordered the tests, but it is not out of the question that she wasn't trusting that you weren't sleeping with guys.

I understand that some of the STDs are relatively easy to catch and to carry without having any obvious problem (e.g., can I be sure I didn't get something from my ex-GF 19 years ago and be carrying it around since?) I have heard that something like 80% of adult north americans have one of the forms of Herpes and the only sign of it might be teenaged acne or the occasional "cold sore". Thus it doesn't hurt to test for some of the more common STD every once in a while, as a routine precaution. I am, though, not sure of the reason for doing the gamut of tests, other than to "cover my ass" in case something happens later in case you were later tempted to say "Why didn't test for that then?!"

[Frances]

STD tests have nothing to do with HRT for MTF's.

The normal levels are 1-3 nmol/L for T and around 300 pmol/L for E. The dosages do not matter as long as these ranges are achieved. I would like to know what her definition of normal is for a transsexual woman.

[Aprilrain]

The STD tests: I saw someone write that where-ever they are, the policy is to refuse TG/TS on hormones from donating blood, on the premise that if you are on hormones then you must be gay and since you are gay, you must be sleeping around and have HIV.

I have been living as a gay woman for 7 months now but since my marriage just continues to dissolve I'm interested in branching out : )

[Aprilrain]

STD tests have nothing to do with HRT for MTF's.

The normal levels are 1-3 nmol/L for T and around 300 pmol/L for E. The dosages do not matter as long as these ranges are achieved. I would like to know what her definition of normal is for a transsexual woman.

Yeah I definitely want to know what my T and E levels are so I need to get her to order these. I'm not sure I'm going to wast my time asking her what her philosophies on trans hormone levels are as I don't think she really has any!

Thanks Frances for the information on normal levels, I may need those numbers since it seems that for now I'm the only person i know who has a clue and gives a shit about my health. My wife said, "aren't you going to take it as prescribed" Well technically yes. The better question would have been are you going to stop your current regimen, No it would be dangerous to simply quit taking anti androgens and if you want to see super bitch let me reduce the amount of estrogen I'm taking!

Yeah I thought the STD thing was funny but hey now I know what I already knew! Maybe if I start dating I will require my suitor to get a full STD panel as well.

[Babeba]

Yeah I thought the STD thing was funny but hey now I know what I already knew! Maybe if I start dating I will require my suitor to get a full STD panel as well.

I ALWAYS ask for this, that's what I was taught in school! :-)

Usually I don't agree with people changing their own medication against doctor's orders... but your doctor makes absolutely NO sense on this. What the heck is she thinking? estrogen, progesterone... It basically sounds like she put you on birth control. That makes sense with the package warning, but not with what you're after!

[arbon]

The doctor I am seeing does not think finding out t and e levels is important either. She has said a few things to that have left me scratching my head.

Really the issue of doctors and transitioning in general leaves me confused because it seems so scatter shot in what they say and how they are treating us when you are reading people's experiences on these boards.

[BreenaDion]

Wow sorry you're having a tuff time getting in with the Endr dr, gawd mine was like a nap of the finger. I had blood test before I saw my therapist LOL . Ya I did it backwards but I got it straightened out. Endro dr gave me premarin and spironolactone and He doesnt know why but im still on low doze of both, about half of what normal doze is. Weird but as long as it keeps the ISM at bay then I dont go crazy and do stupid things LOL. Good Luck and Your day is coming.
Breena.