Hormones for cross dressers?

[stepheniesmiles]

I'm pretty new to the transgender scene. Am a cross dresser and wondering about hormones. Do many crossdressers take hormones or is it pretty much a TS thing. Do u need a prescription? And, if u start taking them are the changes permanent? Don't wanna go full time but just want to be a little more girly. Any thoughts r gr8. Thx!

[Julia_in_Pa]

Stephanie,

Concerning prescription HRT Very rapid sterilization occurring with actual HRT, your brains neural pathways are altered within the context of your brains cognitive functions with continued use.

Your ability to obtain erections is greatly compromised to the point of impotency.



You are also running a notable risk of deep vein thrombosis (blood clots) which can easily result in death.



This is where you obtaining therapy prior to obtaining prescription HRT is not only recommended it's just smart thinking.

Once a green light is given by your therapist they write a letter of recommendation to a doctor who will monitor your hormone use via blood testing.

Yes, this is all quite normal concerning prescription hormones.

You only use them within the context of obtaining relief from your history of GID. (Gender Identity Disorder)

They are not magic nor will they work quickly other than giving a TS person relief from the mental anguish that they most likely had suffered for years.


You would need to discuss this with a mental health professional.

Hormones don't transform, they heal and they clarify.

My experience is 11 years of HRT use and five years of living full time.

My question you need to ask yourself why do I want this.

If you can't honestly say to yourself that you are TS and are in need of transitioning then do not take this road!

Concerning Herbals they have been medically proven as ineffective in doing anything but separating a person from their hard earned money.





Julia

[Anna Lorree]

OK, a few things. If you take hormones they will change how you feel and look. Yes, it is permanent. If you want that, you are likely not a CD, but some degree of a TS person. Knowing will require a lot of self-examination. Take your time.

Anna

[Renee W]

If you are just a crossdresser, I would stick to artificial means of feminizing yourself----breast forms, butt/hip pads, body shapers, corsets.

[stepheniesmiles]

All valid points. Think I'll stick to artificial ways! Definitely more a cd then TS, just was curious.

[Karren H]

Someone needs to invent "recreational hormones".

[Mikaela]

I know someone that was a CD and did hormones for 6 months for the various benefits. She stopped that experiment because the side effects were not worth it. The emotional stuff bothered her. And there was also the realization that although a woman may be fine with a CD, they still want the man underneath.

[Jenniferathome]

Cross dressers do not take hormones we only cross dress. Transgendered individuals who wish to be the sex they were not born into, do take them. Hormones are not a casual thing. They are dangerous when used not under a doctor's care. There a a myriad of complications than can arise. Do not attempt this lightly.

[Mikaela]

Cross dressers do not take hormones we only cross dress. Transgendered individuals who wish to be the sex they were not born into, do take them. Hormones are not a casual thing. They are dangerous when used not under a doctor's care. There a a myriad of complications than can arise. Do not attempt this lightly.

Many posts here and real life people I know would disagree with the first two sentences of your statement.

[Babeba]

There's no such thing as a magical, "make me have big boobs and be pretty!" pill - which is what I think you are after.

Sorry.


(Off topic - but if there was such a thing, who do you think would want to be the celebrity spokesperson??)

[Maija]

Hmm can I get some of those pills?

[SarahLynn]

The only proper way to make hormones is to not pay them.:heehee::heehee: Other than that, if you are thinking of taking them, your best bet is to stay home, dress in the closet, do not let the light of day witness your venture into the world of womanhood.

I don't recommend either of these two options. Stay away from Hormones and learn to love what you have or can buy to "pad" the outside to an acceptable appearance.

SarahLynn

[Aprilrain]

There's no such thing as a magical, "make me have big boobs and be pretty!" pill - which is what I think you are after.

Sorry.


(Off topic - but if there was such a thing, who do you think would want to be the celebrity spokesperson??)

Im TS and on hormones and i would STILL take that pill! Hormones after puberty are a crap shoot at best. I have been on them for 9 months. I have A cups, no more hips or butt then when I started and no more erections. I do get to have emotional breakdowns every so often though! Still I would not stop for anything. Why? Because this is how I was supposed to be.

[Nicole Erin]

HRT after puberty -

Hormones are just another "magic pill" that the pharmacy makes to milk people's cash.
you don't get any more femme a body, there might be some breast development but it is laughable at best. Sex drive goes away mostly and even if you can perform, the orgasms are really weak. It doesn't decrease facial hair but might slow body hair growth.

I was on them for about a year. Basically a waste of money.

[Babeba]

I think a lot of GGs would go after a magic 'make me pretty' pill! Trust me, if there was one out there that worked we would all know about it.

Nicole, I think Aprilrain's experience is pretty typical as well - they are more of an emotional thing, the physical shape changes are more of a side effect. It's important to remember that the vast majority of the people on HRT are postmenopausal GG's, they aren't really after the same thing CDs are at all. I have heard some of my mom's friends talk about how it helps with mood swings and hot flashes. They are very powerful pills - but they're not magic beans either.

[Melody1985]

What Julia said...

Only thing I would add is that for the most part, CDs (transvestites) typically keep their male form to some degree, whereas TGs that are TS identified want to be a woman full time, and taking hormones is the way to do that.

[Annie M]

Karren, Im with you and all for "recreational hormones"...

[Princess Chantal]

Would taking hormones increase the satisfaction of the dressing session for a crossdresser?
If so, is that increase worth it?
What would the chance be, that the person describes theirself as a crossdresser after they start taking hormones?

[Melody1985]

Would taking hormones increase the satisfaction of the dressing session for a crossdresser?
If so, is that increase worth it?
What would the chance be, that the person describes theirself as a crossdresser after they start taking hormones?

Hormones themselves won't increase satisfaction. Mentally, you may feel better, but that's all in your head. Further down the line with continual use, your bone structure etc will start to femininze, so at that point you will look better in your clothes, so you will probably feel better then. But again that's all mental.

If you're not serious about complete transformation, don't do it. I understand wanting some aspects of your body to be more feminine, but unfortunately with hormones, it's all or nothing.

[Rachel E Lee]

I work in the health care field, and I can say there's a lot of data documenting the DANGERS of hormone replacement therapy. It can greatly increase your risk for heart attack and stroke, and can have a negative impact on everything from bone density to depression. Bottom line: it should NEVER be attempted for merely "cosmetic" reasons and SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NEVER be attempted without close monitoring by an experienced physician. If you want proof, just Google Richard Speck---murdered 8 student nurses in Chicago in 1967, took estrogens smuggled into him in prison so he could sell himself as a prostitute for money and drugs, and died of a massive heart attack at age 50.
I'm not saying no one should EVER take estrogens, but you need to have a good reason for doing so, and ALWAYS take them under the supervision of a physician. Otherwise it's just playing Russian Roulette with your health.

[SabrinaEmily]

The only proper way to make hormones is to not pay them.:heehee::heehee: Other than that, if you are thinking of taking them, your best bet is to stay home, dress in the closet, do not let the light of day witness your venture into the world of womanhood.

I don't recommend either of these two options. Stay away from Hormones and learn to love what you have or can buy to "pad" the outside to an acceptable appearance.

SarahLynn

I have no idea what you're saying here -- if you think you might be transsexual, shove yourself deeper into the closet? That's not exactly a brilliant solution. Then after that it sounds like you're saying transsexual people should try to be crossdressers instead? That doesn't seem to work in the long term either.


HRT after puberty -

Hormones are just another "magic pill" that the pharmacy makes to milk people's cash.
you don't get any more femme a body, there might be some breast development but it is laughable at best. Sex drive goes away mostly and even if you can perform, the orgasms are really weak. It doesn't decrease facial hair but might slow body hair growth.

I was on them for about a year. Basically a waste of money.

You just made most of that up, considering how completely it contradicts the experiences of so many transwomen, including several I know personally.

Then again, they aren't trying to "perform" in a male way, or preserve male sex drive. For those who need HRT, it is about the farthest thing from a waste of money that exists. If that's not you, then yes, it would be a waste of money at best. And there's nothing wrong with that either -- just don't extrapolate your experience to everyone else.

[Kaitlyn Michele]

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to do first is consider that

a.) They don't work much at all unless you take testosterone blockers...the t blockers are a significant health risk
b.) they take a long time to work...years, and years....and more years...
c.) their impact is TOTALLY UNPREDICTABLE...

nicole is full of baloney with the idea they are a ripoff...transsexuals take them because the emotional and mental benefits are part of the benefit, they are worth every penny for that..(and they are inexpensive)
you just hope the body responds well...

if you are doing it just for the body effects, you will very likely be disappointed...especially if you don't take t blockers...and unless an inability to sustain anything other than a painful, unorgasmic erection is something you want, you should avoid them

[Barbara Jo]

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to do first is consider that

a.) They don't work much at all unless you take testosterone blockers...the t blockers are a significant health risk
b.) they take a long time to work...years, and years....and more years...
c.) their impact is TOTALLY UNPREDICTABLE...

nicole is full of baloney with the idea they are a ripoff...transsexuals take them because the emotional and mental benefits are part of the benefit, they are worth every penny for that..(and they are inexpensive)
you just hope the body responds well...

if you are doing it just for the body effects, you will very likely be disappointed...especially if you don't take t blockers...and unless an inability to sustain anything other than a painful, unorgasmic erection is something you want, you should avoid them

Words of wisdom there!

BTW I wiil just add for the uninformed that all the "********" you see on the net that sill maintain an erection are feminized through various surgeries not via hormones.

[Aprilrain]

Hormones themselves won't increase satisfaction. Mentally, you may feel better, but that's all in your head. Further down the line with continual use, your bone structure etc will start to femininze, so at that point you will look better in your clothes, so you will probably feel better then. But again that's all mental.

If mentally you feel better doesn't that imply that its all in your head?

HRT will not change an adults bone structure, unless you take only an anti androgen then in time you may develop osteoporosis.

I highly doubt a CDer will feel better because their clothes fit better, the lack of sexual functioning and mood swings would likely far out way any body changes that the CD would get.


I was on them for about a year. Basically a waste of money.

Nicole I'm sorry you didn't get the benefits from HRT that most transexuals get, Again for me theses are mostly mental and emotional. Sexually speaking, yeah I can't sustain an erection but I can orgasm and it can be quite intense and that is with virtually NO testosterone!


I have heard some of my mom's friends talk about how it helps with mood swings and hot flashes.

HA, the funny thing is TSes take then and GET hot flashes and mood swings! LOL

[Acastina]

Many posts here and real life people I know would disagree with the first two sentences of your statement.
Count me among them. I believe, after a lot of experience, that one could probably find an open-minded doctor who would prescribe estrogen in moderate doses for a serious CD, even if she doesn't live full-time.

The results are frequently exaggerated, as are the dangers, which are generally related to high doses or cocktails of several hormones. Over five years, I saw no discernible relocation of fat from waist to hips, experienced only mild reductions (welcome, I might add) in libido and potency, and growing breasts, even small ones, was probably the most gratifying experience of my life.

If you're prepared to live with a bit of flattening and concealment in boy mode, I can't think of a compelling reason why not. I never liked having my shirt off in public anyway...

BTW I wiil just add for the uninformed that all the "********" you see on the net that sill maintain an erection are feminized through various surgeries not via hormones.[/QUOTE]

Not "all". I've seen plenty with what are obviously "hormone boobs" who are still functional. Sexual side effects vary with the individual and the dosages. It's pretty easy to spot them: more than gynecomastia and less than implants...

[OKPink]

BarbaraJo said, "BTW I wiil just add for the uninformed that all the "********" you see on the net that sill maintain an erection are feminized through various surgeries not via hormones."

And photshop/airbrush...

[DressyJenny]

I would think that any crossdresser that would want hormones would at least be transgendered ( to the minimium where they at least need to be female on some level). But I'm not expert. Perhaps there are cases of Crossdressors that use them. But usually crossdressors are just men that like to dress for whatever reason.

But whatever the case always consult a therapist and ultimately a doctor. Taking Hormones without this type of help will only lead to serious medical and emotional problems. From what I hear its not an easy transition. And if you really don't want them, they could really do a number on you emotionally. So consult with a therapist you feel comfortable with before doing anything else.

[Melody1985]

I would think that any crossdresser that would want hormones would at least be transgendered ( to the minimium where they at least need to be female on some level). But I'm not expert. Perhaps there are cases of Crossdressors that use them. But usually crossdressors are just men that like to dress for whatever reason.

But whatever the case always consult a therapist and ultimately a doctor. Taking Hormones without this type of help will only lead to serious medical and emotional problems. From what I hear its not an easy transition. And if you really don't want them, they could really do a number on you emotionally. So consult with a therapist you feel comfortable with before doing anything else.

I understand what you are saying here.. but for clarification only, I will say cross-dressers fit into the umbrella of "transgender." Those who want to be female on some level are transsexuals.. Crossdressers and transvestites are those who want to keep their male selves.. and the difference historically with them is that tranvsestites were thought of more to be gay men in "drag," and when straight men started to come out about dressing like a woman, in order to differentiate themselves from the gay men, the term cross-dresser was used..

[AimeeCD]

Nice one Karren...if we had those I'd always have a supply handy!

[DanaR]

Someone needs to invent "recreational hormones".
Something that would wear off after several hours?:D

[JodieGreen]

You should watch some Doctor 90210!!!

If you've got the money for surgery that is the way to go and not HRT (well maybe a combo of both would come out best?!) But anyways i've seen a few "girls" who endured about 2 years of surgury and came out drop dead gorgeous.

You can see tons of examples at his own site though.

http://www.bevhills.com/beverly-hills-facial-feminization/

: P

I'm sorta lucky though, I don't have a pronounced brow like most boys have. which is like a mega dead give away.

[Jenniferathome]

There is no such thing as "hormones for cross dressers." Hormones are no different than any other pharmaceutical. No one should take these powerful drugs unless you are 1) a transexual in transition AND 2) under a doctors care and monitoring.

[LeaP]

I read a psychologist's essay (Anne Vitale, if I recall) to the effect that hormones are a reliable diagnostic confirmation of dysphoria. That if a natal male is dysphoric, estrogen will result in a sense of well-being. That effect apparently does not occur if one is not dysphoric. As I (poorly) understand it, this can be accomplished with very low dosages. If anyone knows more about this aspect of hormones, I'd be happy to be educated.

Lea

[stacie]

HRT after puberty -

Hormones are just another "magic pill" that the pharmacy makes to milk people's cash.
you don't get any more femme a body, there might be some breast development but it is laughable at best. Sex drive goes away mostly and even if you can perform, the orgasms are really weak. It doesn't decrease facial hair but might slow body hair growth.

I was on them for about a year. Basically a waste of money.

Sounds like you took HRT for the wrong reasons plus it takes a lot longer then a year for hrt to work.

[Phylis Nicole Schuyler]

Someone needs to invent "recreational hormones".

Karren, isn't that classified better living through chemistry? As to HRT, go through a doctor after they have done a complete physical.