My Journey with HRT

[xponentialshift]

If all goes well at the doctor's office in the morning I'll be walking out with a Rx for hormones! I already know my blood test results are fine, so I can't think of a reason I won't get them.

Hopefully the Costco near me will have them in stock so I can start tomorrow night!

I guess tonight could be my last night with a brain suffocated by T. (Except I may stop hrt long enough to go to a sperm bank next month if everything goes smoothly. I don't want to waste the money now if hormones turn out to not be for me)

I also see my therapist the day after tomorrow so I can talk about any mental changes I feel after taking my first two doses!

Just 12 hours left!!! I'm getting really excited and don't want to sleep, but I need to sleep to look presentable at the doctor's.

Anyway, that's enough aimless ranting for one night! I'll update tomorrow unless I get wound up in emotions and stuff (:

[Sydney_NYC]

Good luck tomorrow. One note about Costco (I use them for my Finasteride only as the health center costs about the same and is more convenient.) If you don't have insurance talk to the pharmacists about not having any and many times there are discount codes for uninsured patients. I found this out by talking to the pharmacists and she realized I was transgender (membership card has male name and so does prescription) and telling her how my HRT meds are so much cheaper. She told me about it and my 3 month supply of Finasteride went from $150 to about $28.

[Emjay]

Good Luck tomorrow, I hope everything goes well for you!

I know for me, just getting started was a HUGE relief...  It's not been quite a month yet but I feel so much better, I hope it's the same for you

[Evelyn K]

Good luck tomorrow. One note about Costco (I use them for my Finasteride only as the health center costs about the same and is more convenient.) If you don't have insurance talk to the pharmacists about not having any and many times there are discount codes for uninsured patients. I found this out by talking to the pharmacists and she realized I was transgender (membership card has male name and so does prescription) and telling her how my HRT meds are so much cheaper. She told me about it and my 3 month supply of Finasteride went from $150 to about $28.

I get 90  finasteride tabs (Teva Pharmaceuticals) for $20 (retail $260) at Duane Reade with a discount RX prescription card. Pharmacist was kind of crushing on me she was so kind working to find me the biggest discount possible with some cards she had lying around so I know it can be done.

no dosages

[xponentialshift]

Thanks for the support! I will definitely see if Costco has a cash price, although I think I am only going to take E, maybe Spiro but not sure yet. And 90 E pills (all the dosages are the same price oddly) are under $10 according to the website. If that's true I can afford that pretty easily.

Ok. I should sleep now. 10 hours left!

[AnneB]

Without wanting to get banned, or spanked for talking abt dosages    90 tabs, is that a 3mos supply (give or take)?

[Evelyn K]

Has nothing to do with transitioning, but you get nearly a years worth. I double on the fin to 2X a day, so a half year.

[JaneNicole2013]

Good luck and do keep us posted!

Jane

[xponentialshift]

Without wanting to get banned, or spanked for talking abt dosages    90 tabs, is that a 3mos supply (give or take)?

It depends. They come in like 5 different dosage levels so it depends on what your doctor prescribed. Some people like to take one a day, others prefer splitting their dose half in the morning half in the evening.
90 tabs lasts 90 tabs. Doesn't correlate directly with days until you know your prescribed dosages.

[AnneB]

ok, thanks.. 'haven't started any script-based HRT yet.. I have a two week wait for next appt and blood panel results, will see what (if anything) I end up with.. 

[Cris Zoe]

Here's a website that might be helpful. http://www.goodrx.com/  You can find out the pricing in your area for various drugs and they have discount coupons. No affiliation but have found it to be helpful. My wife has definitely saved some money with their coupons.

- Cris

[AnneB]

Thank you! 

Spiro at Walmart, and CVS, $4..   

The estrogens..     anywhere from $42 to $114 for name brand..  $4 to $42 for generic.. 

Finasteride.. $9.. 

thank you for the link..   the coupons will def help!

[xponentialshift]

Yay! I got there early and I made it back to Tue parking garage before my appointment was even scheduled.
I got an Rx for E and Spiro, although I am just going to take the E for now .

In about a week once I confirm this is the right path (mostly to ease my grandmother's worries), I will go off the E long enough to go to a sperm bank, then officially start hrt.

I wonder how long before Costco can fill my Rx...

[AnneB]

Way at go, hon!  Maybe snap a pic of your first dose?  I think I will when I get mine.  How often will you have to go for blood work/levels?  Is it E or Tblockers, or both that makes the need to bank it now?

[xponentialshift]

I took my first dose at 11am! 10 minutes ago...

Both E and AA reduce fertility, but the AA are more immediate, so that is why my doctor recommended I not take the Spiro until after I bank. (I'll still have to go off E for a while, but I am hoping within a day or two I will make up my mind, and stop the HRT until I bank (maybe end of next week)

I'll take a photo after my body starts to process the E (in about an hour)

[Ltl89]

Congrats on starting!  I'll never forget the feeling I had when I started hrt.  It was an amazing and I had so much euphoria.  I hope it all works out for you.

[AnneB]

I took my first dose at 11am! 10 minutes ago...

I really am happy for you, and envious too!   ok, so tell us, C cup yet?  no?  B?      (pouting)   ok, I'll check back in an hour..   *giggles*  .. really, I am hoping you genuinely feel better soon..  the bio-identicals I was on started to work on my mind after a day or so, ever so slightly, but still noticeable and after a week, I was turning into Annie singing "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow!!  LOL 

Hugs!!

[xponentialshift]

I really am happy for you, and envious too!   ok, so tell us, C cup yet?  no?  B?      (pouting)   ok, I'll check back in an hour..   *giggles*  .. really, I am hoping you genuinely feel better soon..  the bio-identicals I was on started to work on my mind after a day or so, ever so slightly, but still noticeable and after a week, I was turning into Annie singing "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow!!  LOL 

Hugs!!

Thank you! Reading your post made me smile, and I felt the smile all throughout my head! Not something I've felt before... It was like a warm tingly feeling from my jaw up towards the top center if my head. I think it's a good sign, then again I could just be imagining things (:

And I certainly hope I don't have a c cup yet lol. I think that is as large as I would ever want to get. I would much prefer a full A to maybe a B within a year or two.

[Violet Bloom]

  My doctor wouldn't start me on HRT until I got my results back from the sperm bank.  Her normal procedure is to start Spiro first, which I did for two months before adding Estrace.  Reducing my T-level had a strong and immediate effect which calmed my crazy nerves, improved my mood and cleared my fatigue.  When it came time for the Estrace I hardly felt anything except that my breasts responded right away.  I also started to notice once my E dose got higher and twice a day that I would experience a mild downswing before each dose and it was worse if I had to get up really early in the morning for work.  This may be because the evening dose is less than the morning dose combined with the longer span overnight so I'm further into a downswing by the time I get out of bed.  The next time I see the doctor the two doses will probably be made equal as part of the next increase.

  Do as your doctor advises but I'd recommend even if you're starting a low dose of E that you don't abruptly stop it before sperm banking.  Try to taper it off slowly over a few days at least.  If my dose gets delayed I tend to get a headache and I hate to think what would happen to my mood if I suddenly stopped or missed a day based on my experience so far just with the span of time between doses.

[xponentialshift]

Well I took my second dose after dinner.

All day after my first dose, my "default" mood felt like what my "perfect day"/"happy" mood used to be. And the few times I really smiled at something felt amazing. Now my cheeks are sore from a pretty much constant grin all afternoon.

I would be very happy to stay in this mood forever (: And if it really is the E making these changes then I guess I will (other than  a 1-2 week detour to the sperm bank)

I am assuming that over time on a consistent dose, my emotions will continue to change and evolve and I am excite to discover exactly how!