So this is less a question about anything, and more something that I'm happy about and just wanted to share :-). So I posted a while back when I first started HRT. I'm pre-diabetic and see a very well reputed endocrinologist for diabetes. Anyway, when I was going to first start HRT I asked if he treats Trans patients as well, and he said yes. So I figured it'd be nice to use an Endo who can keep an eye on the whole picture. So at my first appt he prescribed me a super super low dose of estrogen and no T-Blockers. When I asked about it he said that often he finds T-blockers to be unnecessary and that often estrogen alone is enough to suppress testosterone. So I went, okay, I'm slightly dubious BUT he's probably just starting me on low dose to get me acclimated and then I'll see where my levels are at at my follow up. So I go to my follow up, and he hands me a new prescription... For the same low dose of estrogen only I had been getting. Now, I know HRT is a slow process, but literally NOTHING had happened over the first 3 months. So I asked him where my levels were at. He pulls them up (and is seeming to be reading them for the first time) and my testosterone was slightly HIGHER than it had been three months ago, and my estrogen was a little elevated but not much. So I said, well then if my testosterone isn't suppressing with E alone, shouldn't we add T-Blockers? And he goes, and I quote, "Well the actual numbers of your hormone levels are irrelevant." Then he hands me a prescription for a SLIGHTLY higher dose of estrogen and sends me on my way.
So needless to say, I walked out, and I called a different endocrinologist that had been referred to me that is a specialist in trans HRT (and is also trans herself) and set up an appointment with her. At that appointment, she literally laughed when I told her what I was on. She said that's the dosage that they give post op women as a maintenance or is used only for pre-op trans women who have an underlying intersex disorder and whose T levels are already negligible. Anyway, she took some blood and gave me a Spiro prescription. She said for the next two weeks take the Spiro and continue taking the E that the other endo had prescribed. Then we will follow up in two weeks, go through my blood work thoroughly, and discuss the various and more tailored to me and my goals methods of HRT that we can do. I felt like she was so much more attentive to my needs, also asked really insightful questions about my transition goals, etc. So I'm feeling WAY better andI will have a completely new prescription in two weeks :-). Here's to hoping this actually gets physical changes going!
