Hormones before blood work?

[AshleyP]

wow $40 dollars for 6 months is cheap up here in Canada I pay $54.56 for 1 month

That's outrageously priced. In the US, generic estradiol is on the Walmart (as well as other pharmacies that have a similar program) $4/$10 list for the 2mg pill . Spiro is kinda funny, though. Four 25mg pills are cheaper than one 100mg pill.

All the best,
--AshleyP

[Dena]

wow $40 dollars for 6 months is cheap up here in Canada I pay $54.56 for 1 month

That's our price from Walmart, cash without insurance. Prices at other drug stores are higher. As I am on a half transition dosage and I don't require blockers, $20 american will take care of me for 6 months. It's not worth using my insurance.

[Alanna1990]

I find it a bit surprising that estrogens have that problem. In the US, Estrace is the brand name but the generic would be about $40 for a 6 month supply of estradiol. It would be interesting to know why this is because often people from the US go to Mexico to fill prescriptions as the costs are lower on the other side of the border.

Estradiol was extremely easy to find up until 3 months ago, when the local pharmaceuticals just retired it, now you can't find it anywhere, you could maybe get some on request on very expensive specialized drug stores, but it would be something like $50 for only 15 days since there's no generic brand anymore (the generic brand was only $5), and of course, the pills I take are more expensive, I would spend $80 for a 6 month supply, and let me tell you. Here in Mexico everything is super cheap, so $80 is actually a hard hit to the wallet, I could actually pay almost 4 months of phone and internet service with that.

Since you win money in dollars it's normal for you people to come here and buy pills, it will be exponentially cheaper for you, but for us who win money in pesos it's a pain.

[natalie.ashlyne]

That's our price from Walmart, cash without insurance. Prices at other drug stores are higher. As I am on a half transition dosage and I don't require blockers, $20 american will take care of me for 6 months. It's not worth using my insurance.

$54.56 is from walmart in canada for on month suppy in total I pay out of pocket $248.78 per month for Lupin-estradiol Teva-progesterone and Suprefact

[KayXo]

maybe you're low on something, sometimes they mix spiro with finasteride, so that's not weird.

For example, here in mexico pure estrogen is very rare to come by, so my endo sent me this prescription:

Finasteride
Ethynilestradiol
Drospirenone

In Mexico, I believe estradiol valerate is available, as well as estradiol benzoate, estradiol enanthate (they all break down to pure estrogen or estradiol) and even 17-beta estradiol in pills. I see no reason to prescribe ethinyl estradiol instead of the much safer and equally effective bio-identical estradiol. I would encourage you to seek a second and third opinion. Talk to other transsexual women in your area as I've come across several women from your country taking bio-identical estradiol/estradiol valerate. Something doesn't make sense to me.

no spiro because I'm so thin He worries about my blood pressure going to the floor.

Drospirenone, the progestogen you take, is a derivative of spirolactone and more potent than spironolactone. It is also a diuretic and can reduce blood pressure but probably to a lesser extent than spironolactone as doses of drospirenone are quite low in birth control pills.

no reason to doubt him

Do your own research, ask around, talk to other doctors/experts and draw your own conclusions. A little skepticism is always healthy. I think. I'm not a doctor myself but have researched this matter quite extensively over the years.

[AnonyMs]

no reason to doubt him

I always start from the opposite position. There's no reason to trust doctors, or anyone else for that matter. It needs to be earned, and that's not easy.

A good reason to be wary in this case is prescribing ethinyl estradiol.

[AshleyP]

A good reason to be wary in this case is prescribing ethinyl estradiol.

I'll even say it more plainly. Reputable doctors in the US don't prescribe ethinyl estradiol for transgender HT any longer. I think it's been proven unsafe. Just my opinion. I'm not a doctor.

All the best,
--AshleyP

[Alanna1990]

In Mexico, I believe estradiol valerate is available, as well as estradiol benzoate, estradiol enanthate (they all break down to pure estrogen or estradiol) and even 17-beta estradiol in pills. I see no reason to prescribe ethinyl estradiol instead of the much safer and equally effective bio-identical estradiol. I would encourage you to seek a second and third opinion. Talk to other transsexual women in your area as I've come across several women from your country taking bio-identical estradiol/estradiol valerate. Something doesn't make sense to me.

Drospirenone, the progestogen you take, is a derivative of spirolactone and more potent than spironolactone. It is also a diuretic and can reduce blood pressure but probably to a lesser extent than spironolactone as doses of drospirenone are quite low in birth control pills.

Do your own research, ask around, talk to other doctors/experts and draw your own conclusions. A little skepticism is always healthy. I think. I'm not a doctor myself but have researched this matter quite extensively over the years.

Estradiol Valerate was the only available drug at the required doses for transition, and it's not available anymore, not with a brand or generic, that's the one that was retired, the other forms you mention are only on birth control pills, and not anywhere near the doses needed for transition, I basically live in a smaaaaaaall city forgotten by god and my doctor is the only one who is willing to follow through this kind of request.

He's done transitions before, He's basically the only one that will treat me, estradiol valerate is not available anymore (at least where I live) and I called and / or went to every single drug store in the city, other Estradiol forms are not an option, what I'm trying to say is, while I know you have other options that I would obviously like to have, the reality of this issue is that I don't  , this is what I have to work with, since I have low resources (I haven't been able to get a job since I began transitioning), It's not that I will be naive and trust him, I don't have an option in the matter, and being in my situation I might as well just trust him anyways.

In any case, I'm noticing the changes everybody else has at their proper times and feel more or less healthy (the flu just won't go away) 

[KayXo]

Can't you order hormones online with your doctor's prescription and get a safer form of estrogen?

[Alanna1990]

Can't you order hormones online with your doctor's prescription and get a safer form of estrogen?

that'd would be so easy and convenient right? Well, you can't buy pills online here, almost all local drug stores don't even let you go online and see their catalog, you have to call and ask for what you need, some delivery services don't let you send pills, that's one of those restricted items, if you buy online from another country they will get stuck in customs and never come out, it's just the stuff that happens here, there are some drug stores that technically sell online, but most have their websites butchered, you try searching for something, it will never appear, if you find anything it's going to cost a lot, it's seriously not worth it.

[staciM]

FWIW, I certainly felt more comfortable with my Dr having my blood work in front of us during the first appointment.  It verified that there wasn't anything unexpected to be concerned about and that it provided a proper baseline for future adjustments.