HRT and Kids

[Karen]

Hi everyone. 

I am an early 50s MTF.    I've had gender identify issues my entire life and my full realization of being transgender happened about a year ago.  I've been through a few therapists - one incredible supportive and another who has more of a reparative therapy approach, which I stopped seeing.   I've been doing laser and electro loss for almost a year now.   

Within a week of realizing my true situation I told my wife.   While shocked and stressed, she has been amazingly supportive.  She could have sent me marching but has been very understanding.   She now has her own therapist who is helping her.   

We are about to face two big questions:

- do we tell our teenage children their dad is working through gender issues? Or wait unti I am clearer on my path and they are older.   We don't want to hurt them, but we don't want them finding out themselves.  We also don't want to lie to them.   What is your advice?

- HRT.  I will have to decide if I want to start now and at what dosage.  I am very distracted by my Dysphoria daily, and I am short and irritable with the kids and my wife.   I also have a job where I can't come out at this point.   Can low dosage HRT help with emotion and anxiety, but avoid major physical changes?

Thanks.  I hope this makes sense.

[Jessica]

Hi Karen, I think that if you, through your therapy, feel you need to continue with starting hrt, it is something to discuss with your doctor.  I myself started on a low dose and my anxiety disappeared, I calmed down and I felt happier.  But for me, the physical changes came also.
If ymmv holds true, it boils down to your genes.  If you do start and physical changes do occur, all I can do is give my experience that after 8 months there have been changes, but none so dramatic that anyone that sees you often would recognize them. 
But like I said, your mileage may vary.
I strongly agree that you should not lie to your children, but gauge with your experience when is the right time. 

[Chloe]

Dear

short and irritable

Don't sweat it kids will figure it out themselves!



Sent from my LG-M150 using Tapatalk

[Pisces228]

I don't have kids, but most people didn't notice me changing for the first 9 months on hrt who saw me regularly.  If you're kids see you regularly, they may not notice the slow changes unless the see a pic side by side of you before vs after.

[Myranda]

Low Dosage HRT is different for everyone, both in what the actual dosage is (Discussions of actual doses are forbidden here) and its effects.  That being said, the effects on your body while varying from person to person  do depend on a) the dose received and b) the balance of your hormone levels, specifically with your Testosterone levels.  So you may need to take an Anti-androgen, such a Spirolactone, to lower your T as well. (Again the dosage of this may vary as well).

But your Doctor may agree to just put you on a form of Estrogen.  I myself, am just taking Estradial.  I know of several other people here on these forms and other forum, that are just on a form of Estrogen and many, if not all have commented that it has helped to quiet the Dysphoria noise quite a bit.  So yes, Estrogen alone can help reduce the dysphoria, but your body will begin to change with the introduction Estrogen, no matter how small and no matter what your T level is.  Its just a question of how much and how fast.