Hey all!
I'm having issue with my doc....*sigh* Ok...so...I started out HRT on T gel. Worked fine, handy dandy...but good GOD I was sweating sooo much! I also found that in that first little while...I couldn't be flexible with my day. I had to apply my gel at the same time every morning.
So I went to my doctor and told him what was going on and asked if he was willing to let me try injectables instead. He was open to that. Now...I should back up and say that the doctor in charge of my HRT is my GP. He's admitted that he has never had a transman client (or in my case...a transitioning androgyn) He's only had a small handful of transwoman clients, and even less that he's ACTUALLY done hormonal transition for.
I was on the injections for a few months and I was just so fatigued!!! Couldn't get enough energy to do much of anything...almost felt sick. That kinda just dull malaise kinda feelin...ya know?
It was time to go back to the dr for a three month check up and I talked to him about how I was feeling. He said that "injections can be very unpredictable and he didn't like it as much as the gel." He convinced me to go back on gel and give it a try. I did and while I'm back to being hot again....I've got more energy!!! I actually have the gumption to get up and go and craft and exercise. Woohoo!!! Now my T blood levels are up at 760 and the dr's nurse called saying that it was too high. They thought I was doing injections AND the gel! Basically accused me of juicing. Umm...no. I'm taking the standard dose of the gel just as I believed it was prescribed to me (turns out I may have been wrong and misunderstood the instructions but I still really don't think I did misunderstand.)
I expressed that I thought I was at perfect levels and that 760 was awesome and I feel awesome and everyone I've ever talked to (basically...you guys here. Lol) seemed to think that was the ideal space to be in. We kind of went back and forth and they even seem to believe that 760 wouldn't even be a good place for a natal man to be at!!! Seemed to think I could be putting myself at risk for disease or additional disorders. According to my doctor...the range for male hormones is 250-730....*sigh*
They want me to go to half of what I'm currently on with the gel. I've been there before and I was weak, yadda yadda...as I mentioned at the top of my post. Because I was talking to the nurse I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere. I didn't want to yell at her (even though I really was quite close to it..) because she's the nurse, she doesn't make the call! So I've got an appt on Wed to discuss the matter. I feel like I need to go in there with all the info I can to show my doctor, and educate him that us trans men aren't the same as natal men in that all our hormones are artificial! He doesn't trust any info from Europe *eye roll* so if we could find info from the US that'd be awesome.
If all fails I know I have the right to access a second opinion and I can ask for a referral to an endo. I just don't *want* to go to the endo because that would cost me and appts to my GP don't cost me. My doctor's great...he's a good guy, a good doctor but I fear this is just one issue he's under educated about. I'd really like for him to be more educated rather than just giving up on him...we need more doctors willing to work with us, and do it well!! Anyway...thanks guys in advance for any links or references you might know of.
