doctor and progesterone

[flygirl82]

        So next week marks 1 year being on hormones!!  I have a doctor appointment on Monday and was going to bring up progesterone and possibly including it in my hormone regimen.  My dr is a little hesitant about giving it to me as she doesnt think it helps.  She has me on a rather high dosage of estrogen and spiro.  I have barely a cups that are rather pointy and have been reading that progesterone helps mature the breast and makes you not so crazy emotional lol.  my question is how can i convince my doctor that progesterone is important... is it important??  and also if im taking spiro the progesterone couldnt convert to testosterone right?? (that idea really freaks me out)  thanks a lot!

       Also what should i ask for in terms of helping with body hair (mostly just legs, as i get bad ingrown hairs all over my legs and have to shave like every other day ... i dont have hair anywhere else so annoying)

[LynnER]

I don't know how to convince a doctor to give you P, maybe if you word it in such a way where if it doesn't help (it will) that it can be dropped easily?

So far as the ingrown hairs? Try waxing... When I wax my legs, no problem, shave my legs... ingrowns and razor bumps from hell...

[spacial]

The issue of ingrowing hair.

I've been asking around various people I know who are involved in this area of medicine. The advice most have given is that, when they are bothering you, to rub the skin with a rough cloth.

The hair is just curly. You cut it short and as it grows back it curls, digging into your skin.

Seemingly, the rough cloth will move it out the way.

Another tip is to use a loofah in the shower.

These are intended for relief from the discomfort of ingrowing hair, of course. Permament removal is the preferred option. If you can afford it.

[kae m]

Pitch it with the emotional stability angle.  When my doctor prescribed it to me he said it may help my depression and general moodiness, I can honestly say that it very much did.  I still have up and down episodes, but it's nothing like before, I have been SO much more level since starting on P.  My breast development has been good, but since it isn't really possible to compare against something I didn't do, I can't tell if there was any direct result on development.  Keep in mind that puberty takes a long time and your development might just be what it is no matter what, P may or may not help (although the general consensus is that it will).
Good luck

[Renate]

Progesterone may have an effect on breast development.
People report different emotional effects on progesterone, some report more stability, some depression and some no effect at all.

Many doctors are prejudiced against even trying progesterone.

[cynthialee]

I get a monthly depo shot and I am of the opinion that it really helped my breast development.

Also I find that if my shot is late I get super moody and cry at the drop of a hat. For me I feel I need it to maintain proper sanity.

YMMV

[flygirl82]

thanks for all the responses, sorry for such a late response on my end...   I have my appointment tomorrow and definitely will be pushing the idea of adding progesterone in.  I plan on using the emotional aspect because right now my mood swings are rather excessive and my fiancé has to deal with them 

as for ingrown hairs I use a an exfoliater in the shower (these exfoliating gloves) and 8% hydroxy acid (to chemically assist in exfoiliating)  and im still getting bumps   its just so frustrating because its summer and i cant wear anything short and cute... and also frustrating my leg hair grows so fast still (after a year of spiro!)

[Dale]

So what did the Dr say?

Progesterone helped my breast development

[flygirl82]

well she said she wouldn't prescribe me  it due 2 the fact that I dont have a uterus, . . . and that there are 2 many risk associated with clotting to even consider it... that i dont have progesterone receptors to make it worth taking it ...  i didnt care for this dr much (it was my first time having seen her, i go 2 a lgbt health center and my regular dr left so im in the process of finding a new one there.. i dont have insurance)  i told her i was interested in micro progesterone but wouldnt even listen 2 me... i found her 2 be so rude... so hopefully i find another dr willing to. . . I also told her i dont drink, work out regularly, in shape and take asprin so my clotting risk should be low (knocking on wood)

[Asfsd4214]

well she said she wouldn't prescribe me  it due 2 the fact that I dont have a uterus, . . . and that there are 2 many risk associated with clotting to even consider it... that i dont have progesterone receptors to make it worth taking it ...  i didnt care for this dr much (it was my first time having seen her, i go 2 a lgbt health center and my regular dr left so im in the process of finding a new one there.. i dont have insurance)  i told her i was interested in micro progesterone but wouldnt even listen 2 me... i found her 2 be so rude... so hopefully i find another dr willing to. . . I also told her i dont drink, work out regularly, in shape and take asprin so my clotting risk should be low (knocking on wood)

It never ceases to amaze me how many doctors don't know what they're talking about.

[Dale]

find another Dr

[Dana Lane]

I have been on hormones for about 15 months and progesterone for the last couple of months. I notice a difference in my breast growth. They are filling out a bit more. I just saw my doctor the other day for a checkup and asked her about cycling progesterone and she said if I want to do it I was more than welcome but it wouldn't help since I con't have a uterus. She said if you want to be bitchy and gripey a week out of the month go for it. hehe.. I love my doctor.

If a doctor denies you progesterone after you have been on hormones for a year it is time to get a new doctor.

[Muffin]

Progesterone may have an effect on breast development.
People report different emotional effects on progesterone, some report more stability, some depression and some no effect at all.

Many doctors are prejudiced against even trying progesterone.

Different medication has different effects on different people, so if one doesn't work then another will. Much like AAs and E as you know!
Usually it's between Prometrium (microgest) and Provera or Duphaston. Duphaston is the only progestin that doesn't convert to testosterone (and I recommend it as the first to try as it's known to be the least problematic). But yeah ymmv.. naturally.
Also cycling while pre-op is not recommended [citation available by request, can't be bothering digging for it right now 11.15pm].

I plan on using the emotional aspect because right now my mood swings are rather excessive and my fiancé has to deal with them 

I can relate to this, before I started Duphaston I was insano, it was the end of the world whenever I heard even the slightest bit of bad news. Now everything is water of a ducks back!!! And yes mucho breast growtho! 0_0 And my nipples are turning into real nipples much to my overjoyed happiness ^_____^
My current GP explained to me how progestogens work together with estrogen throughout the whole body and to not have it can put you at long team risks of many a problem. Which is also what I read online in great detail.. and yes we do have preceptors, even cisgender men have Progestogens (in tiny amounts) and receptors for it :S
Also for anyone who has had a doctor or endo try to claim that androcur has a progestogen action enough to not need anything else is clueless, I tested this theory with my current GP and through blood tests proved it doesn't.

find another Dr

echo! I went through a few before I found one that knew anything at all about hormones. Gosh even my (now ex) endo didn't have a clue.. my ex-gp could even correct his mistakes.
So yeah lame doctors are a dime a dozen... shop around it's your money! 

[story] One GP I went to, actually I asked on the phone before booking which GP they had had the most well versed knowledge of hormonal issues and the reply was "they all do", which to me is "yes all GPs 'know' enough of everything and very few specialise in anything that is remotely uncommon", which makes sense I guess which is why it's best to find a GP through local TG networks that are known to have treated TSs before (I got there in the end). Needless to say the GP I ended up seeing that day had never seen a TS before and I spent the whole time answering questions, she thought I was cis when I walked in and sat down.
She wasn't even aware of any progesterones or progestins that she could prescribe even after running a search on her computer. Which to me just sounding like she didn't know enough about it to help. Then there are those that think they know but really...... don't, like you've been experiencing.
I've since viewed doctors much differently since I started HRT and learnt to use google more objectively and thoroughly for more up to date information regarding uncommon treatments.
And it is paying off.

[Dale]

you have heard it said many times. It's your body, get a second or third opinion. A dr may have their ideas which may not be yours. Find a doctor you feel good with.

[turnet]

i've been on HRT for about 10 months, and the first 5 months I was doing Progesterone DIY (which I don't recommend), but after "going legit" with healthcare this past March, my doctor ordered me off it for awhile, which has very much bummed me as it was REALLY helping my breast development and much new (and needed!) new hair growth on parts of my scalp that are a tad thin. The Doc did confirm that it can assist in both areas, but also claimed there's a brain tumor risk and that I should let the estro injections work a bit more before going back to prog At least he is open to having me go back on it in the future. He got me a bit freaked out with the tumor thing, but my prolactin levels were OK, so thank god for that

[Muffin]

I have read that natal females during puberty don't start producing elevated levels of P until they've been going through puberty (producing elevated levels of E) for approx. twelve months.
So imo the best time to start P is approx. twelve into HRT

I had hyperprolactinemia that I had to wait to stabilise before I could start P but it all panned out!! :D