Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hi peeps  ;D

so went to the endo  for the first time and we had a quick chat and he sent me on my way with my hrt prescription in hand.

the thing i seem to be confused on is that he actually just prescribed me cis female birth control pills and no t-blockers...

now I'm not going to start second guessing my endo's methods or anything like that, im just wondering if anyone else has had similar or heard of similar??

from what i hear birth control pills have such small amounts of oestrogen (this one is an oestrogen/progesterone combo) that they wont do much, especially without a t-blocker. i have googled my heart out trying to find similar stories but everyone says that BCP dont work... ???

are they actually birth control pills though?
Some HRT drugs have days and arrows on the packet, but aren't birth control.
but if you're on actual birth control pills that might be worrying :/

Someone will probably correct me, but I was under the impression that the pill was mainly progesterone?

You should probably start looking for a new doctor.

Yeah they are actual birth control pills. a  cis girlfriend of mine says she is on the same stuff...

This endo is meant to be really good, highly recommended by trans people and support networks. I think he specialises in trans people also....I'm gonna wait the three months til I see him again to see if anything happens. I trust him as a medical professional and I'm positive he has a plan  that will grow great results, regardless of how "out there" it sounds

Bad practice.  You need a new endo regardless of what your friends might have said. 

It's not normally  progesterone it's a progestogen and normally equine estrogen. Do your own research.  It will tell you the same and it's important to be well informed anyway.

I honestly think that levels of estrogen in HRT will vary from person to person, because everyone's body is different.  I'm also on a form of birth control myself, a combined pill which has a high dosage of estrogen and a small amount of progesterone too.  I've been taking it for 4 months and although I don't see too many changes myself, others do.  My breasts developed fairly normally, very quickly, and are now just shy of an A cup.  My skin tone and scent changed dramatically and my figure altered slowly going in different directions for a few weeks until calming down to give me a sporty female figure.  Then again I was incredibly slim when I started, my T level was miniscule because I suffered a sporting injury in hockey which damaged my testes when I was 17 and my body fat was quite low.  Taking the pill made me put on weight despite no change in my dietary intake, and lose my masculine muscle mass very quickly.  In fact I lost my core muscle strength within the first 2 weeks and had to ask for help getting off the sofa, it was that dramatic. 

Can I just say to discourage people considering using the pill as a form of HRT, that my results are not to be generalised and different people will react differently to the synthetic estrogen they contain.  As my T level was so remarkably low in the first place, the tiny amount of estrogen in the pill I take, was able to override the power of the T in my system very quickly, but the average (and I am not average) male bodied person transitioning will need much higher levels of estrogen and perhaps a T blocker to combat the T in their system.  We are all different.  The best advice I can give anyone is to only use HRT under the supervision of medical professionals as you can damage yourself if you are not careful. 

Find a new Endo ASAP. Without a blocker the low level of hormones (synthetic) in birth control pills will be hammered by your "T". Find one who prescribes bio identical "E" and a blocker.

Very well said Caitlyn  :) these are serious and dangerous drugs, even something as simple as birth control pills could have damaging and life threatening effects for those not under the guidance of a doctor ..



For the record, my T levels have always been borderline low levels. Endo may have explained his reasonings for going down this road but it was all such a haze (it's been a pretty nerve wracking experience for me what with past gatekeeping doctors and all), and I may have missed what the endo said or didn't have time to ask questions.

I have a tonne of questions now tho, and a three month wait til my next appointment...And no other option available for finding a new doc (this one is a three hour drive just to see him, then three hours back).

I'm going to stop taking this while I do some additional research but I'm pretty likely to find that what everyone here has said is true, and more so. And I would rather play it safe than be on some meds...transition isn't all about the drugs you take is it

Thanks for your helps girls :-) xx

Quote from: Jessica Merriman on September 19, 2014, 08:07:09 AM
Find a new Endo ASAP. Without a blocker the low level of hormones (synthetic) in birth control pills will be hammered by your "T". Find one who prescribes bio identical "E" and a blocker.

That really depends though. Some respond well even without a T blocker... I was doing well even on a small dose of 17β-estradiol daily orally and no T blockers (but my T levels were low to begin with) My recommendation is at least get a second opinion. Every woman is different.

Birth control pills always contain ethinyl estradiol, a form of estrogen that affects coagulation factors to a far greater degree than bio-identical estrogen due to its structure and LONG half-life, even at low doses. The effect has been stated to be around 500-2000 x stronger than bio-identical estradiol such that risk of DVT and pulmonary embolism goes way up on this form of estrogen especially if taken at doses higher than those given to ciswomen, which is usually the case because the dose in birth control pills serves to only inhibit ovulation while a higher dose is usually needed to promote development of female secondary sexual characteristics.

The progestin in birth control pills is not bio-identical either and will often have adverse effects not seen with bio-identical progesterone, sometimes even androgenic effects in the body.

The reason a T-blocker is not given is because both the form of estrogen and progestin strongly inhibit production of sex hormones, they were meant for that! So, your T level will greatly reduce with only the pill but at what price? Health risks are greater with the pill than bio-identical forms of estrogen and progesterone. Just look through the research, studies and you will see for yourself. It is extremely rare these days that transwomen take birth control pills. This practice is from years past...

The use of birth control pills for transwomen has fallen out of favor amongst the majority of practitioners because of the risks associated with them (DVT, pulmonary embolism, prolactinoma, increase in blood pressure/cardiovascular risk etc.)  as compared to the now available bio-identical hormones.

So for the record, and without breaking TOS I'm going to add the endo has only said to be on a dose identicle to that a cis woman would be on...so not enough to make clotting and dvt a significant issue?!?!

Maybe he has the idea that this is just to slowly warm up the engine before taking the car for a spin. meaning instead of jumping into full on hrt, to just get the body primed then letting it go at full speed in a few months time.... I know I'm definitely clutching at straws with that idea, but I dont want to think my endo is a dud and clearly the meds he prescribed and the quantities can't possible do much to get past the T tsunami .

:-\
I'm bummmed
Guess I play the waiting game til I see him again

Quote from: Laurenza on September 19, 2014, 07:02:00 PM
So for the record, and without breaking TOS I'm going to add the endo has only said to be on a dose identicle to that a cis woman would be on...so not enough to make clotting and dvt a significant issue?!?!

Sweetie I am a Paramedic and I have personally run calls on cis females who had CVAs (strokes) and DVTs on birth control. The youngest was 19 and she is paralyzed on her right side the rest of her life. These girls had no known risk factors at all. At issue is the fact that they are synthetic and not bio identical. The safest Estradiol is either implants, Injections (Valerate or Cypionate) or Patches/gels because they do not go for a first pass through the liver and they are bio identical. Premarin is a synthetic and used to be used in HRT. It was found to have many adverse effects and removed from the HRT protocol. Please find a more educated Endo.  :)

yea fair enough... you know how it is, im realising the truth of what you are saying, but trying to find any old weak excuse to justify all those months waiting to see this endo and how its been all a giant waste *sigh*

thanks for the help and the words of wisdom :) knew asking you girls was a wise idea :D

xx

Yes sadly, as a teen I tried DIY HT via borrowed BC pills, they had no effect.

Quote from: Laurenza on September 20, 2014, 12:10:54 AM
yea fair enough... you know how it is, im realising the truth of what you are saying, but trying to find any old weak excuse to justify all those months waiting to see this endo and how its been all a giant waste *sigh*

thanks for the help and the words of wisdom :) knew asking you girls was a wise idea :D

xx

Sweetie you can still go in and see him. You now have some powerful knowledge and will not settle for outdated or ridiculous meds that can hurt you. Arm yourself with knowledge and he may just prescribe the right meds, you never know. Keep the appointment just don't accept anything less than what works.  :)

This just shows how important it is, if you're going to embark on trans HRT, to at least understand the basics of how it works, and not blindly trust your doctor to give you appropriate and safe treatment. Doctors always do a great job of making out that they know all about your condition and the treatment they're prescribing, but the fact is, most of them don't have the first clue when it comes to hormones, and they can quite happily hand out treatment that at best is going to have little effect and at worst could kill you. If a doctor tries to prescribe you birth control pills, ethinyl estradiol, premarin or provera (medroxyporgesterone acetate), it means you should probably start looking a new doctor. These are all potentially lethal substances that should never be used for trans HRT any more.

This is one of the reasons why I think we should have far greater autonomy over our hormones than the system currently allows us!

Is microgynon 30 safe to use ?

Also, how can i put photo in my profile ?

For the photo: the site requires 15 qualified posts to unlock the ability to upload an avatar (amongst other features). This is a safety feature.

Quote from: Esmeralda3 on September 15, 2017, 08:59:17 AM
Is microgynon [removed] safe to use ?

Also, how can i put photo in my profile ?

Quote from: Esmeralda3 on September 15, 2017, 08:59:17 AM
Is microgynon 30 safe to use ?

No, see here

https://www.susans.org/wiki/Ethinylestradiol

It increases the risk of blood clots which can really mess you up. It could stop you taking HRT in the future or having surgery.

If you're thinking of taking that you should see a doctor, and if its a doctor suggesting it find another one as soon as possible.

Thanks Sarah, appreciate your response  ;)

Quote from: AnonyMs on September 15, 2017, 09:45:16 AM
No, see here

https://www.susans.org/wiki/Ethinylestradiol

It increases the risk of blood clots which can really mess you up. It could stop you taking HRT in the future or having surgery.

If you're thinking of taking that you should see a doctor, and if its a doctor suggesting it find another one as soon as possible.

But i know some of my friends using microgynon 30 for a year now and they are fine...  :o

So, what else then is a better alternative...?

Quote from: Esmeralda3 on September 15, 2017, 09:54:18 AM
But i know some of my friends using microgynon 30 for a year now and they are fine...  :o

That's because its a risk not a certainty. Like smoking - it doesn't kill everyone. Not worth it though when there so much better HRT available.

Quote from: Esmeralda3 on September 15, 2017, 08:59:17 AM
Is microgynon safe to use ?

Also, how can i put photo in my profile ?

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Quote from: Laurenza on September 18, 2014, 11:26:50 PM
Hi peeps  ;D

so went to the endo  for the first time and we had a quick chat and he sent me on my way with my hrt prescription in hand.

the thing i seem to be confused on is that he actually just prescribed me cis female birth control pills and no t-blockers...

now I'm not going to start second guessing my endo's methods or anything like that, im just wondering if anyone else has had similar or heard of similar??

from what i hear birth control pills have such small amounts of oestrogen (this one is an oestrogen/progesterone combo) that they wont do much, especially without a t-blocker. i have googled my heart out trying to find similar stories but everyone says that BCP dont work... ???

You said you went to the Endo for the first time, had a quick chat and he gave you a prescription.

So he didn't order any blood labs to give you a hormonal base line?
Gave you a prescription for cross hormonal replacement therapy after a quick chat?

I wouldn't trust him. He knows nothing about you and doesn't sound like he really cares.

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