Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Applied my first E patch today. I received the prescription over a week ago and had to be sure I was ready. My wife kept asking "did you start yet"  Why not? I did start the Spriro as soon as I received it, but today my journey begin. I have waited 66 years to feel right. I hope this works!!

Joanne,

That is a big step!  Congratulations!
Is this a weekly patch?

Merry Christmas.

Chrissy

Quote from: Joanne ONeal on December 23, 2018, 04:15:36 PM
Applied my first E patch today. I received the prescription over a week ago and had to be sure I was ready. My wife kept asking "did you start yet"  Why not? I did start the Spriro as soon as I received it, but today my journey begin. I have waited 66 years to feel right. I hope this works!!

@Joanne ONeal
Dear Joanne:
This is great news... an exciting first start to your journey.
As you feel so led please keep us updated.
Best wishes,
Danielle

If you are anything like the rest of us, HRT should make a huge difference. I have only done oral spiro and estradiol, so I don't know what patches are like. With oral I felt the difference in under an hour of my first dose.

Congratulations Joanne!
The journey will have stones in it's way, but it is a great adventure in finding your real self!

I waited over 70 years to embark on it, and I tell you, you can do it!

Congrats and enjoy the ride [emoji4]

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

Joanne

Congratulations. You'll remember both taking your first tablet and applying the first patch forever!

Enjoy the wonderful HRT rollercoaster ride!

Hugs

Pamela

QuoteMy wife kept asking "did you start yet"  Why not?

Nice to see your wife supports you in this.   :)

Quote from: AnneK on December 24, 2018, 06:01:04 AM
Nice to see your wife supports you in this.   :)

Joanne congrats on starting your journey in full. I sincerely hope your wife is supportive.


@Annek, I read That statement as neither confirming nor denying support.

Quote from: ChrissyRyan on December 23, 2018, 04:29:54 PM
Joanne,

That is a big step!  Congratulations!
Is this a weekly patch?

Merry Christmas.

Chrissy

Yes, My Endocrinologist started me off on a very low dose. 

Joanne congrats on starting your journey in full. I sincerely hope your wife is supportive.
Jamie, Yes She is in full support of HRT for me. We have been married for 45 years and hI kept the secrete for 43 of them. I was a depressed a**hole for all of those years. Now that I have come out to her, I am a changed person.

Quote from: Joanne ONeal on December 24, 2018, 08:22:01 AM
Joanne congrats on starting your journey in full. I sincerely hope your wife is supportive.
Jamie, Yes She is in full support of HRT for me. We have been married for 45 years and hI kept the secrete for 43 of them. I was a depressed a**hole for all of those years. Now that I have come out to her, I am a changed person.

Can you and your wife have a nicer Christmas gift than being happy again after all this time?

Merry Christmas and a wonderful journey to womanhood!
Linde

Thanks for all of the support on this site. For many years I thought I was the only "man" in the world who felt like I did. I thought I was sick. My wife thought it was only a cross-dressing fetish. I considered suicide many times. It was different back in the 60's. But now, we understand a little more about why I am like I am. It has nothing to do about sexual fantasy. My T level has been low for a very long time due to medications I'm on for Diabetes, so starting HRT is going to jump start my emotional state. My first 24 hours has already been interesting! I woke up every 2 hours, felt my lower stomach to make sure the patch was still, then I just smiled!  Haven't felt anything with my breast yet, but that will come! Just kidding!!
I am so excited!!!!!

 

QuoteFor many years I thought I was the only "man" in the world who felt like I did. I thought I was sick.

I think you'll find many of us here thought the same.

QuoteHaven't felt anything with my breast yet, but that will come!

Give it a week or two and you'll look like Dolly Parton!   ;) :D :D :D

Congratulations. One thing you might consider is taking photographs. Especially at the beginning of your journey. I did not and wish I had. Enjoy the  journey.

Deanna

Congrats and the news that your wife supports you is so nice to hear.  This is pretty huge to start HRT.  I'm sure I'm forgetting some things but stand by for going from 2 or 3 emotions to a gagillion.   It might be me but sense of smell improved.  Thinking seems much better.  Getting cold was a problem but...  Anyway congrats!  I hope your experience is a great one.

I must stop the Spiro!!  It makes me very sick, and unable to eat. The low dose E patch probably won't work like we hoped, but I can't continue to feel sick all the time. I sent a message to my Endocrinologist explaining my bad reaction to the blocker. Hopefully, there is something I can take to replace it.   

Quote from: Joanne ONeal on January 06, 2019, 05:54:47 PM
I must stop the Spiro!!  It makes me very sick, and unable to eat. The low dose E patch probably won't work like we hoped, but I can't continue to feel sick all the time. I sent a message to my Endocrinologist explaining my bad reaction to the blocker. Hopefully, there is something I can take to replace it.   

Joanne,

I hope you find a different medicine that works and causes no problems for you.

Chrissy

Quote from: Joanne ONeal on January 06, 2019, 05:54:47 PM
I must stop the Spiro!!  It makes me very sick, and unable to eat. The low dose E patch probably won't work like we hoped, but I can't continue to feel sick all the time. I sent a message to my Endocrinologist explaining my bad reaction to the blocker. Hopefully, there is something I can take to replace it.   

I hope for you that they find something.  I have no reaction from spiro, probably a little diuretic effect , but that seems to be it.  But I also don't feel any effect from estrogen either.

Quote from: Dietlind on January 06, 2019, 07:26:40 PM
I hope for you that they find something.  I have no reaction from spiro, probably a little diuretic effect , but that seems to be it.  But I also don't feel any effect from estrogen either.

I wonder if the effects might be so subtle your not picking up on them?   Sense of smell was an odd one for me.  My sense of smell increased and my own ahh... smell seems to have decreased or at least doesn't "stink" like sweat anymore.  The thing about muscle to fat seems to be a change thats slow but the longer you go the more obvious it seems.  Libido which was zero before HRT is now "on" again.  Anyway - perhaps your endo can run labs and adjust?  Or maybe you just can't dial the testosterone down enough with spiro? 

Quote from: JanePlain on January 14, 2019, 08:28:48 PM
I wonder if the effects might be so subtle your not picking up on them?   Sense of smell was an odd one for me.  My sense of smell increased and my own ahh... smell seems to have decreased or at least doesn't "stink" like sweat anymore.  The thing about muscle to fat seems to be a change thats slow but the longer you go the more obvious it seems.  Libido which was zero before HRT is now "on" again.  Anyway - perhaps your endo can run labs and adjust?  Or maybe you just can't dial the testosterone down enough with spiro?

I was  partial biological female all my life.  I always had female emotions, and probably smell, too?.  Libido is zero for me for about 10 years now, and estrogen seems not to do anything about it either.
according to my urologist, my one functioning testicle must have given up producing testosterone a few years ago.  Natural estrogen seems to be Ok high, because I started to grow boobs a few years ago, long before I ever heard about HRT.  I will have labs run in a month, and have to see what is going on with me.

I cannot detect anything different about me and with me.  Maybe, I am the new medical wonder who can take estrogen like candies?

Quote from: Dietlind on January 14, 2019, 08:46:07 PM
I was  partial biological female all my life.  I always had female emotions, and probably smell, too?.  Libido is zero for me for about 10 years now, and estrogen seems not to do anything about it either.
according to my urologist, my one functioning testicle must have given up producing testosterone a few years ago.  Natural estrogen seems to be Ok high, because I started to grow boobs a few years ago, long before I ever heard about HRT.  I will have labs run in a month, and have to see what is going on with me.

I cannot detect anything different about me and with me.  Maybe, I am the new medical wonder who can take estrogen like candies?

Were you at very low levels of Testosterone all the time?  It seems like that would come with a certain number of effects.  I'm curious what your labs show?  Actually I'm curious what anyone else's labs look like. 

Quote from: Joanne ONeal on January 06, 2019, 05:54:47 PM
I must stop the Spiro!!  It makes me very sick, and unable to eat. The low dose E patch probably won't work like we hoped, but I can't continue to feel sick all the time. I sent a message to my Endocrinologist explaining my bad reaction to the blocker. Hopefully, there is something I can take to replace it.   

@Joanne ONeal

Have they got you sorted? How are you doing hun? Hope you're feeling better.

Quote from: JanePlain on January 16, 2019, 04:44:23 PM
Were you at very low levels of Testosterone all the time?  It seems like that would come with a certain number of effects.  I'm curious what your labs show?  Actually I'm curious what anyone else's labs look like.

I never got seriously tested for Testosterone or Estrogen.  But I was also told that I never finished puberty.  When I was younger, nobody ever thought about testing those things.  One was either male or female, nothing else or in between!
One just looked different (like I did), but nobody had an explanation for the reason of this.  All the intersex stuff was discovered starting in the late 50's, early 60's.  But at that time it was just in laboratory rats, it took another 10 + years until those discoveries were made in humans, and it was not until the mid 90's until real direct research for this was done.

At that time I was almost of the point that i exploded because of the bottled up dysphoria!

Quote from: JanePlain on January 16, 2019, 04:44:23 PM
Actually I'm curious what anyone else's labs look like.

Hello again Jane

I just thought you may wish to see my "Comparison" thread which is attached below. Please feel free to comment on it or provide your E&T results on it but only if you wish of course. Hope you enjoy reading the statistics.

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,242549.0.html

Hugs

Pamela

Quote from: pamelatransuk on January 18, 2019, 07:21:58 AM
Hello again Jane

I just thought you may wish to see my "Comparison" thread which is attached below. Please feel free to comment on it or provide your E&T results on it but only if you wish of course. Hope you enjoy reading the statistics.

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,242549.0.html

Hugs

Pamela

Thanks Pamela your the best!  I really do appreciate being here and able to talk about this with people who understand.  At my next Endo Visit I will have labs done.   My doctor has me officially on a pretty tame amount of estrogen but she told me its ok to dial it up (Within limits) until I feel right.   The only labs I could provide now would be my totally screwed up ones.  Plenty of testosterone and abnormally low estrogen (for a man) which really really sucked. I'm really feeling great since starting on HRT.  I feel like framing my prescription for Estrogel.   ;D

Thank you Jane for your kind words.

I am so happy you have found the right path with Estrogen.

Hugs

Pamela

Quote from: Joanne ONeal on January 06, 2019, 05:54:47 PM
I must stop the Spiro!!  It makes me very sick, and unable to eat. The low dose E patch probably won't work like we hoped, but I can't continue to feel sick all the time. I sent a message to my Endocrinologist explaining my bad reaction to the blocker. Hopefully, there is something I can take to replace it.   

Congratulations on starting, you may be lucky with just the patches. Im on Patches Evoral 150 and my E is 655 and T 1.6 from Just taking patches and no Blockers (Im 45 and had quite high testosterone when starting), so fingers crossed the patches alone might do the trick for you. I also went up gradually with the patches and just reaches 10 months.

I slowly start to feel like a medical novelty.  I do not see or feel any reactions of either estrogen nor of spiro. 
Well, to tell the truth, estrogen makes my feet swell a little, and spiro helps to get the swelling away.  That is the only reaction I have to either of them!

I have re-started the spiro, albeit 1/2 the original prescription dose. I tried it in the mornings for a while, but the ill feelings returned. Currently, I am taking the 1/2 dose at bedtime and I can tolerate the morning sickness.

The 7 day patches have been a challenge. Placement is critcal. They hold up fairly well while showering, but if you apply them too high on your belly, your pants will rub them off. If you apply them too low, your low rise panties will rub them off. I have an appointment with my endo this month and we will discuss placement/application methods.

I  have not noticed any significant physical changes yet. My shaved body hair still grows back. It may not be as coarse as it was but it stills grows! I hate it!! My breasts have not become tender at all. I message them daily and apply moisturizing cream. This keeps them very soft, and I love the feeling of cupping them in my hands. According to the bra sizing charts, I am a B cup now. However, I have lost 22# since my hip replacment surgery in November, so this may not be accurate.

The biggest and most important change is emotional! I feel so relaxed. My wife has noticed a big change along with my therapist. The mutiple anti-depressants I was taking all those years were nothing compared to the low dose  estrogen I am now on. I look forward to increasing the dose, and excellerateing the process!

Thanks to all on this site! Your support is so helpfull.

Hugs,

Joanne           

I have my estrogen and testosterone values now, fresh of the press.  I have 74 nono testosterone, and 63.8 nnos estrogen.  My doctor said that the testosterone is extremely low, and that my testes are shut.
I have not found anything to compare the estrogen levels with, but I have the feeling I am low at that font, too!
My endocrinologist does not want to increase the estrogen because of fear of DVT.  I might have to find a different endo.

I do not understand why those people feel they have to be gatekeepers?

Dietlind, what does your last post have to do with my HRT update?

Quote from: Joanne ONeal on February 05, 2019, 07:31:12 PM
Dietlind, what does your last post have to do with my HRT update?

I have to apologize, slipped under the wrong heading!

@joanne O'Neal

Glad they were able to figure out a starting point for you. I'm sure there will be many tweaks along the way. Don't be discouraged progress is progress. It's a long journey. As with all things HRT YMMV. Are you taking spiro with food? For me if I take spiro on a empty stomach, & not eat anything within 2 hours I feel bad.

Jaime320,
I have tried it both ways. My system just dosen't like Spiro. We will see if it is worth it in the next blood test. I started with a T level of 1.7. Maybe an increase in E doseage will eliminate the need for Spiro. My Endro did say she would switch me to Finesteride, but I don't know anything about that stuff.

Quote from: Joanne ONeal on February 06, 2019, 09:07:30 AM
Jaime320,
I have tried it both ways. My system just dosen't like Spiro. We will see if it is worth it in the next blood test. I started with a T level of 1.7. Maybe an increase in E doseage will eliminate the need for Spiro. My Endro did say she would switch me to Finesteride, but I don't know anything about that stuff.

OK, now I can chime in and make a contribution that makes sense!  I am on Finasteride for 5 or 6 years now (for another eason than HRT).
I am on the strongest dose recommended (way higher than they use for HRT reasons), and I do not feel any side effects.  Finasteride stops any hair loss you are experiencing, and might allow some hair to regrow, as long as the follicles are not dead.  Finasteride in a higher dose, will cause your prostate to shrink, but it is not a testosterone blocker like spiro (I am also on spiro, and don't like the stuff, and actually don't really need it, bcause I have no T that needs to be blocked).
What do they want to achieve with you and Finasteride?

I think she suggested it for a replacement of the spiro because I was not tolorating it very well. I am completly bald and been that way for 35 years. I doubt there are many live follicals left. My cancerous prostate was removed 2 years ago, so Finensteride is of no use there. PSA level is undectecable now, that means cancer free! I am really hoping I can use the the Spiro, or find another T blocker that will work.

Quote from: Joanne ONeal on February 06, 2019, 10:57:22 AM
I think she suggested it for a replacement of the spiro because I was not tolorating it very well. I am completly bald and been that way for 35 years. I doubt there are many live follicals left. My cancerous prostate was removed 2 years ago, so Finensteride is of no use there. PSA level is undectecable now, that means cancer free! I am really hoping I can use the the Spiro, or find another T blocker that will work.

I am not an endocrinologist or urologist (that was the discipline who put me onto Finasteride).  No prostate means no nee of Finasteride for that one.  Here is what the Mayo Clinic (the people who put me onto it) has to say about it: "Finasteride is used to treat men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male pattern hair loss, also called androgenetic alopecia. ... Finasteride blocks the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. This enzyme changes testosterone to another hormone that causes the prostate to grow or hair loss in males."

I would ask my doc what the purpose she sees in putting you onto the stuff!  As I said, I do not feel any side effects, but everybody reacts different to medications.  And any chemical you can keep outside of your body, is a pretty darn good chemical!

Its Working!! I had a 6 week re-visit with my Endrogrinologist today.  Blood work shows my "T" level is now below 1!  (.81) My  "E" level is rising!  The emotional changes are great. No noticable changes in body hair, but my breast are bigger.  ;D She is going to keep me at the same dosages of the Spiro and low dose E patches for now.  I WANT MORE!! But she is the Doctor.  It is amazing how different I feel!   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Quote from: Joanne ONeal on February 13, 2019, 01:20:45 PM
Its Working!! I had a 6 week re-visit with my Endrogrinologist today.  Blood work shows my "T" level is now below 1!  (.81) My  "E" level is rising!  The emotional changes are great. No noticable changes in body hair, but my breast are bigger.  ;D She is going to keep me at the same dosages of the Spiro and low dose E patches for now.  I WANT MORE!! But she is the Doctor.  It is amazing how different I feel!   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Great!  Do you feel like your emotional range is being expanded.  HRT effects people different but I think most here report little change in hair.  I'm not an expert but I believe what I've read says that going below typical female levels for Testosterone can cause unwanted side effects.   I did a search and most of the data says that typical female levels of Testosterone range from 8 to 60ng/dL.   Less then 1 will probably zero out your libido and energy. 

Been reading along with you girls about your HRT journey. I start my HRT this month (2-21-2019) and I'm as excited as ever. I'm 50 y.o. and found little about older trans women expectations in reference to HRT. I'm one of the lucky ones as I (almost pass) right now pre HRT...so I hope hormone therapy works its wonders for me. Like you I waited forever to transition and the medical risks are greater.

Can't tell you how happy I am right now...being here among other women who share the same excitement..it's a priceless feeling.

Take care ladies!

Sophia

Quote from: Sophiaprincess2019 on February 13, 2019, 03:43:43 PM
Been reading along with you girls about your HRT journey. I start my HRT this month (2-21-2019) and I'm as excited as ever. I'm 50 y.o. and found little about older trans women expectations in reference to HRT. I'm one of the lucky ones as I (almost pass) right now pre HRT...so I hope hormone therapy works its wonders for me. Like you I waited forever to transition and the medical risks are greater.

Can't tell you how happy I am right now...being here among other women who share the same excitement..it's a priceless feeling.

Take care ladies!

Sophia

I hope it will help you the way you think it will! 
I got onto it because I was hoping to speed up growing my boobs a little more, but I am still waiting for this.  They seem to be growing with the same speed the did prior to HRT.
Sofar HRT caused my feet to swell, makes me relative lethargic and exhausted, and caused a big 8 hour lasting crying spell the other day.  The rest of my body seems to care less.

As it is said here all the time "your mileage will vary".  Some experience a lot of changes, others see hardly any!

I hope you will be seeing dramatic changes very soon!
Linde

Quote from: Sophiaprincess2019 on February 13, 2019, 03:43:43 PM
Been reading along with you girls about your HRT journey. I start my HRT this month (2-21-2019) and I'm as excited as ever. I'm 50 y.o. and found little about older trans women expectations in reference to HRT. I'm one of the lucky ones as I (almost pass) right now pre HRT...so I hope hormone therapy works its wonders for me. Like you I waited forever to transition and the medical risks are greater.

Can't tell you how happy I am right now...being here among other women who share the same excitement..it's a priceless feeling.

Take care ladies!

Sophia

Hello Sophia

I am delighted to see you are starting HRT on February 21st. I wish you every happiness on your journey.

As you will be aware, you have certainly found the right website here. There are so many of us middle aged or older girls here on both Transgender Talk Board and HRT Board. When I started therapy aged 62 in 2017, I had no intention of transitioning but HRT was so uplifting - confirming I was at last on "the right fuel"; consequently I shall definitely be publicly transitioning later this year.

Hugs

Pamela

Quote from: Joanne ONeal on February 13, 2019, 01:20:45 PM
Its Working!! I had a 6 week re-visit with my Endrogrinologist today.  Blood work shows my "T" level is now below 1!  (.81) My  "E" level is rising!  The emotional changes are great. No noticable changes in body hair, but my breast are bigger.  ;D She is going to keep me at the same dosages of the Spiro and low dose E patches for now.  I WANT MORE!! But she is the Doctor.  It is amazing how different I feel!   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Hello again Joanne

That's wonderful news. I am so happy for you on three counts.

You have already attained emotional benefit, physical benefit and chemical (Blood Test results) benefit!

Hugs

Pamela

Woohoo! Another late bloomer (yeah, pun intended)

Welcome to the journey and please keep both hands on the wheel at all times.  Yes, that means even when you start crying at how cute that baby squirrel is.

Ricki

Quote from: Dietlind on December 23, 2018, 05:30:31 PM
Congratulations Joanne!
The journey will have stones in it's way, but it is a great adventure in finding your real self!

I waited over 70 years to embark on it, and I tell you, you can do it!

@Dietlind

Side note: I hope I look this good at 70ish....

Quote from: Ricki Wright on February 16, 2019, 04:29:50 AM
@Dietlind

Side note: I hope I look this good at 70ish....

You will!  You just have to find the right makeup artist with enough pots of paints and a million different bushes to put those paints onto your fave.  Once you are done, you feel as if you were treated in an auto body shop!