Susan's Place Transgender Resources

My car burns oil. It doesn't burn it badly or too quickly. It doesn't smoke. It just burns oil. As it burns oil, the mechanical lifters will tick at longer intervals after it's started and before they've received their portion of lubricant. Shifting gears becomes more and more difficult. If it gets too low, the lifters never stop ticking. By that point, shifting is a real chore. The exhaust note becomes unhealthy and raspy. This degradation in performance occurs so slowly that you scarcely notice it's happening. The best course of action is to purchase a gallon of Shell Rotella T diesel oil for the better part of $11, and add it to the crankcase until the dipstick indicates slightly over full. There should be plenty left over. Keep it in the trunk for next time. If you find this to be too much trouble, weigh it against the problems of a British roadster, and you'll quit complaining.

Interestingly enough, this is the best allegory I could think of for progesterone. I started HRT nearly eleven months ago, and I had no idea I was running ragged until I topped up my oil, so to speak. Micronized progesterone is actually suspended in peanut oil, so apparently I'm on a roll with the metaphor here. The fact that I'm not allergic to peanuts is one to be grateful for, because one pill twice a day has made a profound difference in my life in the span of a single week.

I took my first pill in the evening of Friday the 25th. By Sunday, I was experiencing an unequivocally improved state of being. When describing how I felt, the words "healthy" and "wholesome" sprang to mind instantly. You know that euphoric feeling you get at first waking after a great night's sleep? The pleasant physical sensation that glows throughout your body? I have that every single time I wake up, regardless of if I slept a couple of hours or all night. The run of the mill transphobia I encounter on a nearly daily basis doesn't bother me at all. Any deeply meaningful dysphoria has ceased and my dormant libido seems to have had a whole pot of double brewed coffee. Major depressive episodes feel distant and unnecessary, but only time will tell on that front.

Surely, there's something unpleasant coming out of this. It can't be holistically wonderful. Is anything?

I've *almost* had a couple of pimples for the first time in ages, but they faded before they really did anything. I didn't realize how much I loved my perfect skin until I saw a little red welt on my forehead. Extra incentive to continue taking the best care of my skin I know how, I guess. It'll take more than a couple of prematurely self-resolving pustules to scare me off this stuff.

Beginning this medication correlated with a very difficult week with my girlfriend. I can't rule out the notion that perhaps I was being a bitch without realizing it, as I've observed that in other women all my life, but I was having such an easy time dealing with everyone else I know, it's difficult to believe. I felt she was being the unreasonable one. It's most likely a group effort, and blaming each other is like a snake eating it's own tail. It can't end well.

That's the only negative I can potentially attribute to this stuff, other than the fact that it costs money. It's not too terribly expensive, though. I expect I'll have no problem keeping myself supplied for the rest of my life.

I'm met with the issue of cycling, though. The progesterone cycle in genetic women generates the dreaded menses. Well, I have utter and complete control over my destiny with regard to this. That's good and bad. It'd be great if my endocrine system were on autopilot, as cisgendered people universally take for granted, but it's not. I have the ability, but not the wisdom to handle this as effectively as possible. Everything I can find online regarding progesterone cycling is conflictual, as is the consensus on whether or not it poses benefits for transwomen in the first place. I decided to try it for myself, and although my response to it may be abnormally strong, to say it does nothing for us is absurd in my opinion. For now, I intend to stay with it for three solid weeks before cycling off just to see what happens. I can always go right back on it in a pinch if I turn into a total bitch.

Oh, but I saved the best for last. I spent a hundred bucks on undersized double-walled racer backs with built in shelf bras sometime last year. They were quite effective for rapid and simple binding in the morning as I got ready for work, but over the last several months, they had been reaching obsolescence. This wasn't really a problem, as it was cold and layers were the norm, but spring time indicated a grand unveiling. I didn't believe it was so severe as to become problematic, but people were beginning to notice.

Before my first week on micronized progesterone had drawn to a close, people at work were staring at my chest more often than they weren't, and my crew leader seemed to have forgotten how to find my face when he spoke to me. I expect it'll be more of the same next week, and it can only get better. I'm ecstatic. It's not that I enjoy the attentions of filthy rednecks. Quite the contrary, but at this rate, I won't even have to announce the fact that I'm trans. My body is doing it for me.

What a brilliant combination of factors. I feel good about myself, my body has suddenly started rapidly developing again, there's no doubt this is going to out me at work, and I'm unconcerned with their reactions due to this new found well being.

Life is good.

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv609%2Fmeantryptamine%2FMe.jpg&hash=24a036598a03bc055bca28ce73195b540a5296af)
(Simply put, all this wasn't there a week ago.)

Good news. I just started 2 days ago! This puts me at ease about the whole p debate.

Quote from: Stephanie.Izann on March 05, 2011, 10:34:25 AM
Good news. I just started 2 days ago! This puts me at ease about the whole p debate.

That's great, hun.  Let me know how it goes for you.  I haven't felt so good in ages, and I didn't even realize it until I fixed it on accident.

Quote from: Call me Jess on March 05, 2011, 09:01:03 AM
I took my first pill in the evening of Friday the 25th. By Sunday, I was experiencing an unequivocally improved state of being. When describing how I felt, the words "healthy" and "wholesome" sprang to mind instantly. You know that euphoric feeling you get at first waking after a great night's sleep? The pleasant physical sensation that glows throughout your body? I have that every single time I wake up, regardless of if I slept a couple of hours or all night. The run of the mill transphobia I encounter on a nearly daily basis doesn't bother me at all. Any deeply meaningful dysphoria has ceased and my dormant libido seems to have had a whole pot of double brewed coffee. Major depressive episodes feel distant and unnecessary, but only time will tell on that front.

^This.

Ever since starting progesterone, I actually feel HAPPY when I get up. All my life I could sleep all day, and even if I managed to get like 10 hours of sleep, I would wake up feeling nasty. After starting P, I seem to wake up and actually feel rested! It makes the day feel more complete - not one big fog like most days were before.

And I would never put Rotella T into anything but a motorcycle or a truck ;)

Hi, Claire.  I knew it couldn't just be me.

By the way, the only reason I put Rotella in it is because that's what I had around for motorcycles.

The great thing about micronized progesterone is that it's natural progesterone, and NOT a synthetic progestin, therefore less likely to cause so many of the negative effects typically associated with "progesterone" treatment.

Quote from: Caith on March 07, 2011, 03:45:01 PM
The great thing about micronized progesterone is that it's natural progesterone, and NOT a synthetic progestin, therefore less likely to cause so many of the negative effects typically associated with "progesterone" treatment.

Oh, I know.  I'd have to be insane to try provera after the things I've read about it.  The real deal has such a positive effect on me, it just may save my life in the long run.  My depressive tendencies are suddenly very subdued.  Time will tell on that front.

By the way, I love your avatar, Caith.  :-)

I started depo last week and I can def tell a huge increase in my appetite, which isnt altogether a bad thing.  Ill have to monitor my boobies and see if theres any more growth, just have to see.  Im guessing there will be due to the increased calorie intake if anything

I started progesterone about 6 months or so ago... On the good side, the boobies have perked up considerably and my mood seems to be pretty good when I'm on my P cycle  :)

On the not so good side, I'm noticing that a few days after the cycle has ended I start to get really moody and bugged out by just about everything for a few days  :-\

Interesting.  I am not cycling, just taking a certain dosage a day.  I really haven't noticed too much of a mood change.  I was already doing well, except for a bad mix of vitamins that seemed to have messed me up a few days.
Keep posting everyone. I'm curious to see how those of us that just started are feeling in a few months or so.

I'm not really sure what P did for me.....it did masculinize my face for about a month before reverting again but other than that, I didnt feel like I got more boobage or more sex drive. I feel like injections did more on both of those areas so I'm not really sure.

Quote from: Audrey on March 07, 2011, 08:16:20 PM
I started depo last week and I can def tell a huge increase in my appetite, which isnt altogether a bad thing.  Ill have to monitor my boobies and see if theres any more growth, just have to see.  Im guessing there will be due to the increased calorie intake if anything

I have no personal experience with depo, but I've heard a horror story or two.  I hope your experience is good.  Let us know how it does for you.

Quote from: Virginia Marie on March 07, 2011, 09:11:53 PM
I started progesterone about 6 months or so ago... On the good side, the boobies have perked up considerably and my mood seems to be pretty good when I'm on my P cycle  :)

On the not so good side, I'm noticing that a few days after the cycle has ended I start to get really moody and bugged out by just about everything for a few days  :-\

Oh, my mood has been very much improved, but after the initial week long high, I've settled back down and leveled off.  Cycling definitely seems worth doing, but I'm going to hold off and take my notes first.  Gathering as much information as possible before making decisions is my forte.

Getting moody would be decidedly bad at work, though.  That's one thing I'm concerned about.

Quote from: Jerica on March 09, 2011, 06:55:06 PM
I'm not really sure what P did for me.....it did masculinize my face for about a month before reverting again but other than that, I didnt feel like I got more boobage or more sex drive. I feel like injections did more on both of those areas so I'm not really sure.

Hey, Jerica.  I've been reading your posts on Susan's via my phone for a while.  To be honest, I didn't think you were trans at first.  Girl, you look good.  As for your experience with progesterone, I suppose everyone is different.  The effect on me was markedly profound.  I'm glad injections did something for you.  I've been interested in them, but not enough to actively seek them out... yet.

Quote from: Call me Jess on March 09, 2011, 07:13:48 PM
Oh, my mood has been very much improved, but after the initial week long high, I've settled back down and leveled off.  Cycling definitely seems worth doing, but I'm going to hold off and take my notes first.  Gathering as much information as possible before making decisions is my forte.

Getting moody would be decidedly bad at work, though.  That's one thing I'm concerned about.

My mood does level out again after a few days... It's just those few days right after the end of the cycle that I get concerned about

Quote from: Call me Jess on March 09, 2011, 07:18:54 PM
Hey, Jerica.  I've been reading your posts on Susan's via my phone for a while.  To be honest, I didn't think you were trans at first.  Girl, you look good. 

Awww thank you =D

So apparently, I am taking Medroxyprogesterone which is NOT micronized. It's a Progestin (synthesized form) AND I was told by my mentor (Jen) that it's not the same thing and that studies have shown that it can harm you more than hurt you.
I'm going back to my Doc to see if it can be changed to a form that is micronized.

I started micronized progesterone capsules 2 days ago, i started with half the capsule, i had already been on estrogen gel for 2 months, half the transitioning dose.Well to my surprise I was having headaches, dizziness, brain fog and felt blood pumping in my brain with the e alone, i thought I was not going to continue with e, specially the first 2 weeks were horrible, anyway the first day on progesterone has cleared my brain, no headache or fog, second day even better, just had to take a nap in the afternoon, feel sleepy, so i think the progesterone was the key to solve the e side effects, Im happy about this, means I wouldbe able to increase my e dose and to transition like a happy buterfly.

Earlier in HRT I would take a micronized progesterone capsule once about every 5 days.  Later I changed to mimic the menstrual cycle (taking one at night every 10-12 days, then none for another 14-18 days).   It definitely helps in the chest department.

It did nothing for my boobs after about a year and a half of cycling 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off. I don't know for sure if it was the p but, I became intensely irritable and prone to very very sharp low moods. This stopped when I stopped taking p. I hope your experience is different than mine.

Hi,

I seem to remember to have read that micronized progesterone should also help to avoid osteoporosis and to help with bone density - do you have also some experience in this department?

Quote from: transjoe on October 05, 2015, 02:23:01 AM
Hi,

I seem to remember to have read that micronized progesterone should also help to avoid osteoporosis and to help with bone density - do you have also some experience in this department?

Estrogen does that.