My doctor finally got back to me on my trough levels, and they're a bit low for male range. Free range is 35 to 150, mine is 24.3, and total range is 250 to 111, and mine is 217. He said in the email that if I'm "doing well symptoms wise [he] would stay on same dose." The thing is, at more than seven months on T, I've had to start taking progesterone because shark week wouldn't leave. The specialist my doctor contacted about my levels (he originally measured peak levels) said that this means my dose might be too low. I'm concerned that if I were to stop taking the pills, it would come back--or worse, that it'll come back regardless of the pills. Moreover, I feel like body hair isn't coming in as fast as I would have expected, specifically facial hair. I'm trying to be patient on that front, but my mother's side of the family have pretty quickly-growing beards, my father has a full beard, etc. I feel like something should've happened at this point, but the only change is a small amount of very wispy moustache hairs at the corners of my mouth. Not even enough to be worth shaving more than every three weeks.
So my question is, are those valid reasons to ask to increase my dose a little? Or should I just carry on at the same dose I'm at, as my levels are a little low but not "weirdly" low? What do you guys think?
You are on the low side, so an increase could be needed. Starting shark week probably means your e is on the high side.
Would it make sense to worry that, upon stopping the progesterone, shark week might come back?
You have to remember that puberty lasts for around 5 years, and that's what we're putting our bodies through. Just because things aren't happening at the pace you want them to doesn't mean that they won't happen.
It's worth a conversation with your doctor though. The viewpoint that mine has is kind of the opposite approach, where she'd rather start high and bump down after an initial period on the typical low dose. She goes through a lengthy list every visit and we talk at length about which effects and side effects I'm having, and if we mutually feel that I'm at a good dose.
As far as facial/body hair go, consider supplementing with Biotin. I've been taking it for a few months now, and I think it's helped to fill things in.
I'm doing my best to be patient, I promise :) If I had just a thin, patchy sort of scruff, I'd honestly be fine with that. Well, not fine, but it'd be easier to be patient. The thing is, my family's pretty beardy. Not necessarily hairy as far as the rest of the body goes, but my (maternal) cousin started growing a decent beard when he was sixteen, and both my mother's brother's are beardy. I don't really know my father's side of the family, but he's a beardy fellow as well. My face hair? Currently if I wait for a month, the corners of my upper lip look a little dusty. My thirteen-year-old brother has a better moustache than me (now if only he would shave it until it goes in properly). So it's not so much that I'm hoping it comes fast as I'm worried that the dose I'm on isn't high enough, as this is something that happens pretty rapidly for the maternal side of my family (who I take after much more than the paternal side, for what it's worth, so I don't think my father's genes are affecting me like that).
That being said, I'm being patient as possible on that one. I know things take time. The thing I'm actually worried about is shark week coming back after I finish off the progesterone tablets. At more than seven months on T, it's very unusual that it hadn't stopped for me. My doctor (who hadn't worked with a trans man until I came along) talked to a specialist who said that my dose likely wasn't high enough. While we were waiting on labs, he put me on the progesterone. I'm worried that, maintaining the current dose I'm at, shark week'll just come back when I'm out of tablets. Especially since my trough levels are a bit low.
I have an appointment with him on Tuesday (which is shot day) for a follow-up on a different medication, and I'll talk to him about it then and just wait until after I see him to take my shot depending on what we agree on. I'm just an anxious fellow, looking for some guidance in the meantime :P
ftmax, I like your dr approach to t, lets you find the correct dosage for you quickly. Everyone of us has a correct dosage for us which maybe different for someone else.
veniamviam, try talking and working with your dr, he is trying his best to help you, but does not having experience with ftm's so he is going slow.
Is it possible to do a trial run on a higher dose and see how things go there? If another doctor is thinking you might be too low, shark week is still going on, and your doctor is saying you can raise it if you feel it's needed... what's keeping you from raising it? Have regular blood tests and if need be you could lower the dose again. The main thing I'm seeing here is you're being responsible and attentive about this and especially that you are under a doctor's care and advice.