not gonna lie, im about to start hrt and im a little terrified by it lol, im 23 and i was just wondering if anyone else was a tad scared before starting and what there experience was like?

Well I am in the same boat and yes I am a tad scared and excited at the same time. It is normal to be afraid of the unknown.

I was definitely scared when I first started. I had my doubts and worried if I was really doing the right thing. But I remember that I was resolved on finally doing something about my dysphoria and that I would not run away from my fears.

I didn't have a whole lot in the first month except for some breast soreness. I began gradually feeling more comfortable in my own mind and felt just...happier. Like I was on my way to being who I am. Emotions began to ramp up more after a couple months and began peaking after 4 months or so.

I'm 24 and the first time I sat in the doctor's office as she was talking to me about the side effects and reasons as to why I want to start HRT, I broke down crying lmao.

I waited to get my life in order (I had a huge low) then I went back in and it was still scary, but exciting too! It's only been a month so far, but no regrets here :3

Breast pain/budding started just this week, and the biggest change I've noticed aside from that is my appetite has decreased dramatically. The weird part has been adjusting to mentally knowing my body doesn't need or want as much food because I'm used to eating more lol.

Hi Senna.

  Welcome to Susan's place. I'm Jeanette, a self appointed unofficial greeter. Come in, come on in don't be shy. Oh wait you can't be shy. We already have one of those, her name is Sadie. Are you  in yet? Well shut the door. Were you born in a barn or something? Nevermind. Have a chair, get comfy.
  So you are starting HRT soon and are a little taken back by the idea? Well you should be. It isn't something to be taken lightly. It's serious business. But let me tell you if it is what you need then it is a very good thing indeed. I'm sure you've talked to someone and you know all about whether it is what you should be doing? If not then don't do it and go find a qualified professional to discuss it with. Doing HRT isn't a walk in the park. It will change your life. If you are sure it is what you want to do then it can be of tremendous help to you, but it will not be an easy thing to live with. Most of us who do HRT do it because we can't live our lives as ourselves without doing it. I hope you are in that category because then HRT can be just the thing you need to be yourself.
  I found it easy to start HRT because I've lived almost my whole life suppressing my desire to be a female. I appeased the need in my by crossdressing. I convinced myself it was enough but it wasn't. Once I realized that I started HRT and now I am working on dealing with that decision. But I am sure it is what I want to do.
  If you feel it is what you need to do then by all means come join us. If not then wait until you are.

  Hugs,
   Jeanette

I'm 26 and have my first appointment this week. As long as my body thinks it's a healthy male, I'll hopefully get to begin the process of telling it otherwise. There's a bit of fear but I've been more or less ready since over a year ago when I started playing with herbals. Now I'm mostly just anxious to get started and curious to see what changes I will go through. Just sit back, relax, and and enjoy the ride.

I was excited and anxious to start HRT right up until I had those two pill bottles in my hand.  I had always figured I'd knock down the first doses before I ever left the parking lot of the pharmacy.  Well when the reality of what I was about to pull the trigger on set in, the first truly permanent change to my body, I needed to take a little time.  I ended waiting about 4 hours before I finally dropped those first pills.  When I did I was excited but still nervous even then.

Even though I knew that you can stop early on without any ill effects, there was still a feeling of finality to taking that first dose. It felt like a point of no return.  Almost like, hey it's official, once I take these I'm truly transitioning physically.  So yeah it made me nervous.

Simply put it's a big step, so it's normal to be nervous.  For me I had to think back on all the reasons I had come this far and realized that this was the first true departure from my normal life and that it was ok.  I needed to take the leap and I did.

Quote from: Senna0811 on April 15, 2017, 02:58:56 PM
not gonna lie, im about to start hrt and im a little terrified by it lol, im 23 and i was just wondering if anyone else was a tad scared before starting and what there experience was like?

IMHO being scared to start is really healthy...I was terrified, I think it is healthy because it really is venturing into the unknown...all those things you thought and wished about during your first puberty are actually going to happen this time..

Just started today.  There is both an excitement about what it will bring, and a profound sense of gravity as to what relational consequences it may bring.


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Honestly I was more afraid of the pharmacist consult than anything.  He came up and looked at the spiro, gave me the "yep this is used for acne, blood pressure, might make you pee more blah blah blah" routine then he picked up the estradiol.  I counted to three before he processed it and he said "these are hormones, and I presume your doctor and you went over those effects right?"  "We sure did."  "Well then I think you've got it covered, have a great day!"

Overall way less awkward than expected.  I then proceeded to take my first dose in the parking lot cookie monster style.

Quote from: Colleen_definitely on April 17, 2017, 01:00:29 PM
Honestly I was more afraid of the pharmacist consult than anything.  He came up and looked at the spiro, gave me the "yep this is used for acne, blood pressure, might make you pee more blah blah blah" routine then he picked up the estradiol.  I counted to three before he processed it and he said "these are hormones, and I presume your doctor and you went over those effects right?"  "We sure did."  "Well then I think you've got it covered, have a great day!"

Overall way less awkward than expected.  I then proceeded to take my first dose in the parking lot cookie monster style.

Hahah, yeah I forgot about that part.  In fact I didn't think of it that day until the cashier asked me if this was a new prescription.  My pharmacist handled it in a similar fashion.  For the Spiro he was like "So this is essentially a water pill, be sure to stay hydrated because it will make you have to use the bathroom more often".  Then he looked at the Estradiol and said "This is a hormone supplement, just be sure to watch for any signs of a blood clot, like swollen or sore calves".  Then he kind of questioned my doctor's instructions to hold the pill under my tongue for 30 minutes.  He rightfully pointed out that it'll never last that long

Quote from: AlyssaJ on April 17, 2017, 01:20:36 PM

Then he kind of questioned my doctor's instructions to hold the pill under my tongue for 30 minutes.  He rightfully pointed out that it'll never last that long

Alyssa,
You might try it tucked up in the upper gum and lip in the pocket above your eyetooth. There is some formale dental term for it,but that's the spot. Mine stays for quite awhile up there and you can even talk normal. Drinking is possible with care but I find trying to eat make it disappear sooner. I think today's is going on about 1.5 hours with some still left up there.

  Hugs,
   Jeanette

Quote from: JeanetteLW on April 17, 2017, 01:33:02 PM
Alyssa,
You might try it tucked up in the upper gum and lip in the pocket above your eyetooth. There is some formale dental term for it,but that's the spot. Mine stays for quite awhile up there and you can even talk normal. Drinking is possible with care but I find trying to eat make it disappear sooner. I think today's is going on about 1.5 hours with some still left up there.

  Hugs,
   Jeanette

I believe they refer to that as Buccal administration. That would be another thought.  Right now under my tongue it usually lasts about 10 minutes before it's fully dissolved to power in my mouth.  At that point, per my Dr's instructions, I swish some water in my mouth and swallow it.  I might try the Buccal method and see how that goes too.  Obviously, I want to get the max effect (like we all do) so I'm willing to experiment.

Buccal apparently is not quite as effective as sublingual (as per the girlfriend, a nurse practitioner) but that's in theory.

If you salivate a lot to the point that you end up swallowing a lot of the tablet, buccal ends up being more effective overall since you absorb it through your mouth more than your stomach.  She has no problem telling patients to switch to buccal if sublingual is causing them problems for whatever medication they're on.