I GOT MY HRT APPOINTMENT! It’s not until mid next year though. I’m so excited. Now i just have to decide on oestrogen delivery methods. I am thinking gel, because i suck at needles, more so doing it myself. But i have a cat i love to pick up, so I would need to use gloves.
What methods do y’all use for oestrogen delivery?
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I do injections, especially with subcutaeous the needles are pretty small and I’ve been able to adjust. I still don’t like needles but I got trained on how to use these and I’m able to manage them now.
Congrats! Wishing you the best on your journey!
I switched to subq injections after about 3 months on pills & it was the best decision I ever made for my transition. Felt like the whole process accelerated, within 7 months of switching to injections (10 on HRT) I was stealth at my new job, it was shocking how much of a difference that made.
thanks for the advice everyone. I think I’ll go gel to start with, then once I’m sure it’s what i want, I will change to pellets. Thank you :)
First of all: CONGRATS!! Let the girl-ification begin for you too :D
I use pills (oral, not sublingual) actually and it’s not that big of a deal at all. It kinda becomes a routine after a while and isn’t really annoying, especially if you already have meds to take daily.
From what I’ve heard (mostly from my mom who uses gel because of menopause) the gel goes into your skin pretty fast so I don’t think there’s any concern about you playing with your cat.
If you are still to paranoid then you can always try patches.
Thanks :).
I’ve heard that pills can cause blood clots and strokes. Which why I’m a bit reticent to take them. I think the sublingual ones are safe though, but I’m not a doctor
If you take it seriously then nothing is really safe. Taking estrogen could lead to issues with blood sugar levels long term too (am currently part of a study/research for that but it’ll take probably still 10-15 years until the papers get published). Not a doctor either but I assume that even pills are safe as long as you don’t have specific preexisting condition that puts you at higher risk for blood clots and strokes. I’m also pretty sure that the chance is very low in comparison to things like an unhealthy diet and stuff (assumption!!)
I don’t pretend to know what I’m talking about. I’m sure you’re more clued in than me, so I’ll bow out :)
Main thing to worry about with clots from oral pills is if you smoke! If you don’t smoke nicotine then the risk is low like the commenter said above.
Patches. We tried gel but it’s annoying to wait for it to dry and the estrogen levels are kind of spikey.
I can recommend patches. I’ve been very happy with them although I do recommend to also apply something like tegaderm over them so they don’t fall off as easily it also helps to not notice them as much on your skin.
Yay, congratulations! I’d have gotten impatient and started DIY if I had to wait that long…
I started with gel (massive PITA to apply but works well), did injections for a while (kind of a bother even once a week, and hormone levels going up and down isn’t very nice), and now on patches (awesome, no complaints). Probably only implants would be better.
Unless your cat is constantly licking wherever you applied the gel, you don’t need to worry. You can wash your hands after applying!
Thank you. I have considered pellets and I’ll probably move to that once I’ve been on oestrogen for a while. In case (the very unlikely chance) that I don’t like oestrogen. Hard to take pellets out once they’re in.
I do take a sublingual pill every 8 hours, so morning - afternoon - evening. It’s a bit often but you get used to it and it works well for me. I’d like to switch to injections sometime but currently can’t be bothered because they’re not that easy to get where I’m at. I might tackle that after grs.
Whoa. Three times a day? That’s too much for me lol. I take meds at night to sleep, so something I can take at night would be good. Sublingual, gel, spray would be good. I’d also consider patches. They seem to be little to no fuss
Sublingual doesn’t work when you just take them once a day. There’s a very high spike 1-2 hours after taking them but the estrogen is absorbed very quickly after that. That’s why taking them every 8 hours or at least every 12 is recommended. I think most people who do gel do it in the morning and in the evening. Patches seem like a good alternative though. I don’t even know if they’re an option where I am, I’ll ask my endo the next time I see her.
You can find more information about the different modes of administration here: https://transfemscience.org/articles/e2-equivalent-doses/ and here: https://transfemscience.org/articles/
Since nobody else here has said it, I use patches. I have two on my butt and I change them twice a week
Spray, it’s like gel but dries much quickier (2 min suits, 1 hr to fully dry. But the ‘fully dry’ is moreso that in that time you’d best not shower yet, that’s it.
Dries in 2 min enough to put clothes over it and do your thing. I have a skin that is drier than the Gobi desert, so that also helps.
You’ll need to do it daily, but depending on the person, you can have it 1x a day or twice, and up to three doses per time.
Oh, and whether or not you want HRT, it’s valid. DIY just means you don’t have a formal prescription. If your situation allows you to do so safely without problems with doctors and governments, I’d recommend the official path. Otherwise, DIY is also perfectly valid. Stay safe and aware!
GUIDE TO CHOOSING YOUR MEDICATION PATH
_This guide assumes you already have decided to get HRT. It’s not meant to replace official advice, etc. and all that legal stuff. All of the listed HRT methods are safe. Which is best, just depends upon your situation.
1. Are you squeamish re: needles?
Yes -> See question 2
No -> Injections2. Do you have a sensitive skin? Yes -> See question 3
No -> See question 43. Do you prefer ease of use, or effectiveness?
Ease of use -> Spray/g Effectiveness -> See question 64. Do you prefer ease of hiding, or to apply it less often?
Hideable -> Gel/spray Applying less often -> PatchesQuestion 6 is missing ;) - and there doesn’t seem to be a need for question 5?
Thats a pretty handy guide for medication path, thanks for posting it!
I use injections and I love the freedom! It’s nice to not have to think about my hormones several times per day
How often do you have to inject?
It depends. Doctors typically prescribe estradiol valerate which should be injected every five days. I use estradiol enanthate which is injected every 7 days.
You can read more here: https://piefed.blahaj.zone/post/24298
Also, what’s best? IM or subcutaneous? What do you do?
You go for whichever is the most comfortable/convenient as the differences are so small. Subcutaneous uses a smaller needle so I went with that as it was less scary to me, but some can get allergic reactions on their skin from the injections which intramuscular avoids because it’s a deeper injection.
Injections work best
do you do subcutaneous or IM? Assuming you do that is.
I use weekly IM injections in the thigh
I use gel
how often do you need to apply gel? I read once per day, but i’m not sure.
I apply one dose in the morning and one in the evening, but it varies from person to person how much you need. I’m currently waiting for the results of my last blood test to see if the amount I use is enough. The area you apply the gel to should be small, the gel I use takes about one hour to dry.
ah. thanks. That helps a lot. I think I’ll go with gel. I doubt I could inject myself, and there are a lot of dangerous taking oestrogen orally, so gel seems like the way to go.
