.......... diy hrt ............... etc ..........
diy mtf hrt primer
should you do DIY HRT?
diy hrt is relatively safe and can be a great option if you live in a restrictive place, you don't have insurance, or you just want more control over your health.
here's a comparison of some of your options for hrt.
planned parenthood
- probably your best option if they offer hrt in your area.
- more experienced doctors than your gp or most endocrinologists.
- sometimes long wait times - expect 3+ months for an appointment. prescription the day of your appointment, though!
- $150+ for an appointment without insurance, plus drugs and blood testing. insurance is accepted if it convers hrt.
your primary care md
- certainly an option, especially if planned parenthood doesn't offer hrt in your area.
- may need a referral to an endocrinologist who may not be experienced in HRT, and may chronically underdose; may need a referral to a psychiatrist as well.
- wait time depends on your doctor, insurance, and if you need a referral. usually need multiple appointments with 1-3 doctors before getting a prescription.
- probably covered by insurance.
DIY
- the option you have the most control over.
- inherent risk of self-medicating and using drugs from unregulated manufacturers or homebrewers.
- 3-6 week shipping time from most homebrewers.
- paying with crypto is a pain but a whole year of estradiol plus needles cost me like $110. $50-$100 per blood test, every 3 months for the first year or two. obviously not covered by insurance.
diy hrt resources
general
injections
- you should 100% do injections (not pills). it's cheaper, easier, and safer to diy because you usually won't have to use spiro or cypro (t blocker pills).
- estradiol injections are not as painful as vaccines because your immune system will not react to it (unless you're allergic to something in the formulation. be safe.)
- easiest way to do injections is intramuscular (90 degree angle to skin) with insulin/diabetic type syringes, which are syringes with a built-in needle. as such, they waste almost zero liquid.
- i use 27 gauge, 5/8" needles, which are a little thin so drawing up liquid is hard, but the needle is very small and very not scary. if you can find 25ish gauge insulin needles that would be ideal. they should be at minimum 1/2" long though, otherwise you risk liquid leaking out and going to waste.
- you should inject 2-10mg of your favorite estradiol ester every 4-7 days. estradiol enanthate and estradiol cypionate will last longer (weekly injection) and thus give more consistant levels but may be harder to find. estradiol valerate is more common but should be injected every 5 days. don't trust WPATH.
- estradiol should not be "titrated," or ramped up over time; it's just a waste of time and estrogen. it's ok to start on a full dose (median 5mg weekly-ish). (Misakian et. al.)
important things
- don't start progesterone until you've been on estradiol for 6-12 months and have seen some breast growth. prog can cause premature formation of glandular (milk) structures, which can be detrimental to future breast development.
- i'm not on prog yet but there's significant controversey over whether to take it orally or rectally (boofing). my perspective tbd.
- none of this is medical advice. i am not a doctor. i am a dog on the internet who reads papers. don't trust me.
buying things
- injectable estradiol (usa): hera hrt. it will take 3-6 weeks for the package to arrive and it will not show as shipped in usps so don't worry if it's taking a while.
- needles: diabetic warehouse
- free/reduced-cost blood test with blood donation: goodlabs (get the 2 tests a-la-carte and choose estradiol and testosterone. test your blood every 3 months, at least for the first year.)
- buy and use crypto/bitcoin: moonpay
science
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