this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2026
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DIY HRT
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This community exists for trans people and others to give each other advice and support regarding HRT.
Keep in mind that none of us are doctors. Read up on how to do things properly and double check any advice you are given.
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- Different routes (oral vs injections vs trans-dermal etc) have the same results. Pick whichever option you are most comfortable with.
- If you're doing feminizing hrt your boobs will randomly grow in bursts. Chest pain going away is perfectly normal.
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- Remember to eat well, get enough sleep, and exercise! This will help you grow properly and look more masculine on testosterone or more feminine on estradiol.
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Well I did ask for a hormonal blood test and basically got denied. I did have blood taken though (the gp didn’t fully disclose what for annoyingly) and I got the result last week for low vitamin D. That was it.
I don’t really care to get another blood test at this point. It is what it is…can’t see myself going private either.
And tbh, after doing loads of drugs in my younger days, I feel pretty OK just taking this stuff and seeing how it goes. I’m not that bothered. I made the effort to ask for a hormonal blood test and that failed so whatever basically.
But I appreciate your concern.
If you were denied a hormonal blood test, it could be because the doctor didn't think there was sufficient reasons. Do you have significant facial hair, male-pattern baldness, dark hairs growing on your chest and belly, etc.? What is the evidence you actually have that you need an anti-androgen?
For context, when I had some cysts between my ribs as a teenager, the doctors took one look at me and immediately ordered hormone blood labs to check my estrogen because I looked feminine (soft skin, light body hair, not much facial hair for my age, larger breasts than boys my age, etc.). Doctors generally will run labs if they believe there is a credible reason to do so - all this tells me is the doctor you saw didn't think there was justification for it.
While doctors are not always right, they're also not always wrong; sometimes an issue like this could be a mental health concern and not a physiological issue, to be worked on in therapy.
It would be nice if you had a doctor who could explain to you why you don't need your hormones checked, but if they didn't think you needed it, one possibility is that you just don't have the typical signs and symptoms of someone with an endocrine disorder (or intersex condition).
It had Lot to do with my inability to express my needs and concerns effectively. I DO look masc. i won’t go into detail but I do.
I’m sure she was reluctant about it because it’s a bit of a taboo and it’s quite unheard of for cis women under 40-50 to be prescribed hrt. She did say that if I wanted to check my hormones it would have to be done virtually every day for a matter of months or something like that (from fluctuations due to the cycle). So she sounded as though it wasn’t really a thing (?).
Annnd, I’ve also been checking out cis women or AFAB s experience taking what I’ve got so I’ve got a mix of information.