Today's questions come from reader Katie. She writes:
I'm a 35yo, MTF, who hasn't started hormones yet. Your photos look very dramatic, so I'm wondering what type of regimen you're on. [...] Also, I'd like to get your opinion on something. I work in a very, very, (did I say very?), conservative office environment. So, I'm wondering, how long do you think (in your opinion) I could start taking hormones without people noticing?
Thanks for the questions, Katie!
I'm on 2mg of estradiol valerate (Estrace) twice daily, 100 mg spironolactone (Aldactone) twice daily, and 5mg Provera in the evening. I've been on that regimen for most of my transition.
On a regimen like mine, you can probably go six to eight months before you'd have to start wearing a tight sports bra. After about a year or so, I'd reckon that people might start to wonder anyway, depending on your weight/build, style of dress, and how observant your coworkers are. I've read over and over that one can hide the effects of HRT indefinitely, but my own experience would suggest otherwise.
These are of course only guesses, as I went full-time at around 4 months on HRT. I was fairly thin then, for me (a size 14), and nobody at the musician's store I worked at suspected anything. If getting "caught" will be a problem at work, there is the option of slowing the changes by omitting meds or reducing doses. This, I'm told, won't harm the final result.
Hormones change you psychologically as well, and Provera especially can make you really PMS-y or otherwise moody and irritable, so be careful to take them exactly on time!
----
Y'know, I kind of dig being sort of a tranny agony aunt. So, whether you're just a curious bystander, thinking about MtF transition, or still in the trenches (like yours truly), don't be afraid to email me questions, or just post them as comments!
Also, I'm working hard on categories. I just kind of added them over time. But never went back and assigned them to older entries. So now I'm doing just that! Woo!
Ask a Tranny #4 - 09/22/06 04:12 AM
Today's questions come from reader Katie. She writes:
Thanks for the questions, Katie!
I'm on 2mg of estradiol valerate (Estrace) twice daily, 100 mg spironolactone (Aldactone) twice daily, and 5mg Provera in the evening. I've been on that regimen for most of my transition.
On a regimen like mine, you can probably go six to eight months before you'd have to start wearing a tight sports bra. After about a year or so, I'd reckon that people might start to wonder anyway, depending on your weight/build, style of dress, and how observant your coworkers are. I've read over and over that one can hide the effects of HRT indefinitely, but my own experience would suggest otherwise.
These are of course only guesses, as I went full-time at around 4 months on HRT. I was fairly thin then, for me (a size 14), and nobody at the musician's store I worked at suspected anything. If getting "caught" will be a problem at work, there is the option of slowing the changes by omitting meds or reducing doses. This, I'm told, won't harm the final result.
Hormones change you psychologically as well, and Provera especially can make you really PMS-y or otherwise moody and irritable, so be careful to take them exactly on time!
----
Y'know, I kind of dig being sort of a tranny agony aunt. So, whether you're just a curious bystander, thinking about MtF transition, or still in the trenches (like yours truly), don't be afraid to email me questions, or just post them as comments!
Also, I'm working hard on categories. I just kind of added them over time. But never went back and assigned them to older entries. So now I'm doing just that! Woo!
Posted in ask_a_tranny, hormones, transition by Milla