The silly part is: That line doesn't even rely on f1nn being f1nn. 200pmol/L is about the top of the male reference range. I had 200pmol at my pre-HRT blood draw and I frequently use that fact to illustrate how stupidly some doctors dose their transfem patients.
@@roycollinson2232 no, not really. A comment like this is extremely misleading and potentially extremely dangerous. Direct application to testicles can massively spike your E levels, it can irritate the skin on your scrotum, it can do a lot of other shit that you DO NOT WANT. Posting shit like this is dangerous.
Private provider doesn’t follow NIHCE guidelines to the letter, gets in trouble. NHS GICs routinely violate trans patients’ rights to any kind of timely treatment, GPs ignore guidelines and even direct instructions from GICs, nobody even gets a slap on the wrist. It’s almost like the transphobia is the point…
Have anyone (person and/or organisation) tried dragging the NHS and/or single doctors within the NHS to court over this? Thinking about primarily the UK legal system but possible the European Court of Human Rights (Strasbourg Court).
It's actually insane how bad the UK gender care system is right now. I've been waiting 6 years (FtM) for an appointment and the clinic near me is literally only on appointments for people who joined TWO YEARS before I joined (2016). I'm struggling to even go private cause I can't afford blood tests two-four times a year, and my doctors wont do shared cared for some odd reason. It's atrocious.
I suggest checking with your GP if there are any of the non-NHS clinics that they will do shared care with. My GP refused to work with Gender GP, but was willing to work with Gender Care, so I went with Gender Care. If they will not, then look round for another GP who will. I am in SW UK, where the NHS waiting list is 7+ years, which was the reason I decided to go private. As it is, my GP handles all the blood test and provides the prescription for medication, so all that I have to pay is the normal prescription cost for the medication. I am on the patches Icky mentioned, just have the one on at any time, and change it twice a week. The patches are about 2in x 2in. Which is not too bad, I put them on my upper arms. Also, for those in the UK who do get they oestrogen via NHS prescription, there is something called a HRT PPC (Hormone Replacement Therapy Prescription Prepayment Certificate). Where you pay £19.90 a year, and that covers the cost of all of your oestrogen prescriptions. I only found out about it from the pharmacy where I collect my medication from.
@elvacoburg1279 Yeah, my doctor wouldn't do gendergp either. I've been asking about gendercare and he still doesn't seem happy about it. I'm gonna try ask him if he'd prescribe medications, etc under the NHS then see why he won't do private. If not, I guess I'll be moving haha
@@jadekaay DIY is much more difficult for men than it is for women because testosterone is a controlled drug whereas estrogen is just prescription-only.
I'm FTM and 18 in a few months and I'm honestly really scared about how expensive hormones are going to be when I'm older, let alone surgeries... It costs a fucking fortune to feel comfortable in our own skin I suppose! Hopefully things get fixed in a couple of years when I begin talking to my GP about them, but we can only hope. Also, the waiting lists right now are actually insane. I can't believe how bad it's gotten.
I've been nearly 2 years with "unofficial" enanthate estrogen injections monodose (without blockers/antiandrogens) after 2 years of transdermal sprayed estrogens + decapepthyl and I'm pretty sure I won't ever come back to official sources of HRT until injections get authorized on spanish health care (I'm from spain). PS: after less than 1 year into injections my boobs doubled their size. It was pretty crazy.
@@onetomeplz5825more of "I know better and care about myself instead of trusting this outdated system used" 😚 I'm self medicating too. Endocrinologists here have no idea what they're doing. They're experimenting with us.. not in my watch
Entiendo que tal vez no me contestes pero te puedo preguntar cómo conseguiste las inyecciones? Estoy cada vez más harta de la sanidad pública y de mi endocrinóloga y sus pastillas
What?? That's not even an actual blocker. I think I'm weirdly lucky where as part of shared care I actually get my (actual) blocker through my GP and don't have to pay for a prescription at the pharmacy.
Your content gives me a better understanding of the hurdles that a trans person faces in the UK - I know that this country is pretty lousy at dealing with trans healthcare, and other places are way, way ahead of us in making things easier for people. Come on, UK Government - it's surely not that difficult to do the right thing, is it?!
I had no idea injections were banned in UK. Makes feel somewhat lucky here in US with injections and informed consent. Although the bigotry is still pretty bad in the state I’m in.
We have our own fair share of bigotry too. In some ways we're like a US red state, despite our _'left wing'_ party massively winning our recent election they're increasingly blatantly transphobic.
Its not just the UK, its the entirety of western Europe. Generally blue states in the US are by far the best place in the world to be in if you are trans.
@@noergelstein I think Canada is probably slightly better (similar informed consent options and medication availability to the U.S., but at least HAS a public system even if it's limited, and also has access to cyproterone/CPA), but there really aren't any outright GOOD places for it, sadly.
To be a little clear, it's not too hard to source injections in the UK, but I will leave it vague because I've heard of weirdos trying to attack our ability to do that. There's two distinct avenues though. It's also obviously a less safe route.
I’ve been watching a lot of trans femme guides, and this is the first about specifically this issue/ topic in the uk. So, truly thank you again Icky, you have helped me so much!
Everyone talks about how bad it is being trans in the US, but I'm glad I'm here. I just walked into a clinic, said "give me woman stuff", and walked out with a prescription that day. Sure, it costs money, but money takes less time to obtain than an appointment in 90% of the world. (And it's legal, unlike in 50% of the world..)
I was surprised with how easy it was to get started where I am too, being an adult probably helped but yeah, I just had a few appointments where we talked about what I was hoping for and everything was good to go. I guess I was expecting to have to spend more time "proving" that I'm trans?
@@donotperceivethefrogyeah when you're a minor you have to go through multiple appointments and prove it still. Even if you're only a year or two away from 18.
Australian here with an implant! They're pretty common here, especially since injections aren't available. They aren't made commercially anywhere on the entire planet, so they aren't part of the PBS (i.e not subsidized or had its price negotiated by the government) and they need to be compounded. I paid about AUD$150 for the compounding. The implant is then done by your GP and is partially subsidized (it could theoretically be completely covered, but Australia's bulk billing rates are abysmal). I think I paid another AUD$150-200 for it. Part of the problem with implants is that if it turns out you aren't receiving enough, you may end up supplementing it with gel or paying for the entire procedure and medication again so you have two implants. That happened to me and kind of sucks, but I can't complain too much.
Ive been on hrt for a year and 7 months now. For the first year I was going through official routes and getting my medication prescribed to me, but it was soo expensive and my levels were not consistent. After that first year I was over it and have since switched to proabably the safest and best homebrewer there is. Im on Een monotherapy injections now, my levels are in a safer range and are more consistent, my testosterone has finally been supressed, and I am now able to cut out anti androgens which is also healthier. I inject once a week and it comes out to around $1.53 per injection. Private lab tests are somehow so much cheaper for me too, I can do them whenever I want.
When I was first on hrt almost 2 years ago one of my doctors told me my levels where too high and I had to be lowered. It was within the 200 range. At the time I didnt really know whats high and whats low. And then last week I saw a different doctor who looked at my records telling me it was low and that I should get stronger patches when I resume soon. This is through the nhs btw. I doubt it will be like this for everyone but the 3 doctors I've seen are rediculously different. The one that told me I should be lowered really dosnt seem to do their job very well. He literally waisted 2 appointments (about 6 months) because he wasnt prepared for it. Said he couldnt find my autobiography even though it was on the system as the doctor I saw last week found it within seconds. He also really dosnt seem to understand human emotion. Sorry I shouldnt hate on a doctor like this but hes pissed me off and I hope nobody has to go through such annoying time like I did. The doctor I saw like weeks was really good, understanding and he got the job done.
With hrt chances are, your doctor can know less about it than you are. The best they can do is give some dosage and correct it based on your organism reaction from test results. Which you can do yourself if you know required E/T levels and basic math. Doctors are nothing more than gatekeepers. And that is if they don't have malicious intentions.
@@alexusman Yeah a ton of doctors know shit about trans care. In Canada technically any GP can prescribe HRT but most of them will just tell you they don't know how and won't do anything instead of informing themselves. I'm so lucky my endo actually knows what he's doing
@@aauraey There are many Italians here lol, siamo dappertutto. Also jokes on Italy, now I live in Brazil and if I want, and thus that's exactly what I do, I get HRT injections just by buying it over the counter. I buy it once every 10 days and it costs me about 5 euro each time.
when it comes to E pills it’s mostly hard on your liver which is fine if you’re below like 50. the blood clot risk is slightly higher but it’s far below the one for birth control as the risk there is mostly related to synthetic estrogen. sublingual has better absorption and avoids the first pass effect but it’s even more spiky than oral which is generally ~bad. god honestly it seems like in the UK DIY is the easiest option lol
it is cheapest,and safest effects. but it is the most complex,you need to make sure there is no infection,everything is sterile etc. it is not some beginner thing
Sterilization is done by adding alcohol and heating vials in boiling water for some time. And if you are paranoid, just buy yourself a kitchen pressure cooker for 50$ for high pressure sterilization.
Watching this from California as I'm doing my weekly injection. I'm so sorry for everyone in the USA/UK that is struggling. We NEED informed consent and accessible medications. For everyone. Edit: I didn't even know there was an implant. Going to look into that.
this is unrelated but i love your videos so much. ive watched them all, like even this one and i dont even live in the uk. you are so inspiring, and have really been helping me feel less alone in such a confusing and stressful time in my life. thank you❤
15,532 on the G.I.C waiting list today. They saw 656 first time appointments from the year June 2023 - June 2024 So if you go on the waiting list today you shall be waiting going by their stats 23.67 years to have your first appointment. . If I knew how long I waited, and going by this stat , I was lucky just over 5 years. I would have gone private. but 23 years is a generation. 😥 My blood test is every 10 weeks.
I'm in UK, and been with gendergp 7 months now, currently on Finasteride, Estradiol 0.06% gel , Utrogestan and Cyproterone my last blood test my E was 540 pmol/L so iv been happy with my results so far
I got bumped up to the once a week shot in the last year and it’s totally life changing. Beyond the expected stuff like changes to my appearance and dosage requirements, I also noticed a dramatic improvement in my oral health without stuff sitting under my tongue along the gum-line.
In May when I finally was able to start I was really hoping for the injections but I'm 34 so they didn't feel comfortable prescribing that. How they were resistant to the pills at first too I actually had to talk to the doctor's boss and give verbal acknowledgment that I realize there was a chance of serious medical complications
Evorel patches are the best patches imo, they stick on well, i've done pole dancing in them, gone swimming with them on, just done anything i damn well please, and not had any issues! just truely amazing things. but then i've not used estradot and the idea of less area appeals as it's already a bit of a challenge to put them on such they they'd not poke out below some shorts is annoying
Please be safe and keep us posted. Very interested in learning about injections. I am currently take pills but with the depression I tend to forget to take my medications. I tried injections and it is definitely not for me. Good luck Ashley. Oh also your hair looks amazing. 💗
Oooo... I'm also having trouble getting my levels up, with 2x100mcg Estradot patches I was in the 150pmol/L range, and it even dropped to 93pmol/L. Fortunately I'm in Australia, and while we "don't have injections" on paper... we can get them now. My levels went up to 245, but last test had them down at 150 again, from injecting 5mg a week. I've been poking fedi and have found that a few girls - I don't have numbers but seems less than 1% - need to take like 4x the dose that everyone else does.
I'm on the implants (we call them pellets). My last set lasted 7 months. I just had them re-done. It was $600 US for the medicine and the procedure to implant them. It works so much better for me, but it's not covered by insurance.
As a trans woman living in Australia, I can highly recommend the implant, it has changed my levels from 150-200 as best on patches to over 900 after 3 months with the latest implant and I feel so much better for it. Wish you all the best with the implants.
Of course I can't say where on this app but if you wanna go fully diy you can get injection juice and supplies online, which I'm doing. Just keep up to date with your bloodwork if you're gonna do that
That's interesting about the brands of patches available cos I'm on 2x100mg patches twice a week and Estradot is the brand I get every time in the UK. Can confirm the patches are really small but I assumed all patches were that size. Maybe it's because of who my private health care is with or just what my local pharmacy stocks? Most annoying thing about patches for me is definitely picking the stickiness and fabric fibers off my skin every time I change them 😅
I started with patches but my health insurance gave me a problem with the prescription so I switched to the subcutaneous injections. Now I have to fight with my health insurance to keep my coverage.
Grats on figuring out how to get on implants. Been on them for almost two years and they are amazing. Super consistent levels, lower shbg, and best of all, at least to me, one quick procedure every ten months or so instead of an injection every four days. Also, don't worry about the butt stabbing part. The procedure is (or should be) totally painless, although it could be sore for about a week after.
My doctor told me being between 1000 and 2000 was the best place to be so I really don't know what to believe. But I tend to trust Canada's trans healthcare more than anything that come out of Terf Island.
@@wintersong2266 odd. my doctor told me being at 1000 is the average cis woman level. anything higher doesnt really benefit you Maybe different measurements
I am personally on E tablets and Spiro, and it's almost been 5 months. I have been fine so far. It may be unsafe, but I would rather continue this than go back to pre-HRT.
i started on patches, but bc of my naturally dry, sensitive skin (before HRT), i got SO many rashes and dermatitis areas even while going to pharmacies out of insurance coverage to get “higher quality” more expensive brands. i’m lucky enough to have been able to switch to injections, and they’ve made me MUCH happier. so much less worrying and side effects, and even tho i’ve never been on anti-androgens, my t-levels are nicely in check. only problem is i’m moderately scared of needles and have almost passed out a couple times with injections, but honestly preferable to how i was feeling before
While I love every single one of your videos... I must say I feel more discouraged to try HRT, simply because it is way too much for my little heart. Idk, maybe in the future when I feel more confident about myself. But right now, I feel is just a lot of suffering and pain just for trying to be myself 😔
I'm in Australia. I heard so much about injections online that I was pushing my sexual health doc towards them. He was experienced with implants however (it's also not a method that you start off with, but rather something that you switch to after your levels are good - I started with estradot patches), and he alleviated my concerns over scaring, so went with them instead. I don't get mine in the butt cheek, but in my lower abdomen (front), above my right leg (about a couple of inches above the crease between leg and abdomen). The scar is about the size of a grain of long-grain rice, with a dot above and below for the stitch, so kind of like a division symbol. I replaced my first implant after about 6 months, will be going back in for blood tests in about a week to check levels and see if I need to change again at 6 months, but it's expected that each implant will gradually increase in life span until they last about a year each. Spend AU$100 on the implants. They're not covered on Medicare, but private health insurance gives me about $70 back (not worth paying for the insurance for this alone, but I have the insurance for other reasons, so this was a bonus). There's only two compounding pharmacies in the whole country that actually make the implants, I believe. If they stop for some reason, I'll switch to injections. I don't really want to go back to patches as I think I was allergic to them. I would use a steroid cream to get rid of the rash quick enough for the next time that I had to reapply to that area.
I had years of stupidly low levels on patches before I got on implants. The Implants also take time to build up to consistently high levels so I supplemented with gel for a bit but things are rocking along nicely now.
Holy shit!!! I am on the big patches at the minute and have been using a tape to keep them down. The estradote patches are so much better. Well. I'm definitely asking about that at my next appointment/sending an email.
I feel so bad for you girl. I live here in the states and I take shots from my estrogen once a week I used to take pills, but they are not good for your body as you said and I have diabetes and some kidney issues so I wanted to get away from the ones that could hurt you so years ago I got off the pills and when I’m the shots I take one shot once a week .250 so I feel your pain, I wish we could help you
hope things get better for you there in the UK and we’re always complaining here in the states about the presidential election and it is affecting us because all the Republicans are anti-LGBTQ and keep signing religious station that’s hurting us, but I guess it sounds like it might be worse thereyou’re young you got plenty of time
Yup. Gel should be here at end of year from what it looks like... Me... I'm just DIYing now. Pills suck, patches didn't work for me (somehow I had lower levels on a test then I did pre HRT)
We used to have those estradåts here in Finländ, too, but for some reason they haven't been available at the pharmacies for over a year now... And for some reason the gel that one can get at a subsidized price is the one that's in a tube (and you measure the needed amount on a plastic "spatula") but not the same exact product but in a pump dispencer (that more accurately delivers the right dosage). We also can't get the E as an injection or implant here 🫣 The waiting list for The diagnosis and HRT aren't short or easy here either but at least generally one can get through it faster than Brits.
It's wild to me how bad trans healthcare is over here in America, and yet I have to become a flag-humping patriot whenever UK's trans care is brought up. Like holy shit, how do you do worse at healthcare than America?
Americans and western europeans love complaining about how bad their queer life is. There are countries out there where transitioning isn't even legal and trans health care was never in a good state. I can go to jail just for having rainbow on my clothes even if it's not the lgbt flag rainbow. I would be happy to at least get out of my country.
I wanted injections so much but because I had a heart attack I can only do patches. I feel fortunate because here in the US at least in New Hampshire. I can get good health care for my transition from Planned Parenthood.
Can't wait to hear about the updates on the implants/pellets. I'm in the US and here it's not FDA approved (specifically not approved for HRT though is approved for other things) so insurance won't pay for it and it's too expensive for me atm. And I struggle with injections. Most people love them, but my body is so sensitive to the swing of my hormones shifting, so pellets sound like a really chill, steady alternative.
Eek I've been taking pill form estradiol. It's good to know though, I'll have to talk to my Endo about maybe changing it up (US) thanks for the info!! 💜
idk how common this is but im on nhs and they gave me the little patches for a while ! then last time i renewed the prescription they gave me the big ones, but i guess its pretty random?
Patches are the worst. I kept getting gigantic rashes and they just didn't work well at all, so now just smother my legs in an insane amount of gel every day
DIY E injections are more like 20-30$ a year if you buy 5 year worth of stuff at once. Just don't be like me and forget MCT oil shelf life is between 2 and 5 years.
@@alexusman I've never seen them that cheap, but I also just buy them brand name online, since e isn't controlled I bet if you go to an actual homebrew it's even cheaper, but I didn't trust that
@@KaSyl_Yeah, diy. I assumed you meant it as it was brought up, and for it "few hundred" gets you several years worth of injections. But if you can get official injections and can afford that it's great, too. Peace of mind and all that.
@@alexusman it's not exactly official, but some countries don't require a prescription for non-controlled drugs, and you can go to those sites and have them shipped to you I think it's called grey market, where it's not illegal, but it's still kinda unusual and borderline Who have you been getting them from where it's so much cheaper? It's 40 for 3 months at my current, but if I can get cheaper I'd love that
I went NHS, and… another solution… before they saw me (I *saw* GGP but the vibes were off even then so I didn’t proceed, I agree, don’t use ‘em). Desperate, I know. Shouldn’t be necessary. Sketchy. Would not recommend. But, they came through, and it saved *me.* Somehow, by fiat of luck and reading, I nailed the 400-600 pmol/L target range myself so well that when the GIC eventually saw me, they congratulated me and continued what I was taking! I do know *one* person with a GIC in the UK who is getting injections prescribed from them. I actually talked with mine about it, not for me but generally, and they didn’t really have much of a reason not to - they *can* do it, they just don’t wanna, amidst a sort of generalised anxiety about injection site risks long-term rather than any specific reason. I don’t know about the implants. Another issue is when you eventually get discharged because you’re Done(tm), whatever that means for you (for me, op), many GPs suddenly act like tiny wittle babies who’ve never prescribed anything before and can’t read and get arsey about continuing to prescribe your HRT, despite it *being their job to*, and *you absolutely needing it*. Sometimes you gotta get your Karen on to get things done here, and I hate that.
I will say that the Estrogen Implants are super convenient (I sometimes forget that I got stabbed in the butt haha) and there was no pain whatsoever putting them in! Got it done back in June and now just take Progesterone when I'm heading to bed. I'm in Australia and I'm so glad we have different options because it seems like a nightmare in the UK. Hope all goes well for you Icky!
It’s a shame for me. I had this conversation on Monday (my first private appointment!!!), and when we got onto the forms, and I found out the fact I have eczema, I had already heard about it, but unfortunately I have only 1 option since my steroid creams can affect intake negatively to the point a pill would be better. He even wished at that moment we had injections I feel so bad about myself
I’m type 2 diabetic and i need to do blood/urine tests every 3 months, fasting for 12hrs, at like 8:30am for safety with my meds. It gets old very quickly, especially with severe social anxiety, but I’ve done it for nearly 20 years now. Even during the height of covid where i’d rather cut off my own head than go outside. Any mandatory regular doctor visits are a pain, but I’d take health over not any day.
Marisa here from Ireland. I am on Zoladex implant injection blocker, but Estrogen is Estradot small patches. Seems fine so far. No complaints. Changes are slow though. I develop slowly. Love and peace.
This timed itself perfectly as I just cancelled my GenderGP subscription today T-T I joined a day before F1nn made his video on it so honestly I really have the worst timing lmao... but hey, I did get a prescription from them before switching to DIY :)
Regarding the really high estradiol levels, taking supplements that contain Biotin can drastically throw off the results. Generally you want to avoid Biotin a few days before labwork. For example, it was being reported as a little over 200 for me before I knew about that, but when I went back a few months later and avoided Biotin my levels were around 125.
Well, maybe like me you have a lot of other serious medical conditions and you really need to consult with a doctor or other medical specialists often. This is not uncommon. I am assessed several times a year by different clinicians and consultants, my doctor is where the info and test results from them is centralised and looked at as a whole. I currently take 12 medications daily to manage my medical conditions, I also have 3 other medication to use as required. One is a decent painkiller the other 2 are an emergency pack to take if certain symptoms show, I should contact my doctor at the same time and depending on the severity of symptoms that might result in an ambulance being called. The British NHS can be quite good at basic care, although it is a postcode lottery how good that is, my area is pretty good and specialist places like the Papworth Heart Hospital are very good. However the local health trusts etc, have no say on national policy towards trans people, that has become a political issue. Although late in life, I have decided - as a genderfluid person - I wish to take HRT, estrogen and associated medications, I am not flush with cash having been forced into retirement more than 10yrs early by ill health about 10yrs ago. However with diagnoses now sorted, multiple conditions with overlapping symptoms, I do feel about as good as I have in 20yrs. So yes I want to take the hormones but they really should be assessed & monitored together with all my other medications. I'm hoping to find a private service that will work with my NHS doctor, however this also seems to be a postcode lottery, I do not know what the policy of my local authority is. I was considering Gender GP until first F1nn's experience and now Icky, however other places I have looked are just too expensive, so at the moment I do not know what I will do. I will ask for an NHS referral to a gender dysphoria clinic, GDC, The waiting lists are long (5+years) and I really don't have the time but until another avenue comes into view it maybe my only choice, maybe I could tolerate Gender GP until the NHS comes through. I will keep looking. 💐🦕💃⚔️👗🤔🐈⬛🐕😼♥️☕🥖🧀🇪🇺🇺🇦🩰🌈🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈💐
Proud of you for your knowledge on routes of administration. Injections are easy once you learn that you can use tiny needles instead of the javelin that doctors give you
I had crazy bad anxiety around my pills, took them sublingually but I was obsessing over spit building up in my mouth, no swallowing the pill waiting as long as possible, and I was incredibly anxious about making sure my pills were with me at all times, I hated it. Switched to injection (US, sorry) and my anxiety went away, downside is the changes from HRT almost completely stopped where they were despite my levels being great.1 year of injection, no change in breast or hips size, all breast tenderness went away, but in 6 months of pills and I grew 1.5 in the bust and 2 on hips. Iv been monitoring my levels the whole time with my doctor, we think we finally got my levels in to the right spot on injection as im starting to get some soreness in my chest again, apparently my body like my E around 140-60 pg/mL.
Been doing injections for abt half the time ive been on HRT before that I was on patches and my estrogen levels have always been steady. Injections are def the way to go.
Aussie girl here, you can get implants via prescription and any compound pharmacist will make it, but it's not covered by the PBS (the pharmaceutical equivalent of the NHS)
Yea this makes me sad, I'm finally starting to realising my gender fluidness and considering going on HRT in the future but live in the UK. It probably won't but all I can hope is that it is a little easier to get the right ones when I finally choose to go on this journey. Thanks for all your videos you and Finn have really helped me sort out the mess in my head a little better and now I watch them for education and just to feel like I'm listening to those on my side.
"the woke liberal trans agenda is making me poor again" I love that so much
it made me giggle :P poor Asher
"again?" that reply. 😂
Her editor always cracks me up.
I genuinely cackled. 😂
I laughed at that so hard
"It's actually less than my boyfriend's estrogen level". That sentence is gonna be confusing to anyone unfamiliar with f1nn
The silly part is: That line doesn't even rely on f1nn being f1nn. 200pmol/L is about the top of the male reference range. I had 200pmol at my pre-HRT blood draw and I frequently use that fact to illustrate how stupidly some doctors dose their transfem patients.
Icky, when you're standing there with your arms out, waiting for the gel to dry, it's called E posing 😉
Supposed to add to testicles for best results
it has a name?
@@SplattyDS it's a joke on T-posing
@@slightlysillyart Yeah I got the joke, was just surprised others were also doing this and even gave it that name.
@@roycollinson2232 no, not really. A comment like this is extremely misleading and potentially extremely dangerous. Direct application to testicles can massively spike your E levels, it can irritate the skin on your scrotum, it can do a lot of other shit that you DO NOT WANT. Posting shit like this is dangerous.
Private provider doesn’t follow NIHCE guidelines to the letter, gets in trouble. NHS GICs routinely violate trans patients’ rights to any kind of timely treatment, GPs ignore guidelines and even direct instructions from GICs, nobody even gets a slap on the wrist. It’s almost like the transphobia is the point…
Because it is? The entire point is to reduce access.
@@almisami Yes
This. All of this. And now GGP (my provider) has changed to being almost completely uncontactable, which makes me feel super betrayed.
then they wonder why people DIY
Have anyone (person and/or organisation) tried dragging the NHS and/or single doctors within the NHS to court over this? Thinking about primarily the UK legal system but possible the European Court of Human Rights (Strasbourg Court).
Britain try not to have the worst everything challenge (impossible)
Oh I don't know. We are pretty damn good at making the rest of the world hate us. Silver medal position I reckon.
From food to internet the only thing you guys seem to have is a cool rainforest not for long though 😎🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🛢🛢🛢⛽️⛽️🌈❌️❌️
Hold up, we have a rainforest?!
Huh…
I mean, the accent is quite amusing, I guess lmao
@@Samantha-ur5ks Someone who posts US flags probably would think the UK has a rainforest lol.
It's actually insane how bad the UK gender care system is right now.
I've been waiting 6 years (FtM) for an appointment and the clinic near me is literally only on appointments for people who joined TWO YEARS before I joined (2016). I'm struggling to even go private cause I can't afford blood tests two-four times a year, and my doctors wont do shared cared for some odd reason.
It's atrocious.
DIY
I suggest checking with your GP if there are any of the non-NHS clinics that they will do shared care with. My GP refused to work with Gender GP, but was willing to work with Gender Care, so I went with Gender Care. If they will not, then look round for another GP who will.
I am in SW UK, where the NHS waiting list is 7+ years, which was the reason I decided to go private.
As it is, my GP handles all the blood test and provides the prescription for medication, so all that I have to pay is the normal prescription cost for the medication.
I am on the patches Icky mentioned, just have the one on at any time, and change it twice a week. The patches are about 2in x 2in. Which is not too bad, I put them on my upper arms.
Also, for those in the UK who do get they oestrogen via NHS prescription, there is something called a HRT PPC (Hormone Replacement Therapy Prescription Prepayment Certificate). Where you pay £19.90 a year, and that covers the cost of all of your oestrogen prescriptions. I only found out about it from the pharmacy where I collect my medication from.
@elvacoburg1279 Yeah, my doctor wouldn't do gendergp either. I've been asking about gendercare and he still doesn't seem happy about it. I'm gonna try ask him if he'd prescribe medications, etc under the NHS then see why he won't do private.
If not, I guess I'll be moving haha
@@jadekaay DIY is much more difficult for men than it is for women because testosterone is a controlled drug whereas estrogen is just prescription-only.
I'm FTM and 18 in a few months and I'm honestly really scared about how expensive hormones are going to be when I'm older, let alone surgeries... It costs a fucking fortune to feel comfortable in our own skin I suppose! Hopefully things get fixed in a couple of years when I begin talking to my GP about them, but we can only hope.
Also, the waiting lists right now are actually insane. I can't believe how bad it's gotten.
I've been nearly 2 years with "unofficial" enanthate estrogen injections monodose (without blockers/antiandrogens) after 2 years of transdermal sprayed estrogens + decapepthyl and I'm pretty sure I won't ever come back to official sources of HRT until injections get authorized on spanish health care (I'm from spain).
PS: after less than 1 year into injections my boobs doubled their size. It was pretty crazy.
“Back ally trans”
@@onetomeplz5825 I prefer to think of it as being a Trans Pirate 🏳️⚧️🏴☠️
@@onetomeplz5825more of "I know better and care about myself instead of trusting this outdated system used" 😚 I'm self medicating too.
Endocrinologists here have no idea what they're doing. They're experimenting with us.. not in my watch
Entiendo que tal vez no me contestes pero te puedo preguntar cómo conseguiste las inyecciones? Estoy cada vez más harta de la sanidad pública y de mi endocrinóloga y sus pastillas
🇧🇷?
It really does. Especially their attitude towards blockers. The London GIC loves to put people on FINASTERIDE as their blocker. Not even spiro
What?? That's not even an actual blocker.
I think I'm weirdly lucky where as part of shared care I actually get my (actual) blocker through my GP and don't have to pay for a prescription at the pharmacy.
wait what?? That's bizarre
@@SomeoneOnlyWeKnow. lucky? i get medical care meds dental free and they pay me 5grand usd a month
Is that bad? I don't know much about finasteride, but I thought I heard it could work as a testosterone blocker in high enough doses.
@@Ancusohm Why prescribe something that might help with a high dose when you could prescribe something that actually just works?
Your content gives me a better understanding of the hurdles that a trans person faces in the UK - I know that this country is pretty lousy at dealing with trans healthcare, and other places are way, way ahead of us in making things easier for people. Come on, UK Government - it's surely not that difficult to do the right thing, is it?!
You're forgetting one fundamental thing: the UK government hates trans people with a passion
it is when jkr is a party donor sadly
The UK gov't is so afraid of JK Rowling that it can't make things better.
Sadly not just the UK:/
Imagine thinking that trans "healthcare" is the biggest problem with the nhs.
I had no idea injections were banned in UK. Makes feel somewhat lucky here in US with injections and informed consent. Although the bigotry is still pretty bad in the state I’m in.
We have our own fair share of bigotry too. In some ways we're like a US red state, despite our _'left wing'_ party massively winning our recent election they're increasingly blatantly transphobic.
Its not just the UK, its the entirety of western Europe. Generally blue states in the US are by far the best place in the world to be in if you are trans.
@@noergelstein Germany is better.
@@noergelstein I think Canada is probably slightly better (similar informed consent options and medication availability to the U.S., but at least HAS a public system even if it's limited, and also has access to cyproterone/CPA), but there really aren't any outright GOOD places for it, sadly.
To be a little clear, it's not too hard to source injections in the UK, but I will leave it vague because I've heard of weirdos trying to attack our ability to do that. There's two distinct avenues though. It's also obviously a less safe route.
Implants are mega worth it. Mine were $600 but are looking at lasting WELL over a year. It functions like you have an ovaray. It's great.
I’ve been watching a lot of trans femme guides, and this is the first about specifically this issue/ topic in the uk. So, truly thank you again Icky, you have helped me so much!
"I''ll phone Gender GP."
Gender GP: "The fingers you have used to dial are too masculine. To obtain a special dialing wand, please hold."
you say that as if you can talk to them on the phone instead of having to pay £8 for a video meeting lol
Everyone talks about how bad it is being trans in the US, but I'm glad I'm here. I just walked into a clinic, said "give me woman stuff", and walked out with a prescription that day. Sure, it costs money, but money takes less time to obtain than an appointment in 90% of the world. (And it's legal, unlike in 50% of the world..)
US depends on the state
@@Ndsl710 it sure does!
I was surprised with how easy it was to get started where I am too, being an adult probably helped but yeah, I just had a few appointments where we talked about what I was hoping for and everything was good to go. I guess I was expecting to have to spend more time "proving" that I'm trans?
@@donotperceivethefrogyeah when you're a minor you have to go through multiple appointments and prove it still. Even if you're only a year or two away from 18.
@@donotperceivethefrog I expected them to at least list the side effects.. Y'know, the "informed" part of informed consent.
2:07 my heart stopped for a moment because I thought I was too low but then realized mine was measured in pg/ml
Units are fun, aren't they?
@@hammerth1421 they can confuse me a lot, especially when my country uses different measurements than most other countries.
Same ngl\\ So used to pg/mL at this point, eh
OMG, you saved my night! I was panicking because I thought I was *way* too low, then I remembered I used freedom units, lol.
Australian here with an implant! They're pretty common here, especially since injections aren't available. They aren't made commercially anywhere on the entire planet, so they aren't part of the PBS (i.e not subsidized or had its price negotiated by the government) and they need to be compounded. I paid about AUD$150 for the compounding. The implant is then done by your GP and is partially subsidized (it could theoretically be completely covered, but Australia's bulk billing rates are abysmal). I think I paid another AUD$150-200 for it.
Part of the problem with implants is that if it turns out you aren't receiving enough, you may end up supplementing it with gel or paying for the entire procedure and medication again so you have two implants. That happened to me and kind of sucks, but I can't complain too much.
Thank you for the first hand report.
Side note, you CAN get injections compounded here (I'm on them) but not many Drs or endos are comfortable prescribing.
@Haylstorm56 similar to NZ.
One of my friends is on prescribed injections.
Me... I just DIY em.
thank you for the insight! helpful for another Australian
@@Haylstorm56 how did you find someone doing injections? or could you share where you go
When Icky drops a clothing line you know that women be shopping
Ive been on hrt for a year and 7 months now. For the first year I was going through official routes and getting my medication prescribed to me, but it was soo expensive and my levels were not consistent. After that first year I was over it and have since switched to proabably the safest and best homebrewer there is. Im on Een monotherapy injections now, my levels are in a safer range and are more consistent, my testosterone has finally been supressed, and I am now able to cut out anti androgens which is also healthier. I inject once a week and it comes out to around $1.53 per injection. Private lab tests are somehow so much cheaper for me too, I can do them whenever I want.
Anyways keep yourself informed, speak up for yourself, dont let prescribers force a unsafe regimen on you
is it GenderGP or something? genuinely curious and would like to learn more!!
omg what?!?? what type of injection is it? and is it with gender gp or gendercare or what??
god you’re so freaking pretty it’s unfair
F1nn having higher E levels than you is probably the Funniest thing I've ever heard. Her pronouns really are he him
Love your content icky! You are so helpful!
When I was first on hrt almost 2 years ago one of my doctors told me my levels where too high and I had to be lowered. It was within the 200 range. At the time I didnt really know whats high and whats low. And then last week I saw a different doctor who looked at my records telling me it was low and that I should get stronger patches when I resume soon. This is through the nhs btw. I doubt it will be like this for everyone but the 3 doctors I've seen are rediculously different. The one that told me I should be lowered really dosnt seem to do their job very well. He literally waisted 2 appointments (about 6 months) because he wasnt prepared for it. Said he couldnt find my autobiography even though it was on the system as the doctor I saw last week found it within seconds. He also really dosnt seem to understand human emotion. Sorry I shouldnt hate on a doctor like this but hes pissed me off and I hope nobody has to go through such annoying time like I did. The doctor I saw like weeks was really good, understanding and he got the job done.
With hrt chances are, your doctor can know less about it than you are. The best they can do is give some dosage and correct it based on your organism reaction from test results. Which you can do yourself if you know required E/T levels and basic math. Doctors are nothing more than gatekeepers. And that is if they don't have malicious intentions.
@@alexusman Yeah a ton of doctors know shit about trans care. In Canada technically any GP can prescribe HRT but most of them will just tell you they don't know how and won't do anything instead of informing themselves. I'm so lucky my endo actually knows what he's doing
Go girl, I love watching you and feel sad about the crap you are going through. You are so helpful. You, yourself make me happy. Cheers
jokes on you. i canot even say how is italian hrt. IM NOT EVEN IN YET!
omg another italian ickyy fan???
@@aauraey There are many Italians here lol, siamo dappertutto. Also jokes on Italy, now I live in Brazil and if I want, and thus that's exactly what I do, I get HRT injections just by buying it over the counter. I buy it once every 10 days and it costs me about 5 euro each time.
presente
I’m a Brit living in Italy - I have no hope, do I? 😅
@@thesamsquatch2704 nope you dont
when it comes to E pills it’s mostly hard on your liver which is fine if you’re below like 50. the blood clot risk is slightly higher but it’s far below the one for birth control as the risk there is mostly related to synthetic estrogen. sublingual has better absorption and avoids the first pass effect but it’s even more spiky than oral which is generally ~bad.
god honestly it seems like in the UK DIY is the easiest option lol
diy injections is unironically one of the safest and cheapest ways
Hard agree
it is cheapest,and safest effects. but it is the most complex,you need to make sure there is no infection,everything is sterile etc. it is not some beginner thing
Sterilization is done by adding alcohol and heating vials in boiling water for some time. And if you are paranoid, just buy yourself a kitchen pressure cooker for 50$ for high pressure sterilization.
I am incredibly grateful you made this. British hrt has been one of my worst anxieties and i could never findba way to understand it
I see so much of my own battles in this. Keep fighting, and I wish you all the strength for it!
Watching this from California as I'm doing my weekly injection. I'm so sorry for everyone in the USA/UK that is struggling.
We NEED informed consent and accessible medications. For everyone.
Edit: I didn't even know there was an implant. Going to look into that.
Sames. Except NYC. It's shot day.
@@ajasen shots shots, shots shots shots shots, shots shots shots shots, shots shots shots shots EVERYBOOOODEYYYYY!
is my shot day tooooo 🥳💉
Same as well except in Colorado
My shot day is Sunday, the day of breast.
Can I just say I love this living room? It's completely unrelated, but I just need to say that I love the aesthetic.
this is unrelated but i love your videos so much. ive watched them all, like even this one and i dont even live in the uk. you are so inspiring, and have really been helping me feel less alone in such a confusing and stressful time in my life. thank you❤
The guy from the last video is going to go nuts with this video! Looking foward fot the next reaction video!
15,532 on the G.I.C waiting list today.
They saw 656 first time appointments from the year June 2023 - June 2024
So if you go on the waiting list today you shall be waiting going by their stats 23.67 years to have your first appointment. .
If I knew how long I waited, and going by this stat , I was lucky just over 5 years. I would have gone private. but 23 years is a generation. 😥
My blood test is every 10 weeks.
Thank you for this. I've just started and I feel kinda alone
Naaawww... no need to feel alone sweetie... 🫂 ❤
I'm in UK, and been with gendergp 7 months now, currently on Finasteride, Estradiol 0.06% gel , Utrogestan and Cyproterone my last blood test my E was 540 pmol/L so iv been happy with my results so far
Bit early for progesterone need tanner stage 3before adding,and drop the finasteride not good for you
6:36 HAHAHAHAHAH best bit I have seen all month give this man a raise right now
I laughed out loud 😂
I got bumped up to the once a week shot in the last year and it’s totally life changing. Beyond the expected stuff like changes to my appearance and dosage requirements, I also noticed a dramatic improvement in my oral health without stuff sitting under my tongue along the gum-line.
In May when I finally was able to start I was really hoping for the injections but I'm 34 so they didn't feel comfortable prescribing that. How they were resistant to the pills at first too I actually had to talk to the doctor's boss and give verbal acknowledgment that I realize there was a chance of serious medical complications
I‘m about to move to the UK and I was planning on starting hrt ASAP when I get there so this is just what I need to hear right now lol
gray market baby !!
This tbh
Evorel patches are the best patches imo, they stick on well, i've done pole dancing in them, gone swimming with them on, just done anything i damn well please, and not had any issues! just truely amazing things. but then i've not used estradot and the idea of less area appeals as it's already a bit of a challenge to put them on such they they'd not poke out below some shorts is annoying
Please be safe and keep us posted. Very interested in learning about injections. I am currently take pills but with the depression I tend to forget to take my medications. I tried injections and it is definitely not for me. Good luck Ashley. Oh also your hair looks amazing. 💗
Big thank you! This was hella informative. I even took notes ❤
Oooo... I'm also having trouble getting my levels up, with 2x100mcg Estradot patches I was in the 150pmol/L range, and it even dropped to 93pmol/L. Fortunately I'm in Australia, and while we "don't have injections" on paper... we can get them now. My levels went up to 245, but last test had them down at 150 again, from injecting 5mg a week. I've been poking fedi and have found that a few girls - I don't have numbers but seems less than 1% - need to take like 4x the dose that everyone else does.
I'm on the implants (we call them pellets). My last set lasted 7 months. I just had them re-done. It was $600 US for the medicine and the procedure to implant them. It works so much better for me, but it's not covered by insurance.
As a trans woman living in Australia, I can highly recommend the implant, it has changed my levels from 150-200 as best on patches to over 900 after 3 months with the latest implant and I feel so much better for it. Wish you all the best with the implants.
Of course I can't say where on this app but if you wanna go fully diy you can get injection juice and supplies online, which I'm doing. Just keep up to date with your bloodwork if you're gonna do that
Hi icky I love your fashion videos!!!
That's interesting about the brands of patches available cos I'm on 2x100mg patches twice a week and Estradot is the brand I get every time in the UK. Can confirm the patches are really small but I assumed all patches were that size. Maybe it's because of who my private health care is with or just what my local pharmacy stocks?
Most annoying thing about patches for me is definitely picking the stickiness and fabric fibers off my skin every time I change them 😅
Finland is like the same, but my estrogen levels were not checked for like 25 years or something and they were only checked when I went and asked.
I started with patches but my health insurance gave me a problem with the prescription so I switched to the subcutaneous injections. Now I have to fight with my health insurance to keep my coverage.
Maintaining a fairly consistent "estro-range" (lol) helps manage wicked mood-swings, I find. Also, come to Canada. I could do with some friends.
Grats on figuring out how to get on implants. Been on them for almost two years and they are amazing. Super consistent levels, lower shbg, and best of all, at least to me, one quick procedure every ten months or so instead of an injection every four days. Also, don't worry about the butt stabbing part. The procedure is (or should be) totally painless, although it could be sore for about a week after.
"400-500 pmol/L are optimal for transition"
Me at 1400 pmol/L for some reason: 👁️👄👁️
I have 1200 ng/l (4400pmol/l) from my DIY mono E injections (around early pregnancy levels) and I'm more than ok. So if you are fine don't sweat it.
Are you okay ?
My doctor told me being between 1000 and 2000 was the best place to be so I really don't know what to believe. But I tend to trust Canada's trans healthcare more than anything that come out of Terf Island.
if u dont take an antiandrogen then 400-500 pmol/l is too little
ive been at 1800 pmol/l mono for 4 years and it works well
@@wintersong2266 odd. my doctor told me being at 1000 is the average cis woman level. anything higher doesnt really benefit you
Maybe different measurements
I am personally on E tablets and Spiro, and it's almost been 5 months. I have been fine so far. It may be unsafe, but I would rather continue this than go back to pre-HRT.
I was just starting hrt!
Yippie
i started on patches, but bc of my naturally dry, sensitive skin (before HRT), i got SO many rashes and dermatitis areas even while going to pharmacies out of insurance coverage to get “higher quality” more expensive brands. i’m lucky enough to have been able to switch to injections, and they’ve made me MUCH happier. so much less worrying and side effects, and even tho i’ve never been on anti-androgens, my t-levels are nicely in check. only problem is i’m moderately scared of needles and have almost passed out a couple times with injections, but honestly preferable to how i was feeling before
I couldn't get my e levels high enough on patches, had to switch to injections. I really feel for you.
Well let's hope we don't have our right to trans health care taken away (in the US) .🤞
Things will be much better with Kamala in office...
@@Genevieve111 I agree
Kamala is on her way to ruin trans rights! Don't believe the media
Campaign, volunteer
While I love every single one of your videos... I must say I feel more discouraged to try HRT, simply because it is way too much for my little heart. Idk, maybe in the future when I feel more confident about myself. But right now, I feel is just a lot of suffering and pain just for trying to be myself 😔
I didn't even know the pill form had negatives others didn't. Thanks for the tip!
Thank you Ashley💜💜💜
I'm in Australia. I heard so much about injections online that I was pushing my sexual health doc towards them. He was experienced with implants however (it's also not a method that you start off with, but rather something that you switch to after your levels are good - I started with estradot patches), and he alleviated my concerns over scaring, so went with them instead.
I don't get mine in the butt cheek, but in my lower abdomen (front), above my right leg (about a couple of inches above the crease between leg and abdomen). The scar is about the size of a grain of long-grain rice, with a dot above and below for the stitch, so kind of like a division symbol. I replaced my first implant after about 6 months, will be going back in for blood tests in about a week to check levels and see if I need to change again at 6 months, but it's expected that each implant will gradually increase in life span until they last about a year each.
Spend AU$100 on the implants. They're not covered on Medicare, but private health insurance gives me about $70 back (not worth paying for the insurance for this alone, but I have the insurance for other reasons, so this was a bonus). There's only two compounding pharmacies in the whole country that actually make the implants, I believe. If they stop for some reason, I'll switch to injections. I don't really want to go back to patches as I think I was allergic to them. I would use a steroid cream to get rid of the rash quick enough for the next time that I had to reapply to that area.
I had years of stupidly low levels on patches before I got on implants. The Implants also take time to build up to consistently high levels so I supplemented with gel for a bit but things are rocking along nicely now.
Holy shit!!! I am on the big patches at the minute and have been using a tape to keep them down.
The estradote patches are so much better.
Well. I'm definitely asking about that at my next appointment/sending an email.
Stoked for the new fits!
I feel so bad for you girl. I live here in the states and I take shots from my estrogen once a week I used to take pills, but they are not good for your body as you said and I have diabetes and some kidney issues so I wanted to get away from the ones that could hurt you so years ago I got off the pills and when I’m the shots I take one shot once a week .250 so I feel your pain, I wish we could help you
hope things get better for you there in the UK and we’re always complaining here in the states about the presidential election and it is affecting us because all the Republicans are anti-LGBTQ and keep signing religious station that’s hurting us, but I guess it sounds like it might be worse thereyou’re young you got plenty of time
We have the same issues in New Zealand, except gel isn't available. When we run out of patches (frequently) we have only pills 😢
Can't you just pop to Australia?
@@joefarrow1599 you sure you want another kiwi there 😁
Yup.
Gel should be here at end of year from what it looks like...
Me... I'm just DIYing now. Pills suck, patches didn't work for me (somehow I had lower levels on a test then I did pre HRT)
I signed the petition! I must admit, I'm very surprised that Pharmac are doing this especially with our current government. But hey 😊
Oh well, I'll be contributing to the shortage soon...
My apologies 😅
We used to have those estradåts here in Finländ, too, but for some reason they haven't been available at the pharmacies for over a year now... And for some reason the gel that one can get at a subsidized price is the one that's in a tube (and you measure the needed amount on a plastic "spatula") but not the same exact product but in a pump dispencer (that more accurately delivers the right dosage).
We also can't get the E as an injection or implant here 🫣
The waiting list for The diagnosis and HRT aren't short or easy here either but at least generally one can get through it faster than Brits.
I had patches similar to those that ashley showed, now im on injections.
It's wild to me how bad trans healthcare is over here in America, and yet I have to become a flag-humping patriot whenever UK's trans care is brought up. Like holy shit, how do you do worse at healthcare than America?
Americans and western europeans love complaining about how bad their queer life is. There are countries out there where transitioning isn't even legal and trans health care was never in a good state. I can go to jail just for having rainbow on my clothes even if it's not the lgbt flag rainbow. I would be happy to at least get out of my country.
I wanted injections so much but because I had a heart attack I can only do patches. I feel fortunate because here in the US at least in New Hampshire. I can get good health care for my transition from Planned Parenthood.
Can't wait to hear about the updates on the implants/pellets. I'm in the US and here it's not FDA approved (specifically not approved for HRT though is approved for other things) so insurance won't pay for it and it's too expensive for me atm. And I struggle with injections. Most people love them, but my body is so sensitive to the swing of my hormones shifting, so pellets sound like a really chill, steady alternative.
That sounds like EV injections.
EC injections aren't as big swings.
I hate the huge patches SO MUCH THEY'RE SO MASSIVE.
Eek I've been taking pill form estradiol. It's good to know though, I'll have to talk to my Endo about maybe changing it up (US) thanks for the info!! 💜
honestly tho, as a trans teen in a US state that blocked ALL medical transition for minors, i’d take any hrt i can get even if it’s *shudder* british
🏫🎒
Medical transition is banned here for minors too thankfully
idk how common this is but im on nhs and they gave me the little patches for a while ! then last time i renewed the prescription they gave me the big ones, but i guess its pretty random?
Literally just go DIY at that point
You can get like 6 months of estrogen injections for a hundred bucks.
Patches only is insanely cruel
Patches are the worst. I kept getting gigantic rashes and they just didn't work well at all, so now just smother my legs in an insane amount of gel every day
DIY E injections are more like 20-30$ a year if you buy 5 year worth of stuff at once. Just don't be like me and forget MCT oil shelf life is between 2 and 5 years.
@@alexusman I've never seen them that cheap, but I also just buy them brand name online, since e isn't controlled
I bet if you go to an actual homebrew it's even cheaper, but I didn't trust that
@@KaSyl_Yeah, diy. I assumed you meant it as it was brought up, and for it "few hundred" gets you several years worth of injections. But if you can get official injections and can afford that it's great, too. Peace of mind and all that.
@@alexusman it's not exactly official, but some countries don't require a prescription for non-controlled drugs, and you can go to those sites and have them shipped to you
I think it's called grey market, where it's not illegal, but it's still kinda unusual and borderline
Who have you been getting them from where it's so much cheaper?
It's 40 for 3 months at my current, but if I can get cheaper I'd love that
I went NHS, and… another solution… before they saw me (I *saw* GGP but the vibes were off even then so I didn’t proceed, I agree, don’t use ‘em). Desperate, I know. Shouldn’t be necessary. Sketchy. Would not recommend. But, they came through, and it saved *me.* Somehow, by fiat of luck and reading, I nailed the 400-600 pmol/L target range myself so well that when the GIC eventually saw me, they congratulated me and continued what I was taking! I do know *one* person with a GIC in the UK who is getting injections prescribed from them. I actually talked with mine about it, not for me but generally, and they didn’t really have much of a reason not to - they *can* do it, they just don’t wanna, amidst a sort of generalised anxiety about injection site risks long-term rather than any specific reason. I don’t know about the implants. Another issue is when you eventually get discharged because you’re Done(tm), whatever that means for you (for me, op), many GPs suddenly act like tiny wittle babies who’ve never prescribed anything before and can’t read and get arsey about continuing to prescribe your HRT, despite it *being their job to*, and *you absolutely needing it*. Sometimes you gotta get your Karen on to get things done here, and I hate that.
I had the same problem with gel. One test my levels were 10000x higher than they should have been.
I will say that the Estrogen Implants are super convenient (I sometimes forget that I got stabbed in the butt haha) and there was no pain whatsoever putting them in! Got it done back in June and now just take Progesterone when I'm heading to bed. I'm in Australia and I'm so glad we have different options because it seems like a nightmare in the UK. Hope all goes well for you Icky!
Damm I'm jealous that place looks huge n great vod by the way
It’s a shame for me. I had this conversation on Monday (my first private appointment!!!), and when we got onto the forms, and I found out the fact I have eczema, I had already heard about it, but unfortunately I have only 1 option since my steroid creams can affect intake negatively to the point a pill would be better. He even wished at that moment we had injections I feel so bad about myself
I’m type 2 diabetic and i need to do blood/urine tests every 3 months, fasting for 12hrs, at like 8:30am for safety with my meds. It gets old very quickly, especially with severe social anxiety, but I’ve done it for nearly 20 years now. Even during the height of covid where i’d rather cut off my own head than go outside. Any mandatory regular doctor visits are a pain, but I’d take health over not any day.
Just gonna bookmark this for next time someone asks my why I went DIY. Very good summary of how stupid things are atm.
healthcare is really grim in this country at times
Marisa here from Ireland. I am on Zoladex implant injection blocker, but Estrogen is Estradot small patches. Seems fine so far. No complaints. Changes are slow though. I develop slowly. Love and peace.
This timed itself perfectly as I just cancelled my GenderGP subscription today T-T
I joined a day before F1nn made his video on it so honestly I really have the worst timing lmao... but hey, I did get a prescription from them before switching to DIY :)
YUP it truly truly truly does. Really sad really I and others have to go to the lengths we do. :((((((
Also only 1 week Injections available in Germany 😕
Regarding the really high estradiol levels, taking supplements that contain Biotin can drastically throw off the results. Generally you want to avoid Biotin a few days before labwork. For example, it was being reported as a little over 200 for me before I knew about that, but when I went back a few months later and avoided Biotin my levels were around 125.
Yeah, straight up I dont see a reason to do anything other than DIY
I have an issue where I am on DIY, but need prog
@@Maiake008 you can get prog DIY too!
My issue is I can't figure out how to do it DIY lol
@@MeIsSmogee the DIYHRT subreddit is a good place to start
Well, maybe like me you have a lot of other serious medical conditions and you really need to consult with a doctor or other medical specialists often. This is not uncommon.
I am assessed several times a year by different clinicians and consultants, my doctor is where the info and test results from them is centralised and looked at as a whole. I currently take 12 medications daily to manage my medical conditions, I also have 3 other medication to use as required. One is a decent painkiller the other 2 are an emergency pack to take if certain symptoms show, I should contact my doctor at the same time and depending on the severity of symptoms that might result in an ambulance being called.
The British NHS can be quite good at basic care, although it is a postcode lottery how good that is, my area is pretty good and specialist places like the Papworth Heart Hospital are very good.
However the local health trusts etc, have no say on national policy towards trans people, that has become a political issue.
Although late in life, I have decided - as a genderfluid person - I wish to take HRT, estrogen and associated medications, I am not flush with cash having been forced into retirement more than 10yrs early by ill health about 10yrs ago. However with diagnoses now sorted, multiple conditions with overlapping symptoms, I do feel about as good as I have in 20yrs. So yes I want to take the hormones but they really should be assessed & monitored together with all my other medications.
I'm hoping to find a private service that will work with my NHS doctor, however this also seems to be a postcode lottery, I do not know what the policy of my local authority is. I was considering Gender GP until first F1nn's experience and now Icky, however other places I have looked are just too expensive, so at the moment I do not know what I will do. I will ask for an NHS referral to a gender dysphoria clinic, GDC, The waiting lists are long (5+years) and I really don't have the time but until another avenue comes into view it maybe my only choice, maybe I could tolerate Gender GP until the NHS comes through. I will keep looking.
💐🦕💃⚔️👗🤔🐈⬛🐕😼♥️☕🥖🧀🇪🇺🇺🇦🩰🌈🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈💐
Proud of you for your knowledge on routes of administration. Injections are easy once you learn that you can use tiny needles instead of the javelin that doctors give you
Thanks for sharing this! Super helpful
I had crazy bad anxiety around my pills, took them sublingually but I was obsessing over spit building up in my mouth, no swallowing the pill waiting as long as possible, and I was incredibly anxious about making sure my pills were with me at all times, I hated it.
Switched to injection (US, sorry) and my anxiety went away, downside is the changes from HRT almost completely stopped where they were despite my levels being great.1 year of injection, no change in breast or hips size, all breast tenderness went away, but in 6 months of pills and I grew 1.5 in the bust and 2 on hips. Iv been monitoring my levels the whole time with my doctor, we think we finally got my levels in to the right spot on injection as im starting to get some soreness in my chest again, apparently my body like my E around 140-60 pg/mL.
You can get injections, I’ve just been prescribed bed injections by my GP a few days ago
I don’t know why it autocorrected to bed injections
Been doing injections for abt half the time ive been on HRT before that I was on patches and my estrogen levels have always been steady. Injections are def the way to go.
Aussie girl here, you can get implants via prescription and any compound pharmacist will make it, but it's not covered by the PBS (the pharmaceutical equivalent of the NHS)
"Why are you wearing an arm cast? Did you fracture your ulna?"
"This is my Evorel."
Yea this makes me sad, I'm finally starting to realising my gender fluidness and considering going on HRT in the future but live in the UK. It probably won't but all I can hope is that it is a little easier to get the right ones when I finally choose to go on this journey. Thanks for all your videos you and Finn have really helped me sort out the mess in my head a little better and now I watch them for education and just to feel like I'm listening to those on my side.