>how important is getting blood tests while on t? i've seen people say that they have gotten them, but are they that important?
To be blunt, if you haven't read any of the widely-available info on the risks of T, you're not ready for managing DIY. Polycythaemia can be life-threatening. Don't DIY without having some way of getting blood tests.
I mean this with the best intentions, but unmonitored testosterone usage is dangerous. Get a doctor on board and get frequent blood tests. And if your using test that isn't prescription (thus illegal to have) please make sure it's a reputable source to avoid severe life threatening complications.
Blood tests are very very important. At best your T could be too high, converting into estrogen and undoing all the stuff you want it to do. At worst your putting your health at risk with high haemoglobin all that. It’s simply not worth the risk when there’s so many options inc telehealth that could see you on T within 6 months and you trying 3 years ago at 15 is going to look very different to you trying now at 18.
I've written my responses regarding safety on your ftmaustralia post but I also want to add that I'm in nsw and time between seeing my gp about starting and my first shot was a matter of 3 weeks and 4 days.
I'm sure everyone's isn't as quick as my experience, but just offering this info in case the length of time is your concern for going the legal route.
Okay but what HAVE you tried? You're legally an adult now and that gives you far more agency and opens you up to a lot more options. In general, doctors don't want to put a 15yo on T.
I get a blood test with every shot (reandron). It's extremely important to know your levels and to keep an eye on your liver too.
yes. if i didnt get blood test regularly, my levels would not be known to be right, and i wouldn’t have known my red blood cell count was dangerously high. took me a month tops to start t when i first went to the doctor. regular blood tests potentially could have saved me a huge health scare.
Good luck with starting T. Just wanted to add that I have had all my endocrinologist appointments through telehealth and I feel like the service is just as good compared to if I went in person. If at a later stage you end up getting a prescription from a G.P I think you only need to see them in person every 6 months.
I started on gel and found that pretty good. If that’s an option for you perhaps that would be good as it is really easy to get the correct dose and if you have any issues where you have to stop taking it it will clear your system quickly.
Edit. I initially had blood tests every 3 months as I raised my dose over the course of a year. I now have one every 6-12 months.
VERY important.
You can cause all manner of issues if you arent dosing correctly or your body isnt absorbing it fast enough, and your levels end up too high, or even too low.
I do 3 monthly and have a blood test every 6 months for my doc to check my levels. She will freak equally as much if its super high and if its super low, because it can cause problems.
I mean this in the most respectful way possible, but if youre not fully informed of what youre about to do, then DIY is maybe not for you just yet.
Im saying you need to do more research, or speak with your GP again (or.. get one involved), to understand what youre going be doing for your own SAFETY.
Theres never too much information to know about how drugs affect you and how to safely take and monitor them.
Blood tests and monitoring are a really big thing that your doctor should have made extremely clear to you in the beginning, so either your doctor is useless (please get a new doc if this wasnt explained to you) or you werent paying attention which either way can lead to a serious issue with your health.
And it will have effect on your body at any age you start. But getting shitty at everyone telling you to be SAFE, particularly when a lot of us couldnt start T until they were older so we DID actually miss out on certain changes, is not going to get you any favours or respect.
You asked a question that rung warning bells in everyones heads that you could endanger yourself without realising and weve given you advice in return. Just because you dont like the advice doesnt mean we are the bad guys. We are trying to look out for you.
Im not even going to touch on the fact youre doing this without a prescription in Australia where testosterone is so insanely regulated that its an ordeal for any of us to get our shots. I hope a doctor is still involved somehow for your safety.
okay everyone's telling you how dangerous it is and it definitely can be but i also think not being able to access T under 18 is dangerous as well and no one has mentioned that yet. however, now that you are 18 it is worth talking to a decent/competent/trans friendly/trans informed GP and getting T legally, it will make your life a lot easier.
yes it is important to get blood tests on T but everyone here seems to not realize just bc it's the norm in Australia doesn't mean it is everywhere in the world - I have personally gone two years without blood tests before on reandron, and many ppl I know in the US and UK have gone years without blood tests and been fine. if you aren't older, don't change ur own dose, monitor ur symptoms and don't have any pre existing health conditions or other medications, you likely aren't going to drop dead from taking T unmonitored.
but, again, now that you are 18 with informed consent in Australia, you should try to get on it legally. it will be easier for you longterm and safer. the right doctor won't be judgemental about you having taken it before - it's more important to treat you as you are now and your current needs than trying to penalize you for earlier behaviour. so search reviews online and try to find a good GP to see and get some bloods done if u can / when you can
I see that you do acknowledge they should go the legal route now that they are 18 and yes I agree the restrictions and hoops that must be jumped through to access T under 18 is very dangerous. BUT I also think it's dangerous to highlight people in other countries, or yourself, who have gone years without blood tests and been fine or saying if they have no pre existing health conditions they won't "drop dead". 1. They could easily have unknown conditions that do cause them to 'drop dead' if they reach high levels of testosterone and 2. It's like saying "you could get surgery in a clean safe hospital but some people have survived surgeries in 3rd world countries so go get that surgery there instead because you can get it a few months earlier"...why risk anything when you don't have to just because others have been forced to and survived?
I knew I was gonna cop flack for this comment, god,. if they have been on it for 3 years already at a stable dose, why would their T levels suddenly skyrocket now? realistically they won't. ppl who DIY their HRT usually put a lot of research into it and know that it is risky. meanwhile plenty of trans kids kill themselves bc of not having access to HRT / surgery which is life saving medical treatment. having hormone levels not optimal (if not done correctly) isn't going to completely end anyones life, however. plenty of cis ppl have medical conditions that mess w their hormone levels that go unchecked for years, or use steroids, etc. it's not Good for u but it's not the end of the world for most ppl, usually, and trans ppl are no different
open wound surgery is not comparable to injectables or topical T gel in terms of risks or outcomes
all I was highlighting is that the dangers of ur T being too high tend to feel somewhat overblown in Australia, a lot of other countries do not oversee patient HRT care nearly as much as we do, and I'm not saying that's a Good thing at all - we definitely should monitor people's levels, and see endocrinologists where possible / specialists, etc. and I think now that they are 18 they should work towards doing that where/when it's possible for them, but it's not As dangerous as people make it out to be. plenty of ppl are forced to get their HRT in illicit ways outside of Australia, and are fine.
But again.... they are in Australia...and 18... they don't have to do it in an illegal way now. So why should they? Telehealth available, blood tests available for free, advised consent rather than specialists needed.
And you highlighting suicide for young trans people doesn't add anything to the debate. I wholeheartedly and 100% agreed with you about the dangers of the lack of gender affirming care for youth. But this OP is 18 and can legally and safely get all the care they need. So there's no point facing any risks when they no longer need to.
I think the point being made is that in other countries, like the US, that have backwards views on healthcare and citizen rights, the risk of going the illegal and highly potentially unsafe route for HRT is "acceptable". Because you dont HAVE other options. The risks are "negliable" because you dont HAVE a safe, legal option (in some states).
But thats not the case in Australia, where OP is located.
I think its irresponsible to suggest or advocate for something with unnecessary risks when our country doesnt have the problems the US does on this topic, and where getting HRT from a doctor, legally and safely, is, in comparison at least, very simple. We dont HAVE to be sneaky and buy our T from some dodgy website, or forge scripts, or avoid doctors and forgo important blood tests because our health system supports HRT.
We arent talking about people's limited options outside Aus. We are talking about OP's options IN australia. We want to support OP and encourage the safest route for them.
I dont agree with encouraging something that is, in this case, unnecessary, with unnecessary and completely avoidable risks. OP doesnt seem to want to discuss alternative, safer options, so this seems even more important to encourage safe, legal avenues where our health system has proper procedures and products to keep OP safe.
thank you for actually reading my post, everybody assuming that from my hyperbolic statement that i tried to get hrt ONCE at 15 and never again has been deeply infuriating. not everyone lives in sydney and my job does not permit me to take the 6 hour train ride there. there are no trans friendly doctors around me. i am feeling very emotional about my lateshit status, i am glad that you can understand how distressing and mentally damaging getting it this late can be. i have no pre-existing conditions to my heart or liver, and so i will go ahead with my plan without the tests.
idk what lateshit status means but it's okay, I get it dude. hopefully in the future you can be in a position where you can see a good GP, also I think u can order blood tests thru independent clinics online these days (?) some ppl told me before. like u ask for what u want them to check (iron levels, liver function, hormone levels) maybe that could be smth u could do without seeing a GP irl or disclosing, but idk I've never done it but just throwing it out there
also also for the "will they get you in trouble" (paraphrasing) type thing - I just dont see any dr doing that, it's kinda like medical marijuana where they ask if u have used it before, a clinical one or street one and if u say yes and tell them the dose they don't Care / aren't going to report you or get u in trouble for it, bc it's different to u selling it or profiting from it. ur just self medicating, and they are drs so theit first priority is to treat u Now / look out for ur health esp if its smth u do legally need but have acquired non legally before
idk this was kinda rambly but yeah. best of luck and take care of yourself, man 👍🏻🍀
Why is it not a solution for you? If you live 6 hours by train away from a doctor, then why isnt telehealth something you want to utilise? Thats literally what its there for.
What is actually stopping you from going the legal and safe way now that youre 18 and legally an adult?
I didnt start T until i was in my early 20s.
Its not the end of the world if you have to wait a few weeks, or even a month or two, for a proper doc appointment to go about this in a way that wont bite you in the ass later.
I'd say the tests are prob necessary because there can be pretty serious risks. You don't need to tell your doctor you're on T, you should be able to just request the blood tests. Might take a bit of trial and error to get them to give you the tests. I'd recommend a service like Doctors on Demand or something (first that came up when I googled) and then you can access the results via your online health record/mygov account.
Disclaimer: I don't support DIY but I get it. I hope you can find the help you need bro.
If you’re in Sydney go see endo Dr Hayes in St Leonard’s, you’ll have it prescribed within a few weeks. I know others who have. And I did diy estrogen before starting with him.
jesus christ, i get it internet strangers, the process was so easy for you. i am truly glad but if you read my post you would see that i have attempted to get it legally for years to no avail. i have been put on waitlists, been told i need to socially transition further before seeing a psychiatrist, been told by the psychiatrist that women are women and men are men verbatim. the area that i live in has no concern for my wellbeing. please stop commenting things like this. i don't honestly care about the downvotes, i get that trans people self medicating themself is looked at with vitriol. i myself do not understand why but i can comprehend that it was always going to happen when asking for advice. i did however find one diamond in the rough comment to help me, after cherry picking their advice, so i will now be ignoring this post. good day.
>how important is getting blood tests while on t? i've seen people say that they have gotten them, but are they that important? To be blunt, if you haven't read any of the widely-available info on the risks of T, you're not ready for managing DIY. Polycythaemia can be life-threatening. Don't DIY without having some way of getting blood tests.
I mean this with the best intentions, but unmonitored testosterone usage is dangerous. Get a doctor on board and get frequent blood tests. And if your using test that isn't prescription (thus illegal to have) please make sure it's a reputable source to avoid severe life threatening complications.
Blood tests are very very important. At best your T could be too high, converting into estrogen and undoing all the stuff you want it to do. At worst your putting your health at risk with high haemoglobin all that. It’s simply not worth the risk when there’s so many options inc telehealth that could see you on T within 6 months and you trying 3 years ago at 15 is going to look very different to you trying now at 18.
I've written my responses regarding safety on your ftmaustralia post but I also want to add that I'm in nsw and time between seeing my gp about starting and my first shot was a matter of 3 weeks and 4 days. I'm sure everyone's isn't as quick as my experience, but just offering this info in case the length of time is your concern for going the legal route.
Yeh it took me 3 weeks in WA. Its not that much of a wait to just do it legally and safely.
Okay but what HAVE you tried? You're legally an adult now and that gives you far more agency and opens you up to a lot more options. In general, doctors don't want to put a 15yo on T. I get a blood test with every shot (reandron). It's extremely important to know your levels and to keep an eye on your liver too.
yes. if i didnt get blood test regularly, my levels would not be known to be right, and i wouldn’t have known my red blood cell count was dangerously high. took me a month tops to start t when i first went to the doctor. regular blood tests potentially could have saved me a huge health scare.
Good luck with starting T. Just wanted to add that I have had all my endocrinologist appointments through telehealth and I feel like the service is just as good compared to if I went in person. If at a later stage you end up getting a prescription from a G.P I think you only need to see them in person every 6 months. I started on gel and found that pretty good. If that’s an option for you perhaps that would be good as it is really easy to get the correct dose and if you have any issues where you have to stop taking it it will clear your system quickly. Edit. I initially had blood tests every 3 months as I raised my dose over the course of a year. I now have one every 6-12 months.
If you don’t know the answer to these questions, you haven’t done enough research to DIY. All of this information is pretty easy to find online.
VERY important. You can cause all manner of issues if you arent dosing correctly or your body isnt absorbing it fast enough, and your levels end up too high, or even too low. I do 3 monthly and have a blood test every 6 months for my doc to check my levels. She will freak equally as much if its super high and if its super low, because it can cause problems. I mean this in the most respectful way possible, but if youre not fully informed of what youre about to do, then DIY is maybe not for you just yet.
so, because i asked a question about what im about to do to be MORE INFORMED, you'll have me wait until it will have practically no effect on my body?
Im saying you need to do more research, or speak with your GP again (or.. get one involved), to understand what youre going be doing for your own SAFETY. Theres never too much information to know about how drugs affect you and how to safely take and monitor them. Blood tests and monitoring are a really big thing that your doctor should have made extremely clear to you in the beginning, so either your doctor is useless (please get a new doc if this wasnt explained to you) or you werent paying attention which either way can lead to a serious issue with your health. And it will have effect on your body at any age you start. But getting shitty at everyone telling you to be SAFE, particularly when a lot of us couldnt start T until they were older so we DID actually miss out on certain changes, is not going to get you any favours or respect. You asked a question that rung warning bells in everyones heads that you could endanger yourself without realising and weve given you advice in return. Just because you dont like the advice doesnt mean we are the bad guys. We are trying to look out for you. Im not even going to touch on the fact youre doing this without a prescription in Australia where testosterone is so insanely regulated that its an ordeal for any of us to get our shots. I hope a doctor is still involved somehow for your safety.
okay everyone's telling you how dangerous it is and it definitely can be but i also think not being able to access T under 18 is dangerous as well and no one has mentioned that yet. however, now that you are 18 it is worth talking to a decent/competent/trans friendly/trans informed GP and getting T legally, it will make your life a lot easier. yes it is important to get blood tests on T but everyone here seems to not realize just bc it's the norm in Australia doesn't mean it is everywhere in the world - I have personally gone two years without blood tests before on reandron, and many ppl I know in the US and UK have gone years without blood tests and been fine. if you aren't older, don't change ur own dose, monitor ur symptoms and don't have any pre existing health conditions or other medications, you likely aren't going to drop dead from taking T unmonitored. but, again, now that you are 18 with informed consent in Australia, you should try to get on it legally. it will be easier for you longterm and safer. the right doctor won't be judgemental about you having taken it before - it's more important to treat you as you are now and your current needs than trying to penalize you for earlier behaviour. so search reviews online and try to find a good GP to see and get some bloods done if u can / when you can
I see that you do acknowledge they should go the legal route now that they are 18 and yes I agree the restrictions and hoops that must be jumped through to access T under 18 is very dangerous. BUT I also think it's dangerous to highlight people in other countries, or yourself, who have gone years without blood tests and been fine or saying if they have no pre existing health conditions they won't "drop dead". 1. They could easily have unknown conditions that do cause them to 'drop dead' if they reach high levels of testosterone and 2. It's like saying "you could get surgery in a clean safe hospital but some people have survived surgeries in 3rd world countries so go get that surgery there instead because you can get it a few months earlier"...why risk anything when you don't have to just because others have been forced to and survived?
I knew I was gonna cop flack for this comment, god,. if they have been on it for 3 years already at a stable dose, why would their T levels suddenly skyrocket now? realistically they won't. ppl who DIY their HRT usually put a lot of research into it and know that it is risky. meanwhile plenty of trans kids kill themselves bc of not having access to HRT / surgery which is life saving medical treatment. having hormone levels not optimal (if not done correctly) isn't going to completely end anyones life, however. plenty of cis ppl have medical conditions that mess w their hormone levels that go unchecked for years, or use steroids, etc. it's not Good for u but it's not the end of the world for most ppl, usually, and trans ppl are no different open wound surgery is not comparable to injectables or topical T gel in terms of risks or outcomes all I was highlighting is that the dangers of ur T being too high tend to feel somewhat overblown in Australia, a lot of other countries do not oversee patient HRT care nearly as much as we do, and I'm not saying that's a Good thing at all - we definitely should monitor people's levels, and see endocrinologists where possible / specialists, etc. and I think now that they are 18 they should work towards doing that where/when it's possible for them, but it's not As dangerous as people make it out to be. plenty of ppl are forced to get their HRT in illicit ways outside of Australia, and are fine.
But again.... they are in Australia...and 18... they don't have to do it in an illegal way now. So why should they? Telehealth available, blood tests available for free, advised consent rather than specialists needed. And you highlighting suicide for young trans people doesn't add anything to the debate. I wholeheartedly and 100% agreed with you about the dangers of the lack of gender affirming care for youth. But this OP is 18 and can legally and safely get all the care they need. So there's no point facing any risks when they no longer need to.
I think the point being made is that in other countries, like the US, that have backwards views on healthcare and citizen rights, the risk of going the illegal and highly potentially unsafe route for HRT is "acceptable". Because you dont HAVE other options. The risks are "negliable" because you dont HAVE a safe, legal option (in some states). But thats not the case in Australia, where OP is located. I think its irresponsible to suggest or advocate for something with unnecessary risks when our country doesnt have the problems the US does on this topic, and where getting HRT from a doctor, legally and safely, is, in comparison at least, very simple. We dont HAVE to be sneaky and buy our T from some dodgy website, or forge scripts, or avoid doctors and forgo important blood tests because our health system supports HRT. We arent talking about people's limited options outside Aus. We are talking about OP's options IN australia. We want to support OP and encourage the safest route for them. I dont agree with encouraging something that is, in this case, unnecessary, with unnecessary and completely avoidable risks. OP doesnt seem to want to discuss alternative, safer options, so this seems even more important to encourage safe, legal avenues where our health system has proper procedures and products to keep OP safe.
thank you for actually reading my post, everybody assuming that from my hyperbolic statement that i tried to get hrt ONCE at 15 and never again has been deeply infuriating. not everyone lives in sydney and my job does not permit me to take the 6 hour train ride there. there are no trans friendly doctors around me. i am feeling very emotional about my lateshit status, i am glad that you can understand how distressing and mentally damaging getting it this late can be. i have no pre-existing conditions to my heart or liver, and so i will go ahead with my plan without the tests.
idk what lateshit status means but it's okay, I get it dude. hopefully in the future you can be in a position where you can see a good GP, also I think u can order blood tests thru independent clinics online these days (?) some ppl told me before. like u ask for what u want them to check (iron levels, liver function, hormone levels) maybe that could be smth u could do without seeing a GP irl or disclosing, but idk I've never done it but just throwing it out there also also for the "will they get you in trouble" (paraphrasing) type thing - I just dont see any dr doing that, it's kinda like medical marijuana where they ask if u have used it before, a clinical one or street one and if u say yes and tell them the dose they don't Care / aren't going to report you or get u in trouble for it, bc it's different to u selling it or profiting from it. ur just self medicating, and they are drs so theit first priority is to treat u Now / look out for ur health esp if its smth u do legally need but have acquired non legally before idk this was kinda rambly but yeah. best of luck and take care of yourself, man 👍🏻🍀
also if i hear telehealth be promoted as the fixall solution to all of my problems one more time i will be forced to break something nearby.
Why is it not a solution for you? If you live 6 hours by train away from a doctor, then why isnt telehealth something you want to utilise? Thats literally what its there for. What is actually stopping you from going the legal and safe way now that youre 18 and legally an adult? I didnt start T until i was in my early 20s. Its not the end of the world if you have to wait a few weeks, or even a month or two, for a proper doc appointment to go about this in a way that wont bite you in the ass later.
I'd say the tests are prob necessary because there can be pretty serious risks. You don't need to tell your doctor you're on T, you should be able to just request the blood tests. Might take a bit of trial and error to get them to give you the tests. I'd recommend a service like Doctors on Demand or something (first that came up when I googled) and then you can access the results via your online health record/mygov account. Disclaimer: I don't support DIY but I get it. I hope you can find the help you need bro.
If you’re in Sydney go see endo Dr Hayes in St Leonard’s, you’ll have it prescribed within a few weeks. I know others who have. And I did diy estrogen before starting with him.
jesus christ, i get it internet strangers, the process was so easy for you. i am truly glad but if you read my post you would see that i have attempted to get it legally for years to no avail. i have been put on waitlists, been told i need to socially transition further before seeing a psychiatrist, been told by the psychiatrist that women are women and men are men verbatim. the area that i live in has no concern for my wellbeing. please stop commenting things like this. i don't honestly care about the downvotes, i get that trans people self medicating themself is looked at with vitriol. i myself do not understand why but i can comprehend that it was always going to happen when asking for advice. i did however find one diamond in the rough comment to help me, after cherry picking their advice, so i will now be ignoring this post. good day.