What Hormones Look Like

The medicine arrived today! Yay!!! God bless the Internet and trans-friendly on-line drug stores that don't require a prescription.

So I as transition off the old brands (some generic, some branded) to the new ones (some generic, some branded) there's a 17-day transition period until I'm fully on the new brands. Here's what that looks like:

The white pills are 25mg of spironolactone (branded as Aldactone) in 100mg doses. Spironolactone is commonly used to treat congestive heart failure or high blood pressure. I take it for the side-effects: breast growth and its anti-androgen properties. (It stops hair growth in women who have hair hair where most women don't by suppressing a male hormone that causes hair growth). I went with 4-25mg pills instead of 1-100mg pill (then) because the former is $4/mo and the latter is $120/mo. Doesn't make sense to me either. They will be replaced with one larger, chalkier pill which costs $16/mo.

The oval blue pills are generic finasteride in 5mg doses. Used mainly to treat prostate swelling in men I use it because it decreases production of testosterone. They will be replaced with the larger blue round ones, the same drug, but branded as Fincar and costs $26/mo.

The tiny green pill is 2mg of generic estradiol... estrogen. Used mainly by women who have stopped producing it on their own, this hormone is used for its primary effects. I found this little guy hiding among the oval blue pills. Costing around $30/mo, they are replaced by the smaller round blue pills, the same drug branded as Estrofem, $15/mo.

The pink pill is just baby aspirin, taken to thin the blood slightly as there is an increased risk of blot clots (and strokes) from a daily regimen of this feminine cocktail of drugs. The increased risk is small, but higher in women who smoke. I know one pack a month doesn't really qualify me as a smoker- not really- but since I do and there is, I will. $2/mo.

Not shown are the postage-sized clear stickers of estrodial (branded as Estradot) that deliver 2mg/day over 4 days. Gotta keep them sealed up in foil until ready to use, and these little babies are expensive! $60/mo. Why take the same drug twice? Drugs absorbed transdermally (through the skin) go straight to the blood; no messing with the liver. Since my liver often processes C₈H₁₀N₄O_{2 (}caffine), C₁₀H₁₄N₂ (nicotine), C₂₁H₃₀O2 ₍tetrahydrocannabinol... THC... pot), and CH₃CH₂OH (Ethanol), it only makes sense to ease the load on the liver whenever I can. LOL, other than that, and consuming C₁₂H₁₇N2O4P (psylocybin... magic mushrooms) whenever they present themselves, I'm pretty drug-free!

So that's the most common way to change your sex (from M2F). I'll find a specialist soon and tailor the doses and drugs based on my specific needs.

It really is a miracle to watch the transformation. Better living through chemistry! :)