I unfortunately live in a not very trans friendly state in the US (more like trans hostile tbh) so I’ve been doing my HRT pretty much solo/without seeing doctors. Been doing mono estradiol enanthate for about a year now following the manufacturer’s recommendations (0.15 mL every 7 days) and wanted to try getting on prog but i’m not sure what dosage i should be at. any recommendations?

  • Jorunn (she/her)@piefed.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    11·
    2 months ago

    Orally I typically see people take 100mg to 200mg. I’ve also seen 300mg, but that’s less common. Advice on transdermal prog is purely a DIY thing and what I’ve heard about dosing there is 6mg-12mg.

    Mostly people take these doses once everyday, usually right before they go to bed. Some people “cycle” progesterone which means they have breaks. Some people might do two weeks of prog and then then two weeks of no prog, and I’ve heard cis women who take five days of prog and then two days of no prog.

    Prog does not have any fancy guidelines for us to follow so a lot of the advice around it is anecdotal.

    Edit: Oh yeah I should mention I do transdermal prog, 12 mg once a day before going to bed. With transdermal be sure to apply to the breasts, unlike with estradiol which should never be applied to the breasts.

    Edit edit: Also, it’s generally recommended to take it rectally rather than orally. Most oral prog pills can be taken rectally.

  • dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    9·
    2 months ago

    100 mg, rectally, once per night - taking it orally results in the dose almost entirely being absorbed by the liver and does not sufficiently raise blood progesterone levels, so rectal administration ensures you actually are getting the dose. Unfortunately it’s the only realistic alternative route of administration to oral, currently.

    Also, you want to take micronized bioidentical progesterone (the ones that are in oil and come in gel capsules intended to be taken orally, they are safe to insert rectally). You don’t want to take medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) which is often called “progesterone” and which some trans women have taken (esp. historically). MPA has some negative long-term health risks associated with it..

  • Amy@piefed.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    4·
    2 months ago

    I assume you’re seeing the effects you want from estradiol? Otherwise I’d suggest adjusting that first.

    I’ve been using bioidentical micronized progesterone for a while now, and it has improved my sleep, mood and libido. I’m currently on 200mg oral, but I’ve also been on 100mg both oral and rectal. Didn’t notice much difference in the end, so I’d recommend starting with 100mg oral and going from there if you feel it’s not enough.

    I never got the “drunk” feeling taking it, but if you do then rectal is probably the way to go.

  • Grail@multiverse.soulism.netEnglish
    1·
    2 months ago

    Dunno, I made My own progesterone in My adrenal gland and went by vibes. It was a big success, so I recommend doing the same to any transfemmes who don’t have access to lab grade options.

        • Marisacat@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
          2·
          1 month ago

          You’re attempting to increase progesterone levels by purposely following a low/zero potassium diet? Are you not concerned about the by the cardiac impact of that diet?

          • Grail@multiverse.soulism.netEnglish
            11·
            1 month ago

            Oh, no, I used a meditative technique to stimulate production. The paper is just to show that it’s scientifically possible. I noticed I’d grown B cups about 5 months after My egg cracked, and by the time I started E they’d turned into D cups. I didn’t notice any side effects or health problems other than tenderness and growing pains, which are very normal. And My endocrinologist had a look at My blood and said it was all okay.

            • nicky7@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
              1·
              1 month ago

              Go on… :) I’m seeing yoga and stress management helping, but I’m curious about your meditative techniques if you don’t mind sharing.

              • Grail@multiverse.soulism.netEnglish
                21·
                1 month ago

                Visualise the top of your head as a dome that’s been split in two, left side from right side. Feel those two half-domes on top of your brain, sheltering it like your skull. See if you can grab onto them with your mind. Pull them down, rotating out and away from the center, until the top of your brain is uncovered, and you’re allowing what is above to come down to your brain.

                I was just exploring inside My head after I realised I was trans, wondering if it was possible to manually stimulate aromatisation of testosterone to estrogen. I felt this thingy, and I did what I said above, I pulled it down and out of the way, and I got a light, feminine feeling. So I left it like that and decided to see what happens. What happens is, boobs.