Current Events > Does anyone here use Plume or Folx for their HRT?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Im not sure theres a dedicated provider for gender affirming care in my city, Im going to call planned parenthood and see if they offer it on Tuesday, but I really need to start HRT and I just heard about these two companies.

Mostly looking for experiential accounts like a quick rundown of what its like to start the process and how quickly the process goes from signing up to seeing the provider to getting the medication.

Bump

I used to order it from Vanuatu using bitcoin

Do you have a planned parenthood locally? I hear those are good

Edit: oops I missed that in your OP. Yeah I know several people that used PP and said it was good, good luck

Yeah Im hoping that pans out, Im just not sure since Im in Wyoming and Ive never met anyone irl who is receiving gender affirming care.

Plume and Folx seem like good options but theres no information available for how much you can expect to pay for your medication which would be on top of the $100-120 / month for the provider services. Like theres a certain threshold for where money is not an object, but theres so many expenses when transitioning so I want this to be as little of a hassle as possible.

thanks for posting btw

Yeah, this stuff is expensive. Ideally you work with a doctor and a therapist, but I understand finding good instances of either(as it relates to trans stuff) isnt easy in many places, Wyoming doubtless included. Do what you need to do, just be careful.

But trust me when I say sex hormones are vital to our brain chemistry and going from the wrong balance to the right balance makes a huge difference.

ElatedVenusaur posted...

Yeah, this stuff is expensive. Ideally you work with a doctor and a therapist, but I understand finding good instances of either(as it relates to trans stuff) isnt easy in many places, Wyoming doubtless included. Do what you need to do, just be careful.

But trust me when I say sex hormones are vital to our brain chemistry and going from the wrong balance to the right balance makes a huge difference.

Im trying hard not to beat myself for being a moron but I only realized that I absolutely need to be on HRT a couple days ago and now Im super impatient which is making me a bit panicky. I hate feeling behind on something so crucial and feeling unsure of where to begin makes it worse. Im calming down cuz its out of my hands until Tuesday, but reading peoples experiences is making me a turbulent blend of unimaginably thrilled and devastatingly bummed

DespondentDeity posted...

Im trying hard not to beat myself for being a moron but I only realized that I absolutely need to be on HRT a couple days ago and now Im super impatient which is making me a bit panicky. I hate feeling behind on something so crucial and feeling unsure of where to begin makes it worse. Im calming down cuz its out of my hands until Tuesday, but reading peoples experiences is making me a turbulent blend of unimaginably thrilled and devastatingly bummed

I realize this may sound crazy, but there's no need to rush. It's literally never too late.

ElatedVenusaur posted...

I realize this may sound crazy, but there's no need to rush. It's literally never too late.

Thank you, Ive definitely calmed down after getting some rest. Im just going to work towards getting on it at the first opportunity, starting by going into Planned Parenthood tomorrow.

Do you mind sharing how long youve been on it, and maybe giving a brief summary of the timeline of effects its had?

DespondentDeity posted...

Thank you, Ive definitely calmed down after getting some rest. Im just going to work towards getting on it at the first opportunity, starting by going into Planned Parenthood tomorrow.

Do you mind sharing how long youve been on it, and maybe giving a brief summary of the timeline of effects its had?

I'm not great with time, but sure, I don't mind in the slightest.
It's been almost 7 months since I started estrogen (estradiol is the standard these days) and spironolactone (which suppresses T) and 4 since I started progesterone(we'll talk about her later). So, if you're a trans dude, this may not be helpful(but then, you might have thought to specify if you were a trans dude, since they're less ubiquitous here and elsewhere)
A basic attempt at a timeline:
-I had wanted to start going to the gym for a long time, but I started going the day after I started estrogen. I don't think that was a coincidence. I just felt...clearer? Better? Something like that- immediately.

-The first few months, you're going to almost wonder if anything's even happening. The first time I noticed something physical was around the two month part: I work in a grocery store and was lifting a bag bundle(bulky, a bit heavy) and it slipped and hit me in the chest. It happens. Except this time, I yelped in pain and almost dropped it: a quick inspection revealed the area behind my nipples had become firm and warm, my earliest sign of breast development. But yeah: getting hit in the chest hurts, even before you have proper breasts.

-It wasn't long after that I noticed the muscle I had always had in my arms had evaporated. Basically, you're going to grow progressively weaker, and it's going to be especially noticeable in terms of upper body strength. Changing your hormone balance will result in a corresponding change in strength, for better or for worse.

-My last night visiting a friend in Oregon, I cried. I also cried driving to PDX that morning. For trans women, a metaphor I came up is that we know how to swim, but we've been stuck in a kiddie pool. Estrogen puts us in the deep end, where we can feel, explore, and express the full depths of our emotions. From what I've gleaned from trans men, their experience is different: they've always been able to feel fully, but many felt they couldn't control their emotions, and testosterone gives them that control.
And yes, some of us girls do end up crying at every little thing, but not all of us.

-Your skin should begin softening around 3 months and body hair growth should start slowing, but you won't see significant changes in density until later. Unfortunately, you'll still have masculine facial hair: it'll grow slower, but that's all estrogen will do about it. If you want to be rid of it.

-At some point, your appetite will moderate, but you'll also find it harder to lose weight. If you keep on eating like a dude, you'll probably get fat.

-I started progesterone at the 3 month mark. Prog is the secondary female hormone, and primarily supports mood stability (estrogen on its own can make you pretty swingy), fat distribution (i.e. it puts fat in the good places: boobs, butt, and thighs!). I don't remember precisely when, but it was a euphoric moment when I first sat on a toilet and realized my thighs touched. I've had pretty good breast growth too: I had to start wearing sports bras around 5 months after I went to the gym and my unbridled breasts flopped around everywhere on the elliptical. A cisfriend laughed when I told her and warned me it would hurt when they got bigger.

-My body hair growth slowed noticeably around the 6 month mark, and it's also thinned considerably on my arms. But not my belly or chest (yes, my boobs are hairy) yet.

-I had a virtual check-in with my doc this past week and she noted that my face was rounder. Even a lot of coworkers are surprised when they see my old driver's license and team member ID card photo, and it's not just because I ditched the denial 'stache.

If I would like to emphasize one point, it's that everyone's results are different. Some of us are blessed in certain areas and get screwed in others (like, I'm probably always going to be relatively hairy, for example). It takes up to 2-3 years for most things to happen and max out, and you'll still be seeing changes happening for up to 5 years. As far as dosages go, they'll probably taper you on and will probably want to monitor your hormone levels with blood work (particularly if they give you estradiol pills). With all of that said, give it time, and don't rush into surgeries.

Also, if you hate your voice, TransVoiceLessons on YouTube is an excellent free resource for that. And yes, she's trans.

P.S. - Buy a simple measuring tape. And don't buy any expensive clothes yet. Your sizes are going to be changing quite a bit in the short and medium term, so it's nice to be able to get approximate measurements yourself(ring sizers are also a thing. I didn't know this before a different ciswoman friend told me). Amazon lockers are a god send for getting packages discretely.

I really appreciate you taking the time to share, I feel that information is really valuable and exciting to hear.

To provide an update, I discovered today that my Planned Parenthood has been permanently closed, and the closest provider for gender affirming care is 185 miles away. I ended up signing up with Folx, so its all ready to go and Im feeling good about it. It will end up costing $263/mo for the first year, then drop to $203 from there.

Ive been presenting feminine for almost a year, and have been using measurements to buy clothes for most of that. Im going to try to stay my current weight, Ive spent the last two years getting from 350 to 170, and I think thats about where Im gonna be happiest at my height, especially once my distribution becomes correct.

Im also naturally quite hairy, I will probably set a goal of eventually getting laser hair removal treatments, shaving is so time consuming and unfortunately Im cursed with hair in spots I cant reach.

Im really excited, but also nervous.

DespondentDeity posted...

I really appreciate you taking the time to share, I feel that information is really valuable and exciting to hear.

To provide an update, I discovered today that my Planned Parenthood has been permanently closed, and the closest provider for gender affirming care is 185 miles away. I ended up signing up with Folx, so its all ready to go and Im feeling good about it. It will end up costing $263/mo for the first year, then drop to $203 from there.

Ive been presenting feminine for almost a year, and have been using measurements to buy clothes for most of that. Im going to try to stay my current weight, Ive spent the last two years getting from 350 to 170, and I think thats about where Im gonna be happiest at my height, especially once my distribution becomes correct.

Im also naturally quite hairy, I will probably set a goal of eventually getting laser hair removal treatments, shaving is so time consuming and unfortunately Im cursed with hair in spots I cant reach.

Im really excited, but also nervous.

Ah: I was actually in the closet until I had been on hormones for six months. Everyone does it differently.

But do be patient with the hormones and dont rush into any expensive procedures. They really are magic.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


the planned parenthoods that offer transition care all do it by informed consent, but only a fraction of the locations offer it.

i am also unfamiliar with Plume or Folx.

i am a little concerned about how sudden you seem to be making this out to be. that's... uncommon. if you're happy, then i'm happy for you, but if this realization is as recent as you're saying, maybe it wouldn't hurt to talk through some things. not even necessarily before, but while, could be important. or not. only you know you.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


i've been told they're looking at expanding it, but it's been pretty slow going. especially over the last couple years. but outside of new england and the west coast (and maybe one location in the largest cities), they aren't much of an option (yet).

I'm very fortunate, in that Southern CT has the Anchor Health Initiative, which operates clincs in Stamford and Hamden and a pharmacy in Stamford (which can deliver). It's specifically geared towards serving LGBTQ+ clients and practices informed consent. CT is good in general, since its Medicaid program (Husky) covers everything.
I was, like...85-90% certain I wanted hormones before my consult, and going over everything in detail got me the rest of the way.

I wish I could be of help. Not having good insurance sucks. Good luck with the transition stuff and I'm here if you ever have questions or concerns when you're on hormones.

i just use amazon

Medussa posted...

i am a little concerned about how sudden you seem to be making this out to be. that's... uncommon. if you're happy, then i'm happy for you, but if this realization is as recent as you're saying, maybe it wouldn't hurt to talk through some things. not even necessarily before, but while, could be important. or not. only you know you.

For clarity, Ive already been transitioning for a year, but I wasnt sure if my goal required HRT to reach until a very upsetting incident at work a little over a month ago. The further I progressed into feminine expression, the more comfortable and natural things felt, but that incident highlighted my need to change my body in a way that cant be achieved without HRT. At that point I began identifying as a trans woman rather than non-binary. In that time, Ive spent numerous hours reading testimonials to see if it fits into my journey. The incident that happened a few days ago, was in response to my posting a picture on Facebook, someone I had considered a friend messaged me something very transphobic; at that point I decided that if Im going to be fully in control of my identity and self worth, it was time to start finding a way to get on HRT. In that sense, I can see why it might seem sudden to an outside observer, but my arriving into this moment has been a natural progression over the course of at least a year.

*thumbs up*

well, fuck that person in particular, but otherwise... *thumbs up*

are there a lot of women going through the menopause on gamefaqs? surprising

zammox posted...

are there a lot of women going through the menopause on gamefaqs? surprising

Shut the fuck up

AngelicRadiance posted...

Shut the fuck up

why? my sister was on HRT a few years back because she was going through the menopause. shit was awful, she was always too hot even in the middle of winter.
edit- and she doesn't play games so thats why I didn't think there would be many women her age on gamefaqs

Medussa posted...

*thumbs up*

well, fuck that person in particular, but otherwise... *thumbs up*

I dont want to lose sight of how fortunate Ive been, so I remind myself that aside from those two instances, which both involved people I thought I knew rather well, I have received an extremely gracious outpouring of support and acceptance from most people I know and encounter.

Im very grateful for all of the users who have posted about their transitions here as well, its definitely given me motivation and support, even when I wasnt comfortable enough to participate in the discussions. I still struggle with the language at times, but I was reminded of a powerful quote by Snake in MGS2 the other day, Find the meaning behind the words, then decide.

Idk I believe Im making the logical decision to make myself well, this 30 years of feeling like a prisoner in my body, all the pain of not feeling like I have an identity of my own, its starting to feel like a distant memory.

Met with the clinician from Folx today, they sent in my prescription to be filled, it could take up to 10 days for it to get delivered here tho.

I might roll out the new name to a few people soon, I changed it on Facebook but Im a little anxious about what its going to be like trying to get people at work adjusted to it.

Oh my god I have a tracking number for my first 3 months of hormones!

DespondentDeity posted...

Oh my god I have a tracking number for my first 3 months of hormones!

Congratulations! Hope it goes well.

Timmyjinkle posted...

Congratulations! Hope it goes well.

Thank you! The more I move forward the stronger my resolve becomes. Also, the more I read about peoples experiences before and after starting HRT, the more I believe that this is a way for me to truly become well for perhaps the first time ever. Its very exciting stuff, and I feel in control of my life.

Yeah honey, get the goods! I hope this goes well for you :)

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Thanks so much! How are you feeling?

Thats great to hear, last I had seen you were still at the hospital so Im sure getting out of there is a huge relief.

zammox posted...

are there a lot of women going through the menopause on gamefaqs? surprising

holy shit