[Alyssa ♥]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here so I'm sorry if this is already covered in detail somewhere, please point me in that direction if it is! I wasn't able to find an answer to my question just from looking around or browsing through the FAQs.

My question is just this.... Is there any benefit at all to using herbs for breast growth when you have access to synthetic hormones? I am a transwoman and was on a monthly cycle of estradiol and progesterone for about three years that caused my breasts to definitely start developing, but they never really reached a full point I was hoping for. I went off my hormones over a year ago now though because I decided that worrying about long-term side effects and staying on a permanent daily dosing schedule is more work than it's worth when I feel I can be my true self just as easily without them. However, of course, the one thing I cannot do without any outside help whatsoever is continue to physically grow....

If hormones really are the best option I could just get back on them for a while and see if it helps, but just from looking around here it seems like a lot of the knowledge here is really in-depth, so I was curious if I couldn't use some herbs to cause an even fuller growth than I was going to get without having to go back on the prescription stuff.... Is this something that can be done? Honestly this is all very new to me and the amount of information here is a bit overwhelming.... Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!!

[pom19]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here so I'm sorry if this is already covered in detail somewhere, please point me in that direction if it is! I wasn't able to find an answer to my question just from looking around or browsing through the FAQs.

My question is just this.... Is there any benefit at all to using herbs for breast growth when you have access to synthetic hormones? I am a transwoman and was on a monthly cycle of estradiol and progesterone for about three years that caused my breasts to definitely start developing, but they never really reached a full point I was hoping for. I went off my hormones over a year ago now though because I decided that worrying about long-term side effects and staying on a permanent daily dosing schedule is more work than it's worth when I feel I can be my true self just as easily without them. However, of course, the one thing I cannot do without any outside help whatsoever is continue to physically grow....

If hormones really are the best option I could just get back on them for a while and see if it helps, but just from looking around here it seems like a lot of the knowledge here is really in-depth, so I was curious if I couldn't use some herbs to cause an even fuller growth than I was going to get without having to go back on the prescription stuff.... Is this something that can be done? Honestly this is all very new to me and the amount of information here is a bit overwhelming.... Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!!

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The following herbs may give you enough hormones toward femininity:

Pueraria Mirifica-PM
Saw palmetto-SP
Reishi Mushroom extract
Wild Yam extract
Fennel seeds

The amount you take depends on the individual, however too much will burden your liver.

You should also have a healthy diet plus exercise.

Good Luck, POM

[Lotus]

Hi Alyssa,

Phytoestrogens bind estrogen receptors (alpha and beta, mostly beta) otherwise known as ER-a and ER-b, they block out the body's own natural hormones. By doing so, phytoestrogens help to reduce the risk of cancers. It gets pretty complicated here but hrt therapy (E2, estradiol) has a binding affinity for ER-a (estrogen receptor alpha) which is the growth receptor. Most phytoestrogens have an affinity for ER-b (estrogen receptor beta) which is the protective receptor against the proliferative side of breast cancer in ER-a (mostly).

The bottom line is hrt and most phytoestrogens compete against each other. IMO hrt would be more successful if an pro-aromatase was added. Use bio-identical progesterone, add esstential fatty acids (omega 3-6-7-9-12). The right combination of vitamin C, D. And adding DHEA at the right time along with nbe super foods. One thing I'd try is vitex, which has an affinity for ER-a, plus it down regulates prolactin while giving a slight bump in progesterone.

Estradiol (E2) by itself feminizes, but it takes longer without using anti-androgens. Sublingual, transdermal, and intramuscular delivery of hrt takes the pressure of the liver, which Hepatotoxicity in drug-induced liver injury account for a substantial number of compound failures. A good plan involves proper clearance, toxic estrogen metabolites can cause more damage to our system and slow hrt, meaning the longer estrogens remain in the body it gets reabsorbed into the bad estrogens 2 OH -hydroxyestrone and 16 OH hydoxyestrone (cancer causing metabolites)

[not-moobs]

Hi Alyssa

I am not a regular poster on this forum, but I watch it quite a lot, and a couple of things in your post got me interested.

First of all, you say you were on Estradiol and Progesterone for a couple of years, with disappointing results - I am curious, but you don`t say anything about anti-androgens.

If you still have all the usual male dangly bits, then your testicles are producing lots of nasty testosterone - even worse, much of that testosterone will be getting converted to DHT - and DHT is the real killer if you are trying to feminise. DHT is what keeps you male, stops boobs growing, makes your body hair grow, and generally stops you being what you want to be - all soft and curvy !

So my understanding is that a prescribed male-to-female hormone treatment would normally include an anti-androgen drug like Finasteride or Dutasteride, as well as some form of oestrogenic drug.

Were you not prescribed that - is this something you could look into ?

Your second query about herbs v pharma - everbody is different, and they react differently to hormone treatment, but in general terms, I reckon that a professionally prescribed and monitored pharma hormone treatment would be more effective than a herbal treatment.

However I guarantee there will be other opinions about this !!!!

Don`t underestimate the complexity of getting a herbal treatment that works for you, there are a lot of herbs out there that are associated with breast growth - and you need to work out what is going to work for you.

For example, Saw Palmetto and Reishi Mushroom extract can lessen the conversion of testosterone to DHT, other herbs can provide a some form of oestrogen. There is loads of stuff on this forum about what the different herbs do. You will need to do your homework.

Good luck in getting what you are looking for.