[Salania]

So I this is a little off the topic of what is on the title of the section of this forum. However, my girlfriend and I have been a little curious as to what it would take for me to gain a more androgynous form. I am currently 6'0" and 155lbs. Unfortunately the only thing that I have to be able to redistribute in the way of fat is only about 2 lbs.(not to brag, sorry). If I start to workout all that happens is that I get more defined and gain about 20 lbs. of muscle in about a month. The biggest isse here is that I have an insanely high metabolism due to medicinal steroids that I have been on since about the age of 5. Due to my metabolism I have to eat quite a bit a day and can not store fat anywhere and I do not believe that I would be able to consume and store the vitamins from any of the herbs and vitamins from any of the threads that I have read.

I have been diagnosed with GID in the past and have started feminizing hormones several times. Both times were with a timespan of several months to a year. Neither time did my hormone levels begin to alter with the given doses of 2 mg of sublingual estradiol and 100 mg of spironolactone. I understand the YMMV statement very well as I have constantly tried to get my friends to work out with me and they have extremely slow progress in the way of weight gain and muscle strength buiilding.

Now to the actual question. What can I do other than surgery to gain a more "feminine" physique so that I may be androgynous. Can the herbal route help us in anyway?

[flamesabers]

Now to the actual question. What can I do other than surgery to gain a more "feminine" physique so that I may be androgynous. Can the herbal route help us in anyway?

If you're interested in growing breasts, I think herbs are definitely worth trying. Herbs may also help with feminizing your hips and buttocks.

[PattiJT]

Salania,
I guess I'll toss in my 10 cents worth here,(worth more than 2 cents since I've experience with taking the same things you say you have.) Normally I would tell someone who's been a member here for a year and a half but only spent 8 hours looking through the wealth of info here that you need to do a bit more searching in the forum. However, I'm betting that there may not be much info pertaining to your particular queries.

First, let me ask you a couple things to clear up some questions I have. You said before that your family had weight issues. does that mean that you are the exception, or that the issue is that your family is mostly comprised of people of low weight? Meaning, are you dealing with a hereditary weight issue, or are you the odd man out, so to speak?

Second, a year and a half ago, you said you were starting Ainterol PM. Does that mean you didn't get results? Or you didn't take it? Or that you started, then stopped? I understand you may be asking about the "herbal route" in general terms, but as PM is the strongest herb, if you took it for a year and a half, you should have an idea by now whether or not herbs may work for you.

Third. You said before that you take meds for asthma. Are they steroidal? While I did take some spironolactone early on, I dropped it like a hot potato when I learned more about the side effects. Not just the side effects that "may" happen, but those that were killing and nearly killing people. Just so you know, from what I can find, spironolactone has a structure very similar to steroids, and I would check with a doc to see how they interact before I took any more spiro.

Lastly, you said before that you took premarin. Now you say estradiol. Apples and oranges. Not the same. Different meds. Just need to try to keep this straight in my mind.

Whichever you took, 2 mg was nowhere near enough to effect any noticeable changes. Even in sub-lingual form. Moreso in a person such as yourself with high metabolism. I won't say anything about the spiro dosage, as I personally think you should make that go away. There are other things that are as effective, and far safer.

Did a doctor, especially knowing your medical history , prescribe these meds and dosages for you? If so, he was either extremely conservative, (maybe he didn't really want you to do it), or just didn't have enough experience to know what he was doing. Myself, I'm kinda leaning toward the possibility that you're self-medicating, like me. If so, no big deal, we just need to know.

You're 28. Probably loaded with testosterone. Between that and your metabolism, I don't know if herbs would do it for you. Others here will know more. I would think it would take large amounts of them to get anywhere. Just remember, the advice you get here is 99% non-professional. Most of us are going by our experience. Is your high metabolism a result of medical diagnosis, or is it your opinion? I'm 5'-9&1/2", 158#. The lightweight of the family, but no doctor has ever mentioned that I have anything other than normal metabolism. I'd try to lose some, but afraid it would come off places where I don't want it to.

You have your GID diagnosis. Right? That says you were interested in going at this the proper way. If you're truly still serious, I would get a doc to send you to an endocrinologist who can treat you properly, taking your medical history into account. I would expect that if you ever got a prescription for 2mg of something again, it would only be for a few weeks as a "break-in" period, and go upwards from there, until blood tests show that you have reached the necessary blood estrogen levels to actually begin changing some things. And please, stay the hell away from spiro. That's just my opinion, and may piss some others off. Then again, this has all been just my opinion, but I can fall back on experience, too. Take care, Patti

[SarahSchilling]

Damn, Patty doing some research on posters lol.

Anyways, I agree that 2mg/day of any estradiol pill(even sublingually) isn't going to do much. That's only a test dose to make sure there aren't any complications, then people get moved up to 4 and some even 6.

As for the spiro, its not something I'd feel comfortable self medicating with. Under a doctor's care, go for it, but it poses far too many risks to wing it. Like you, I have a GID diagnosis, but the closest endo that deals with TG patients is a 3 hr drive away. Once I move to a bigger city that's the road I'm going down.

But anyways, about the high metabolism, you don't need massive doses of herbs or drugs, but you need to split the doses throughout the day, like say every 4-6 hours. That way when your body breaks it down at a quick rate there is more coming in to do its job. Huge doses would raise the risks of any possible side effects, and you don't want that.

[PattiJT]

Hey Sarah,
Lovely, lovely Sarah! You look great, Hun!

I agree, to a degree. But as we know, we're all different. Since Salania has the GID diagnosis already, that's why I suggested she go the proper way. A good doc and endo will get the right dosage and how often by testing. Personally, when I took synths, I found that I got the best results with a "lump sum" in the morning, and a similar dose at night. Once things were established, I was able to change that to 4 smaller doses throughout the day. FYI, I was usually taking 8mg Premarin/day. Have to say, too, it was probably the best and least troublesome thing I have taken.

Wasn't meaning to pry when I took a look at past posts. Just wanted to get an age to go with the questioner. But, it raised a couple questions. I really don't understand why so many get so freaked about putting their age in here. The fact that we're even here doing what we do and posting about it is far more "freaky" than anyone knowing our age ever will be. As soon as facial-recognition shows up here, then I'm outta here!! 'Till then, I'm just another flake in the bowl here!

[MonikaT]

As soon as facial-recognition shows up here, then I'm outta here!! 'Till then, I'm just another flake in the bowl here!

How do you know facial recognition hasn't already hit? The NSA is pretty much everywhere. IP addresses have likely been recorded, and they can find us if they want to. When they come for us, this will be just one of the "deviant" things they will feel a need to list in the news just like every criminal gets his porn preferences and weapons cache listed in the paper if they execute a search warrant, even when the alleged crime has nothing to do with either.

[SarahSchilling]

As soon as facial-recognition shows up here, then I'm outta here!! 'Till then, I'm just another flake in the bowl here!

How do you know facial recognition hasn't already hit? The NSA is pretty much everywhere. IP addresses have likely been recorded, and they can find us if they want to. When they come for us, this will be just one of the "deviant" things they will feel a need to list in the news just like every criminal gets his porn preferences and weapons cache listed in the paper if they execute a search warrant, even when the alleged crime has nothing to do with either.

At the risk of going offtopic, there won't be a need to "come for us". People are so completely brainwashed by the corporate media that all TPTB would have to do is make up some disease, pretend it's an epidemic, and people would willingly show up whereever they were told to go to get the "cure". Even if they'd never seen a case of this epidemic, that would take care of most of the population.

[Karren]

You could always try a corset and do some tight lacing.... it will definitely change your body shape and move some of your organs around.... move ribs.... and then there's breast suction devices.... if your body wont change chemically then you can change it mechanically.... imho....

[MonikaT]

Wrt the original post, and based on the things in Patti's post, if the steroids are for asthma, could you perhaps switch to an inhaled steroid instead of pills? It is my understanding the inhaled steroid uses a lower dose placed where it is needed most which reduces the level of systemic effects. From what you imply, the steroids have an overly-masculinizing effect, i.e., easy muscle gain, low body fat, etc.

[PattiJT]

Hah!! And I thought "I" was paranoid!! I'm assuming facial recognition software is still quite expensive, probably prohibitively so for a site like this, and why would they need it here? Anybody gotten any blackmail threats from the management here?

And management IS watching. A few nights ago, about midnite local time, I saw a thinly disguised "advert" for some ladies Nike tennies pop in here from a freshly registered "member' in China. Before I could blast a report, it was pulled by the webgods. It wasn't here for more than 2 minutes! Have no doubt, the "guardians" are with us!

Myself, I keep as low profile electronically as possible. I do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING financial on-line, have no accounts set up to even check balances on-line, won't consider something like Paypal services, and keep low balances in my various accounts with banks. I do have a cellphone, but only a tracfone, which is off 99.9% of the time. I wonder if the NSA even bothers with us cheapskate tracfone users?