for context im in my early 20s and in a decent material condition rn so getting the AA isnt the problem, it’s just deciding which to get
CW: mention of alcoholism
so a friend recommended bica and i was pretty much just about to get it until i saw in the warnings section (on this website: https://healor.com/bicalutamide_mtf) that it said “Do not use or use with caution if you drink heavily” and since i’m an alcoholic (and have been for quite a long time, tried to quit a few times but always started drinking again) i think that i probably shouldn’t go with it.
so since i’m probably not going to be doing bica because of the alcohol related warning, what type of AA would you people advise i get instead?
edit: also how bad could it be if i just went ahead with getting bica anyway, is it worth just trying that out despite the alcohol risk? because it seems to be the best for what i want out of hrt that isnt ludicrously expensive
If you do decide to try monotherapy, gel is unlikely to give you blood e levels high enough to suppress testosterone production if it’s applied as directed (upper arms and thighs) https://transfemscience.org/articles/high-dose-transdermal-e2/ You can get higher levels by applying it to your scrotum, but it’s quite irritating https://transfemscience.org/articles/genital-e2-application/
If you want testosterone suppression without an AA, E injections are generally the best option. Vanna pharma is based in the uk and is reputable (not sure if I can post a link here, but the url is on diyhrt.cafe). Her product has a lower viscosity than Lena’s so you can get away with 29g fixed needles (higher gauge = thinner needle = less pain). You might need 27g or even luer syringes with a low gauge needle for drawing and a higher gauge for injecting if you order injectable e from elsewhere.
Here’s the 27g needles I used to use with Lena’s EV https://www.exchangesupplies.org/shopdisp_unisharp_fixed_1ml_green_27.php\ Drawing the product from the vial can blunten the tip a little, so occasionally an injection would be a little difficult and painful. It could also take several minutes in winter to draw 0.18ml into the syringe due to the higher viscosity.
Here’s the 29g I use with Vanna’s EV https://www.exchangesupplies.org/shopdisp_Unisharp_fixed_1ml_yellow_29.php\ These are thinner and I’m yet to have a painful injection. It takes around 15 seconds to draw 0.18ml at current temperatures (5-15C).
There are several different esters of estradiol available for injection https://transfemscience.org/articles/injectable-e2-meta-analysis/ , but the most common one is estradiol valerate which is often dosed at 0.18ml of 40mg/ml solution (0.18 x 40 = total dose of 7.2mg) every 5 days. Ideally you’d get a blood test after a couple of months so that you can check your levels and adjust your dosage accordingly.
