I am 2 weeks on T as of yesterday (!!!) And life has been amazing. 30mg/die gel. My mood and appetite changed almost immediately (for around a week I was ravenous, I'd eat everything in sight and I had gained some weight - around 2kg), I felt less stressed and my chronic insomnia eased. I am now for the first time in 15 years averaging 6hours of sleep a night!

Yesterday I noticed bottom growth which was something that scared me to be honest, as someone who has never had a sex drive whatsoever (very, very asexual). My libido did not increase tho and that's great so the bottom growth doesn't really bug me. I have no clue if my voice changed because a few days ago I lost it completely due to a cold lmao, we'll see when it comes back.

A few days ago, also, my hunger stabilized: I am eating waaay more than I used to but I'm not waking up in the middle of the night to eat random stuff off the fridge, and my metabolism caught up making me drop the weight I had gained.

I am noticing more vascularity but to be fair I've been going to the gym (weightlifting and calisthenics) for years so idk if it's the T.

Best part? I am so happy. Never been happier with my image. I feel like myself. I recognize myself in mirrors and pictures and I love the guy I'm becoming because I'm everything I always wanted to be even before realizing I was trans.

When I was 13 I made an oc of a guy: curly hair, disheveled look, architect, insomniac, heavy smoker - to be fair he was very matty healy coded but I had no clue who matty healy was until 7 or 8 years later.

I found a drawing and almost cried. My hair has gotten curly (not from the T, it happened on a random day at a twenty one pilots concert: no hairdresser can explain it), I found my style (casual leaning towards alternative, I love a tight shirt-baggy pants combo since I got my top surgery), I am an artist (it's my job, I'm represented by a gallery ecc), I was very insomniac but luckily it has gotten better, I was a heavy smoker and I abused substances for years but now that has been dialed down too ... I am basically an improved version of the guy I created in my mind when I was a kid. I am everything I ever wanted to be, and it will just keep getting better. Life is awesome!

I went T for 3 months on 30mg/week, off for 5 weeks, and last friday I started again at 20mg/week.

my hand smells like onions. no I have not handled onions recently, and this is not the first time it’s happened. It DOES smell like how I smelled during puberty, so i think it could just be the hormones, but it’s just my hands??? anyone else have this??

Had my three month follow up today and the np asked how I felt about my dose. I told her it's the only dose I've ever been on so it seems good. Then she asked if I wanted to increase it and I had no idea what to say. I had labs drawn later that visit, so at this point no one has any idea what's even happening in my body, least of all me.

Are there any changes 3 months in? I see subtle stuff but not sure if I'm just wishfully thinking. The lighting being different is a problem. But if you see anything lmk! Really excited to be 3 months in!

#Theoretical knowledge:

Overall Info on DIY:

https://diyhrt.info/transmasc/intro/

Legal considerations:

https://diyhrt.info/transmasc/prescribedvsdiy/

Methods and calculating the dosage:

https://diyhrt.info/transmasc/methods/

Side effects:

https://diyhrt.info/transmasc/risks/

Dosages and blood testing:

https://diyhrt.info/transmasc/dosing/

#Practical knowledge:

Preparing for safer injections:

https://youtu.be/XzWs5LAWqPc?is=9jPCED9JrDDZmtnx

[duration: 3 min]

How to inject safely:

https://youtu.be/fkBuY4iMK7E?is=1hucS1hWYSWt7ltY

[duration: 10 min]

Disclaimers:

I am by no means a medical professional. I just summarized some sources, because it can be quite overwhelming if you don't know where to start or what to look out for. The diyhrt.info also offers a chapter on sources but the accessibility and legal risks can vary, depending on factors like your financial and regional circumstances, as well as f.e. racial discrimination on an executive and judicative level. I do not encourage anyone to participate in any illegal activities. I just prefer people to take this path safely instead of hurting themselves.

So I just got mu blood work done and my Testosterone levels are at 6.8 nmol/L, Oestradiol at 64.5 pmol/L and SHBG at 19 nmol/L. My current regimen is sustanon 250 1ml once every 3 weeks and I had my blood taken at around 2 and a half weeks (so not even at trough level).

I've been on this dose for 3-4 months so far and my changes haven't gotten faster since I was on Testogel. For reference my levels on tgel were 6.3 nmol/L so not that different. I still got my periods on tgel but not on sustanon, and my E level seems suppressed so that might be why?

Are there any concerns with my currrent levels? I mean my levels are still below male range (or at the very low end of them) so I assume I should have my dose increased.

I recently switched to shots around a month ago after being on gel for 8 months since it didn't do much for me and was wondering if this was normal?

After i inject my t, im left with a bunch of excess in the needle, so its like i drew 0.3 ml instead of my prescribed 0.25 ml and i dont want to keep wasting medication, especially if this is avoidable 😓 is there any way to prevent this, or is it just bound to always happen?

I'm obviously not expecting a perfect draw of medication each time, but is it normal to be off by this much? I make sure to draw air equal to my dose into the vials, but it doesn't seem to be doing much....

Sorry if this is stupid, I'm just kinda paranoid about running out of t before my next appointment (+ im still trying to get used to shots). Regardless of the advice/ responses I get, I'm definitely going to make sure to ask my PCP about this, but I did want insight from other guys on injections

Attached are images of what remains after I inject my T

know my voice is lower, but I feel like it still sounds pretty feminine if I don’t have a side by side comparison. I’ve been really looking forward to people pointing out that my voice has changed, but it only happened once, when I was just a month or so on T, and never again. I’m waiting for more of a drop every day, and it’s lowkey killing me slowly. Let me know what you guys think.

My doctor told me to come in between shot days. Friday is my shot day, and usually try to schedule for Monday/Tuesday.

This is mostly out of curiosity and considering asking to can we check how low my levels get.

When I was in gel, I think my doctor went off 4hrs after applications for peak? Because it was also always in the morning.

I have unusually high levels just from the starting does for both and have been bumped a little lower which still kept me in the highest end.

Idk why I never really thought to ask before, so it’ll be a question at my next appointment. If anyone else asked their doctor why they choose specific days like mid shot cycle or trough period I’d be curious to know what they said. I know a lot of info that first comes up is for cis guy.

Also, if you’ve been on other types of test and had different testing schedule than injections, feel free to share.

Hi everyone,

I’m a 20 year old ftm and I’ve been on testosterone for about 6 months now. I was on tgel at 40.25 dose so two pumps a day for 5 months but I was still getting my period and voice hasn’t dropped (levels were 6.5 nmol when checked 20 hours after application) so I switched over to injections 1ml of sustanon every 28 days last month.
So far I’ve noticed no difference in how I feel/changes with the injections.
The changes I’ve experienced are bottom growth, slight more hair growth, start of a mustache shadow (I’m Latino tho so keep that in mind) and being very warm all the time.
My voice hasn’t dropped at all and I’m still getting my periods etc so I’m a bit worried.
Ideally I want to be passing by 1.3 years on it as I’ll be starting school placement as a student teacher and I’d rather not have to explain to kids that I’m trans/getting misgendered etc.
Should I be worried ? When did your voice drop? Can I expect to pass by then?
Any advice appreciated.
Thanks!

Hi all! Basically just what the title asks. I started college in September and every new person I meet perceives me as a masc lesbian bc my face is very soft and feminine. I've been on T for two months on the 27th and I haven't noticed anything with my face shape yet. Was just wondering when that would begin to look different. Oh and voice! When did your voice begin to drop?

I'm a 24-year-old male, and my total testosterone level was 335 ng/dL (11.61 nmol/L) in a blood test taken at 8 AM. The lab's reference range was 6.64–23.23 nmol/L.

I've been experiencing low libido and rarely get morning erections, so I'm wondering whether my testosterone level could be contributing to these symptoms.

My questions:

Is 335 ng/dL considered low for someone my age, or is it within a normal range?

Should I repeat the morning testosterone test to confirm the result?

Would checking free testosterone, SHBG, LH, and FSH be helpful?

What lifestyle changes can help optimize testosterone naturally, particularly through sleep, diet, exercise, and stress management?

Are there any supplements that genuinely help increase testosterone, or are most of them unnecessary unless you have a deficiency?

Could low libido and a lack of morning erections have other causes even if testosterone is within the normal range?

I'm not looking to self-diagnose or jump straight into testosterone treatment. I'd like to understand my results, investigate possible underlying causes, and improve my levels naturally if there's room for improvement.

Hey guys, I’m planning to get back on T soon through planned parenthood. I plan to use CVS and pay out of pocket for the prescription. I use a goodrx discount. When I was previously on gel, it was around 40/ month. I’m not sure how it would be now. I was wondering if anyone knows if it would be more expensive to get gel or injections? I’ve been thinking about switching to injections simply so I don’t have to apply gel all the time and can just do a weekly shot but if it is less expensive to be on gel, I may just stick to that. I’m in West Virginia if that matters.

Separate question, how old would you guess I am?

This is about 2 days after shaving. I’m excited to see it all come in, but this in between stage is horrible lol. I also have a weird spot where it seems completely bald??? 😭 highlighted in the second image. Shaving every day isn’t really viable because it’s coming back as a shadow within a few hours, and it’s extremely itchy and annoying. I think I’m gonna grow it out and start waxing to see if that helps with the irritation.

Question; Surely it gets better with time right? If you were super patchy like this after starting T, when did it get better? I really want a full beard but I know this takes time so I’m open to any advice on either removing the hair and avoiding fast, painful/itchy regrowth… or finding a way for it to grow in fuller and faster. I’m looking into Minoxidil but I have cats so it makes me nervous. Any alternatives would be much appreciated.

The universe said “here have a 30° morning 😌” because I tried on my beanie yesterday and FINALLY, loved it.

Question about injections (UK)

I'm in the UK and receive my prescription (Nebido 4ml/11 weeks) through the NHS. I moved to Nebido from Sustanon because I struggled with consistency and wanted somebody else to administer it so I wouldn't forget. I'm awaiting a top surgery referral via Nottingham, so I'm well into the NHS process however, I'm dissatisfied with the care and am considering DIY hormones again. I don't want to be removed from the NHS which is my biggest concern. I lack the funds for top surgery so the waiting out the NHS option is where I’m at rn. I recognise the advantages of injecting shorter ester testosterone more often, for example, daily, so my full dose is spread across the three weeks before the next injection. I'm tired of my levels being so low (<10nmol) and having to reach that point before my next shot, it’s abhorrent. I felt so much better when I was injecting every other day but they refused to prescribe my next dose of Nebido because my levels were to high. Is there a way to circumnavigate this? Genuine replies only.

Open to brutal honesty and/or constructive criticism. What age/gender do I sound like? Seems like other guys have bigger changes by now.

I’m genuinely sooo happy to be on t like I can’t be more happy haha