Yo!! Got in contact with my endo today - told me to call him again at the end of the month to schedule an appointment because he's away. But!! Yooo first contact with the endo!!! Ahem. Anyway ) What are some things I should ask on my first appointment? I know it's at least 2 weeks from now, but I'd like to make a list and be prepared. For now, the questions I was thinking of asking cover what health risks there are, routine appointments, what to expect timeline wise, differences between different types of T, emotional changes that might appear. What's something else that could be important here?
When I can finally see a doc about T I'm asking a lot of questions. One part will definitely be about hair loss, others would include my chest, facial hair, bottom growth, and my voice. Also things like guy's puberty and what to expect, because that's basically what happens when you start T. It sounds like you already thought of all this though, and this post might be redundant. Other people who are already on hormones will have better input than me.
Congrats! You might want to ask how you'll be administering the T; subq or intramuscular (if you do injections) and all the places you are able to inject. Also, remember to rotate injection sites so you don't end up with build-ups of fatty tissue. You may want to ask if the pharmacy will show you the first couple times on how to do it properly. There has been shortages of testosterone every now and then, if you're prescribed one where there may be a shortage, you may want to ask if there's other types that will be prescribed if that happens. Cypionate, Propionate, Enanthate are the common ones you'll likely be prescribed. What form of T will you be on? Gel, injections (subq, intramuscular), patches? How much will it cost? Will insurance cover it, will it be covered by government health insurance, or will you have to pay out of pocket? How long will one vial/container/pack last? Where will you get your supplies (needles, syringes, alcohol swabs, etc)? If you have any other questions about being on T or something else you wanted to ask, I've been on T for over a year.
I've been to endo, but so far I've just done the blood tests to see, if it would be all right for me to even start. My next appointment is at 2024 after I've seen the committee, so this thread gives me ideas too. I still don't know how this all works. All I know is that not all the options of different forms of T might not available in your country, so sometimes it may need to be ordered in.
Nah, you're all good, I appreciate your post Thanks, this is very helpful One of my main concerns is being unable to regulate my emotions properly until my body gets used to the new hormones and until we get the right dose for me. I've heard some guys struggling a lot with that. Has that been an issue for you?
I don't recall emotional regulation being an issue for me, personally. My endo initially put me on a lower starting dose and we gradually increased it until I'm at the dose I am currently. You should be getting blood work done every few months when you're just starting for your endo to see how your body's reacting and adjust your dose accordingly. One thing that really spiked for me was my sex drive, though it has evened back out now. Facial hair and body hair are dependant on your genetics. You may get it in your first year or it may come much later. Look at the males in your family if you want to get an idea. Same with male pattern baldness. Your hairline will masculinize and some hair will fall out which may be a little distressing. If it's really causing you distress I know some guys ask to be prescribed Finasteride. The first thing I noticed, and many other people noticed the same thing when starting T, was bottom growth. Voice dropping usually takes a few months. You may notice your throat get raspy and sore. Some guys notice their smell change, though one thing I personally noticed was I sweat more and much easier.
Definitely! Thanks I keep randomly remembering I'll actually fucking be on T in a a few months. Like actually be on T. This is real. And i get so damn happy.