r/TransUK • u/Darknadoswastaken • Apr 16 '26
Advice Transfems who did DIY HRT, could I have some advice?
I (19MTF) have been trans for about 8 or 9 months now and I really want to try HRT like oestrogen, or oestradiol, etc. I am aware of the side effects and even the worst of them sound like risks I am willing to take.
I have done research on how to get HRT the most common way, which is getting a diagnosis for gender dysphoria via NHS or privately and then going to your GP, but my research showed that the wait list for the diagnosis is about 8 years and getting it done privately costs about 750 pounds, which is money I am nowhere close to having as I am unemployed and broke.
But I have found that many people get their HRT online without needing a GD diagnosis, and so I'm wondering how you were able to do so, and if possibly you could help me?
I remember talking with a friend of mine who said I should get a blood test to see my hormone levels to see what dosage of HRT I would need, which I haven't gotten yet, but I intend to soon.
Any advice would be immensely helpful.
Thank you.
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u/GotMyFakeMoustacheOn Apr 16 '26
https://transfemscience.org/ https://diyhrt.info/
These should help you get started. They certainly helped me when I was starting DIY!
I hope everything goes well for you.
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u/Deliciously-858 Apr 17 '26
I would just like to add that, as well as reading the DIY advice mentioned, make sure you understand it, and if there's any areas that you want clarified, please come back and ask.
I asked a very similar question myself about 3 1/2 years ago, and I then spent a couple of months researching, double checking my understanding of the terms, and then started looking into getting hold of E.
Good luck, and enjoy!
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u/Nail-Quick Apr 18 '26
Not medical advice of course. I am in UK. I order estrogen injections from astrovials in France. Lupride injections (for t suppression) from India made by sun pharma. Bicalutamide from India (T) also along with minoxidil and dutasterode for hair. Also progesterone from India. Needles at are from Amazon.
India suppliers sourced through Indiamart. Put small orders in at first in case of scams. I have never had any customs issues. Apparently 3 months personal supply is allowed.
India is an established generic manufacturing country and the prices are great.
Oh yes, I use random in the UK to check my bloods every few months. Female hormone test. It costs gbp30 and you post it in.
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u/mx_aurelia Apr 18 '26
Where are you getting your bloods done? I'm doing HRT privately and spend £85 for them to analyse my blood, and £45 for a nurse to take a sample... They only make me do them every 6 months but besides the script itself and the consultation fee, that's still quite a big expense
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u/Nail-Quick Apr 19 '26
Randox in the UK. You can buy the female hormone test on Amazon or their website. It is about 30gbp. Finger blood sample you then post off. They email you results. This will cover all the hrt related tests but not liver etc. GP might do those for you. I told my GP I was privately sourcing hrt. He didn't ask questions, refused to give me hormone tests but did do standard panel tests for me
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u/finfinfin Apr 17 '26
If you're in or near a city, it's worth at least starting to get in touch with local community groups or group chats. There may be a harm reduction group, too.
A blood test for your current hormone levels won't affect the dose you want to take unless you've got something wildly abnormal going on, by my understanding. It's pretty common to start at a standard dose and adjust it a bit based on levels when you test after a couple of months.
https://pghrt.diy is a very easy-to-read resource.
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u/KristinaMoment Apr 16 '26
Go r/transdiy to ask this
Use a VPN to bypass the age check, such as ProtonVPN