Buying hormones from overseas

[Carol]

Well in another life I had something to do with controlling imports of hormones. Unless the law has changed it was seriously wrong to import male hormones (performance enhancing for athletes) but perfectly OK to import female hormones. Go figure.
I’ve used what Amanda calls the coloured creams from Transformation in the UK and they did have a small effect but when I finally bucked up the courage to talk to a GP and got a legit prescription it was all so much easier and so much more effective. Not to mention safer. If you can’t trust your local GP try one of the LGBT oriented practices (there’s no rule against having two GPs) such as the Taylor Square Medical Centre in Sydney.

[Adrian]

Since the thread is about importing hormones I’ll try to stay on topic – though there is much I could say off the topic.

It would appear that the majority of gender diverse males do not intend or wish to modify their physical sex to align closer with their inner gender. For this large section of the community there is no need to take hormones in the quantity that is traditionally prescribed for those intending to change their sex by surgery. Much of the advice offered in the context of transitioning physical sex may not be necessarily relevant.

However, if you think you want to transition in the narrow sense of the word and ultimately change your sex then importing hormones from http://www.inhousepharmacy-europe.com will probably send you broke. You will need hormones applied in such high levels that it would be suicidal to go for a DIY approach.
It may be legal, and it may be convenient, but it sure isn’t cheap! If it doesn’t kill you it will bankrupt you!

However there is a dirth of success stories published from those who take hormones without any intention or need for surgery, at a hopefully lower, and presumably safer dose. I know it happens widely – we just don’t talk about it.

I detect there is some peer pressure in the community to not acknowledge this as being legitimate, and so anecdotal evidence is hard to come by.
But is a legitimate treatment in the WPATH standards of care.

Quote:

Some people seek maximum feminization/
masculinization, while others experience relief with an androgynous presentation resulting from
hormonal minimization of existing secondary sex characteristics (Factor & Rothblum, 2008).

Quote:

Hormone therapy can provide significant comfort to patients who do not wish to make
a social gender role transition or undergo surgery, or who are unable to do so (Meyer III, 2009).

For as long as we can’t or won’t talk openly about the use of homones in this wider context of transitioning,
and for as long as the feeling that going to a doctor/endo will enroll you in a medical pathway that does not address your needs,
then the DIY/self importing will continue.

The issue with importing for “comfort” is to determine what constitutes a low dose. Most people seem to just guess – you won’t find any guidance on the overseas pharmacy sites.
A low dose from inhousepharmacy is going to cost you about $600 a year.
What if you don’t get results? Will you up the dose?
Will you wait a bit longer? Will you go to a GP?

My observation is that as a community we are very impatient and want instant results. We want breasts to grow in weeks. We want surgery straight away. That is our Achilles’ heel – it is our “maleness” coming through!

In my experience using an off-shore pharmacy such as inhousepharmacy is not a risk. The quality of their products is high. The risk lies elsewhere.
So much about the safety of importing depends on the individual, and their attitudes. Only you can make the decision if you have the health and attitudes to achieve the results you want safely.

Moderator

Quote:

WARNING
TgR is not a medical forum and any comments you may read in TgR forums are only the opinions of the member posting. You should not assume that a posting on TgR implies any verification or independent review and whilst the advice is honestly offered it is made without knowledge of your particular medical conditions. You should always seek professional medical advice before taking any action that might affect your health.

[Anonymous]

I so much agree with Amanda here, i started my transitioning self medicating and took the biggest risk of my life. Now my “Endo” is in charge and i have progress dramatically, instead of pills ect. iam now on Gel and implant which is much safer and effective. I can understand why we do it, depending on geographical areas we live in is very hard to find a Doctor (which he has to refer to an specialist) that is friendly and understand how we feel. I actually went to a sex clinic in Liverpool and the Doctor there was at a lost as he put it, you are the first transgender that has come in for help! the only other one they see has HIV, anyway he said if i wanted to talk to the psychologist and then it went on from there…..

[Raylene]

I have used the Inhouse pharmacy on a regular basis and have had no problems.
With self medicating it is better to stay away from tablets, especially with estrogen, as this can endanger general health.
I use Sandrena gel daily (estrogen) and also take a low dose anti-androgen tablet.
The Transgender-care website, (medical feminising program) correctly asserts that using anti-androgens to reduce maleness in tandem with daily estrogen, gives better results than estrogen therapy alone.
TG girls have to decide if they want to maintain erections for their sex life.
Hormone therapy used to get the fastest results will also result in the fastest loss of lobido. So this is only recommended for those girls who fully intend to transition by operation.
Be careful girls, your life is in you hands. Will your intentions now still be valid when you reach your retirement years, if you are still around?

[Anonymous]

I’ve been using an Indian on-line pharmacy, and have had no problems with the quality or supply-times. Customs has opened many of the shipments and so far, has removed nothing. This includes the injectable Progynon Depot which I’ve settled on for the moment.
Interestingly, the tablet form, Progynova 2mg is half the price in Australia than overseas !

My GP has given me a script/3 repeats for the pills, reluctantly, but at least he’s now in the ‘treatment loop’ now. I was terrified of his potential reaction, using the excuse of prostate reduction… but I suspect he knows…

[Adrian]

Jeanette wrote:

I’ve been using an Indian on-line pharmacy, and have had no problems with the quality …

Which begs a question..

How do we as consumers assess the quality of a drug bought over the internet.

After having received some very dodgy looking Indian generics on-line I don’t go there any more. Not because I know the generic can be poor quality, but rather because I have no way of knowing it is OK.

Other on-line pharmacies sell branded product from Europe and other countries where there is a strong medical regulatory regime. That’s the best I can find in terms of an implicit statement of quality. Its the same stuff as pharmacies sell here in Australia.

The truth seems to be that you don’t actually know about the quality of a medicine unless it kills you – and that is a bit late.

[Anonymous]

Ladies,

Just to make you aware, schedule 4 medications, i.e. those that require a prescription here are prohibited imports and you may be subject to seizure action and even prosecution on importation. Although it would be very unusual on a first importation, the possibility of prosecution does exist.

Hormones, androgynous and anabolic substances are targeted, think ASADA, Essendon, Cronulla…

This has been a community service announcement.

Cheers,

Donna

[Anonymous]

Thanks Donna,
Interesting, as in I’ve had several packages opened by HM Customs, inspected, and a nice note saying they haven’t taken anything. If I’d been thinking, I would have kept them, along with the packing list (from ADC). My last one had two packets (20 ampoules) of injectable Estrogen, and Dutasteride capsules.

Regarding quality:- Fair comment. Blatant counterfeiting is not unknown, and total fakes have been exposed, AFAIK.
However, some years ago when my health was less robust, I was buying my heart and diabetic meds from them, and if there was any doubt as to the active ingredients etc, I wouldn’t be here now. – They worked exactly as the locally bought, high-priced ones.
Not all medicines bought from India are made in India, as previously I’ve had some from Denmark, Italy and surprisingly, New Zealand.

Apart from the deliberate crooks, Indian patent laws are, as I understand them, different to the ‘West’. This allows them to use the same substances, but the process must be different, the reverse of ours…
Or, ‘buy the same leaf then Stir the tea anti-clockwise…- and call it Twnings’

Then there is price charged. One particular med back then was around $27 to me, but over $150 to the PBS. Same pills in the US averaged $225 per month.

I paid less than $8.60 per month. – Join the dots !

On the other hand, my prescription Progynova is half the price of the Indian-supplied one. Competition has done that.