3 ms·

For actual biohacking, stay in touch with your GP, an endocrinologist, and the folks on /r/transdiy. Beyond that, I would say that most things that aren't mela

by fao_ 9y ago

For actual biohacking, stay in touch with your GP, an endocrinologist, and the folks on /r/transdiy. Beyond that, I would say that most things that aren't melatonin are either not studied adequately enough (Including the problems with withholding negative results in the medicine industry), or too addictive to be of much use (See: nicotine).

marcofatica 9y ago
> /r/transdiy Please don't promote communities like this
- jrq 9y ago
  I thought this was trans as is transhumanism at first, for whatever reason. Scary to think what people just buy off the Internet and ingest! Edit: I'm not parent commenter btw, just checked the link out to see what it was about
- piracy1 9y ago
  I've never heard of it. What makes it so bad? Edit: Ah, it seems to be people transitioning but doing so without the aid of a doctor. I mean, you shouldn't do it for obvious safety reasons but if you've decided you're doing it, a community of like-minded people is marginally better than nothing, at least you can learn some things that definitely don't work.
  - fao_ 9y ago
    > Ah, it seems to be people transitioning but doing so without the aid of a doctor. No. The number one piece of advice on the site is to see a GP and endo for monthy blood testing of certain specific markers to ensure that everything is fine. The reason the community exists is because for many people the local (and usually arbitrary) rules put on transitioning are ridiculous, and even after fulfilling those points the health service makes them wait typically over three years for hormone replacement therapy. Given that HRT is a critical aspect of treatment, and almost completely safe, for many people on /r/transDIY it's a hopeful alternative to ending it early. (HRT has ridiculous rates of success compared to other contemporary medical treatments: https://twitter.com/GenderCareDrL/status/820672719473770496 https://twitter.com/GenderCareDrL/status/820672719473770496)
    - qwerty456127 9y ago
      > Given that HRT is a critical aspect of treatment, and almost completely safe Doesn't taking hormones damage the glands that produce them endogenously?
- qwerty456127 9y ago
  Why not? It may happen to be curious. And every kind of DIY bio-hacking community site may happen to contain some potentially useful data. Surely it has serious chances to be dangerous but I believe the audience of HN is smart enough to separate curious from stupid, double-check the curious with relevant scientific publication and other sources and be reasonably skeptic and sufficiently careful about trying it on themselves. So... surely stuff like this should not be mentioned among kids but I can see nothing wrong in mentioning them among hackers.

by fao_ 9y ago

marcofatica 9y ago

> /r/transdiy Please don't promote communities like this

jrq 9y ago
I thought this was trans as is transhumanism at first, for whatever reason. Scary to think what people just buy off the Internet and ingest! Edit: I'm not parent commenter btw, just checked the link out to see what it was about
piracy1 9y ago
I've never heard of it. What makes it so bad? Edit: Ah, it seems to be people transitioning but doing so without the aid of a doctor. I mean, you shouldn't do it for obvious safety reasons but if you've decided you're doing it, a community of like-minded people is marginally better than nothing, at least you can learn some things that definitely don't work.
- fao_ 9y ago
  > Ah, it seems to be people transitioning but doing so without the aid of a doctor. No. The number one piece of advice on the site is to see a GP and endo for monthy blood testing of certain specific markers to ensure that everything is fine. The reason the community exists is because for many people the local (and usually arbitrary) rules put on transitioning are ridiculous, and even after fulfilling those points the health service makes them wait typically over three years for hormone replacement therapy. Given that HRT is a critical aspect of treatment, and almost completely safe, for many people on /r/transDIY it's a hopeful alternative to ending it early. (HRT has ridiculous rates of success compared to other contemporary medical treatments: https://twitter.com/GenderCareDrL/status/820672719473770496 https://twitter.com/GenderCareDrL/status/820672719473770496)
  - qwerty456127 9y ago
    > Given that HRT is a critical aspect of treatment, and almost completely safe Doesn't taking hormones damage the glands that produce them endogenously?
qwerty456127 9y ago
Why not? It may happen to be curious. And every kind of DIY bio-hacking community site may happen to contain some potentially useful data. Surely it has serious chances to be dangerous but I believe the audience of HN is smart enough to separate curious from stupid, double-check the curious with relevant scientific publication and other sources and be reasonably skeptic and sufficiently careful about trying it on themselves. So... surely stuff like this should not be mentioned among kids but I can see nothing wrong in mentioning them among hackers.