Lactose is used in tablets and coated tablets as a filler, including in gender-affirming medication. For most people, it causes no issues, but for individuals with lactose intolerance, lactose allergies, or certain other sugar intolerances, even small amounts can lead to discomfort or other side effects. Lactose in a medicine is always listed in the official patient leaflet or Summary of Product Characteristics, which makes these documents a reliable way to check.
What to do if you need to avoid lactose
Always ask your pharmacist to check the excipients or inactive ingredients of the specific brand you’ll be using.
Check the package leaflet of the product you have and look for 'lactose', 'lactose monohydrate' etc.
If the necessary hormone medication contains lactose but you have an intolerance or allergy, there may be alternatives: different brands, formulations (e.g. gels, patches, injectables) that avoid tablets with lactose.