Stopping Hrt

[Guest MonikaC]

It has been a few days now since I've had to stop HRT, and I've been noticing some unusual things happen. It's nothing major. My feelings are even more random then when I was taking my hormones. When I was taking them, I could find a cause for why I started to feel over the top giddy, or started to break down and wanted to cry. Last night and today though, I have been getting random feelings of sadness. When I think about it, there is nothing really causing the sadness, I just get sad. On top of that I've been having very vivid scenes play out in my mind. They seem so life like and the subject matter has no basis in how I really feel, or would be anything I would actually do. But i can see every detail of it happening as if I were actually there witnessing it. This has happened a few times last night and today, and it is not like anything I've experienced before.

Has anyone experienced this when stopping HRT or any other time for that matter?

Monika

[JJ]

Monika,

Of course I've never been on HRT but do have lots of involuntary experience with estrogen fluctuations and it causes an emotional roller coaster. Estrogen is know to have a huge effect on emotions - think PMS, menopause & pregnancy-all of the infamous symptoms are effects of hormone fluctuations. And, other potentially fatal side effects aside, are one of the major reasons not to self medicate.

Of course these effects vary greatly from person to person but I would recommend making Dr. appointment and explaining the situation because hormones are very powerful and suddenly stopping can be a really rough ride from what I have heard.

Hugs

John

[Guest Donna Jean]

.

Monika......

Stopping and starting HRt can have some effects....

Once I got on, I've not stopped for anything...

Are you going to start back up again?

Huggs

Donna Jean

[Guest MonikaC]

Thanks John. I just feels weird because there doesn't seem to be a root cause for the emotion. I was raised with two older sisters and my mother, have lived with my wife for 11 years and watched all of them experience their natural hormone fluctuations. They all experience drastic mood swings, but there always seems to either be a catalyst for their mood changing such as they can't find the socks they wanted to wear, or after their mood changes they find some reason to be in yheir current mood, like they start to get grumpy and then remember the one thing you did wrong two months ago. I know those are both stereotypes and I mean no offense by them, I just wanted to illustrate that there was always something else there other than just the emotion. With me, its just been the emotion, with nothing else there. Like I would be feel sad, but not be sad. I don't know if that makes sense. And I have NEVER had anything happen like the "visions" that I have had.

Either way, I'm going to see my therapist today to pick up my HRT letter, so this should all be a distant memory before to long.

[JJ]

Since even once you have the letter it can take awhile with an endo. appointment and getting blood work done and all I would still recommend seeing your Dr. Your body doesn't produce estrogen naturally so stopping causes something much more drastic than a fluctuation and I have heard of some extreme symptoms in people who have hysterectomies for example and don't take their hormones. It's not permanent but it can be serious. Even with the fluctuations the feelings are there-the triggers just bring about a display but the emotions are already all stirred up.

I realize you may not want to come out to your Dr. yet so you may want to go to a different Dr. but if you are going on HRT anyway you will need to be monitored and everything so it might not be a bad time to come out to your Dr. if you haven't. They have to keep it confidential anyway.

Hugs

John

[Drea]

It has been a few days now since I've had to stop HRT, and I've been noticing some unusual things happen.

If its only a few days as you say, that hardly seems like enough time for the hormones you have taken to work out of your system.

In my experience, starting, stoping, change in dosage or mix of hormones tended unsettle my emotions. The effect was usually noted from a few days up to a couple weeks after the change.

The visions and stuff I don't know about. That would be something to ask your doctor about.

[Guest Elizabeth K]

Well - in the almost two years oh HRT I have not really missed a dose - I am on extremely low dosages, anyway - still getting great results.

BUT I was getting those 'sad-for-no-reason' blues for a while. My doctor upped my estrogen slightly and it went away.

We newly minted girls seem to be really sensitive when we get even the slightest variations. So it happens and we are not as accustomed to it as someone who has had natural variations most of their life.

So I think what you are having is probably a natural reaction - even those vivid illusions. I get those when on my progesterone (10 days a month). BUT mention it to your doctor, especially if it gets worse. Hang in there - get on a regular regimine - get balanced and see if it works better. It takes a bit of monitoring to get where things are correct for you - another reason to ONLY use HRT, esecially estrogen, under medical supervision.

My thoughts...

Lizzy

[Guest MonikaC]

Thank you all for the advice and help. When I first started going to my doctor, I let him know that I was trans. I'm not sure if he remembered it as I haven't said anything about it since. I just called him and talked a little about what was going on. He said it was most likely due to another medication I am taking to help me loose weight. Apparently suicidal thought and/or tendencies are one possible side effect. That explains a lot. I wish I would have known that before so I didn't think I was loosing my mind a bit. He did say that what I described was outside of normal for that side effect though as I wasn't suicidal, I just saw it happen in my mind in very vivid detail as if I were there watching it happen. If it continues, he wants me to go in for some tests and to switch medicine, but for now he doesn't think there is much to worry about. He also said that once I start HRT again we may want to switch anyway to make sure this doesn't continue. He also said that my feeling sad is probably also related to the medicine as it has been known to affect your mood. That is probably why I felt sad, but wasn't sad at the same time.

Thanks again for all your advice! I probably wouldn't have called my doc without all of you!

Monika

[Guest JoanneL]

You should come off the hormones gradually

Thanks John. I just feels weird because there doesn't seem to be a root cause for the emotion. I was raised with two older sisters and my mother, have lived with my wife for 11 years and watched all of them experience their natural hormone fluctuations. They all experience drastic mood swings, but there always seems to either be a catalyst for their mood changing such as they can't find the socks they wanted to wear, or after their mood changes they find some reason to be in yheir current mood, like they start to get grumpy and then remember the one thing you did wrong two months ago. I know those are both stereotypes and I mean no offense by them, I just wanted to illustrate that there was always something else there other than just the emotion. With me, its just been the emotion, with nothing else there. Like I would be feel sad, but not be sad. I don't know if that makes sense. And I have NEVER had anything happen like the "visions" that I have had.

Either way, I'm going to see my therapist today to pick up my HRT letter, so this should all be a distant memory before to long.