Ugh. Still having hormone issues.

[Kirsten]

Well I got my latest E number since starting injections. 85. ?. Still 85. It’s so stupid. She also did a lot of thyroid testing as well and although I’m in the “ok” range on them all, I seem to be just into the okay range on the low side. Like barely in on a couple. 

 

Now idk what any of that truly means. But it seems like it’s all part of why I am not getting hormone levels where they should be. It also causes depression I saw. And since my t scores went down to almost nothing, I have felt some of that. 

 

So still the work goes on to try and get my e levels in the range they should be at. I hope it’s not affecting my overall hrt results, but it probably is. It’s just not fair. Everything always has to be so bad for me. Extra hard. Full of weird issues. I feel doomed to fail. God I hate being me. 

[TommieAnne]

Just now, Kirsten said:

Well I got my latest E number since starting injections. 85. ?. Still 85. It’s so stupid. She also did a lot of thyroid testing as well and although I’m in the “ok” range on them all, I seem to be just into the okay range on the low side. Like barely in on a couple. 

 

Now idk what any of that truly means. But it seems like it’s all part of why I am not getting hormone levels where they should be. It also causes depression I saw. And since my t scores went down to almost nothing, I have felt some of that. 

 

So still the work goes on to try and get my e levels in the range they should be at. I hope it’s not affecting my overall hrt results, but it probably is. It’s just not fair. Everything always has to be so bad for me. Extra hard. Full of weird issues. I feel doomed to fail. God I hate being me. 

While I don't have any knowledge on the numbers, I can certainly relate to everything seeming to be extra hard.

I've had that feeling all my life - it seems like everyone else just breezes by while I have to work doubly hard to for the simplest things.

Sadly, life isn't very fair. But keep plugging away. You'll get there. Patience. Practice ("good practice" in the broad sense of how you live you life). In the end, this all works out. I'm convinced of that.

[Kirsten]

I am pretty sure the levels play some part. I know when I started I was told that I could go with a low dose regimen and see less results. Seems I have no choice. Even with a normal dose. 

[VickySGV]

I am an example of age not being as big a factor as feared.  Genetics on the other hand were highly predictive though.  I have inherited the main family photo collection that included pictures of my sisters and first cousins as pre-teen and teens, and my development took the same space of  years to get to where they ended up on what was a low blood level of HRT.  I actually showed them to me Endo, and she and I both had to chuckle and she once again pointed out to me that it is the hormone absorbed by the receptors that does the job, not just the total amount in the blood stream.  I am  the same boob size as one sister and a bit bigger than the other.  My cousins also were in the B category and  both of my grandmothers were also small busted.   

[Jani]

My numbers pre-GRS and even after have never been super high.  While I was focusing on the number my doctor stressed whether the estrogen was working and I was getting desired effects, which I was.  We all react differently and our bodies assimilate the drugs as they will, not is some prescribed manner.  I have to agree that the receptors are the key element.

 

Jani

[Kirsten]

How do you know if the receptors are doing their jobs? Is that what all these other tests are about? Prolactin, t4 free serum, tsh 3rd generation? They all say they have something to do with the thyroid and they all put me on the edges of normal. She said she would talk to me at our  appointment in 2 weeks, but  I am all sorts of nervous. I assume it’s nothing life threatening or anything like that, but i have the feeling it’s not good either.  I keep asking if others have seen anything like what I’m going thru and nobody says yes. I am really in the dark. ?

Edited August 2, 2019 by VickySGV
poster's edit request.

[Jani]

Please don't fret @Kirsten you'll be fine.  I also used to deep dive into the results and both my doctors (primary and endo) have rarely discussed results beyond what was important at the time.  Many times I've found it was that I needed to hydrate better or to avoid (reduce) certain food types (potassium for instance).  

 

I think you're not getting comments because 1) we're all different and 2) not everyone deep dives into results.  Stay focused on listening to your doctor and making sure you communicate any changes that are out of the ordinary that you may experience.  I don't know if you read the data that comes with the medicine but always give it a quick scan to understand what you're taking.  Obviously a lot of the "reactions" are not common.

 

TLDR: Don't fret.  Turn on the light.?

 

Cheers, Jani

[Kirsten]

Yeah I don’t mind the regular tests. I don’t look at those results. Just to see that things are in the normal ranges. And they always are. These tests are not regular tests. I have never been tested for any of those. It’s not typical hrt stuff. They took extra viles of blood and it’s all endocrine system specific tests. Not hormone specific tests. 

 And it’s very unnerving that I had these extra tests. And it seems nobody else has had them. Or even heard of them. So now it’s more unnerving. The only reason to have them is because of a possible issue. 

[Jani]

2 hours ago, Kirsten said:

And it seems nobody else has had them. Or even heard of them. So now it’s more unnerving. The only reason to have them is because of a possible issue. 

Not so.  We don't all speak of non-hrt testing.  These are done for various reasons, such as to set a baseline for later in life.  The reason is not always to look for trouble.  Unless you've complained about something specific to your doctor.   I don't recall you mentioning if your prescribing doctor was an Endo or General Practitioner.  That may also be reason for their approach.  

 

Jani 

[VickySGV]

I decided to make my own post on the medical test issues over in this topic:

 

https://www.transgenderpulse.com/forums/topic/78012-blood-and-hormones-the-tests-go-on/?tab=comments#comment-698925

 

I have had a few of the tests you talk about in the past, and  @Jani is right about some of them being "Baseline" tests while you are healthy, to be able to see what changes if you do start feeling sick or they see something down the road. 

[Kirsten]

Thanks Vicky. I am pretty sure my tests are because of issues I have getting estrogen into my body. She’s gone up on my dose 3 times now and I still carry the same numbers as when I started. It’s like my endocrine system has a backup of some kind. Or a lockout or something. And that’s the body system that regulated hormones. 

So from what I can gather, she is trying to find the cause. That is why I had the extra tests. In essence they are to compare to what “normal” should be. As I said I barely register on 2 and I am almost past on the other. And form what I see it means there’s possibly an issue. 

But she has gotten back to me and says nothing is out of whack, there’s no issue that will cause me to have to stop (which was what I was most fearing), and we will talk in 2 weeks. 

 

Jani, I started seeing an endocrinologist in March. These are her tests like I said because things weren’t going up like they should’ve. ????

[Charlize]

I'm  glad to read that you don't have to stop and that other tests show no abnormality.  Hopefully in a couple of weeks your body will able to respond to the therapy.  I think we all respond differently and that is one reason testing and an informed doctor are so important.  I can also understand your frustration.  Give it time and hopefully everything will move on positively.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize