MtF HRT Woes

[rainflower]

I'm a bit frustrated with my HRT regimen. I'm on a higher dose of estradiol pill just to get into the ~120 range for estradiol (and sometimes it would dip into the 90's). My T is fine, it is always lower than 30. I was struggling with some side effects that I thought might be HRT related. So, about a month ago I halved my spiro dose, lowered the estradiol by a small amount, and added ______ prometrium at night. After about three weeks I wasn't feeling very good, so I upped my estradiol again, then started feeling better. I had labs today and my E was only 59  What the heck happened?? I feel like it is so hard for me to get into that 100-200 range. At one point a while ago I just wanted to give up. Has anyone else had an experience like this? I just don't know what to do...

Edited February 20, 2021 by Carolyn Marie
Redacted dosage information, per Community Rules

[VickySGV]

Each of us is different, and worrying about your levels, and more dangerously changing them without consulting your doctor is not going to help you as most of us have found out.  It takes 3 to 6 months for the hormones to start working, and once working it takes time for the body to put them to use as they would have if you had had a female puberty which in my Cis daughters ran from age 11 in one to age 25, and age 9 to 22 in my other one.  It takes time for your body to learn to use the new hormones, they are not new gas in an old car.  I have always been on a dose most of my friends thought would be ineffective, but my development and change kept pace with their sky high stuff and I am happy as can be today.  You will develop faster by letting the 'mones do their thing when you aren't looking.  (Sort of like the old "A watched pot never boils saying. I have been on hormones for close to 12 years now FYI.

[Jackie C.]

Seconded. My Endo tells me to follow a pill regimen and as far as I'm concerned that is direct from the lips of the Goddess to my ears. Though my endo said about two months for a dosage change to take effect. If there's a problem of any kind, make sure that your endo knows about it and follow their advice. That's what you pay them for after all.

 

Personally, my dose is pretty typical. It's not fast by any means, but it's getting me to where I want to be and I feel fantastic. So yeah, communication. Tell your endo about any problems you're having when they arise and then follow their instructions. They are there to look out for you.

 

Hugs!

[ValerieRun]

Talk to your endo and if you can deal with needles, ask to switch to injectable form. Injections are highly effective and as a side bonus you might be able to forgo spiro. 

[Charlize]

Please do listen to your doctor.  As several folks have already said puberty takes time.  That time also varies between people.  Trying to speed up the process is certainly understandable.  I know i was tempted to push just like a child who wants to grow up so they can do the "fun" stuff.   Pushing the process is often what causes the dangers HRT can cause.  

This site exists in part because of the terrible side effects others had experienced.  Slow down and enjoy the journey.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Jani]

3 hours ago, Charlize said:

Please do listen to your doctor.  As several folks have already said puberty takes time.  That time also varies between people.  

I struggled to get higher numbers but I saw changes so follow your doctors instructions and trust your body will respond. 

[rainflower]

Thanks for the replies. I think there is a misunderstanding. I'm not trying to megadose or rush things. I'm just trying to get into the WPATH recommended range of 100-200 pg/ml Estradiol. I'm worried about being at far less than the minimum, which is 100 (and my labs yesterday showed a 59, which strangely is even lower than my first 90 days on hrt with a low dose of Estradiol, I was at almost 70). All the changes I've made have been in communication with my endocrinologist. I was trying to mitigate side effects, which I'm not sure are caused by the HRT now (my endocrinologist didn't think they were, I think he is frustrated with me wanted to change things). Maybe I should just drop the progesterone and go back to my original spiro dose, which was higher. I was getting good results (not really breast wise tho), but I kept reading things online and all the mass conflicting info about hrt really messed me up.

[rainflower]

Also it doesn't help that there is some scary info out there, like basically if you do your HRT wrong you can mess up your breast growth.

[Susan R]

1 hour ago, AwesomeClaire said:

my labs yesterday showed a 59, which strangely is even lower than my first 90 days on hrt with a low dose of Estradiol, I was at almost 70

I was worried too when I first started. It does take time. Vicky mentioned it takes 3-6 months to get your levels to where your endo wants them. It took me a little over 6 months before it got there and because of dosage adjustments and changes in method of ingestion/absorption, it took even longer to stabilize.

 

Susan R?

[Jackie C.]

1 hour ago, AwesomeClaire said:

Maybe I should just drop the progesterone and go back to my original spiro dose, which was higher.

 

My endo has said to me that progesterone isn't for everybody. I'm getting good results with it, but two other patients stopped taking it on the same day I asked. She specifically said she doesn't prescribe it unless somebody asks for it because the results are so varied.

 

1 hour ago, AwesomeClaire said:

Also it doesn't help that there is some scary info out there, like basically if you do your HRT wrong you can mess up your breast growth.

 

I've read that too, which can be maddening because breast growth can be so gradual, especially in older gals. I think we're all hoping we're that one girl from school who came back from summer vacation with D cups. You need to remember that it was maybe one or two girls who got that early visit from the breast fairy. The rest of us have to wait. I keep reminding myself that I was a late bloomer the first time around. There's no reason to expect that I'd be any faster for second puberty.

 

Work on your trans-girl zen. "All things in good time. Nature will come to me when she is ready. This is fine. I am at peace."

 

Then after 3-5 years, get breast augmentation if you're still not happy. Implants exist for a reason.

 

Hugs!

[rainflower]

Thanks, I will try to be more patient. What good results have you got with it?

[Jackie C.]

1 hour ago, AwesomeClaire said:

Thanks, I will try to be more patient. What good results have you got with it?

 

The waters of my femininity have grown deeper. The mental effects have been subtle, but profound. Breast growth has continued and I feel fantastic. It's hard to describe but it increases my feelings of being "right." I love it lots.

 

An intersex friend of mine describes it (she gets a progesterone shot every couple of months to stimulate menses) as making her feel more like a girl for a couple of weeks.

 

But like I said, others have described it as being "too intense" so mileage varies wildly. It works for me. My friend needs it to reduce the risk of uterine cancer. Other people don't care for it at all.

 

Hugs!

[rainflower]

Hm, ok. I'm not sure how I feel on it yet. I think I feel less feminine on it actually. But then, I never had a lot of the effects many others talk about from HRT in general, such as the emotional changes, feeling things deeper, intense orgasms, etc. I feel like HRT just made me look a little more like a girl and made a me a little more moody.

[Jackie C.]

The changes can be subtle, but they deepen with time. I mean puberty takes years and some of us take to it faster than others. I mean with round one, I didn't start to fill out until my 20s. Heck, my voice didn't start to change until I was fifteen and that was while I was taking massive doses of steroids (and they were massive, like unsafe for human consumption massive) for my autoimmune problems.

 

Give it a minute. Your endo will eventually work out a dosage plan that works for you. We're all a little different so there's some hit and miss with dosing. That's one of the reasons we have our rule about not putting the dosages of our medication in posts. What works for you might give me liver damage while what works for me might not work for you at all.

 

Hugs!