Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

HRT and heart disease


Charlize

Recommended Posts

On 4/19/2012 at 5:59 PM, Guest Melissa.1957 said:

Dr. Becky Allison discusses the study and how it relates to MtF woman. Dr. Allison is a cardiologist and a transwoman. It is a very good read

http://www.drbecky.com/hormheart.html

This answers one of my concerns about my 11 yr old son if he eventually gets HRT.  His mother has Factor V Leiden.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Hello Scott.  I think the take away from this article is this.

"A much better drug is estradiol, a naturally occurring estrogen.... This not only gives better absorption, but avoids the metabolism by the liver which might stimulate more blood clotting problems. Estradiol can also be given by injection or by transdermal patches, but the sublingual route seems to me to be the best. I believe the use of estradiol rather than CEE will reduce a person's health risks, and urge physicians to change their patients to estradiol."

 

don't believe many, if any endocrinologists are prescribing CEE any longer as the benefits of bio-identical are superior.  

 

Jani

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Heart disease and stroke are one of the reasons we are here at Trans/Pulse.  Many folks self medicate for many reasons but it is a dangerous practice.  I have severe coronary artery disease (CAD) and am monitored quite regularly.  Topical estradiol is a much safer route as Jani pointed out and with a good endocrinologist, who know a persons medical history risks are greatly reduced.  I may not have a great many innings left due to my heart disease but the peace of mind and absence of the stress i had throughout my life is so much reduced it feels that that should be a factor as well.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

Link to comment
  • 4 weeks later...

I have occasional AFIB and PVC's (heart palpitations) and I have asked over and over again if it is still safe to be on HRT. I asked my Endo, family doc, cardiologist and even the dermatologist and each one said no problem. My endo just waved her hand in the air and said, "Psst, no problem". 

Link to comment
  • 1 year later...

Hello everyone. I have been browsing these forums for a while now and decided to finally sign up. I did not want to start a new thread because there was this one already posted.

 

For the last 32 years I have struggling with who or what i am and for a while now i have known. This year I decided to start to take the steps to achieve a more comfortable me. However I feel it might all be for nothing.

 

When I was 17 I had a pulmonary valve replacement. I know no one here can give me a straight answer that will have to be for my dr. to do but I fear my replacement will keep me from being able to go on HRT.

 

I am just wondering if anyone else has had a replacement valve and still was able to go on HRT. I have been freaking out for years about my valve and it is what has kept me from talking to my dr. about it because I do not think I can handle being told no.

Link to comment
  • Admin
Just now, Krysten said:

I am just wondering if anyone else has had a replacement valve and still was able to go on HRT. I have been freaking out for years about my valve and it is what has kept me from talking to my dr. about it because I do not think I can handle being told no.

 

Some of this is going to depend on what support medications you are on now as far as blood clotting and antirejection meds.  While not a heart valve replacement patient, I have had blood clot problems and am limited to topical delivery systems that pose the least risks of blood clotting.  Transdermal patches and a couple of skin creams or sprays would be options.  Oral medications would probably NOT be an option since they affect your liver in ways to enhance the chance of blood clots.  You do have hope.

Link to comment
Just now, VickySGV said:

 

Some of this is going to depend on what support medications you are on now as far as blood clotting and antirejection meds.  While not a heart valve replacement patient, I have had blood clot problems and am limited to topical delivery systems that pose the least risks of blood clotting.  Transdermal patches and a couple of skin creams or sprays would be options.  Oral medications would probably NOT be an option since they affect your liver in ways to enhance the chance of blood clots.  You do have hope.

Thank you, I am not on any medication for my heart. I have asked if I needed to be on a thinner and was told no. But the fact you say i have hope brings hope.

Link to comment
  • 10 months later...

Last Wednesday I woke up and my right arm felt funny. Called the VA telehealth nurse, describe what as going on and told to call 911 and go to hospital. As it turned out I had a stroke. By Friday I had almost all the use of my right arm again. Stroke caused by tiny blood clots. I was put on Plavix to thin blood.

i am really afraid the endo is going to tak me off estrogen and that scares the hell out of me. I only really met myself two years ago at 68. I like who I am, I like who I have become and I don’t want to go back.

Link to comment
  • Admin
41 minutes ago, Erikka said:

i am really afraid the endo is going to tak me off estrogen and that scares the hell out of me.

 

It will depend on what type of E you were on.  I had a pretty good size DVT in my right leg, and they put me on Warfarin to control it.  I had to quit oral E, but when they were sure the clot had stabilized my endo put me on patches which is where I have been for 4 years.  You could be on a vacation from it, but I lost nothing from the time off other than a little bit of sanity.

Link to comment
  • 10 months later...

HI there,

 

I recently had a Cardio event, (Heart Stopped Twice) however not a heart attack. Cardiologist has put me on Statins and Asprin to manage it, The main issue is my cholesterol levels, I have been advised it is reversible at this point in time.

 

I have only just started my Journey and have not yet started on HRT, I am concerned that my cholesterol levels may stop or postpone this?

 

Has anybody come across this?

 

I tried accessing the above link http://www.drbecky.com/hormheart.html but link was dead.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Hey @Michala_72! Welcome to TransGenderPulse!

 

While not 100% where you are... well, close. I mean I came out when I was 48 (well, TECHNICALY 47, but only by like a month) I once had a cholesterol level of 300. Second highest my doctor had ever seen. He was not impressed when I smiled and said, "So I can go higher?" So yeah, when I came out the very first thing I started to do was take care of myself. Part of that was exercise. I dropped fifty pounds in the first six months or so. My approval for HRT was still a little dicey, but with commitment to my exercise regimen and eating better my endo has completely relaxed.

 

What exactly your endo will do depends on your liver and kidney numbers. However, HRT and other transition measures are hard on the body. I strongly recommend that you do your very best to maintain that body as best you can. Fortunately, I found that that comes easier once you don't hate yourself so much so it's a positive feedback loop.

 

Start light. You don't want another cardio event. I started with a hour and ten minute exercise video. Just cardio dance intervals with some light weight training. It was $10 on Amazon. In the beginning I was EXHAUSTED when the end credits rolled, but I kept at it. I'm down about 100 pounds now and looking to lose some more if I can (though it's turned into more of a give and take now because I'm building muscle mass).

 

Once again, welcome! We're glad you're here!

 

Hugs!

Link to comment

Thanks @Jackie C. Good to be here.

 

Yep my GP has put me on a exercise regime to get my weight down, I'm in Australia and we must use different measures for Cholesterol, I was at 7.5 which apparently high, he wants it down to 2.

I'm currently 220 pounds and I have to get down to 176 by May, (Doctors Orders) Admittedly most of that is muscle Mass which I am hoping will go once I'm on HRT, I want to get down to around 147 Pounds which is pretty light from my frame.

So going to try and not do weights and stick to cardio and light resistance weights if needed, don't want anymore Muscle.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

You'll lose about 30% of your muscle mass within 2 years of MtF HRT, so there's that. You're also WAY ahead of where I was. I was about 300 pounds when I started. I've been going between 190 and 200 for the last six months or so while my metabolism adjusts. I'm thinking I'd look pretty good around 175, but I have a friend who thinks I can make 150, so we'll see.

 

Hugs!

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   0 Members, 0 Anonymous, 123 Guests (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.5k
    • Total Posts
      767.2k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      11,942
    • Most Online
      8,356

    taxicab
    Newest Member
    taxicab
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Amyjay
      Amyjay
      (58 years old)
    2. bettyjean
      bettyjean
    3. Breanna
      Breanna
      (52 years old)
    4. Emily Ayla
      Emily Ayla
    5. JET182
      JET182
  • Posts

    • Susan R
      Love it! This is great news. We need more of this to combat the excessive hate-filled rhetoric and misinformation. 👍
    • Susan R
      The experience was the same for me @April Marie. I slept much deeper and I woke up each morning feeling so much more restful sleeping with forms solidly in place. For me, wearing breast forms at night started when before I was a teenager. I had no access up to modern breast forms and certainly no way to buy mastectomy bras back then. I wore a basic bra my mom had put in a donation box and two pairs of soft cotton socks. I have some crazy memories of things I did in my youth to combat my GD but regardless, these makeshift concoctions helped me work through it all.   All My Best, Susan R🌷
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Colorado isn't exactly a Republican place, and won't become one anytime soon.  I think those folks might be better off not spending their time playing Don Quixote.    We certainly have our share of California "refugees" moving into where I live, so I wouldn't be surprised to start seeing Coloradans too.  I suspect the trend over the next few years will see the blue areas getting more blue and the red areas getting more red as anybody who can relocate tries to find a place where they fit better.   
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Well, at least it'll be a place some folks could choose.  Options are a good thing.
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      My family would have gobbled that jar up in a minute or two.  When we do have pickled herring, its usually for Christmas.  I didn't grow up with that particular dish, but I grew up in a Greek family so I like just about any kind of fish if I can get it.  However, ocean fish and freshwater fish taste so different.  We usually have more catfish and tilapia to eat than anything else.    What I can't quite get used to is the tons of cabbage my GF insists on eating.  When you live with a Russian, there is always cabbage soup.  Always.  When I first moved in with her, breakfast was "shchi" for soup and either bread or "kasha" which is a bowl of boiled buckwheat with butter and salt.  Those dishes can be made in any number of ways, some are better than others.  In the winter, it can even be salty and sour like kraut.  Not exactly sauerkraut, but packed in tubs with vinegar and salt so it keeps partially for the winter.  But I drew the line when the cabbage soup included pieces of fried snake one day.  😆
    • Ashley0616
      Good evening to you as well @Mmindy   That is awesome that you have support from her side. My dad has communicated with me once and that was because he was forced to. His new wife wanted to spend time with my kids. He hated me so much he was in the process of taking my rights away as a parent to my two boys. He was talking to a lawyer and I called him out on it. I don't love him at all. I'll respect him because I wouldn't be here without him but I wished I had another father. My uncles don't talk to me and unfriended me on Facebook. Almost all cousins except for two are still Facebook friends but they don't give me any support. My mom said she won't support me with that but she has said that she loves me. I have nieces and nephews that are still Facebook friends but they have yet to talk to me. I have one sister that supports me out of three. The other's disrespect me by deadnaming me. They have never called me their sister. I think for them they think it's still a phase. They don't ask questions about me being trans. I have to bring it up and on the look of their faces they don't look comfortable about it. 
    • Mmindy
      Good evening @Ashley0616,   I just got offline with HP tech support trying to get my printer tool box icon locked to my tool bar. This is one of the most important features of my printer that I like because it keeps track of ink, paper, and scanned documents. I'm diffidently not a computer geek.   I'll catch up with the other bookmarks next week. We leave to go home for the Easter Holiday with our families. Saturday with her side, and Sunday with my side. What's odd about that is I'm out to more of her side and they're reluctantly supportive. My side on the other hand are less supportive, and my sister just under me in age will not acknowledge my being there. She will be constantly moving to keep from dealing with me. I'm dead to her.   Hugs,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋  
    • Ashley0616
      I used to follow baseball and the team I would cheer for is Boston Red Sox. My favorite player was Papi. He was an awesome guy and even held a child during the National Anthem. I haven't watched baseball for a long time. It just died off to me. 
    • Ashley0616
      That stinks that nothing transferred, and no bookmarks were saved! 
    • Ashley0616
      I'm doing patches for now but I think soon I'll go to shots because it's hard to alternate when you are doing two xx patches at once. Unless she gives me Estradiol and progesterone
    • Sally Stone
      Go Cleveland Guardians!  I love baseball and I loved playing it when I was younger.  
    • Sally Stone
      My view is we are "dependent" on government, because as a society, we are too lazy to stay actively involved. So, we let politicians do our bidding for us.  I think we'd be in a better place government wise if we policed the actions of our politicians.  We elected them; they work for us.  Sadly, we are allowing them to run amok.  We are where we are because we have chosen to let politicians make all decisions without us.  Remember "by the people, for the people?" That was the intent of our democracy.  Today, however, it is "by the politicians, for the politicians," the people be damned. 
    • Mmindy
      "Play Ball! Batter Up!" is the closing line of the National Anthem as far as I'm concerned. It's the call of the Home Plate Umpire and signals the start of the game. I grew up in the TV and Radio broadcast of the St. Louis Cardinals. Harry Caray, Jack Buck, Tim McCarver, and Mike Shannon, were the voices on my transistor radio. KMOX 1120 AM pushing 50,000 watts of Class A clear-channel non-directional signal. It could be picked up all across MO, IL, IN to the East. KS, OK, CO to the West. IA, MN to the North, and KY, TN, AR to the South. There has always been a rivalry against the Chicago Cubs, in the National League. As for the American League, I have to pull for the Kansas City Royals. I've also been a Little League Umpire, and fan of everything the Little League stands for. Going to Williamsport, PA and seeing the Little League World Series is in my top 10 things to do on my bucket list.   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • Mmindy
      Good evening everyone,   I don't think my mother ever cooked a meal that I didn't like. We also had a kitchen where mom fixed the food, dad filled your plate, and you eat it. It wasn't until our baby brother was born that we could have Pop-Tarts for snacks. Before that all snacks had to meet mom's approval, and in her opinion wouldn't prevent you from eating supper.   Well my day started off on a good note, but has become frustrating because my IT person didn't transfer my saved videos I use for teaching. Then I found out that they didn't save any of my book marks for websites I use frequently.   Best wishes, stay motivated,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • MaeBe
      The number is relative to method of deliver, the time of the dose, and when the blood is drawn. However, I do want to keep away from DVT and other potential issues. I assume I may be getting backed down from my current dose, but my doc told me to stick with the higher dose, so? I also wonder if this has anything to do the my breast growth and mental changes that have been happening over the past few years, like I have some estrogen sensitivity so a little goes a long way or something? I don't have enough data to postulate, but who knows!   With weekly, subcutaneous, shots you expect to see big swings of serum level estradiol from shot to peak to trough. My doctor is interested in mid-week testing (for E and T levels only), which would be post-peak blood serum levels but they will be higher than trough. Most, if not all, resources I've seen online is to measure at trough (which I might do just to do it next time) along with a SHBG, LH, and other metrics.   This is from transfemscience.org for Estradiol valerate in oil, which is very spiky compared to some other estradiol combinations. It's also for intramuscular, which will have a slower uptake and is usually dosed in higher volume due to the slower absorption rate from muscles. They don't have subcutaneous numbers, which I would expect to see similar spikes but higher levels at similar doses due to the relatively higher absorption rate direct from fat.   Are you doing pills, shots, or patches? And when you do get your levels checked are you getting that done when your levels are lowest or some other time?
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...