Topic: One week Estrogen only turned into 18 days

[heather3791]

Hi everyone. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I had a post a few weeks ago about trying Estrogen only for just a week. I wanted to see what the mental affects would be on a low dose. Here’s the original post: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,254428.0.html

As I stated before I cannot risk any breast development right now. Well I ended up doing 18 days before stopping. I stopped then because I felt a slight tingling in one of my nipples and it made me a bit nervous, (Lol...paranoid).

So my first week I did notice my mild ADHD as it relates to reading improved. (I often read ahead on things and don’t retain what I read.) I just felt more focused and dialed in. After two weeks I did notice I felt more relaxed but went through some depression at times. Maybe the depression stemmed from the E reducing my testosterone...but that’s just a total guess. Physically I noticed that my face looked smoother and tighter. And maybe it was all in my head but I could swear that my eyes had more of a feminine twinkle to them. But again maybe that was all in my head. Overall my experience in 18 days was good and I really found myself wanting to go longer. But the breast tingling is what caused me to stop. I’ve now been off for 30 days exactly. I might go a few more days off but want to try starting back on both Estrogen and Spiro for another 15 days or so. I have sent my doc an email asking if my plan of starting and stopping is okay so hopefully she’ll give me the green light. The whole goal (at least right now) is to start and stop on a regimented basis and not have any breast development. I’ll report back if anyone is interested.

[Northern Star Girl]

@heather3791
Dear Heather:
I had been following your previous thread:
        Is it okay to try Estrogen for just one week?
   https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,254428.0.html

Hormones are powerful stuff....   I am not a doctor but I am thinking that starting and stopping hormones repeatedly may not be a good thing.   While I understand that your goals do not involve breast development, I am sure that you understand that is what Estrogen and Spironolactone will indeed do... cause your breasts to grow.

The comment that I had made in your previous thread, along with other members comments...   "Is your doctor on-board with the off-again and on-again Estrogen regimen that you are doing?"   If you have not had a specific conversation with your doctor about this matter, please get your doctors medical opinion.

In your comment on your other thread you stated: 
        Reply #6 on: October 10, 2020
"Sent my doc an email asking this same question (probably hear back next week)"

I would be very interested to hear what your doctor said as they replied to your question.

I am wishing you well... please keep us all updated as you feel comfortable doing.
HUGS and best wishes.... stay safe, stay healthy.
Danielle

[Northern Star Girl]

@heather3791
Dear Heather:
I am just thinking out loud here........
Perhaps your doctor can help you to strike a compromise with dosages
and meds so you can achieve your desired goals.

I would be very interested to hear what your doctor said as they replied to your question.

HUGS,
Danielle

[Birdie on a Wire]

Hi Heather...
I can understand and totally get that you can’t risk any breast development right now. I’m kind of in the same boat. I own a small business and I just don’t feel like I could openly transition and not have a number of clients jettison themselves. I have done some poking around and found there are some medications that have been prescribed to stunt breast growth for transfemme enbies who don’t want breast growth with their HRT. 

All that aside, (and I’m not a doctor)....

I can’t imagine the endocrine system is something to play around with. 

I’ll also say this... unless you feel like you’ve exhausted all methods for controlling dysphoria or highlighting gender euphoria, I personally would not recommend hormone therapy unless you’re in it for the long haul. Of course what do I know... I am not an endocrinologist. I’m just a random enby on an internet forum.

I hope you’ll update us what your doctor recommends. Honestly I’m very curious to know what they say.

[Rakel]

I can’t imagine the endocrine system is something to play around with. 

Dear Birdie,

You are 100% correct in saying this.

Everybody's endocrine system is complex system with many internal organs providing hormones doing similar functions. Any hormone is not just a simple, if this, then that, response. Hormones work together and there are many bio-feedback systems, which, when working properly, regulate the amount of hormones we produce naturally. Too much of one particular hormone can cause problems, just as too little of the same hormone will be problematic as well.

__________________________________________________________


The OP is concerned about too much breast growth. This is the exact opposite of what most of us who have transitioned are concerned with. 

I have noticed that certain ethnic groups are not noted for massive mammary glands (sorry girls, if you fall into this category). If the OP would take a look at female relatives and keep her blood levels to a minimum, just enough to relieve the dysphoria, but below typical female blood levels, then this should give her a good idea how much breast growth at a minimum, she can expect.

Be sure to tell your doctor, exactly what your transition goals are. They can adjust your dose and schedule to give you something like what you desire.

Take care. 

[RandyL]

A member, @Sideways, started a thread on this exact topic on November 14, 2018. It is titled HRT minimum breast growth - option for AMAB NBs. They did a lot of research and identified a hormone regimen that worked for at least a year. I haven't heard from them since. You can search here for their thread. I believe it's in the Non-binary section.

It is centered on bicalutamide and raloxifene. The raloxifene is a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM) which blocks estrogen uptake in breast tissue. According to their research and experience of a year, there were no significant side effects. I think raloxifene was developed for treating breast cancer.

You could check it out. I also have some docs of their detailed research if you want. You can PM me.

Sent from my dual-floppy Victor 9000 using Tapatalk

[TheWomanWithinMe]

I suspect transgender females created three separate memories over a lifetime. One useful to pull from to play the role of a guy, general purpose memories accessable to both our male and female sides, and a third for our female sides.  If we exist in total "guy" mode we entirely bypass our female memories. If circumstances exist where we find ourselves in a feminine environment for extended periods of time we may find female memories become more readily accessable.. In other words we become more in touch with our feminine sides.  Our minds then may be more amenable to storing the female perspective for any given situation. The more female memories stored the easier it would be to start viewing and reacting to the world from that perspective.

HRT alone may not change how you feel "if" you follow the same day to day routine while in total guy mode. It might change if you purposely place yourself in situations where you learn new female mannerisms and ways of thinking and then purposely placing yourself in situations where you purposely choose to act in a feminine fashion and access your female memories. The more you do this the more likely you will be able to act female without conscious thought. 

If you watch youtube videos of women highlighting their hrt journies and are presenting as female you can quickly see how quickly they pick up female mannerisms and ways of expressing themselves.  Not all of the information they present could have been gleened in such a short period of time which leads me to believe they are tapping into female centric memories created while growing up.  Just my personal theory.

[Harley Quinn]

I hope you get some good news from your doctor.  Just keep in mind breast growth doesn't really "reverse", and even low dose estrogen will cause growth of the mammary glands and milk ducts.  Both are already there in Males and Females, Testosterone is what stunts breast development.  Once you add estrogen, they begin to develop can't don't "un-grow".  The fatty tissue will go away, but the ducts and glands are going to be there to stay.

[heather3791]

As always you all are so very helpful and I really appreciate your invaluable feedback. I’ll report back soon after I meet with my doctor.