HRT dosages

[ftiamb12]

Hi!  I'm finally going to be on hormones, but I have a couple concerns before actually starting.  My doctor prescribed me estrace and spironolactone for a total of 3 months before increasing in dosages.  It seems rather low.  My main concern is not being able to yield considerably good results from hormone replacement therapy with such dosages.  These changes come once in a lifetime, and this has me particularly unnerved as I want to attain full advantage of these drugs as physically possible.

[Randi]

The idea for your doctor is to establish a baseline for you to see what works best. They start low and gradually work it up to your ideal dose. If you get too much estrogen it will turn into testosterone-not good for someone who is feminizing. It's a long term process-try not to get in a hurry. I have been on Spironolactone and it works well for me.

Brandi

[Padma]

Yes, in any case it's good not to turn the rheostat up too quickly - it's not that the body turns oestrogen into testosterone, so much as that the body reacts to a too sudden increase in E by creating more T to try and maintain its familiar equilibrium.

[Randi]

Padma is right-your body will try to keep it's hormone levels balanced and will increase it's output of T when you increase your level of E.

[Padma]

Don't I know it - I've been horribly horny (and a bit irritable) since I started my hormones on Monday .

[eli77]

That's pretty ordinary. I started at very low doses for 2 months, before going up to a standard (actually high) dose. They want to know how your body tolerates the meds, and get an idea of how much you are going to need in your system. Hormones are both extremely powerful (they basically rewrite how your entire body works) and wildly variable in effect. Better not to accidentally kill you or anything.

Don't I know it - I've been horribly horny (and a bit irritable) since I started my hormones on Monday .

Congrats on starting! And very much to the point. My sex drive flat-lined over the first couple weeks, and didn't come back (rather reduced) till I went up to the higher dose. YMMV is kind of an understatement when it comes to HRT.