Ok,
So I had read a while back that you could take your E sublingually (under the tongue) to increase it's effectiveness by skipping a first round trip through the liver.
Let me first say that I am working with a doctor who is familiar in working with cross-gender HRT and am getting regular blood tests. I had started out self-dosing but decided quickly that I was going to be on E for the rest of my life and found to courage to go to a doctor. (best decision and the HRT is cheaper!)
Anyways, one of the interesting discoveries is that I apparently have a "super liver" that wipes out my E on the first pass. When looking at the lab results you want the Estradiol to range between 100-200pg/ml
On 4-29-2011 - 27pg/ml - while taking a "normal" transition dose orally (this falls within the "normal range" for males!
On 6-27-2011 - 76pg/ml - This is taking DOUBLE the normal dosage orally.
On 8-21-2011 - 375pg/ml - This is the same "Double" dose but taken sublingually.
So there you go, the only difference was the way I took it. So the doctor started backing the dosage back down. I felt a little silly picking up a bottle packed with 180 of those little blue pills!
Anyways, don't jump to conclusions that more is better. The point is to keep the E within an acceptable safe range. Too much can have the opposite effects. The interesting thing to note is that if I had kept on self dosing I would have NEVER taken as much E as the doctor prescribed and even at that it was not enough.
I have another trans friend (same basic build as me) that is taking 1/4 the daily dose I am and had an E level that was high so everyone is made different.
I just thought you'd appreciate these results.
-Melissa
