Mood Swings, Fatigue, Insomnia. Side effects of estrogen?

[CosmicJoke]

I am currently taking estrogen twice daily in pill form. I recently had an increase in anti androgen, which I have felt considering my libido noticably decreased. I noticed I am rarely in a stable mood since HRT. I researched estrogen dominance. I am not on any progesterone, and the doctor I spoke with advised me not to go on considering I do have anxiety problems.
My moods swing pretty easily, I get very tired and even if I got enough sleep, I find myself yawning throughout the day, but I do have enough energy to do what I do. I just try to get more exercise in since it helps alot. I also notice some nights of not being able to sleep and just feeling restless. I am on alot of estrogen obviously since I am not cycling it like genetic female do, plus, I have low progesterone. Have any other MtF experienced this situation? I've heard that estrogen is reduced after SRS, which I plan on getting sometime in the near future, so it should be a temporary problem.

[Eva Marie]

I am on a low dose HRT regimen but have experienced everything that you mentioned, especially the mood swings and sudden bursts of emotion. In the early days I experienced tiredness but that seems to have mostly gone away now.

[mintra]

I've been on HRT for over 20 years. Mood swing, sad emotion, feeling restless is part of me. It seems to reduce a bit after I had srs.

[Rena-san]

Mood swings? I enjoy them. I think everyine should. Like today, I left for work in tears. By the time I got there I was laughing at nothing. Felt really bored while there, time took forever. Now I'm home and feel happy and fine.

[Catherine Sarah]

Hi CosmicJoke,

The sensations of HRT you are experiencing are pretty common for most. It only varies in degree between everyone.

Don't worry about cycling your HRT, unless you want to fall pregnant.  Well at least that was the advice i got from my Endo when I asked him whether I should. Hormonal changes in natural women is all about preparing the body for childbirth. MtF people have much better results from HRT if the supply is at the appropriate AND constant level.

keep up the good work, and be safe, well and happy.

Lotsa huggs
Catherine 

[luna nyan]

Cosmicjoke you've got a few things all rolled together:
1.  Mood swings - emotional changes are to be expected being on E.
2.  Tiredness - that can arise from quite a few things.  Body changes/growth (HRT is like puberty #2) - growing makes the body tired.  The anti-androgen is also likely to have a small effect as well.

The good news is that it should settle down in time - how many narcoleptic MTFs do you know of?

[aprilrain]

I had mood swings BEFORE HRT and after the difference being that before I would get angry and now i get sad. the tiredness you describe is likely due to the anti androgen especially if its Spiro.
I was on Cyproterone for over a year and the stuff made me really depressed, I'm so glad I'm off it now!

[Apples Mk.II]

Currently wondering. Do the side effects stop or reduce with time?

After one sleepless night I thought today would be easier, but nope. I took the tiny dosage of E two hours before going to sleep and I was in an "alert" state until 3 or 4 in the morning. Even though I am tired all the day. It is completely messing my morning routine (and I do need to exercise before work).


I do wonder about the dreaded mood swings. I still haven't seen Titanic, so I'd better do it before it is too late. If I cry with that I'm comitting seppuku.