High estrogen levels - breast is shrinking.

[Frostice]

I've been on HRT for almost 1 year now, and about 1,5 weeks ago I noticed that the boobs is shrinking. Before I was on my way to reach AA cup, but now...left boob is growing back and the right boob is almost gone with no fat at all.

I've been taking bloodsamples and my doctor called me and he said that my hormone levels are high. Over 600 in estrogen and 2 in testoterone (I don't know which unit the levels are) during this summer, I had 512 in estrogen and 2 in testoterone. He wanted to do more tests with the hormones to try to fix this.

I've been keeping the same body weigh and the rest of my body haven't changed in reverse. Only the boobs.

Why?! I am literally crying over this right now

[vlmitchell]

Too much estrogen is just as bad as not enough. You'll want to get an endocrinologist to make sure that you're not overdoing anything.

OTOH, if you've been exercising a lot, that'd do it too as there's only so much mammary tissue and a lot more fat around it.

[DrBobbi]

I haven't heard of a correlation between high-dose estradiol and breast shrinkage. There are conditions related to high-estrogen, including fibroids. Are you sure of your numbers? Androgens will cause shrinkage. Are you also on Spironolactone or progesterone?

[vlmitchell]

I thought that extra E was actually metabolized into androgens if the levels got too high? This is something that I can't remember where I got it though so if you've got better info, I'll defer.

[DrBobbi]

High T results in higher Estrogen. You see it when a steroid abusing weight lifter grows breasts and becomes emotional. In women 80% of testosterone is bound to sex hormone binding globulin. SHBG increase and decrease is based on conditions and medications. Check Thyroid, for example. Endocrinology is a black art.

SHGB levels increase by the following:
Estrogens
Thyroid hormone
Pregnancy (Not a worry-hehe)
Estrogen-containing meds

[Alainaluvsu]

For me when my E levels have been highest is when my results were best. They've been as low as 72 and as high as 1435.

[Frostice]

If 600 is high...i've had higher. had 1300 as most for 2 weeks at the beginning of my hrt when my Endocrinologist told me to double the dosage by replacing the patches every 2nd day. And then I stepped down to change the patches once every 3rd day. Still I do that today. Sometimes I don't know if it has passed 3 days since I change a patch, so surely i've changed the patches after only 2 days a few times...

I also have Spiro

[Shakti]

Is it possible your estrogen levels have dropped too low, maybe the patch isn't sticking properly? When I tried taking estrace pills under my tounge it caused my levels to fluctuate wildly, and I had something similer to what you described happen. After my estrogen levels came back at over 2100 my doctor reduced my doseage, I wasn't worried becuase I knew my estrogen levels were way too high. After a couple months I noticed that my boobs had shrank, which was really scary and worrying for me. When I got my levels checked again three months later they were too low, ~150, so she increased my doseage again. After a while I went back to swallowing my pills and noticed I felt a lot calmer and better, I think taking them sublingually caused my estrogen levels to fluctuate more than my body could handle. My boobs are currently a little bigger than they were before they started shrinking.