I tried being on lower dosages and lower levels and results were just not good. Right now, on my current regimen, I feel and look my best, no doubt about it. I see no reason to change anything at this point. My doctors are keeping an eye on me, all tests seem to indicate I'm fine so far.
I'm personally well-versed in HRT, have extensively studied this field on my own for more than 10 yrs (as a layperson, I'm NOT a professional or doctor) and so, I don't only rely on my doctors. We discuss and exchange thoughts. They value my feedback and as everything is going well at the moment, we are all on the same page.
I've seen the range of estradiol levels going as high up as 640 pg/ml during a menstrual cycle, lab ranges vary to quite a degree and so do people. I've also, several times, come across papers where E levels were measured during pregnancy. Given the fact that women are still around, making babies, the world population is rising, heart disease and breast cancer seem actually less prevalent in women at a time when their hormone levels are at their highest (but they are also younger, certainly not a factor to overlook), given the large randomized double blind placebo studies that measured the effect of estrogen only, on post-menopausal women, or the studies on prostate cancer patients given quite high doses of bio-E non-orally, I can personally say that I feel quite safe at those levels. There is no data that I've personally come across that would suggest otherwise other than those studies involving progestins, non bio E (oral contraceptives and Premarin). This is only my personal conclusion and as my doctors seem on board as well, why fix anything if it ain't broke?
I plan to go see an expert in the field who wrote a book about female hormones, who advocates its use in post-menopausal women, to get further feedback.
To each their own, in the end. I'm open to data that would suggest otherwise, as always. Should you come across any information, I would gladly read it, share it with my physicians.
