Hormone levels over the course of transition?

[alliegee]

Hey all,

I'm sorry if this has already been a topic of discussion before, but a quick search didn't reveal much, so here goes.

I'm about 4 months into transition. Started with a (edit) patch twice weekly and (edit) spiro. Levels got measured 2 months in and my Estradiol level was at 49pg/mL. Testosterone was at 773ng/dL. Endo said that's normal for the amount of T pumping through my veins at this age (24), so I got bumped to (edit) mg spiro and switched to (edit) weekly injections of 5mg/ml estradiol cypionate. I just got new blood work results and my Estradiol is now at 105pg/mL. Still waiting on my T results to come in.

My endo wrote on the estradiol result, "Your estradiol level is normal for your stage of transition." So my question is, what do you think that means? Obviously I'm going to ask when I go in next week, but it begged the question of just what exactly "normal" looks like. I guess this is more posed toward people who have been on hormones for a while: would you mind posting your age at the start of transition, what your levels were after your first few blood tests, and what doses you were on at the time? There are a lot of threads with people posting their levels, but it would be really illuminating to get some hormone level timelines. I trust my endo for the most part, but not everyone does and I think it would be a cool resource to have.


edited to remove dosages.

[Carrie Liz]

Dosages aren't allowed, so I can't share those, (and I'm sure your post will probably be edited by a mod to take them out in short order,)

But I can tell you, yes, it is very common for Spiro to take a LONG time to drop one's T levels. My friend Anne, who has a doctor who is very conservative with dosages, started her on what it widely regarded as a minimum dosage of both Spiro and E, and after about 6 months her levels were somewhere around 250 for T, and 100 for E. Another 6 months later, her T was down around 150, E was still just above 100.

Some friends, their T didn't get down into what would be considered the "normal female" range of <95 until they'd been on hormones for almost 2-3 years even on high doses of Spiro. Some won't get there until after orchiectomy. It just depends on each individual person and how resilient their T production factory is.

The reason why I'm sharing my friends' results is because my T factory pretty much quit as soon as any anti-androgens were added, dropping all the way down to the basement of the female range, 22 pg/dl, only 3 months after starting hormones. I was on Androcur at the time, a much more potent anti-androgen, but even after switching to Spiro at the minimum dosage that can be prescribed, my T level only rebounded to 48pg/dl at my 6-month blood test, before crashing back down to 28 at my 1.5-year follow-up. E levels, mine were immediately sky-high... 450 at my first blood test, up to 950 at my 2nd blood test, and back down to 650 as of last summer.

Here's the thing, though... levels don't really mean much. Results speak for everything. Anne, despite having really guyish levels of hormones for the entire first 6 months of transition, still ended up with full breast development, full skin softening, while even with my levels both being completely in the female range for 2 years, I've still barely developed boobs and am still waiting for the same super-soft skin that some of my friends have.

[alliegee]

Thanks for the response! That's very reassuring. If doses aren't allowed (sorry for accidentally breaking the rules!) then I suppose that effectively kills this thread.

Why can't we discuss dosages? Something about making it hard for DIYers?

[Newgirl Dani]

As long as it is still within 24 hours of your own post, you can click on the little modify thing which opens up your post so you can delete what is needed.   Dani

[ImagineKate]

Thanks for the response! That's very reassuring. If doses aren't allowed (sorry for accidentally breaking the rules!) then I suppose that effectively kills this thread.

Why can't we discuss dosages? Something about making it hard for DIYers?

Pretty much. This site does not support self medication as it is deemed to be dangerous.

I don't think it really kills the thread. People talk about their HRT in general, but not specific terms.

[kelly_aus]

Thanks for the response! That's very reassuring. If doses aren't allowed (sorry for accidentally breaking the rules!) then I suppose that effectively kills this thread.

Why can't we discuss dosages? Something about making it hard for DIYers?

Dose and levels aren't actually all that useful.. 2 different people taking the same dose are likely to end up with difference levels and different results..

[Mariah]

Above 100 is in the normal range. My T levels were down to 28 in less than 3 months and shortly after starting spiro. My estrogen levels in the 240's at that point.


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[awilliams1701]

I have a friend that because of that rule alone HATES WITH A PASSION this site and flat out refuses to use it. She has gone through the proper channels though. My guess is she wanted to be able to compare other people's dosages with hers. I'm not really sure though.

[Rachel]

Hi Alliegee,


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I edited the thread to eliminate the dosages. There are several reason not to include dosages. 1) discourage DIY. 2) liability, 3)encourage people to review dosages with their doctor  and 4) what works for you may not work for me.

I got my recent test results Monday and my t is <20 (below detection from that test). E is not measured but I am on a high dose of IM E. My T may be higher in the morning; my test was in the afternoon. Also, I do IM over a 10 day period so My E decreases 50% every 7 days. So depending on time of day and day in cycle my levels fluctuate. So add this to a person just starting out and the information can be overwhelming and confusing.

[Newgirl Dani]

Adequate, safe, understandable, and medically sound information regarding hormone replacement therapy in my opinion is still far within the bounds of the dark ages for the transgender community.  This in combination with severely outdated standards, I also believe to be the driving force pushing people toward self medication.  Almost every person I've spoken with in my support group were the teachers in the doctor/patient relationship.  When lack of information is not present then many times in its place is doctor bias.  New and relevant studies combined with open access to information needs to exist 'somewhere', at least with this resource in place the people who 'unfortuneately' will self medicate will at least be at less risk.  I am a firm believer in harm reduction.   Dani

[KayXo]

"Your estradiol level is normal for your stage of transition." So my question is, what do you think that means

Perhaps comparing your levels to those of young girls going through breast growth before the arrival of menses and production of progesterone, around 9-12 years of age. But, their levels of growth hormones are MUCH higher than yours, you have gone through male puberty and have masculine features which they don't as they don't go through male puberty and aren't exposed to VERY high levels of testosterone like you were. Also, they are younger so the circumstances are quite different. So, comparison, in my opinion, is futile.

Normal levels in adult women range from 20 - 75,000 pg/ml.

My levels have gone from as little 200-300 pg/ml to close to 4,000 pg/ml. I feel better on higher levels. Individuals are different and respond differently. Each person should, with their doctor, find what is most effective for them. Comparison is futile, I think, in this context. Levels also fluctuate in time.