HRT delivery methods

[Dana88]

So, I've had pretty disappointing HRT results in many aspects. Almost zero breast growth, all of my body hair is still here, I've had some fat redistribution and that's it. I've been on them for almost 10 months and been doing subcutaneous injections once a week and then T-blockers 2x a day.

I had mentioned this to my endo via email, and she clearly in her response just thought I was being impatient. But I brought it up again when I saw her recently and she did a full examination and actually went... Yeah... You're right... You're nowhere near where we'd like or expect to see you after this long on hormones. So she ordered more extensive bloodwork, but in that bloodwork she said all my levels looked good and she couldn't find anything specific that pointed to why I wasn't seeing results. She's trying to switch up the method of delivery to see if that does the trick.

So starting today I'm going to be doing a larger dose of intramuscular injection once every two weeks and taking one small dosage estrogen pill a day, along with my two T-blockers a day continuing at the same dose. I'm really hoping this somehow makes a difference and that I'm not just resistant to E... Cause that would suck. Anyone else deal with anything similar?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AnonyMs]

Perhaps if you posted your blood levels it might help? That's allowed, just not dosages.

[KayXo]

If you notice you don't feel as good after 7-10 days (headaches, mood deterioration, fatigue), advise doctor immediately. Some find 2 weeks interval too long for intramuscular injections and usually 7-10 days will avoid too much fluctuation. I inject mine every 5 days.

[Dana88]

Perhaps if you posted your blood levels it might help? That's allowed, just not dosages.

These were my levels from the most recent blood work. My estradiol is so high because I had done a subcutaneous injection earlier that day.

DHEA-SO4: 233.0
Dihydrotestosteron LCMSMS: <5
Esterone: 244
Estradiol: 764
Estriol: <0.10
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin: 99.0
Testosterone total: <20
Testosterone free: 0.8

My endo said everything looked great and there was nothing in the blood work that explained lack of physical changes.

Also, re: the two weeks in between injections now, she's having me inject twice as much every two weeks instead of half as much every one week subcutaneously, and I think that's why she also gave me the oral estrogen, so that I'm not dipping dramatically at the end of the two weeks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dena]

I took pills for 5 years before surgery and was still a AA cup. After 25 years of hormones I still don't fill a B cup with a 44B bra. It's not so much being resistant as just not having the genes for a shapely body. I did put some fat on my legs but my body still looks more like that of a young boy than a woman's. The down side is I have a large chest cavity which makes me a bit top heavy.

[Dana88]

I took pills for 5 years before surgery and was still a AA cup. After 25 years of hormones I still don't fill a B cup with a 44B bra. It's not so much being resistant as just not having the genes for a shapely body. I did put some fat on my legs but my body still looks more like that of a young boy than a woman's. The down side is I have a large chest cavity which makes me a bit top heavy.

I was lucky that I had a feminine general body shape pre HRT. My grandfather had very wide hips and a big butt for a guy and narrow sloping shoulders. I was lucky enough to inherit them. People would sometimes mistake me for a girl from behind pre transition, even when my hair was short. So the little bit of fat redistribution I have had has luckily taken a relatively androgynous body shape and made the silhouette of my body decidedly female BUT I've had pretty much zero breast growth and zero body hair reduction in 10 months. I still don't come close to filling an A-cup. That said, the cis-women on my mom's side, which I take after and look a lot like, are very bottom heavy and small breasted.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jessical]

You may want to try progesterone.  It helps for some people, me included.

[Dana88]

You may want to try progesterone.  It helps for some people, me included.

It definitely helped when I was a teenager and stole my mom's progesterone cream haha. I was hopeful for breast development because I had seen a little from then, but so far nada. My endo said that if switching up like this doesn't work that we will try adding progesterone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[iKate]

744 is more than 2x of my level and you've seen my development, but in my case it's genes that help because both mom and dad's side have well endowed women. My E2 level sits around 300.

As you know I started P a few days ago. I'm going to see what it does but so far so good. I was worried it would affect my plasma glucose level but actually my glucose levels have been better since I started.

I would say try the P and see how it goes. If that doesn't work, it may be that the genetic lottery hasn't been good to you.

[Dena]

I was worried it would affect my plasma glucose level but actually my glucose levels have been better since I started.

I hadn't thought of that but the body has to get the material to add the mass from somewhere and that would be the blood stream. The lack of glucose is what makes you hungry. I thought it would be the other way around. You are hungry so you stuff your face making more fuel available.

[iKate]

I have type 2 diabetes and my blood glucose can be all out of whack. It's insulin resistance, not type 1 where you're not producing insulin, it's just that my cells aren't absorbing insulin.  I've nailed down a few things which tend to spike it and I keep those out of my diet. However with the P needing raw material I may have to adjust that a bit, which is why my meter is going to be my best friend over the next few months while I adjust to the "new normal."

Just to give you an idea, I used to wake up with fasting plasma glucose between 80-130 or so. MOstly it used to be 105-110. It used to be 150-170 until I began taking Metformin. Now for the past few days since I started P it has consistently been below 100, usually 90-95. Still too early to tell but it's not having any negative effect yet so that's good.

Here's a sidebar - I have long suspected that due to having the wrong hormones in my body, my body was generally "unhappy" with itself and all out of whack. Since I started HRT my health has improved drastically. Yes, I take better care of myself, but I can't help but think that my body isn't in conflict anymore.

[Dena]

My roommate was type 2 as well and when she got to the doctor, she clocked in at about 320. We worked on her diet and I became pretty good at desserts that didn't blow her numbers out of the water. We were able to keep her number in the safe zone with Metformin but her diabetes was cause by years of being overweight and a genetic link through her father.

She wasn't on hormones when she developed diabetes so I didn't learn much about the interaction between the two. 

[iKate]

Mom and dad's side carry it plus I am highly susceptible due to my ethnicity (Indian). Dad is a full blown T2 but I don't know how well he manages it. My grandmother (mom's side) died when she was 53, diabetes most certainly contributed. My uncle (mom's side) also died recently from complications, he was 71. But they don't really manage it like I do. I test 4x/day, morning and after each meal. I would test more but it's a finger prick each time. I was 155mg/dL fasting, 7.8 A1C when I was first diagnosed. When I went for VFS at Yeson, they measured my A1C at 6.0 and fasting at 105. A1C had dropped from 7.4 to 6.8 after a couple months on HRT and when I started taking metformin it went down around 5.7 to 6.0 but fasting was still over 100. Now with the P, fasting is below 100. As I said, it's early still but I am hoping it holds. It would be nice to be rid of this yoke around my neck.

[Dena]

Mom and dad's side carry it plus I am highly susceptible due to my ethnicity (Indian). Dad is a full blown T2 but I don't know how well he manages it. My grandmother (mom's side) died when she was 53, diabetes most certainly contributed. My uncle (mom's side) also died recently from complications, he was 71. But they don't really manage it like I do. I test 4x/day, morning and after each meal. I would test more but it's a finger prick each time. I was 155mg/dL fasting, 7.8 A1C when I was first diagnosed. When I went for VFS at Yeson, they measured my A1C at 6.0 and fasting at 105. A1C had dropped from 7.4 to 6.8 after a couple months on HRT and when I started taking metformin it went down around 5.7 to 6.0 but fasting was still over 100. Now with the P, fasting is below 100. As I said, it's early still but I am hoping it holds. It would be nice to be rid of this yoke around my neck.

With my roommate weight loss was the biggest factor in control but from you picture, it doesn't look like you are carrying any extra weight. If you keep your fasting level below 100 you may be able to get away with testing once a day which would save you some fingers.  By the way, I love your look in the picture as it give you exotic feminine look.

[iKate]

With my roommate weight loss was the biggest factor in control but from you picture, it doesn't look like you are carrying any extra weight. If you keep your fasting level below 100 you may be able to get away with testing once a day which would save you some fingers.  By the way, I love your look in the picture as it give you exotic feminine look.

Thanks

It was how I went to court to change my name. Best dressed in the room, lol.

I also did drop weight. 210 to 155 and dropping

[AnonyMs]

DHEA-SO4: 233.0
Dihydrotestosteron LCMSMS: <5
Esterone: 244
Estradiol: 764
Estriol: <0.10
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin: 99.0
Testosterone total: <20
Testosterone free: 0.8

What units are these measured in?

I like looking at this chart, but there's two different units used and a 4 times difference between them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Estradiol_during_menstrual_cycle.png

My endo gives me a new implant when my estrogen blood level is below 800pmol/L.

[clearleeraines]

 Oky cheer up Girl! A boob job is the cheapest of all the things we do! You have the body shape that is impossible for some to get! Its all genetics look at the cis women in your family and you will see what your going to 10% to 20% of.
I use gel & oral I switch brands of oral as much as possible I also crush them and dissolve in warm water and administer rectally as I have had hep-c in the past and want to be nicer to my liver, You IV so your getting the best dose than I.
I am having problems with spiro side effects. Be Patient trust your dr and be grateful you have one. boobs are easy and you can "stuff" meanwhile, I was like cait jenner very athletic so count your "priceless" gift of body shape.

Wishing you the best, Love Clear      

[clearleeraines]

AMEN Sister! For me it was my mental health too, I cleared hep-c w/ no treatment,quit smoking, so I could get on HRT in the first place, But yeah my body loves life now!   love Clear


Here's a sidebar - I have long suspected that due to having the wrong hormones in my body, my body was generally "unhappy" with itself and all out of whack. Since I started HRT my health has improved drastically. Yes, I take better care of myself, but I can't help but think that my body isn't in conflict anymore.
[/quote]

[Dana88]

Oky cheer up Girl! A boob job is the cheapest of all the things we do! You have the body shape that is impossible for some to get! Its all genetics look at the cis women in your family and you will see what your going to 10% to 20% of.
I use gel & oral I switch brands of oral as much as possible I also crush them and dissolve in warm water and administer rectally as I have had hep-c in the past and want to be nicer to my liver, You IV so your getting the best dose than I.
I am having problems with spiro side effects. Be Patient trust your dr and be grateful you have one. boobs are easy and you can "stuff" meanwhile, I was like cait jenner very athletic so count your "priceless" gift of body shape.

Wishing you the best, Love Clear    

I know :-). But I would just love for my boobs to not be ALL implant haha. And yes, I am very grateful for the body shape :-P.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KayXo]

Numbers in themselves don't mean much because different people react in different ways so that they are more or less sensitive. Some respond optimally to much higher levels, some to quite low levels and there are so many things going on in the body. My levels are around 2,000-4,000 pg/ml and I feel the best I felt, it just depends on the individual. Estradiol levels also fluctuate from one day to another, especially on injections.

Diabetes is caused by insulin resistance caused by excess insulin over time, some sort of desensitization. What raises insulin? Carbohydrates, plain and and simple. Like pasta, bread, lentils, corn, juice, sugar, oatmeal, fruits over time can also lead to insulin resistance. I know several people, including physicians who cured their diabetes Type 2 by simply cutting down on carbs and increasing their fats to compensate. Check out Mary Vernon.

I also read in studies that progesterone increases insulin resistance while estradiol improves insulin sensitivity but glad your P is improving things.

p.s.: not a doctor, just someone reporting what I know and read. Always consult health professionals.