Tiredness with HRT

[CallApril]

I've been on HRT (E/Spiro) for one week now (yay!) but I've been so damn tired like the entire time. The day before I started taking hormones I went for a night out which involved rather a lot of booze and a fitful sleepless night travelling by coach - don't ask.

At first I thought it was from this but I've been seeeeriously tired for like the entire week and as soon as my head hits the pillow each night (v early for me) I'm dead to the world.

Anyone experienced serious tiredness at the beginning or throughout hrt? Anything I should be doing to mitigate or any other advice (except go to bed even earlier !!)?

April

x

[KarynMcD]

Good news! The hormones are working.
Bad news. It will take a while before your body adjusts.
It's normal to feel tired when your start. The reduction in testosterone is making you more tired.

[Lili]

I am 2weeks in. Always sleep whenever i am home.

[Miss Clara]

Interesting.  I had no sense of being tired when I started my HRT.  I had my total T tested at 108 ng/dL (which is way below normal for a male)  but I was feeling great.  I was last tested at 8 ng/dL and I still feel fine.   We're all different I guess.

[Catherine Sarah]

Hi April,

Anything I should be doing to mitigate or any other advice (except go to bed even earlier !!)?

Now would be a good time to start looking forward where this new life is going to take you. Booze is going to majorly disturb your sleep pattern at the best of times. HT may have a tiring effect on you as it is doing a major job on your entire body. So give it the time and respect to do it effectively as possibly. HT is going to change your psychological outlook on life, so be prepared for a roller coaster ride.

Be kind to yourself and be safe, well and happy

Huggs
Catherine

[CallApril]

Thanks for all the replies everyone it is much appreciated. Love this forum!

@Catherine Sarah I know booze is majorly bad for not just your body but your whole sleep pattern and I'm usually a good girl and drink ummm... Moderately? But sometimes sessions just happen and when the fruit cider is flowing I don't seem to have an off switch!

That said I  aware HRT is putting my body through the biggest workout it has had in years so definitely taking the rough with the smooth.



April
X

[allisonsteph]

Good news! The hormones are working.
Bad news. It will take a while before your body adjusts.
It's normal to feel tired when your start. The reduction in testosterone is making you more tired.

Plus you know, all the increased exercise from running to the bathroom to pee every 45 minutes. 

[AmyC]

I had the tiredness too.  Nothing to worry about, it will pass   took a couple of months for me but I'm generally quite sleepy anyway so ymmv

[Nati]

I'm almost 2 years on HRT and still waiting when tiredness will pass 

[Mariah]

Early on it can zap your energy as your body switches fuels. It results in a fatigued feeling sometimes. It shouldn't last for two long. Exercise and a proper diet with lots of fluid can help minimize this. Hugs
Mariah

[Catherine Sarah]

Hi Nati,

I'm almost 2 years on HRT and still waiting when tiredness will pass 

Two years is way too long. Suggest you see your health professional now. What changes to your work / life routines have occurred since going on to HT? By comparison to pre HT.

Huggs
Catherine

[Nati]

Well, only my workouts really, i don't use heavy weights anymore only some light cardio excercises.
I was consulting with my doctor i got all of kind tests done and all is fine, i'm just tired like hell for like 90% of time
maybe its because i got loads of muscle mass and it shrink still.

[Catherine Sarah]

May be time to check the type and delivery format of your HT with an Endo. A change of either may provide different results. Being tired 90% of the time for 2 years isn't all that good. Something like this ,I think you need to look outside the box.

Have you had your T3 and T4's checked. A complete thyroid checkout may not go astray.

Hope you're able to resolve the matter.

Huggs
Catherine

[archlord]

I think it is different for everyone.  For me, on E, i have more energy then before and feel better .   I however did T 2 years ago for bodybuilding purpose and i felt sleepy/tired all the time for the first weeks.

If it last to long, consult a specialist.

[Dena]

One of the reasons we are against positing dosage information is because there is no "standard" dose. For some people the maximum dose is far to high and they feel better and develop as well with a lower dose. You need to talk with your Endo about this and have blood test to see if your levels are higher than they should be. You may find your body is very sensitive to estrogen and you need to target the bottom of the normal range to be comfortable. This exist in the CIS women as well. Some women never have an issue with their period while others go through monthly morning sickness.

[Urban Christina]

3 years later, I have the same problem. I tried every vitamin that claims to energize you and have found that Coq10 helps dramatically.

[CallApril]

Fortunately the tiredness has abated somewhat now but still getting really fatigued around usual bedtime.

What I did notice yesterday when I put on a pair of old jeans was  that my thighs have really started to expand. My wardrobe is growing steadily anyway but damn if I didn't want to have to replace all my jeans too !! Snug fit!

[Mallory]

For me I was incredibly tired midway through injections when there was a significant decrease in Estrogen levels while my T was plummeting consistently due to the anti-androgen.  I didn't feel like I had tons of energy until my Estrogen level got up high enough to efficiently replace the loss of T. 

I'd say give it time or talk with your endo/provider about dropping the dose of your AA so your testosterone isn't completely bombed out while you build a high enough level of Estrogen.  Could possibly help.

Now I'm taking Chantix along with full time Progesterone and wow.. yeah, don't take Progesterone AND Chantix in the AM.. Drowsy for hours. 

[Rose City Rose]

I've been on HRT for almost 3 years and my energy levels aren't what they used to be.  There's a general malaise that comes with spiro.

Can't wait to get off spiro post-op.  Soon, very soon!

[Urban Christina]

It's very well known that Spiro comes with the energy-robbing effect and also because your T levels aren't of a man's levels anymore, more likely it won't return to "normal" anymore. Those of you are still sleepy and dragging around, please look into trying coq10. It's present in every of our cell but decreases with age. If I take more than a certain dose, I won't be able to sleep so that's how I know it works.