Several questions regarding HRT

[Michelle3]

Hello all . I was posting here, several months ago, when I was thinking about going on HRT soon, but it showed up, that I was wrong. I should start hormones, actually, not hormones yet, only anti-androgen in 2 months. And I have several more questions regarding HRT.

1. Can phytoestrogens have influence on blood tests?
I have started eating phytoestrogens, mainly the flax seeds, every day, when I realized I would not be able to start hormones. They helped a little, even small breast tissue came up from them. I had blood check in September. And will have another in January and if the results will be about the same, I will be allowed to start AA and then hormones will be added. And would like to know if there can be difference in results. I do not want to start HRT later, because there will be problems on blood checkup.

2. Will phytoestrogens help until i will start estradiol?
I know that phytoestrogens compete with estrogens. But until will be just on AA, will phytoestrogens still help me feminizing?

3. Which form of synthethised progesteron is best?
I was searching drugs in our country. We have one site including all drugs and information, but there is not bioidentical progesteron only in form of cream. There was micronized progesterone once, but is not available. I know that bioidentical progesterone has much more benetifical effects than progestins, but unfortunately there is no any . I am first MTF patient for my gender therapist and endocrinologist yea :/ and would like to know more information about progestins, which can be considered best.

[Laura_7]

Hello all . I was posting here, several months ago, when I was thinking about going on HRT soon, but it showed up, that I was wrong. I should start hormones, actually, not hormones yet, only anti-androgen in 2 months. And I have several more questions regarding HRT.

1. Can phytoestrogens have influence on blood tests?
I have started eating phytoestrogens, mainly the flax seeds, every day, when I realized I would not be able to start hormones. They helped a little, even small breast tissue came up from them. I had blood check in September. And will have another in January and if the results will be about the same, I will be allowed to start AA and then hormones will be added. And would like to know if there can be difference in results. I do not want to start HRT later, because there will be problems on blood checkup.

2. Will phytoestrogens help until i will start estradiol?
I know that phytoestrogens compete with estrogens. But until will be just on AA, will phytoestrogens still help me feminizing?

3. Which form of synthethised progesteron is best?
I was searching drugs in our country. We have one site including all drugs and information, but there is not bioidentical progesteron only in form of cream. There was micronized progesterone once, but is not available. I know that bioidentical progesterone has much more benetifical effects than progestins, but unfortunately there is no any . I am first MTF patient for my gender therapist and endocrinologist yea :/ and would like to know more information about progestins, which can be considered best.

Well phytoestrogens should not matter much in tests imo... unless there are side effects... but you should not take doses that high...

It takes a while for phytoestrogens to taper off, but on the other hand people usually start with a low estro dose... so hard to say if stopping quite some time before should be preferable...

Concerning progestins some people report severe depressions. You might watch for that side effect. Also it has not all the properties of bioidentical progesterone. I'd look for bioidentical progesterone. You might look at boards of your country how other people handle this. Its possible there are pharmacies in countries nearby which accept recipes.

hugs

[Jen72]

I would like to know if phytoestrogens would effect hrt in same way and realize they are NOT the best thing either.
I have been waiting so long (over a year) one day I just had to do something so I have started to take some herbs not so much for boobs more for mental reasons. I have only been on them about 3 weeks but have noticed two things really. First my areola is puffier but not pain at all. second is something of a validation or in my head or other I will explain.

Basically heard coffee (caffeine) is bad with herbs I am taking in that reduces effectiveness so I quit coffee (2 liters a day). Now the funny part when I was growing up and even in my 20's I would sleep for 8 hours pretty much no more no less. Even before I was thinking on gender issues I was sleeping too much and now after mild effects of the herbs I am sleeping 8 hours again not more. The hard part is it could be quitting coffee or the effect of the phytoestrogen and antiandrogen herb to which I am not sure. With respect to sleep and hormones I have read the following:

For males low T causes sleep problems

For females low E or progestiren causes sleep problems as well for some too much E can cause sleep problems.

Long story short yes I feel better more rested and vision improved too but is it the coffee or the herbs I cant say for sure.

As for non bioidentical hormones I have read that do NOT take synthetics E for its effects on women actually has done the reverse in that it make the body produce less natural hormones and in ways aggrevates hormonal problems more then they help. I do of course understand that maybe be different for MTF or maybe not my ideology is natural is always better and in this case natural means bioidentical hormones NOT synthetic hormones nor herbs.

Have read basically progestrine is a stabilising hormone which seems mostly for females.

Non bioidentical E or P has I believe been linked to cancer whilst natural E has been linked to reduction in cancer. Makes sense if we are human we shouldn't be taking ok bluntly horse pee (the pill).

I use the male female names in regard to Cis biological sex and of course most studies are not on transgender so its hard to say if same or not but would guess some things are the same as regard to target gender versus natal sex.

Side note tbh for the last few months I have been pondering this dilemma and not visited in order to think more on self and what to do yet not have other influences cloud my thinking. Still not sure tbh but at this rate if I sleep better on even phytoestrogen maybe that is a sign or maybe not really time will tell. Hypocritical but no don't like to use herbs or worse yet something stronger till you see a doctor but if you can wait a year geez a year is long enough I think its a torture test but in that time have mellowed and thought a lot too so its not all that bad sorta.

Apologies for long post and only partly on topic.

Hopefully we find the answers to our truth!:)

[KayXo]

Will phytoestrogens help until i will start estradiol?

No. They are too weak, 1/1000 the strength of estradiol.

will be just on AA

Being on just AA can be harmful as the lack of sex hormones can precipitate many adverse health problems.

Which form of synthethised progesteron is best?

It appears two progestogens are also relatively safe and you can check this with your doctor. Either dydrogesterone (Duphaston) in pills or hydroxyprogesterone caproate (Proluton Depot) injections.

[Jen72]

Thanks kay for mentioning keeping a hormonal balance in my ramble I forgot that
.
Just wondering if natural progesterones are safer and better. Just bringing up an option that might be even better then synthetic of course speak to a doctor first. If I would guess you need a good balance of E T and P of course we are changing that balance but it should fall within a certain limit. Like wild guesses here  Male E 10% T 80% P 10% while changing into female maybe E 20% T 75% P 15%. Just tossing that as example in no way is that truly reflective of what your hormones should be at but get idea we are changing so from 100% normal perhaps a bit off scale but not to far off as to make change with MEDICAL SUPERVISON.

I know I said herbs not great and thank you for saying they are a lot less stronger but I think the amount stated is more like they are not identical therefor don't work as well. Weaker maybe not weaker but more like the gas/diesel engine idea and topped off with things we done want.. They both work but... Being its your health better to stick with what is more in tune with your body not plant or synthetic.  (I know saying not to use them when I have been but I am not taking them in abundance nor am I using them for any long term effects just a band aid treatment which I know band aid isn't great)

[StillAnonymous]

I have read a lot of success stories about phytoestrogens, but when I tried it, there were no noticeable changes.  I was on Finasteride (an anti-androgen) at the time to prevent balding, and I still did not notice any feminizing at all... no breast growth or any redistribution, no loss of muscle mass, no reduced or thinning of body hair, nor any of the other details I have read about.  The Finasteride worked so far as preventing any further balding and reversing some of it (hair growth), and it continued to work well long after I discontinued wasting my time on phytoestrogens.

I am sure everyone may have a different experience should they try it, but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you.  If you aren't taking any hormones or anti-androgens right now, though, then I would say that it couldn't hurt to try the phytoestrogens anyways (if you wanted to and if you were really curious).  My reason is not for the feminizing effects we would hope for, but the phytoestrogens did have an inherently good effect:  A lot of the food containing phytoestrogen is really healthy, and it got me started on a good eating routine eg. I would add flax to my oatmeal, drink soy milk and eat tofu... all of which are significantly healthier than the common alternatives such as milk with cereal, red meats, etc.  I do count calories and eating these things displaced the other foods I have would have ate instead.

I do not know enough to answer your other questions, sorry!

[Michelle3]

Thank you all for the replies.

I would still consider myself pretty young at age, turning 22 soon, looking 17 - 18. My younger brother looks older than me, everybody still thinks that. I am happy that I did not develop faster. Because of my country and long RLE before Hormones I did not want to develop more masculine anymore. I started eating phytoestrogens - 30-50 grams of flax seeds everyday, which I do not think is high. But of 4 months there is a small breast tissue from nowhere. Still pretty happy that I did not develop more last year, looking almost the same. Maybe this kind of food helped me a little.

I know that phytoestrogens are weak, very weak compared to the estradiol. But what should I do with the waiting time for hormones. Self-medicating is too dangerous and I would not be able to continue transitioning officially, if they would find out. That are the reasons why I started eating them, sometimes along with liquorice, in the form of sweet. I will stop definitely once, I will start hormones.

I was talking with my gender therapists. He will be prescribing drugs one by one, first it is gonna be AA as Androcur. Then female hormone estradiol, and then maybe progesterone. I do not know what will be the time difference between the drugs prescribed. I hope I would not be on AA too long to get Estradiol.

And about Progesterone. To find out how other people are trying to deal with this in my country. This is actually impossible. There is no site, community regarding LGBT in our country. Slovakia is too conservative. Maybe that is also the reason why there are just 3-5 more cases per year about ->-bleeped-<- on 5.5 million people. As I said my gender therapist who is working with endocrinologist have no experience with persons like me yet. I am usually the one who is teaching them sometimes :/ , which is sad, but true. But I am happy that I have the best GT who is behaving humanly and not embarrasing people like me, like the others in my country.

And again about progesterone. I was asking that if you know about which drug is considered good with Transgender people, there is no any bioidentical progesterone available, only in form of cream. And prescription can be done by my GT only to drugs available in our country, was asking several questions ragarding that too. Yes I will be under endocrinologist, who will be checking my levels etc. But they would not be considering progesterone if I would not be asking for that.

[KayXo]

Androcur is a progestogen. Dydrogesterone (Duphaston, Femoston) is available in your country.

[Shandril]

If you dont mind the taste of licorice try, "mothers milk" tea its a great supplement when you cut out coffee.

Its a cocktail of phyto herbs and generally very healthy to drink, women drink it to increase milk production while breast feeding.

~Shan~