Anxiety and HRT

[Nema]

I've been thinking a lot about HRT and the many ways it will help me. One of the things I'm curious about is how it will effect my anxiety. I'm not talking about anxiety related to transition, but rather anxiety that I've had my whole life. Over the years, I've learned to handle it while never being on medication, even though it isn't exactly easy at times.

So, have any of you had anxiety issues before HRT? If so, how has HRT effected it? I do realize that estrogen has a calming effect on the male brain, but again, I'm just curious about anxiety in particular.

Thanks in advance!
Nema

[Dena]

Estrogen while an important part of the transition really has little effect on the brain. The primary drug that will help you will be the blocker because they will shut down the T factories. Our TG feeling are activated by T and eliminating T from our system will reduce but not totally eliminate the TG feelings we have. Estrogen by it's self can't be delivered in high enough doses to block T effectively. When I transitioned, blockers weren't available and even at the maximum estrogen dose, I knew the T levels were still high enough to keep the male parts functional and the TG feeling present.

Your anxiety may be in part due to T levels and your TG feelings. People have reported that the blockers have reduced their anxiety sufficiently that they no longer need anxiety medications. I can say for sure if this will happen to you, but it is possible.

[Nema]

Thank you, Dena. I suppose I will know for sure once I get to that point.

[Lady_Oracle]

Starting hrt did help lessen it but its still there and at times sneaks up on me. Things are a bit different I guess, like I feel more capable of dealing with it where as before it would cripple me.