Estrace, Estrofem and Progynova contain micronized estradiol/estradiol valerate. As such, these can be absorbed sublingually through blood vessels which are abundant in that area. Please consult doctor before you change from oral to sublingual.
Am J Med. 1995 Aug;99(2):119-22.
Estrogen acutely increases peripheral blood flow in postmenopausal women."Subjects were given, in double-blind, randomized fashion, a sublingual placebo tablet (Mead Johnson Laboratories, Evansville, Indiana) on 1 day and sublingual estradiol-17B (
Estrace (...), Mead Johnson Laboratories) on the other."
"Estradiol-17B plasma concentrations increased from 112 +/- 38 to 3,234 +/- 411 pmol/L (P <0.0001) after administration of sublingual estradiol-17B (normal postmenopausal plasma concentration less than 200 pmol/L; normal premenopausal physiologic ranges: luteal 368 to 1,100 pmol/L, midcycle 785 to 1,840 pmolIL, follicular 74 to 368 pmol/L). No subjects reported any adverse symptoms after administration of either estradiol-178 or placebo."
3,234 pmol/L = 881 pg/ml, 40 minutes after sublingual administration
Am J Cardiol. 1997 Sep 15;80(6):791-3.
Effect of acute administration of estradiol 17 beta on aortic blood flow in menopausal women."The study group consisted of 16 menopausal women (mean age 54 ± 5 years [range 45 to 63])."
"Each subject was studied at the same hour of the day in a quiet, darkened room. The study was a randomized, double-blind study with 1 crossover. After a baseline echocardiogram showed normal heart structure and function, all subjects had 2 echocardiograms recorded on 2 different days: 20 minutes after the sublingual administration of either estradiol 17 β (...) (
Estrace (...), Mead Johnson Laboratories, Princeton, New Jersey) or placebo (...) (Mead Johnson, Princeton, New Jersey). The time elapsed between the 2 studies was 48 ± 4 hours. Ten milliliters of blood was withdrawn before and at the end of each test in order to evaluate plasma levels of ovarian hormones."
"Compared with baseline and placebo,
plasma levels of estradiol increased 10-fold after sublingual administration of estradiol 17β (56 ± 21 vs 537 ± 210 pmol/L, p <0.001)." After 20 minutes.
537 pmol/L = 146 pg/ml
Obstet Gynecol. 1997 Mar;89(3):340-5.
Single-dose pharmacokinetics of sublingual versus oral administration of micronized 17 beta-estradiol."Sublingual administration of micronized 17 beta-estradiol results in a rapid, burst-like absorption into the systemic circulation, yielding high E2 levels that fall rapidly over the first 6 hours."
Estrace was used in this study.
J Clin Psychiatry. 2001 May;62(5):332-6.
Estrogen deficiency in severe postpartum depression: successful treatment with sublingual physiologic 17beta-estradiol: a preliminary study.Estrofem sublingually in study.Maturitas. 1999 Oct 24;33(2):145-52.
The acute effects of sublingual estradiol on left ventricular diastolic function in normotensive and hypertensive postmenopausal women."17β-estradiol (two tablets of
Estrace (...), Mead Johnson Laboratories, Evansville, Indiana) were allowed to dissolve sublingually."
"Serum 17β-estradiol values reached 2227±1180 pg/ml at 60 min post dose. Compared with baseline values, the plasma levels of estradiol increased more than 10-fold for the whole group. It should be noted that hormone plasma concentration was substantially higher in the hypertensive subgroup: the estradiol levels were 1790±869 pg/ml in the normotensives and 2664±1490 in the hypertensives (P<0.05)."
Psychopharmacology (1999) 147:108–110
Role of estradiol in puerperal psychosisBoth women were treated with sublingual estradiol.
"
treatment with micronized 17-b estradiol (Estrofem, Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) was started as monotherapy"
"Sublingual 17-b estradiol was given as monotherapy in the outpatient unit"
Quote from: Anastasija on December 02, 2016, 12:57:33 PM
as an injection has the highest concentration and is maintained for a long time, because E is released over about two weeks.
But half-life and how steady levels remain depend on ester. Estradiol valerate has a half-life of 4.5 days, estradiol cypionate, lower peaks but steadier levels.
QuoteThe same pill, depending on how you take, but I think E pills is released by 2h.
Or earlier or later depending on individual's metabolism and other factors. Levels may or may not be steady but usually are quite steady.
Quoteaccording to my study should be done the day before injection and completely fasting, then the result is the most reliable. but I can be wrong
Levels fluctuate quite a bit on injections so that this makes testing not really reliable.
Quote from: Mia on December 02, 2016, 12:22:52 PM
Hmmm, my numbers are radically different than anyone else's I've seen here.
I started HRT in 2014 - back then, E=19, T=668. About 6 months later, taking oral Estradiol, my levels were E=1457, T=46.
Fast forward to March, 2016 (about 2 years later). Now using Estradiol Valerate injections, E=2276.9, T=8. But the lab results state "Normal".
I'm not sure if there are different methods of determining E levels? This is Estrogen Total Serum, in pg/Ml.
Estrogens total include estradiol and estrone. Estradiol is the most potent of the two, about 10 x. My estradiol levels with injectable estradiol valerate range from 1,000-4,000 pg/ml.
Quote from: Anastasija on December 02, 2016, 11:42:55 AM
I just accept ANDROCUR x2 + flutamidx2
Flutamide (in addition to high doses of androcur-cyproterone acetate) may have adverse effects on liver whereas bicalutamide, a newer anti-androgen has shown (appears) to have a safer side-effect profile.
"As regard as pure antiandrogens clinically important adverse events including gastrointestinal events, particularly
diarrhea and occasional disturbances of liver function related to flutamide treatment and antabuse effect, problems with light-dark adaptation and rare interstitial pneumonitis related to nilutamide indicates the
bicalutamide, due to its better tolerability profile, together with its once-daily oral administration regimen, could be considered the antiandrogen of first choice in the treatment of prostatic cancer."
J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2006 Aug;132 Suppl 1:S17-26."CPA is associated with loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. CPA is also associated with cardiovascular risk and there have been occasional reports of fatal fulminant hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Gynecomastia is quite rare with CPA, which is in contrast to the non-steroidal antiandrogens." Although to be fair, this is at very high doses, not commonly prescribed to transsexual women.
"There are no direct comparisons between the three non-steroidal antiandrogens in terms of quality of life, but available evidence suggests that
bicalutamide has a more favorable safety and tolerability profile than nilutamide and flutamide. Unlike CPA, non-steroidal antiandrogens appear to be better tolerated than castration, allowing patients to maintain sexual activity, physical ability, and bone mineral density, but
these agents have a higher incidence of gynecomastia and breast pain (mild to moderate in > 90% of cases)."

Androcur has also been associated with 5 of 8 cases of prolactinoma and with 7 of 8 cases of meningioma in transsexual women. It has a tendency to overstimulate prolactin. Also, it can cause extreme fatigue, depression, and anxiety in some. Slightly raises risk of blood clots and can lead to excess weight gain in abdominal region due to glucocorticoid effects.
Regarding flutamide,
Fertil Steril. 2012 Oct;98(4):1047-52."Hepatotoxicity is a rare but possible event using low- and ultralow-dose regimens of flutamide."
I hope your doctor is keeping a good eye on all of this with regular blood tests.
Flutamide only blocks T, does not reduce it.