HRT during and after GCS

[KayXo]

I personally didn't stop hormones before SRS, except for Androcur, 6 weeks before. I continued taking a small dose of estradiol sublingually as this negligibly affects coagulation, in my case, with oral progesterone, bicalutamide and finasteride, all three having no effect whatsoever on coagulation. The reasons doctors want you to stop taking meds and hormones is because of the risk of clots, especially if immobilization is prolonged. Unfortunately, certain doctors don't distinguish between meds and different hormones so make you stop everything. Some doctors may be open to discussion and understand that some meds have no effect and that ciswomen can undergo operations despite having estrogen in their bodies so that if we take the same type of estrogen (estradiol) in the same manner (non-orally), the risk is negligible, as has been shown by studies.

I am 11 yrs post-op (not 12 yrs as I might have stated in an earlier post) and to this day, development and changes continue. I actually am on a higher dose now than I was pre-SRS. As long as it doesn't compromise my health and helps me feel and look good, doctors are on board.

[Gail20]

Regarding . . . .  "I actually am on a higher dose now than I was pre-SRS. As long as it doesn't compromise my health and helps me feel and look good, doctors are on board" . . .

I took very high doses of Estradiol for about 3 years.  The logic was that I would get the max I need and my body would just slough off the rest. . . NOT . . . the excess Estrogen signaled my Thyroid to slow down and stop producing hormones at normal levels. Sadly, once it slows down it doesn't speed up again. . .  now I'm on Thyroid medication for the rest of my life.  So . . .  be careful with how much Estrogen you take. . . .

[Lucie]

It's the first time I read that estrogens make the thyroid slowing down. What about cis women who have continuous high blood estrogen levels ?

[KayXo]

MY THS (thyroid stimulating hormone) was measured on several occasions in recent years. Levels always came back normal. At between 1.72 - 2.82 mU/L, the latest in 2016, being 1.72. Normal range is 0.40-4.50. Estrogen can indeed raise thyroxine binding globulin concentrations (mechanism similar to SHBG) and result in lower free thyroxine levels but the organism, if healthy (no prior thyroid condition, like me), will adjust accordingly and increase TSH output through reduced negative feedback inhibition at the hypothalamus. My TSH did indeed somewhat increase so all is normal.

[Dena]

  Newly created topic split off  from another thread. Topic is unlocked and open for business 

[AnonyMs]

I asked my endo about this, and his patients using implants don't need to stop estrogen during SRS (which would be difficult anyway). Instead you schedule GCS for when the implant is running low, and get another afterwards. He also doesn't drop the estrogen levels after GCS - they are high compared to other doctors (which I like).

He tells me that surgeons accept this, and I've read an account from a Suporn patient that this is ok.

[KayXo]

If implants are ok, then all non-oral methods should be fine as well, whether they be patches, gels or injections. That would make sense, otherwise something is off. I acknowledge the fact that levels may be higher with injections but why not use the same approach and make it so surgery is undertaken near the end of the cycle, when levels are lowest. Also, why not measure clotting times, that should give an indication...For instance, in my case, with high levels around 1,000-4,000 pg/ml, clotting times remain normal (PTT, INR).