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Ahhh! Why did my E dropped significantly after surgery?

Started by denimandlace, April 24, 2017, 07:32:23 PM

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denimandlace

April 24, 2017, 07:32:23 PM Last Edit: April 24, 2017, 07:46:10 PM by Mariah
Through January 2017, I was taking  of Estradiol orally per day and running levels between 200-300 pg/ml.  All is good right?  I slowly tapered down to daily well before surgery and stayed at that level until now (4 weeks post op) because my endocrinologist said I would only need of Estradiol / day to maintain "good" levels once the "poison factories" were gone.  Well, they (testicles) are gone and according to last weeks blood test, I'm only at 110 pg/ml Estradiol - S.  This despite takingEstradiol daily.  What's up with that?  Do some people still have to take a lot of Estradiol orally to keep their levels in the acceptable range post surgery?  I meet with my Endocrinologist on Wednesday and I'm afraid she's going to keep me at  or maybe even throttle me back farther.  What's your post surgical story and dose?


Mod Edit- no dosages please TOS 8
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KayXo

#1
April 24, 2017, 07:39:41 PM
Posting dosages is not allowed on this forum. My doctors and I don't aim for levels but rather for the dose that most effectively brings about optimal breast growth, overall feminization and a sense of well-being. Levels in and of themselves mean very little as they fluctuate over time, the right level depends on the person and there is no way in advance to know what that level will be because of so many factors at play and levels also don't necessarily correlate with health risks (the type of estrogen and route of administration do much more).

The ideal levels are based on an average in premenopausal women during their menstrual cycle when ciswomen developed at very different time in their lives so that comparison with this population in this particular context is futile. In my opinion. I'm not a doctor.
I am not a medical doctor, nor a scientist - opinions expressed by me on the subject of HRT are merely based on my own review of some of the scientific literature over the last decade or so, on anecdotal evidence from women in various discussion forums that I have come across, and my personal experience

On HRT since early 2004
Post-op since late 2005
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Barb99

#2
April 25, 2017, 10:54:59 AM
My levels post op came back to where they were pre-op but breast growth never restarted, so we added progesterone.

Right after switching to injections my levels went up to 850 pg/ml and I loved the way I felt but my doc wanted me at 400 so he cut my dose.

Post op I have a different doctor and she puts more consideration into how I feel so she increased my dose post op to keep me up at 600. I feel pretty good at that level.

Any chance you can convince her to consider how you feel, of switch doctors?
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KayXo

#3
April 25, 2017, 01:18:54 PM
A doctor who only goes by numbers and ignores patient's feedback or the drawbacks with measuring levels in this context, is, IMHO, not a doctor who really is interested in your case, your goals and well-being but more concerned with following rules and protecting themselves. My endocrinologist asked me first and foremost "how do you feel? If I feel good, if I am responding well and blood tests come back normal as in liver function, CBC, thyroid, clotting factors, etc. then it's a go. :) My other doctor also sees it the same way. They enjoy learning from their patients.
I am not a medical doctor, nor a scientist - opinions expressed by me on the subject of HRT are merely based on my own review of some of the scientific literature over the last decade or so, on anecdotal evidence from women in various discussion forums that I have come across, and my personal experience

On HRT since early 2004
Post-op since late 2005
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thylacina

#4
April 27, 2017, 08:01:14 PM
i am not allowed to find your previous two posts, so i must ask ... were you also taking an anti-androgen pre-surgery?
Reason for asking, because (for example) spironolactone "enhances" aromatization of androgens into estradiol, by a factor of 7.13 x according to one scientific study.
It can also cause the adrenal glands to chronically overproduce, resulting in both excess cortisol and excess sex hormones to be aromatized.
That might explain your lower estradiol after surgery, if you were taking spironolactone which you quit circa surgery?

Quote from: denimandlace on April 24, 2017, 07:32:23 PM
Through January 2017, I was taking  of Estradiol orally per day and running levels between 200-300 pg/ml.  All is good right?  I slowly tapered down to daily well before surgery and stayed at that level until now (4 weeks post op) because my endocrinologist said I would only need of Estradiol / day to maintain "good" levels once the "poison factories" were gone.  Well, they (testicles) are gone and according to last weeks blood test, I'm only at 110 pg/ml Estradiol - S.  This despite takingEstradiol daily.  What's up with that?  Do some people still have to take a lot of Estradiol orally to keep their levels in the acceptable range post surgery?  I meet with my Endocrinologist on Wednesday and I'm afraid she's going to keep me at  or maybe even throttle me back farther.  What's your post surgical story and dose?


Mod Edit- no dosages please TOS 8
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