Three month follow up

[Devlyn]

I had blood drawn Monday and yesterday my doctor doubled my estradiol dose and  instructed me to take a low dose aspirin daily to minimize the risk of clotting. I was given choices regarding bringing my testosterone down further.

a) go up on the spironolactone

b) add finasteride (a prostate blocking medicine, which means I need to add a prostate test onto your labs to make sure we aren't hiding any prostate cancer once you're on it)

c) consider orchiectomy (testicle removal)

d) do nothing right now

I elected to stick with what I seem to tolerate well, so she doubled my spiro too. I hadn't put any thought into an orchi, they're lucky to get me out under my own power after a blood draw, never mind surgery! 

Hugs, Devlyn

[Laurie]

   
    Congrats on the increase in estradiol Devlyn and your choice to increase spiro. I'm surprised you weren't taking a daily low dose aspirin already as it seems pretty common any more for us older folk. I've  been taking one for years.
  I'm hoping for an E increase to but have to wait until after labs get drawn on the 22nd.
   Do you really have trouble with the blood draws? Having needles stuck in me has become routine anymore. I used to say I could never give myself a shot so I would never be an IV drug addict. That was before I was diagnose wit diabetes. I don't do IV shots but I do give myself 2 shots of insulin a day in my tummy. Things change. Don't dimiss that orchiectomy just yet....

  Hugs,
    Laurie
 

[Devlyn]

Thanks! It says extreme needle phobia on my records. Shots are usually okay, but I could never do it to myself. Blood draws, getting stitches, getting stitches removed, etc all kill me. The anxiety about getting stuck has caused me to cancel appointments before.

Hugs, Devlyn

[AshleyP]

I elected to stick with what I seem to tolerate well, so she doubled my spiro too.

I think that doubling your estradiol dosage will have an impact on the T levels without doing anything else. Glad to hear you're happy with the changes

All the best,
--AshleyP

[ConfusedSarah]

I have a risk of clotting based on family history. When I asked my doctor whether aspirin could help reduce the risk she indicated that studies have shown aspirin is good for preventing clotting in arteries and not so effective in veins and suggested that I would get little benefit from taking it.

[Cindy]

Thanks! It says extreme needle phobia on my records. Shots are usually okay, but I could never do it to myself. Blood draws, getting stitches, getting stitches removed, etc all kill me. The anxiety about getting stuck has caused me to cancel appointments before.

Hugs, Devlyn

Hi Hon,

One thing you might want to consider is hypnosis to overcome needle phobia. I''m told it is quite successful and you ever know when the day arrives and there is no choice about needles. I hope is doesn't arrive but you never know.

[Dena]

Devlyn, you aren't the only one who has issues with needles and other sharp stuff. The doctors started working my body over at age 3 and the time after my GCS is the longest they were able to leave the knife alone and limit themselves to needles. So far, I haven't canceled an appointment but I prefer to get as close to horizontal as possible when they do a blood draw. I can't watch them do it and I really hate it when they have to go digging to find a vein especially as my veins are very visible.

As for hypnosis, my understanding that you need to be willing to give control to another for it to work. That is something I can't do so I think it would be useless in my case.

Anyone for starting a I hate needles club?

[Barb99]

Thanks! It says extreme needle phobia on my records. Shots are usually okay, but I could never do it to myself. Blood draws, getting stitches, getting stitches removed, etc all kill me. The anxiety about getting stuck has caused me to cancel appointments before.

Hugs, Devlyn

I was never one for needles. I even passed out once from seeing some else have blood drawn and still can't watch them draw mine. So I wasn't to sure what was going to happen when they switched me to injectable E. I was pleasantly surprised to find that sticking myself was not a problem!

[KathyLauren]

Congratulations on the dosage adjustment, Devlyn!

I used to have a needle phobia, but I managed to train myself out of it.  It is still there, under the surface, but I can avoid having it kick in causing me to pass out.  Interestingly, I have to watch them insert the needle or the phobia gets me. 

I couldn't handle being a blood donor.  The first time, they couldn't find the vein and spent ten minutes poking around trying to find it.  I was out like a light.  The second time, they found the vein, but didn't get a good flow rate.  More poking around trying to re-set the needle, and I was out again.  The third time I was okay, but the fourth time, my body decided that I had had enough for no apparent reason.  They said I turned an interesting shade of green before I revived. 

So I stopped going.  It was no fun.

[Deborah]

One time I went somewhere overseas and forgot my shot records.  Two medics sat me in a chair and with one on each arm gave me my full lifetime of shots for everything under the sun.  Any needle phobia I did have was cured that day. 


Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote

[LShipley]

One time I went somewhere overseas and forgot my shot records.  Two medics sat me in a chair and with one on each arm gave me my full lifetime of shots for everything under the sun.  Any needle phobia I did have was cured that day

Same idea for me. During a 2 week stay in the hospital they poked me so many times every few hours needles dont phase me at all now

Well. Except for anesthesia needles in the head. Holy #%^%.

[Laurie]

  Dental shots were the worst one for me.

[SadieBlake]

Great news Dev! Glad to hear you have official numbers.

If you ever want to desensitize on injection, I don't know if this would help but you'll be welcome to hang out while I do my weekly IM of estradiol

[Dani]

Devlyn,

Do not rule out Finasteride. It is not just for prostate issues. I know because I had prostate issues.

Finasteride blocks the conversion of testosterone to dihydro-testosterone (DHT). DHT is many times more potent than testosterone in producing androgenic effects such as increases in muscle mass and male pattern baldness.

[KayXo]

Just to reiterate a few things already mentioned, in my own words...indeed, it has been found that the impact of aspirin on preventing DVT usually associated with NON BIO-IDENTICAL forms is very weak to absent as it affects clotting in the arteries and not in the veins PLUS it can, over time, irritate the delicate lining of the digestive tract and cause ulcers. Estradiol actually also reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems and has a negligible effect, according to several studies, on clot formation if bio-identical and especially if taken non-orally, even in individuals aged up to 90 yrs old.

Estrogen alone reduces T so just doubling the dose might have been enough without needing to increase spiro and increase the risk of side-effects (potassium retention, low blood pressure, fainting, heart issues, etc.). Just be on the lookout and let the doctor know ASAP if you notice issues.

Finasteride does not reduce T but its conversion to DHT.

I was DEATHLY afraid of needles. I do my own shots now. If I can do it, anyone can. 😉