HRT and depression

[Charlie Nicki]

I think the pills are making me depressed. I recently went through a breakup and the first week was hell, I couldn't even concentrate and was crying all the time. I was feeling so bad that I skipped 3 days of HRT this week and actually felt better, then when I felt good I took them again for 2 days and the second night, last night, I felt sad again. Why is this happening? I've had so many doubts lately, even thinking about quitting my transition and this is not helping. Is this normal? Should I reduce my dosage? My doctor appointment is in 3 weeks and I can't wait that long to do something.

[BabyBoi]

I think the pills are making me depressed. I recently went through a breakup and the first week was hell, I couldn't even concentrate and was crying all the time. I was feeling so bad that I skipped 3 days of HRT this week and actually felt better, then when I felt good I took them again for 2 days and the second night, last night, I felt sad again. Why is this happening? I've had so many doubts lately, even thinking about quitting my transition and this is not helping. Is this normal? Should I reduce my dosage? My doctor appointment is in 3 weeks and I can't wait that long to do something.

Are you in counsling? Make a appointment to see one it will help. Dont just stop taking things. Follow through with dr appointments please

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[MichelleZelda]

I've heard that what I'm on has a side effect of depression, my dosage has been vastly reduced, but I'm going to ask about switching things around again because my mood has gotten worse in recent months.

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[MichelleZelda]

I've heard that what I'm on has a side effect of depression, my dosage has been vastly reduced, but I'm going to ask about switching things around again because my mood has gotten worse in recent months.

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But don't follow my example everyone's body is different

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[Charlie Nicki]

Are you in counsling? Make a appointment to see one it will help. Dont just stop taking things. Follow through with dr appointments please

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I am, I'm actually having an appointment with my therapist tonight.

BTW I'm taking spiro and estradiol valerate, any chance that one of those is too high causing me to feel extra sad? I know that the breakup contributed to my sadness but as I said, I quit for 3 days and felt better. Something must be off.

[LShipley]

It sounds a bit early for it to affect you that way in just a couple weeks if i understand correctly.

To me though you appear to have plenty of excuse for being depressed if you just broke up. It took me years for my first love loss. Being inconsistent with your meds will mess with your levels though and that will almost definitely give you drastic mood changes and a loss of energy.

As far as too high or too low a dose, that can only be determined through blood tests and your doctor. Inconsistency could hurt you more than a high dose. Missing doses mean you have high spikes and then long lows.

Dont skip doses! Especially not for days.

[KayXo]

Estrogen will usually have the opposite effect and studies have strongly suggested it acts as an anti-depressant BUT too low T may also trigger depression. You need to figure out with your doctor if your E is high enough for YOU (everyone's threshold is different), this may require some trial and error. Also, to be sure that the doses of your anti-androgen are not too high so as to totally not extinguish T and preferably, that you take E non-orally, as this way SHBG is not too high and binds too much T. Disregard T levels as on spironolactone, some is also blocked so that you really don't know how much is making it to your tissues and besides, you don't really know your sensitivity to T (or E, for that matter). Hope you and your doctor figure out the best, most optimal HRT for YOU.

AND I hope you feel better SOON...

[Kenzie4realz]

Puberty is a [emoji219]otch. Keep on it hold you're head up high and remember why you started HRT in the first place. It will get better I promise don't skip doses it does so much worse than you'll ever know.  6 months in you should be settling down and feeling amazing... best wishes, rely on you're support group... it's a major facet to all of this.


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[Charlie Nicki]

Thank you guys, but I called my endo and he told me to stop taking them and go to his office. He told me one week without them won't do any harm. I'm waiting for them to confirm my appointment.

And to clarify, I've been 3 months on spiro and almost 2 months on estradiol, it's not a couple of weeks. But I did up my E dosage after the first month so I'm thinking that could be the reason.

[KayXo]

If on oral E, you could try taking it non-orally, instead. Was helpful for me. Orally, E is suppressing T too much by triggering SHBG and not yielding high enough E2 levels to compensate so that non-orally, SHBG is much less affected, T is less inhibited and overall, there is a better balance. At least, that's the way I see it. I could be wrong...

[Kenzie4realz]

Oral E also increases your liver load. Injections are the best, least amount of side effects. 100% absorption. Plus PO meds depending on your gut absorption can be as little as 30/40 % effective... so having you're endo stay on top of you're levels is maybe more critical in the first few months... you're body is still getting used to the new and desperately trying to hold onto the old.


Best wishes stay strong
[emoji254][emoji259]Kenzie[emoji259][emoji254]

[KayXo]

Oral E also increases your liver load.

Bio-identical estradiol taken orally has never been shown to cause liver damage, it's just that it affects/triggers some hepatic markers like SHBG more so than if it were taken non-orally at physiologic doses.

Plus PO meds depending on your gut absorption can be as little as 30/40 % effective

Estradiol taken orally has a bio-availability of around 5%, on average, so that 95% of it is converted to weaker or inactive substances.

you're body is still getting used to the new and desperately trying to hold onto the old.

Mentally, perhaps but physically, there is no such thing as the body trying to fight back. More E, less T, simple as that with spiro reducing/blocking T.

[Charlie Nicki]

If on oral E, you could try taking it non-orally, instead. Was helpful for me. Orally, E is suppressing T too much by triggering SHBG and not yielding high enough E2 levels to compensate so that non-orally, SHBG is much less affected, T is less inhibited and overall, there is a better balance. At least, that's the way I see it. I could be wrong...

Oral E also increases your liver load. Injections are the best, least amount of side effects. 100% absorption. Plus PO meds depending on your gut absorption can be as little as 30/40 % effective... so having you're endo stay on top of you're levels is maybe more critical in the first few months... you're body is still getting used to the new and desperately trying to hold onto the old.


Best wishes stay strong
[emoji254][emoji259]Kenzie[emoji259][emoji254]

Yes I'm taking it orally. I can ask my endo about these options.