Estrogen alone for hrt

[Alexa Ares]

I've been reading alot on hormones and wish to learn more before discussing such things
With a endocrinologist.

I have to be real to my truth and say I am looking at how to fond a place where I can express thst I'm trans female and also not loose the things I like about my body and sexuality.

I will say being married And very active sexually and wanting to satisfy my wife, the idea of dropping Testosterone levels to zero
Does not appeal to me, and won't be helpful. AAs come with side effects as
Of course does estrogen.

The question I have is what are peoples experiences with estrogen alone?

For me, my goal in transition Right now  is to not look in the mirror and see a face that screams male.
I would  like  soften out my features And see how I feel mentally on estrogen.
Being muscular And ok with that And sexually active I don't want zero erections or to loose tons of strength.

Any views from people who have ran / run estrogen only feminisation regimes?

[Mariah]

Estrogen itself can and will drop T levels. I have seen it where just estrogen alone was enough to completely block T sometimes, but it vary's by person. Fact is when it comes down to it there is always a chance it can affect things downstairs even with just lower T levels. Blockers were a vary minor component of my HRT regimen. As it was I just started out on estrogen alone while my doctors sorted out what, if at all, to do blockers. Anyways best to check with your doctor because in the end they have the knowledge needed and know your medical history to help you the most. Hugs
Mariah

[Kendra]

My estradiol-only HRT prescription started July 24 and has been exactly what I needed.  Everyone's medical profile, existing hormone levels and goals are not identical so the best answer for me might be the wrong answer for someone else.  I have borderline low blood pressure, that may have influenced my endocrinologist's decision to skip the t-blocker.

I LOVE my estrogen.  I've found the mental changes astonishing - my perception and all my senses changed and have remained that way.  This past couple weeks I've been enjoying the fall colors - something I sort of noticed before but now I find the fall leaves and scenery is stunning beautiful.  I remember seeing the world this way before puberty.  In the early 1970s I enjoyed riding my bicycle through forested horse trails, things I forgot to appreciate until this summer.

My sense of touch, taste and smell is definitely amplified and that has an effect on sexuality.  The woodbuilding shop hasn't woken me up in the past month but it's still there with the right scenario.  I've only been on HRT for 3 months and quite a bit more time is required for physical changes.  I am certain with additional time I'll lose more male function but that's the point.  I am in an excellent relationship and for the type of sex I have the changes have been awesome. I was already quite different before HRT but even more so now, a whole-body experience.

Three years ago when I started facial hair removal (and then everywhere else) I was not interested in HRT because I didn't want to lose my tripod.  I figured other solutions could help soften the face - cosmetic fillers and other surgical options.  Over time I began to realize what would make me truly happy and that is to have a completely female body to match my brain - but that's just me and we don't all have the same goals.

[Alexa Ares]

Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate the advice,
Mariah and Kendra. I agree it's best to go through a medical professional for using hormones.

Kendra, your account of experiences is something that speaks to me, does make me think. As you said it's a journey and there is no reason to be too hung up on where the final destination is. How I feel about what I need to feel okay about myself and my authentic identity may change over time

Right now I relate alot to where you were 3 years ago, Ie am just starting laser / electroysis, I am going to have some Lipo to sculpt a better shape and am undecided on hormones in that I would like to soften and appear more female however I fear loosing the sexual nature of my marriage as it Is something my wife and me are good on right now. It's not easy for wives of women like us....

In time I may feel like you, And unlike in the past where I would have to shut down such thoughts And relegate then to the occasional dirty hidden fantasy I can now be open with my wife and say I. Dont know for sure where I will need to be.
I'm learning to be OKAY with me and talk about my needs. In the past I would always bargain with myself, Ie everyone likes how I look And I have a pretty wife why would it make sense to feel like I do?

Reality is I was born like this. And that's okay.
I am aware and accept I am a trans woman And at some point in my life I will want, even need to be seen as female And live life in a female role.  It just may take some time and ne about making changes gradually.
For me Face is Massive. It's what we show the world. I want my face to be more feminine.

like any trans woman, I'm a individual and
My interests vary. But trans is trans and one day before I die, I want to be authentic to myself.

[Annushka]

It's not easy for wives of women like us....

Thats is an absolute true. It is really hard for them... as it is for us.
Transitioning is an extreme hard decision to make when we are married to heterosexual women.

For me I came to a point where it was choosing between keeping her and being unhappy with myself or loosing her and being unhappy the same way.

I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't anymore be able to make her happy if I wasn't happy with myself and I would end up loosing her anyway...


Even if if the wife is supportive, when we take this decision we have to be ready for the worst possible outcomes, as it is very normal for them to step back and realize they are not being themselves living as lesbians. We have also to be supportive and understand that... for them our transition is also a struggle for their identities.

I'd recommend talking to her as most as possible about the topic. And if you decide to, starting transitioning as slow as possible to give her time to be adjusting her psychologic balance at each step. I has been working for me at least up until now...

But read, study and talk with specialists as much as possible about effects of hormones. And maybe it can help to talk with a psychologist specialized in gender issues and try to find maybe a third option other than this binary dichotomy.

It is important for you to know that it is expected for hormones to drop significantly your sex drive (in fact, I believe this is even a way to chemically castrate sexual offenders). It is also expected your sperm production to reduce or even stop. This influences very hard on your own orgasm sensations.
Erections I believe may vary a lot from person to person. I suspect it has more to do with the perception of one's own sexuality than with biophysical constraints. For me even though involuntary erections had gone for good (thank Goodness) I am still able to normally have erections when sexually aroused and stimulated.

But it is also important - specially if you really identify yourself as a transgirl - to learn how to lean out of phallocentrism regarding sexual relations. If both you and your wife understand the penis as just another way - among many other ways - of having and giving pleasure, this is not an issue for you guys anymore. 


And about taking E without AA, never make this decision yourself. It is extremely dangerous as hormones aren't things to fool around.
As far as I know, your body will respond to the hormone which has higher levels on your organism. So if you don't drop your T-levels you would need a huge dose of E to make any difference. And when using hormones you are going to need the lowest dose as possible, so you don't strain your organs, and mainly your liver.

Well, I hope my thoughts on the matter can help you anyway! 

[kelly_aus]

And about taking E without AA, never make this decision yourself. It is extremely dangerous as hormones aren't things to fool around.
As far as I know, your body will respond to the hormone which has higher levels on your organism. So if you don't drop your T-levels you would need a huge dose of E to make any difference. And when using hormones you are going to need the lowest dose as possible, so you don't strain your organs, and mainly your liver.

Wrong, huge doses are not required.. In fact, most/many are already on a sufficient dose.

But I give up. People seem to want to keep taking meds they likely don't need. Haven't touched an AA in over 8 months, T level hasn't been higher than female midrange. My E dose is lower than it was, E levels are better than they were. I feel better without the side effects of the AA. I'm far from the only one - and my doctor agrees.

[Annushka]

Wrong, huge doses are not required.. In fact, most/many are already on a sufficient dose.

Really? I didn't know about that... 
Supposing someone has high T-levels... and start taking lower doses of E... would it make any difference on transition? Because even macho guys have some degree of E on their organism, but as their T levels are so higher, their body functions respond mainly to testosterone... I didn't know it would be possible to the body reacting to E in a female way if the T levels were predominating.


Just to clarify, when I said  "never make this decision yourself" I meant to her to consult and trust an specialized opinion, and not decide by herself what she thinks it would be better for her.

[Mariah]

Still it doesn't take very high doses and often much lower than you would realize to drop T quickly. Hugs
Mariah

Really? I didn't know about that... 
Supposing someone has high T-levels... and start taking lower doses of E... would it make any difference on transition? Because even macho guys have some degree of E on their organism, but as their T levels are so higher, their body functions respond mainly to testosterone... I didn't know it would be possible to the body reacting to E in a female way if the T levels were predominating.


Just to clarify, when I said  "never make this decision yourself" I meant to her to consult and trust an specialized opinion, and not decide by herself what she thinks it would be better for her.

[Jessica_Rose]

This is definitely a YMMV issue. Some people may be fine on estrogen alone, while others may need AA for HRT to be really effective. The required dosages may also change over time, especially if you are just starting out.

I started on estrogen only. At my four-month checkup my estrogen was in the low female range while my testosterone was still in the upper male range. Some of my facial features had begun to soften and breast growth was slightly noticeable. Spironolactone was added and within a month my breast growth really started picking up. I can still get erections, but now it is only when I want them (same as without the AA). My emotions have become stronger, and that is something I truly enjoy. I exercise regularly on an elliptical machine and I am still slowly improving. I have not noticed any loss of strength, but I was not muscular to begin with.

[Deborah]

I have tried it both ways, with and without spiro.  I did it without spiro when I was DIY a while back.  Later, when I went to an endo I went on a high dose of spiro. Mentally I feel the same either way.  Physically, changes happened pretty much the same.  Unfortunately, without spiro I was DIY and had no blood tests so I don't know what my blood levels were.  Right now I'm slowly lowering my spiro, with the Dr's knowledge, to see how low I can get it without T going back to an undesirable level.  Since it's been undetectable for over a year maybe it won't go back up much at all.


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[KayXo]

E can be taken alone, enough to suppress T levels down to about 50-100 ng/dl (or lower), where you will still maintain that same level of excitement, erectile capacity and arousal as before. It may even be that high enough levels of E will maintain sexual function without much T. Post-op, my T levels were VERY low, below female range and yet I would sometimes get aroused, easily reach orgasm, ejaculate and even feel erect down there where my clitoris would become engorged with blood. What the extra T did for me is I feel erect more often, my clitoris and nipples have become more sensitive where touching them arouses me greatly, I think about and crave sex much more, and my ejaculate is much more than before. So perhaps take just enough estrogen to keep T in the high female range or just above (50-150 ng/dl). I don' think having T at these levels will be so detrimental to feminization, my facial features remain feminine, my skin is super soft, still have the curves, etc.

Share this with your endo and keep us posted. Good luck!

[Dena]

My transition was without blocker as they weren't used then. I know I had low but within range testosterone levels and I was taking what was considered the maximum dosage at the time. My levels weren't measured but I suspect I still retain near normal levels of T as I saw none of the normal signs. Wood all day long remained and testicular shrinkage didn't occur. I believe that others saw different results under the same treatment.

My advice to you is treatment by a doctor. Regular blood test will tell you if you are taking a hit below the belt and your dosage can be maximized while still retaining the functionality you desire. HRT is very personal and another persons results may not apply to you.

[Alexa Ares]

Thats is an absolute true. It is really hard for them... as it is for us.
Transitioning is an extreme hard decision to make when we are married to heterosexual women.

For me I came to a point where it was choosing between keeping her and being unhappy with myself or loosing her and being unhappy the same way.

I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't anymore be able to make her happy if I wasn't happy with myself and I would end up loosing her anyway...


Even if if the wife is supportive, when we take this decision we have to be ready for the worst possible outcomes, as it is very normal for them to step back and realize they are not being themselves living as lesbians. We have also to be supportive and understand that... for them our transition is also a struggle for their identities.

I'd recommend talking to her as most as possible about the topic. And if you decide to, starting transitioning as slow as possible to give her time to be adjusting her psychologic balance at each step. I has been working for me at least up until now...

But read, study and talk with specialists as much as possible about effects of hormones. And maybe it can help to talk with a psychologist specialized in gender issues and try to find maybe a third option other than this binary dichotomy.

It is important for you to know that it is expected for hormones to drop significantly your sex drive

But it is also important - specially if you really identify yourself as a transgirl - to learn how to lean out of phallocentrism regarding sexual relations. If both you and your wife understand the penis as just another way - among many other ways - of having and giving pleasure, this is not an issue for you guys anymore. 


And about taking E without AA, never make this decision yourself.

Well, I hope my thoughts on the matter can help you anyway! 

Hi Annushka,
Your thoughts definitely help.
I came onto this board for some brutal honesty so I appreciate it.
Ive left all the bits in the quote that I feel apply to me in particular.

My wife and me talk alot about the reality of me being me. You are just telling it like it is
To say heterosexual wives don't want to be lesbian.
The phrase we say to each other is... She needs to see her husband and I need to see a woman. A woman who may look like a female body builder but female!
Hence face is so important to me.

As you said,  there's a process of figuring out exactly where I am at with all this.  Suppressing myself was too painful. Now it's out in the open, there's more therapy And taking things slowly so hopefully my wife and myself can make everything work. We have children and are very very into each other.

With Penis And sex you do bring up a good point about gender identity and how someone may feel as a trans woman about a penis and sex being phallic focused. I don't know exactly what I feel about this, as ultimately alot of old answers I had in life don't work for me anymore. I've always been dominant sexually, and this is something
my wife likes alot and I am used to.
There is lots to work through.


It's great to hear everyone's views on estrogen alone compared to estrogen with AA.
Please all of you keep them coming it helps me, as this is a reputable site.

[Kendra]

Something I should have mentioned earlier - when I made the decision to start estrogen I went to a sperm bank, got my swimmers cryogenically frozen.  The annual fees are annoying but there is no other safe reliable way to keep that option available after starting HRT. 

> Please all of you keep them coming

So far I've been able to do that. 

[Alexa Ares]

My transition was without blocker as they weren't used then. I know I had low but within range testosterone levels and I was taking what was considered the maximum dosage at the time. My levels weren't measured but I suspect I still retain near normal levels of T as I saw none of the normal signs. Wood all day long remained and testicular shrinkage didn't occur. I believe that others saw different results under the same treatment.

My advice to you is treatment by a doctor. Regular blood test will tell you if you are taking a hit below the belt and your dosage can be maximized while still retaining the functionality you desire. HRT is very personal and another persons results may not apply to you.

This is what I'm thinking. Estrogen is something I may want to use at some point in my journey. As you said it's a personal thing for all of us, how much we need to do to feel okay, to not have overwhelming GID.

Having softer skin, softer facial features and ideally some slight bodyfat redistribution without effecting my sexual function,  I can see alot of upsides to. I won't lie either that loosing strength dosent scare me. I come from a rougher area so to speak And the need to be able to project some physical threat is going to be hard to let go off....

I agree with the general feeling that it's best to do all this through a endo...in a ideal world that Is the way to go.

One other thing, does anyone feel estrogen effected personality?  I am feeling this Is probably a element of placebo but cannot know as have not done estrogen so can only speculate on this...

[Alexa Ares]

Something I should have mentioned earlier - when I made the decision to start estrogen I went to a sperm bank, got my swimmers cryogenically frozen.  The annual fees are annoying but there is no other safe reliable way to keep that option available after starting HRT. 
So far I've been able to do that. 

Good to hear that     

You definitely have planned your Way forward with your transition! For me, with kids I have no plans for more. I feel having children, part of the reason was to not feel like a I do, to not be me. I love my children alot. They bring alot to my life and with my Wife mean there is a clear reason for us to try at our marriage.

My journey to being honest has not been easy though....I would think for all TG it Is not and for those who romantically love hectic women it's probably harder.     life is what it is.  Being out of a closet Is better even on a so and so day as at least my worst fear is out there and it's not actually bad to be me. It's OKAY.