Has anyone experienced anything like this?

[raendom]

About 10 months ago I lost a large amount of weight. Since then my body has been acting like I was on HRT. I've had very slow (but unceasing) breast growth with pretty constant low level pain in them, my body hair shifted growth patterns to female, I got the darkening raphe thing, and, craziest of all, my hips grew a lot.

I'm in my late 30s and have kids, so this seems especially odd. I went to a doctor and an endo about it and their basically said "Your hormone levels are normal (if with the T of an elderly man) and you're really healthy. You clearly are fertile, why are we talking?"

Has anyone had anything like this happen to them or someone they know? Have things played out that way for anyone once they got on HRT?

PS: I haven't gained or lost weight since the initial loss, the hip growth is mostly bone, and the growth gave me hip bursitis if that helps.

[Deborah]

Well if you're in your 30s and have the testosterone levels of an elderly man then that is not normal.  Low testosterone can lead to the effects you describe.


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[Dena]

Welcome to Susan's Place. There is normal and then there is normal. It's possible for a male to have normal estradiol numbers and be in the feminine range. High testosterone levels will block estrogen but if your testosterone levels are low, naturally existing estradiol might be more effective. The three numbers we normally look at in the test is Testosterone, Total Estrogen and Estradiol. While we aren't doctors we have a pretty good idea from test results, what's going on. The table may help you see what's going on.

ESTRADIOL LEVELS
SEX                     pg/ml
Women (> 18 years old)   
      Follicular Phase  30-120
      Ovulatory Peak   130-370
      Luteal Phase      70-250
      Post-Menopausal   15-60
Male                    15-60
TOTAL TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
SEX      ng/dl        ng/ml
Females  6 - 86     0.1 - 1.2
Males  270 - 1100   2.4 - 12
Conversion factor: 1 ng/ml = 3.47 nmol/l

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[raendom]

My estradiol level was 29.2 and my testosterone was 384 when I was tested about a year ago (when I went to the doctors, apparently my 10 month estimate for the weight loss was off). 

I was also tested on testosterone in my early 20s and, if I remember correctly, it was in the low to mid 300s.  It was apparently peculiar that it didn't appear to vary during the day.

One reason I am asking is to figure out if maybe it is some form of intersex condition or androgen insensitivity.  I don't know why such a thing would change because of the weight loss, but the doctors have not exactly been helpful.  I read that losing weight rapidly does dump a significant amount of estrogen in your system... but the loss was a long time ago and the effects have not stopped since.

[Dena]

If you are overweight, it's supposed to produce estrogen so it's possible that your body developed before losing weight and the weight loss exposed it. My testosterone levels were in the lower end of the male range and as the result I have hips and a waist. On the other hand, my estrogen levels were pretty rock bottom because I had no breast development.

Some of the members on the site have experienced a great deal of breast growth with minimal estradiol levels. It mostly a case of the proper genes and enough estrogen to make things happen. I don't have a full answer for you but it's likely somebody else will add to the conversation.