Question about E levels, I'm perplexed

[Sylvia]

Hello, I hope no one minds me asking here as an SO. My OH has been on E patches for nearly a year, and of course, as part of this has regular blood tests. We were looking at the results over the year and something has confused us both.
The first test he had - before starting anything - his E level was VERY high - over 800 (this is UK measurements). Bearing in mind that 'normal' male level is under 130, I'm wondering where on earth this came from. The T was 'normal male range' but the E was through the roof. At the time, the GP said something about a hormone 'inbalance' but didn't seem worried. Since the patches, the level has become more usual - it dropped to 150 after 3 months, then up to 240 after 6 months, then 400 ish after 9 months - but it's never got as high as the original (maybe it will be with the next tests). He SWEARS he hadn't been using anything other than a herbal thing (macca?). He had taken spiro for a few weeks about a year before that test. Why would the E have been so high without any hormone treatment?

Can anyone shed any light? Google is no help at all.

[Devlyn]

Just sounds like a bad test.

Actually, it sounds like your partner WAS self medicating,
but they say they weren't, so it's a bad test.

Hugs, Devlyn

[Linde]

Just sounds like a bad test.

Actually, it sounds like your partner WAS self medicating,
but they say they weren't, so it's a bad test.

Hugs, Devlyn

I am with you!  I think some person in the lab screwed the test up!

[Dani]

A bad lab test is the most obvious cause, but there is another explanation. Your SO said he was taking an herbal supplement, but I never heard of "macca", so I think maybe he just made up a name and was taking real estrogens. Have you seen the bottle of "macca"?

Many of us are in denial and we do things that do not make sense. We are not trying to hurt others, but for myself I was trying to act normal, but I ended up concealing my behavior from everybody, especially myself. I finally came to the realization that my behavior was self destructive and I needed to just accept myself for everything that I am.

In the US we use pg/ml and other countries use pmol/L to measure anyone's estradiol levels. The units convert at about 1 pg/ml = 4 pmol/L, so a blood level of 800 pmol/L is high but not outrageously high. This blood level may be the result of some other underlying situation. Your SO needs to be completely honest with his primary care physician for his safety.

I am using male pronouns for your SO because this is how you see him. I suggest a conversation with your SO on which pronouns are preferred.

[Sylvia]

A bad lab test is the most obvious cause, but there is another explanation. Your SO said he was taking an herbal supplement, but I never heard of "macca", so I think maybe he just made up a name and was taking real estrogens. Have you seen the bottle of "macca"?

Many of us are in denial and we do things that do not make sense. We are not trying to hurt others, but for myself I was trying to act normal, but I ended up concealing my behavior from everybody, especially myself. I finally came to the realization that my behavior was self destructive and I needed to just accept myself for everything that I am.

In the US we use pg/ml and other countries use pmol/L to measure anyone's estradiol levels. The units convert at about 1 pg/ml = 4 pmol/L, so a blood level of 800 pmol/L is high but not outrageously high. This blood level may be the result of some other underlying situation. Your SO needs to be completely honest with his primary care physician for his safety.

I am using male pronouns for your SO because this is how you see him. I suggest a conversation with your SO on which pronouns are preferred.

Yes, I have heard of it and have seen the bottle! Maybe it has a different name in the US. He wasn't self-medicating. As I said - he had been in the past (a year before), secretly. I found out and there was hell to play! He knew after that he had to be completely honest about anything he was taking, and he is as confused by that high reading as I am. At the time we didn't think much about it, as we had no idea at the time what the levels were or should have been, and also the GP wasn't concerned. If he had been taking anything, surely there would have been some feminization/breast growth, as started within weeks of 'legal' patches?

Re: 'I am using male pronouns for your SO because this is how you see him. I suggest a conversation with your SO on which pronouns are preferred.'

I find that offensive. He is a he - he's happy with that and has never asked me to change pronouns, and doesn't want to change his name. We have discussed this many times. He identifies as gender fluid, and still presents male (albeit with female/unisex/androgynous clothing).

Thanks for telling me my partner is a liar.

[Cindy]

 

Please everyone calm down.

I do not think that any offence was meant in the posts.
I shall also remind people to report posts that concern them to the Moderators rather than responding.

Thank You
Cindy

[Sylvia]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidium_meyenii - sorry, maca root, only one 'c'. It exists...

[Cindy]

One of the issues with past self medicating is that you don't know what levels are being reached. As a case in point, while I was under medical supervision my E levels went up to 8000 pmol/ml extremely quickly on oral E (within 2 months). I was immediately taken off E and we waited until my levels dropped before I was given implants. It took 5 months for the levels to drop. It would be very easy for someone self medicating, in the past, to have E levels that are extremely high and it taking many months for them to drop to 'normal'. 

There are also issues in lab testing for E levels that are usually unimportant but can give different levels in some circumstances.

[Dani]

Sylvia,

I am deeply sorry that you took offense to my comment. My experience comes from my own self denial of my condition.

Self denial is not exactly lying. Many of us come to a conclusion about our self identity and it usually is some version of "That can't be me. There must be another reason." So we continue to struggle with what we are.

In you last post you mentioned that your SO identifies as gender fluid. If I  had known this before, I would have never questioned it. Please accept my apologies.

However, this still does not explain  the  high estrogen blood levels. The link to Maca root does not mention any hormone effects, so the only explanation I can think of is a bad lab test or self medication. 

[Sylvia]

Apology accepted, Dani!

And I do understand the self-denial thing, I still think he is in self-denial about a lot of things, which we are trying to work through.

For 2 years he was secretly underdressing without me knowing, and had shaved off all his body hair, which again I didn't know about, as he spent that time covered up, and in bed, neck to ankle pyjamas, avoiding any contact with me. I thought he didn't want me any more... Because he works away from home most of the time, it was relatively easy for him to to keep his 'secret'. Of course, I eventually found out and since then we've been communicating as honestly as possible.

And I know the herbal thing was unlikely to have much affect. He heard that it can raise E levels and help breast growth. He was only trying it until he got the go-ahead for legal medication.