Unbalanced hormones with HRT?

[Ciarquin]

This might be a stupid question but I've been doing some reading about hormones and I'm wondering... After having surgery to remove the organs that produce hormones you'd only have either estrogen or testosterone, right? Most people usually have a lot of one "sex hormone" and a little of the other. Of course there aren't really many alternatives, and the hormones you're taking having to "compete with" the ones you naturally produce would be hard on the body in the long run, wouldn't it?

What I'm wondering though, is, wouldn't only having either "male" or "female" ones create some unbalance somehow?

[Buffy]

Ciarquin,

The Human body needs sex hormones either Estrogen or Testosterone as without these disease or illness can set in (such as brittle bones etc.).

Both Males and Females produce contra-sex hormones, but in a small amount as you quite rightly say. Testosterone in Women is linked very closely to Libido and it is has found a controlled use as a Libido enhancer.

In both sexes the pituity gland is responsible for sex hormone stimulation by producing Luteinising Hormones (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormones (FSH), even after gonadal removal the pituity gland still produces these hormones.

On losing the gonads you artifically hold the Hormone level at the corresponding sex levels (i.e Post Menopausal Levels) for a MTF .

Hope that helps without getting to technical.

Buffy

[Ciarquin]

In both sexes the pituity gland is responsible for sex hormone stimulation by producing Luteinising Hormones (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormones (FSH), even after gonadal removal the pituity gland still produces these hormones.

Oh yeah, I remember having read that. What I was thinking when I made the topic was that maybe it would be ideal for the body to have that balance between estrogen and testosterone that most people have, or something. Thanks for the quick reply Buffy.

[Elwood]

It really isn't hard on the body. Hormones are simply chemical messengers. Testosterone screaming over estrogen simply leaves estrogen unheard.

In females, to have no testosterone is a bad idea (I guess this applies to MtFs). You want a least a little in the body. I don't think there is any problem with males having no estrogen... although they'll always have some, even if it isn't much.

The removing on the ovaries may cause a change in your T dose. This is because the testosterone doesn't have to yell over the estrogen anymore. At least this is my impression, correct me if I'm wrong. Since we're transitioning to male, and if your female organs are dormant (T does that) then you don't have a need for estrogen, really...

Your body, however, will still have some in it. Not enough to make your female sexual characteristics return, however.

[Dennis]

Excess testosterone also does convert to estrogen (at least that's what I've read). My surgeon told me after hysto that I may need to adjust my T dose as well.

Dennis

[Elwood]

Excess testosterone also does convert to estrogen (at least that's what I've read). My surgeon told me after hysto that I may need to adjust my T dose as well.

Dennis

You're correct on both counts.