This is me, not happy coming off hormones pre-surgery.

[june bug]

I forgot how awful it is to not be taking hormones.

Am less than two weeks before my FemLar and beginning to feel the effects of not being on estrogen, whether that be psychosomatic or whatever... I feel like crap.

It got me thinking about my post-surgical depression after my orchi, which I thought was because of coming off the vicodin, but now I'm wondering how much the hormonal disruption may have to do with that (in regards to pills and the orchi).

Anyhow.  Just a sista' sharing some emotional blah's because of hormones and the like.

[Flan]

that sucks
I didn't stop hrt for eye surgery, curious why Dr Thomas wants patients to do so.

[june bug]

that sucks
I didn't stop hrt for eye surgery, curious why Dr Thomas wants patients to do so.

No aspirin either.  I assume it's to minimize risk of blood clots / not clotting enough.

[sneakersjay]

I have to go off T 2 weeks prior to surgery.  Not looking forward to that at all.  At least I don't have any residual F hormones to kick in.


Jay

[DamagedChris]

I just recently had a short lapse in T...only a couple days, but WOW did I feel pissy. Never want to miss a shot again.

[Janet_Girl]

I never went off them when I had my Orchie.  And no post-op depression ether.

But I have been off my 'E', because I ran out. Not going to do that again.  Not looking forward to going off them for SRS, but the rewards is worth being a "B".



Janet

[Ender]

I have to go off T 2 weeks prior to surgery.  Not looking forward to that at all.  At least I don't have any residual F hormones to kick in.

Jay, did your doc give you any concrete reason as to why you needed to go off of T?  I would think that it would be worse to not have any hormones at all in your system--tends to make people feel very 'blah' from what I've heard, and it's not good for bone density.  I guess I've never understood why surgeons want us to have messed-up hormone levels right before surgery.  I can kind of understand the blood clotting thing with E, but... cis women have surgery all the time.  So do cis men.  Do the hormones really affect us all that differently?  I'm sure you mentioned this somewhere else, but I didn't catch it--what type of bottom surgery are you having, and who with?

[june bug]

I can kind of understand the blood clotting thing with E, but... cis women have surgery all the time.  So do cis men.  Do the hormones really affect us all that differently?

This thread got me to wondering this myself.

I'm going to talk to my regular physician about it during my check up after my FemLar.

Good luck with your upcoming top-surgery btw! 

[sneakersjay]

My endo said 2 days (I'm on daily T gel) for my hysto, and I wasn't out to my gyno at the time.  Brownstein I believe said it didn't make a difference; I don't really remember what I did, except probably not the day of surgery or the day after.  But Dr. Miro said 2 weeks, primarily for the bleeding potential I guess, as he does a vaginectomy, meta, urethral hookup, and implants all at once.

I will clarify that since I"m on the daily gel, though.

Jay

[Hannah]

Q: Do I need to go off my hormones before surgery?

Dr. Bowers: No, not really...This is a time-honored torture that no one has ever questioned (let alone, asked a gynecologist about). The effects on blood-clotting are minimal; the avoidance of blood clots is handled in ways completely unrelated to hormones. However, we do request that you stop other medications (i.e. - progesterone, spironolactone, etc. ) two weeks before your surgery.

I can't post the link. It's on Dr. Bowers website. It seems to me like she prolly knows what she's talking about and she does go into more detail that I didn't copy. It might be worth looking up on her FAQ though, to go in prepared when you ask about it.

[Valerie Elizabeth]

I got really irritable when I went off of them for my FFS, and the mood swings were really bad after going back on them.

I asked my endo about it, and he said it was basically all about numbers.  Surgery is risky enough, and they don't want to increase the risk of complications.

I have SRS coming up next month, and I am not looking forward to being of hormones for that period of time.  NOT FUN!

[june bug]

I can't post the link. It's on Dr. Bower's website. It seems to me like she prolly knows what she's talking about and she does go into more detail that I didn't copy. It might be worth looking up on her FAQ though, to go in prepared when you ask about it.

God, now that you mentioned it, it wasn't Dr. Thomas who told me to come off Estrogen, it was my physician.  Dr. Thomas just said to stop taking aspirin.

I guess my physician figured since I couldn't take aspirin, I shouldn't take the estrogen... but now that I think about it, she also mentioned not taking estrogen for two weeks after surgery as well, but I don't remember her saying the same thing after my orchiectomy.

Sorry... going a little crazy here off the estrogen, so now I'm a little frustrated with my physician... especially since I've never had issues with my bloodwork and stuff in the past.

I think I'll give her a call tomorrow and ask her thoughts on the subject.
Post Merge: January 08, 2010, 01:33:47 AM

I asked my endo about it, and he said it was basically all about numbers.  Surgery is risky enough, and they don't want to increase the risk of complications.

Yeah... this is what I figured as well... but if Dr. Bowers thinks it's not necessary, then I wonder what the "numbers" are that everyone is basing their info off of.

A lot of times I wonder how much my general physician actually _knows_ versus what they are just repeating from the "tried and true" book of info that's out there.

Always hard to find a good, conveniently accessible, trans-specialized doctor in this world.

Then again, I guess the same could be said about specialists in general.

*wishes she could stab her chromosomes*

*stab stab*

*stab stab*

[Valerie Elizabeth]

Most likely the "numbers" are money.  The doctors need to be insured, and if anything happens their premiums go up.  Also, if something goes wrong it could hurt their reputation and they lose money.  They could also get sued.

I know that if I were a doctor, I would make sure that I had the lowest risks that I could have, whether for my practice, or the patients health.

[DamagedChris]

*wishes she could stab her chromosomes*

*stab stab*

*stab stab*

Trade you one of mine for one of yours. *offers up a spare X chromosome*

[Valerie Elizabeth]

Trade you one of mine for one of yours. *offers up a spare X chromosome*

MINE!

[sarahb]

I don't think Dr. Brassard requires you to go off of HRT either prior to or after surgery. I had to for my FFS, but for SRS I'm pretty sure I read that he says you can keep taking them. I guess it's just a preference some surgeons have.

~Sarah

[Valerie Elizabeth]

I guess it's just a preference some surgeons have.

~Sarah

Totally agree with this.

[MMarieN]

Dr. Konior did not require me to stop hrt before FFS. That was a good thing.

OTOH, Dr. McGinn had me stop estradiol 2 weeks before GRS and stay off for 2 weeks after. That was the worst part of GRS. The hot flashes sucked.

[Randi]

I can relate!! I self medicated for a while and have stopped in order to do it the right way with supervision. The hot flashes I hate and at times I am irritable for no reason. I can't wait to get back on E-in fact I ordered my 1st batch of patches today so my 'happy time' clock is ticking!!!!! Congrats on your upcoming procedures.

Randi

[Ms.Behavin]

Oh yes, 2 days post op and I was having major hot flashs.  Oh the fun.  I suspect that low doses E or T pre surgery would be Ok in the near future.  Permerin had a very high clotting factor risk, but Just about no one uses that anymore.  But then again you really don't what to throw/pass a clot to the lungs or heart) after surgery.  That can kill you.  So following the doctors recomendations in any case is always safest.