Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Every year I get at least one hormone levels test done. 2012 was overall not a great year for me. There was a ton of stress and then a week before Christmas I ended up getting that really nasty flu (the one that's hospitalizing a lot of people ... luckily I managed to stay out of the hospital but it still wrecked me). I'm still not 100% and I feel like crap compared to how I normally feel. So the other day I get the rest results back and my cortisol is off the charts. Let me just put out there that if you're stressed out all the time or if you have an illness or inflammation (basically anything physical that stresses your body out) your cortisol will go up and guess what goes down when that happens? Testosterone. So I'm currently at T levels 50% less than I normally have. Consequently, levels of other hormones I have have also gone down (estrogen, progesterone and DHEA). I had a long talk with my doctor yesterday about it and she wants to put my on a "bio identical", compounded hormone cream that has all 3 (E, P and T) in it. First, I've not had a very good track record with any sort of hormones and after doing my own research into "bio identical" it sounds like a lot of b.s. People are saying it has no side effects, but that isn't true. Apparently the stuff also doesn't have to be labeled like regular hormones do as well and when samples have been tested by labs it's very questionable if you're getting the right dose.

Bottom line is I don't feel good about it. The conversation yesterday ended with her wanting to send along this prescription for me. It would take 3 months before I could do another test and see what the levels were and she's already said that once you start taking HRT like this you pretty much stay on it indefinitely. I've been trying to dig up information on HRT with multiple hormones and there's a lot of conflicting stuff. Some of what I'm seeing is that your body basically gets "lazy" and will stop producing its own hormones. Side effects are of course another issue. And in my particular case where I've had lots of side effects with every hormone I've ever taken combined with the fact that these "bio identical" creams are sketchy on the dosage makes me even less likely to want to move forward with this particular treatment plan.

This particular doctor knows my situation. She also knows I'm trans, but she won't just give me T cream. She insists on bringing levels of all my hormones "up to normal". I need to clarify that she doesn't mean "normal female". I told her that my T has always been higher than a normal female person. I also really am not fond of "experimenting" with dosages ... especially when it comes to hormones. Hormones are one of the most powerful substances in the body and especially since I've had issues in the past with them I just don't want to take the risk. I sent her an email saying I don't want to do the proposed treatment that I'd rather just try to naturally sort things out.

One other thing I'll mention is that we did talk about DHEA. I know DHEA has come up on the boards before and it's one thing that's readily available out there via health markets and the internet, but it can have some serious side effects. If anyone's considering self medicating with this, I urge you to reconsider and get with a doctor about it. It's also something you should only take short term and only if you currently have a deficiency. That means you need to get your levels checked first. I saw another current thread on "natural transition" and I'm pretty sure DHEA is one of those things that the NT folks might be into. All I'm saying is just because something is natural, doesn't mean it's good for you. I may actually go on DHEA (either in pill or cream form) for a short time because the action it has is to decrease cortisol and increase E and T and my current levels are low, but it would be under the supervision of this doctor and for a short time.

Anyway, I'm just a bit frustrated at this point and feeling crappy on top of that. The hormone therapy thing has always been a quandary for me and every new time it gets offered to me (in whatever form), I still always think in the back of my head that it may work but it's never on my terms and it's never worked in the past and the side effects and negatives always seem to outweigh any positives for me.

Has anyone out there used any form of "bio identical" or compounded cream before? Just curious if anyone else has experience with it.

Well I know a couple guys who are very happy with compounding cream that came from a pharmacy around here. I don't think it is bioidentical. So one can, if you are able to absorb it, totally transition via cream. It's the route that I plan to take first since I need to be low dose initially anyway. The comments on cream generally are that it is better than something like Androgel which takes huge amts. to use.

My BS meter goes off a bit when I see stuff about the bio-identical hormones in general. I don't know if it is real or not. As I don't think there is any research at all to support it. I don't know what is meant by it has the E, P, and T in it. My understanding was that all the kinds of T out there are really the same thing but have different carriers or whatever so that they may absorb differently. I may be totally off here. So shoot it down, but gently, as I now I have a fragile male ego. :)

--Jay

Aleon515, I'm not transitioning .... Hence the reason why the doctor wants to also add estrogen and progesterone. She won't give me just T. If I had just T cream it would probably make my other hormone levels even more out of whack right now and with the increase of cortisol inhibiting production of T as it is I'm really not sure what it would do. I'd love some of the effects of T (and if anyone reading this wants to launch into some lecture about how you can't pick & choose effects, that someone who's not transitioning shouldn't "play" with hormones, or anything else of the sort, don't. I don't need to hear it.) but my goal right now is just to get my normal T levels back before I consider doing anything else.

Ok, sorry to make assumptions. I don't know why she wants to give you progesterone. I don't know why you can't just go on low dose. True you can't chose your effects (or side effects) and low dose just really means "slow" dose. My understanding is that some androgyne type people feel better with low dose.

What you're doing by dosing with all three imo is what your body already does. You already have all three. If you don't take any progesterone or estrogen your body will still make it. (I'm guessing you have not had hysto for some reason). Actually female bodied people would have high E, med. P, and low T. If you have had hysto for some reason, then maybe I would get that it could be for bone health or something.

I don't agree that bio-identical is no side effects. I have heard this more with estrogen honestly. Sounds like something I have heard from a popular tv celebrity more than a doctor.

--Jay

I have a little different hormones normally than a regular female bodied person. And right now it's the high cortisol that's killing it for me. So if I added just T in, the cortisol would inhibit a lot of that and things would get more and more out of balance. I have very low progesterone and low estrogen at the moment as well. So basically everything needs to come up. My adrenals are kinda fried. That is the one issue I've had long term and while I don't have something as serious as a tumor or anything, my adrenals have always been over active (hence the higher T than normal). I've been able to manage it naturally and exercise helps a lot but 2012 was just a crap year full of stress and injury so things got out of whack.

I wish my system just worked like most everyone else's and I could just hop on T but I've just got to be really careful with my levels of everything.