Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hi everyone, I on HRT for about a year, my facial features hasn't change much and still very guy-ish. i started HRT when i was 29.

recently i been experiencing some coldness, so i not sure if anyone experience similar incident? i will feel cold, when usually i dont. i heard from a fellow sister that because the hormones causes the blood pressure to drop, therefore i will feel cold, can anyone verify this?

secondly, recently i think i am quite easily agitated. and i lose my patience easily, i am not sure if it is the HRT effects, or is it that I am desperately trying to earn more money for SRS and to clear off my debt.

thirdly, not sure why, my facial skin, is quite dry and itchy, after a few round of scratching, it starts to peel. although it is better now, not sure it is because of dry skin, or because of hormones.

Anyone have similar experience? please share. Thank you.





Edited for Dosages

Many women feel cold and some drop in blood pressure is to be expected. I think you really need to see a doctor. Self medding is not a good idea, death or serious problems that prevent further HRT is not your goal, but a possibility. Why take the risk?

I've experienced many of these things, especially the dry skin. Now I know why women use moisturizer the way they do. I think the coldness is from the thinning of the skin, but can't say for sure. The irritability, I get 'bitchy' at different things now, I understand better where women are coming from now. Bitching at shoes left in the middle of the floor was something I never use to do, I use to just kick 'em over to the wall. Now I pick them up, see who's they are, put them in the right spot, and let the rightful owner know to stop doing it.  ::)

My answer is yes, you're taking too much because they're not being prescribed by your doctor.

(wow, you're fast! ;))

Hi Tiffany  :icon_wave:

Welcome to Susan's  :)  Glad to have you here

I'm not a doctor but yes, sounds like you are over doing it and could cause yourself grave harm

It is best recommended that you consult with a doctor

Also the posting of dosages violates the site rules (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,2.0.html)

Quote8. The discussion of hormone replacement therapy(HRT) and it's medications are permitted, with the following limitations:
A. You may not advocate for or against a specific medication or combinations of medication for personal gain. This is strictly prohibited.
B. You may not discuss the means to acquire HRT medications without a prescription. The discussion of self medication without a doctors supervision is prohibited.
C. The discussion of recommended or actual dosages is strongly discouraged to prevent information obtained on this site from being used to self medicate.
We can not in good conscience condone the self administering of these medications. Not only may self medication be illegal, but HRT medications can cause serious health problems, and many have the potential for life-threatening side effects that can only be detected and prevented with proper medical supervision.

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Hugs

V M

Oral estrogen increases blood pressure slightly (systolic only).
Spironolactone is a blood pressure medication, a diuretic, and will help lower blood pressure. If you're on spiro, you may experience that.

Check your BP daily and keep records (with date and time) if you suspect a problem. Talk to your endocrinologist and if your BP is too low you can ask about sodium and licorice, or there may be medications that help -- (do not try to manage BP on your own!)

I can relate with the cold thing...when I wake up and get off the bed I feel super cold

Please if you are self dosing stop, i started out like that and when i realized what the risks were stopped and found a therapist and came out to my family doctor. first I broke his trust in my judgement and second i did no good to my health or development, most important though now i am able to work my way forward with proper support both with my therapy and my medical support and have developed very nice since with more confidense and commitment. and  a massive support structure to assist my successful transtion into me.

good luck
jerri

The itchy thing: I use more moisturizer now, yeah I get that.
Cold, well there's a confound there, because I'm older and we get cold anyways.
Bitchiness? Oh yeah... that sounds familiar. Have you had any hot flashes?

Now, Tiffany, I'm going to quote from the Harley Davidson owner's manual because it also applies to self medication:
"Avoid doing this as it could result in serious injury or death. "

Honey, if you haven't seen a doc about this, you really have to. All of my docs (and I have more than a few due to other health issues) have been super about this. You can't mess around with hormones. The balances are so critical to other body functions. Please be careful.

DO NOT USE LICORICE AS ANY SORT OF MEDICATION!   IT CAN MESS WITH YOUR POTASSIUM LEVELS.
I HAVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF IT AND THIS WEBSITE HAS DETAILS OF WHAT IT DOES:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3733757.stm

As licorice is put into lots of products I am sure it is one of the root causes of obesity as well as many problems like those in the website.

Yes, I get really cold when the humidity drops. I guess being in single digits does not help. Forecast -4 degrees F Tuesday night.

Self med can result in not being able to do HRT in the future due to physical issues. It is a marathon not a sprint.

Quote from: lilacwoman on January 23, 2014, 04:29:18 PM
DO NOT USE LICORICE AS ANY SORT OF MEDICATION!   IT CAN MESS WITH YOUR POTASSIUM LEVELS.
I HAVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF IT AND THIS WEBSITE HAS DETAILS OF WHAT IT DOES:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3733757.stm

As licorice is put into lots of products I am sure it is one of the root causes of obesity as well as many problems like those in the website.

Licorice can lower potassium and raise BP. Spironolactone spares potassium and lowers BP. As I suggested before, do not use *either* product without a medical doctor's (preferably an endocrinologist's) supervision... but it *may* be a good choice if you have both very high potassium and low BP.

The real problem with licorice as medication is that it is an unregulated herbal. Many doctors will dismiss it because of that, so you would have to bring it up yourself and be prepared to have it shot down as a treatment option. Again... it's dangerous to play with this stuff on your own!! I consult my endo even for basic things such as vitamin and mineral (especially Ca) supplements.

thank you everyone for the replies and concerns.

i will see a doctor very soon.

my country is very hot throughout the year, i should feel hot instead. but recently the weather is slightly colder. And with the hormones, i believe it feel worse.

Tiffany,

If you are feeling the symptoms you describe and are on spiro self medicating or not you do not need to see a Dr soon. You need to see one now. Go to an ER room at a hospital and get checked ASAP. It sounds very much as if your BP has dropped and that may kill you.

Yep I experience coldness very easily now, and yes, since last winter I've also gotten dry skin, albeit on my extremities (hands mostly) not the rest of my body or my face.  I have to use a TON of moisturizer to keep my hands from overpeeling and bleeding.

As for the recommendations to see a doc that are all over this thread, doing so is probably a good idea, although the recommendation I see above about the ER sounds way too extreme imho.  Unless you're experiencing extreme symptoms right now, just find an endocrinologist to actually prescribe you a regimen when you get a chance and get a blood test.  The ER docs are far less likely to have experience dealing with trans patients anyway.

Interesting... I generally experience the opposite, can get very hot and sweaty in hot and/or humid weather and/or with physical exertion. During summer my feet can get very hot, especially at night time. But that's been normal for me ever since before HRT. As far as I know (based on check ups with my endo) my BP is exactly where it should be. Weird.

Your doctor, when you see one, needs to check estrogen levels.  I had similar problems and after she adjusted my dose, they mostly went away.

Hugs,

Jen

dont self medicate, injury or death will happen, and i cant really say ive experienced this yet, im full of heat lol i live in wisconsin so its pretty cool that the weather isnt bothering me, and my face is still oily but i only been on my meds for 3 months now

Most intriguing...

I sometimes get the nagging feeling that the annoying things I used to suffer from when I was a boy with stunted growth and staggered puberty, is what I may re-encounter if I go on HRT.

1. My hands look ancient as they used to crack and bleed all the time up until I was about 22. Skin also very dry & itchy on extremities and legs, but soft on face and torso.
2. I've always had "bad circulation" as well, meaning I get cold very easily, and the cold seems to sink deep into my body, so I quickly feel agitated and tired when cold.
3. Blood pressure has always been low. When I donate blood - the nurses make me lie down, and ply me with biscuits and sweet tea BEFORE donating, as well as after :p

Oddly though, estrogen is supposed to generate effects the opposite to those. So perhaps I'd potentially actually benefit instead??

1. Despite skin-thinning, women's soft skin is supposed to be more supple and thus less prone to ageing and cracking. Though damage to the skin may be easier to cause.
2. Subcutaneous fat retains more heat which can protect the muscles as they vent alot of heat. (perhaps why women can stand wearing short skirts and no tights in winter?)
3. Estrogen slows the metabolism and thickens the blood, hence blood pressure can tend to be higher for women, on average.

So, ultimately.... nothing makes sense. Despite proven evidence about how male and female bodies work regarding its structure and endocrine systems - when exposed to HRT, trans* patients' bodies seem to behave and react at random, rather than following the documented paths and behaving in the documented ways.

I'm amazed just how varied each report is regarding HRT's effects. There appears to be no rhyme nor reason, ultimately. The understood models of how bodies should react to hormone washes don't seem to apply when it comes to HRT. The body's natural reactions to dealing with cross-hormones, and its ability to work with them in a predictable fashion, seem to break-down resulting in a random plethora of effects, that for some are exactly what they want, and for others, renders them incapacitated in many ways. Medical transitioners are un-witting pioneers in the science of gender and biology. Soooo much can be learnt from trans* patients' reactions to HRT. The effects could perhaps answer so many questions about what happens when external hormonal influences enter our bodies.

I don't think there's a better way to play blindfold biological Russian roulette with your body, than to take HRT and see whether you kill yourself or ruin your functioning-form in the process. The effects produced seem to be as wildly different and extreme (if not more so) than the effects from, say, taking illegal street-drugs at a nightclub. It seems to easier to predict what ecstasy or magic-mushrooms could do to your body, than to predict what could happen on HRT. And that's SCARY.

I wish cis-people and society realised that being transgender is such a real and devastating affliction that sane people are willing to play Russian roulette because they feel they have no other choice. Perhaps society would then realise that trans* people don't need and cant stand social, economic and religious issues heaped on top of that stark issue. Hats off to all those that are brave enough to transition via HRT, doesn't matter if you felt forced into it, you're still riding a sh*tstorm on purpose & continuing to go through with it. That's brave in my book.

Quote from: KabitTarah on January 22, 2014, 08:58:39 AM
Oral estrogen increases blood pressure slightly (systolic only).

Not oral estradiol (bio-identical)

From Volume 15 Suppl 38, 1983, Pages 1-121
Blood pressure and hemodynamics in postmenopausal women during estradiol-17 beta substitution.

"Blood pressure, central hemodynamics and peripheral blood flow were measured at rest in 20 normotensive and 20 hypertensive postmenopausal women during cyclic placebo/estradiol-17 beta treatment. Micronized estradiol-17 beta was given in daily doses."

"Estradiol-17 beta substitution decreased the systolic and diastolic blood pressure in normotensive, hypertensive and borderline hypertensive postmenopausal women."





Edited for Dosages - DO NOT POST DOSAGES

Quote from: Tiffany on January 22, 2014, 08:24:58 AM
Hi everyone, I on HRT for about a year, my facial features hasn't change much and still very guy-ish. i started HRT when i was 29.

recently i been experiencing some coldness, so i not sure if anyone experience similar incident? i will feel cold, when usually i dont. i heard from a fellow sister that because the hormones causes the blood pressure to drop, therefore i will feel cold, can anyone verify this?

secondly, recently i think i am quite easily agitated. and i lose my patience easily, i am not sure if it is the HRT effects, or is it that I am desperately trying to earn more money for SRS and to clear off my debt.

thirdly, not sure why, my facial skin, is quite dry and itchy, after a few round of scratching, it starts to peel. although it is better now, not sure it is because of dry skin, or because of hormones.

Anyone have similar experience? please share. Thank you. Edited for Dosages

To me, all this sounds like not enough estrogen and very similar to PMS symptoms. What are your levels? What does your doctor think? 

PMS symptoms. Bloating and nausea