Susan's Place Transgender Resources

New thread continuing the conversation from this other thread:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,224070.0.html

Quote from: KayXo on June 15, 2017, 08:59:05 AM
Advantages:

1) one injection weekly vs having to take the pill twice daily sublingually
2) can get higher levels for a longer time but does not necessarily translate into better results
3) in some cases, cheaper $$$

I had better breast development on pills but feel better and skin/hair is glowing on injections, feminization overall seems improved too.

I understand the (seemingly minimal) convenience of not having to take 2 pills / day, but I don't understand how the results would be all that different between the two methods like you are reporting KayXo.

Care to speculate?

I will speculate. :)

So, taking pills sublingually is a good delivery method to avoid the loss of E through digestion and the liver.  However, there has to be some loss from swallowing during the process of dissolving the pill, so in that respect the injection offers a better holistic absorption expectation than sublingual. 

My opinion is that the efficacy from injections is greater in feminization, not just breast growth.  I have used pills and injections, and this is just my experience.  I offer no clinical studies, not scholarly opinions, --just little ole me!  I prefer my girl power come from a needle. :)

Both injectable and sublingual are effective in feminization. Blood levels do not correlate with feminization. All you need is to have repeated exposure to Estradiol and be some where in the normal female range. There is so much individual variation, that genetics plays a much more important factor in how well you respond to Estradiol.

If you feel better with one route over the other, then bless you, go for it.

Quote from: Dani on June 16, 2017, 08:58:26 AM
... Blood levels do not correlate with feminization. All you need is to have repeated exposure to Estradiol and be some where in the normal female range. ...

Emphasis, mine.

Does not compute.  lol  Blood levels do correlate to feminization, especially since we look for levels in the female range.  What the best route is for achieving those blood levels is the discussion. :) 

Had my start on estrogen been more typical, I might have known whether levels matter.  I was started on spiro, then "low dose estrogen", but my levels immediately hit a normal adult female range anyway.  It apparently doesn't take much with me.

With pills I could never get my levels above 200, that was with max dose twice a day.
Switched to injectables and immediately hit 800. Also find it very easy to target specific levels by varying the dose with injections.

I switched to injection very early in HRT due to some reports of better feminization results which may or may not be provable as well as some degree of fear about the pills affect on liver even with sublingual use due to some degree of swallowing of saliva during the process and the cumulative effect... I had considered patches briefly but I do a lot of running and had heard reports of bad adhesion and uneven dosing when you sweat a lot.. The first couple times, sending that 1.5" needle all the way home is a bit nerve wracking but after the first couple times it is second nature!!!

Onward we go!!!

Ashley :)

I am on pills for the last three years and no complains. My estradiol level with my last blood work was 4487 pm/ol
and I am intending to stay on them for as long as I can.

It also helps that I am using a GNRH agonist as my AA that completely stops my T production so E can take its reign.