Morning Ladies,
So I'm counting down the days to SRS/GRS (224), but I'm also counting down the days to be off spironolactone!
I assume the dose of estradiol is also lowered....is this correct?
Over the passed 12 months I have no tolerance to alcohol (suffering a little this morning), general two drinks okay, but the third kicks like a mule!!! Have you noticed a difference in your tolerance to alcohol post-op?
I have been strict on the intake of potassium, I miss bananas so bad, can I assume I can also start increasing my potassium intake post-op too?
I appreciate any advice you can share.
Jamie
Jamie, congrats on your up coming surgery, depending on your surgeon, they will have you stop all meds except if you take heart or diabetes meds about 2 weeks before surgery, Dr. Mcginn lets you stay on spiro till a couple days before surgery but estradiol was stopped 2 weeks before, the reason for watching your potassium is because of the spiro, a banana once in awhile should be ok, watch other foods too, you might want to Google foods with potassium to see what to stay away from or limit intake, make sure when you have blood work they the check the potassium level, too much could cause heart failure, after surgery you should be off spiro and back to eating what ever you enjoy.
Paula
Quote from: jamiejo on September 07, 2011, 11:21:39 AM
I assume the dose of estradiol is also lowered....is this correct?
yes, there is a lowering of the dosage...just how much is between you and your endo based upon your individual bloodwork and physiological responses post-operatively.
QuoteOver the passed 12 months I have no tolerance to alcohol (suffering a little this morning), general two drinks okay, but the third kicks like a mule!!! Have you noticed a difference in your tolerance to alcohol post-op?
It has been so many years that I could not tell you if there was any difference...I'm going to guess 'no' though since I can still put a significant quantity away and have no visible effects. I think it must be one of those rock star livers like Zoe has often mentioned having :laugh: That being said, I probably do drink a lot more now than I did back then...there are some truisms about the legal community and I also know I enjoy my red wine with dinner...
QuoteI have been strict on the intake of potassium, I miss bananas so bad, can I assume I can also start increasing my potassium intake post-op too?
probably so...but again, a question best addressed to your endo.
Quote from: jamiejo on September 07, 2011, 11:21:39 AMI assume the dose of estradiol is also lowered....is this correct?
it depends on your blood test I guess; my new endocrinologist actually tripled my original pre-op estradiol dose, as well as increasing my progesterone.
The problem I think is they treat post-op women as post-menopausal as far as E dosage, probably because there aren't a lot of studies done on post-operative women exclusively so they go by studies done on post-menopausal women. I was fortunate to find an endo here in Sydney with experience treating post-op women, who understood that sometimes we need to maintain more than simply bare minimum levels.
Quote from: jamiejo on September 07, 2011, 11:21:39 AMOver the passed 12 months I have no tolerance to alcohol (suffering a little this morning), general two drinks okay, but the third kicks like a mule!!! Have you noticed a difference in your tolerance to alcohol post-op?
It's a fact women have a lower alcohol tolerance than men, something to do with a hydrogenase enzyme they they have more of than we do or that we lack. Obviously this is affected by female hormones. I'm with you-- 3 drinks per night is my absolute limit if I don't want to hear stories about me dancing topless on the table as I'm nursing my queen-sized hangover the next day lol
Quote from: jamiejo on September 07, 2011, 11:21:39 AMI have been strict on the intake of potassium, I miss bananas so bad, can I assume I can also start increasing my potassium intake post-op too?
Consult your doctor of course, but I did sneak a banana occasionally, though not often. For some strange reason it also made me crave tomato juice, as well as salt. I do remember having the permanent sniffles as long as I was on spiro. This went away after I stopped taking it, which was right up until the day before going in the hospital.
Congrats on your upcoming surgery!
Quote from: FairyGirl on September 10, 2011, 09:06:54 PM
I'm with you-- 3 drinks per night is my absolute limit if I don't want to hear stories about me dancing topless on the table
may I offer you another beverage...I think it will only be the fourth or fifth one >:-) :laugh:
lol at both of you (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cosgan.de%2Fimages%2Fsmilie%2Fkonfus%2Fd040.gif&hash=e011440b8ef53495a9676d1215f4844cdca9b364)
So I thought I would take a different approach, light white wine. Nope, three glasses, my license to walk in heels was taken away, it's now 8PM and I'm going to bed.......God I miss the party girl!!!!
Recently at my boyfriend's house as the night progressed I ended up drinking most of a bottle of Yellowtail Cabernet (good ol' cheap Aussie wine). He had like, 2 glasses and I had the rest. Of course as I was with him in private it didn't matter if I engaged in a little strip dancing lol. But omg did I pay for it the next day... owie
It was kind of my idea to triple the dosage- my endo started out by doubling it, then in between visits I began taking a little extra because it just made me feel better. At my next visit I explained this and he told me it was okay to stay on the higher dose.
Honey,
now I start to get the idea, that what initially goes down jolly easily may be the reason that I'd been feeling crappy, crabby the next day...
I seem be OK taking it whilst the going is good - but there are certainly more then the more usual pre-HRT after-effects.
Thank you for sharing, ....... too bad when in such good company to pull the hand brake,
Axelle
Quote from: FairyGirl on September 12, 2011, 10:44:35 PM
Recently at my boyfriend's house as the night progressed I ended up drinking most of a bottle of Yellowtail Cabernet (good ol' cheap Aussie wine). He had like, 2 glasses and I had the rest. Of course as I was with him in private it didn't matter if I engaged in a little strip dancing lol. But omg did I pay for it the next day... owie
LOL...if he had two glasses, you couldn't have had much more- one generally only gets about four and a half glasses out of a typical bottle of wine. Which means...hmm...here, have another glass so we can also see the dancing :laugh:
Quote from: Valeriedances on September 13, 2011, 08:34:35 AM
<chants ...dance, dance, dance!>
I'm okay at 2 glasses, but after hitting 3 I'm likely to be unpredictable myself.
Can't say I blame you Chloe. If your sweetie hasnt gone in attack mode before then, sometimes you have to break out the striptease, lol.
...and if that doesnt work, bonk him over the head and drag him into the bedroom.
Seems like 3 glasses is the magic number....don't I know that. ;)
Bonking him over the head would be the easy part. Dragging him into the bedroom I would have very little hope sober and even less hope with a few glasses of wine. I'm a typical weakling female these days.
Quote from: FairyGirl on September 12, 2011, 10:44:35 PM
Yellowtail Cabernet (good ol' cheap Aussie wine).
NOOOOOOOOOO.......!!!!!!!!!!
Call me a wine sobe, but being from Australia, not a great example of our fine wines.
So when you say you finished the bottle was it a 750ml or 1.5Litre???
Jamie
wow we have lots of Aussie girls here. (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ichloe.com%2Fimages%2FAustralia.gif&hash=a3de530a621e519ee2c3a12cda70e902fbd51fa6) I also prefer other Australian wines, but the point that night I think actually was to do a little dancing for my honey. >:-) It was probably a 750 ml, so yeah, not a lot to get as happy as it made me lol
Hey girls,
the OP was about "medication" ... you sure cheap Aussie white wine is by endo prescription??
Have any of you figured out what causes tinnitus with post-op HRT?
Axelle
Quote from: FairyGirl on September 13, 2011, 08:29:48 PM
wow we have lots of Aussie girls here. (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ichloe.com%2Fimages%2FAustralia.gif&hash=a3de530a621e519ee2c3a12cda70e902fbd51fa6) I also prefer other Australian wines, but the point that night I think actually was to do a little dancing for my honey. >:-) It was probably a 750 ml, so yeah, not a lot to get as happy as it made me lol
I don't worry about the price so long as I like the taste, call me a cheap drunk.... ;D
Quote from: Axélle on September 14, 2011, 06:07:53 AM
Have any of you figured out what causes tinnitus with post-op HRT?
Axelle
Haven't heard of that occurring....maybe to much use of a noisey vibrator..... ;) >:-)
Quote from: Axélle on September 14, 2011, 06:07:53 AM
Have any of you figured out what causes tinnitus with post-op HRT?
was not aware that was an issue anyone was having on a broadscale basis...and my guess is that it would have a cause outside of the HRT.
But back to the wine...I had a client a few months back who actually DID have a prescription written by a doctor authorizing up to two glasses of red wine for therapeutic reasons. We needed the prescription for the purposes of community supervision modifications since otherwise she was not permitted to consume alcohol...
Ann,
* was not aware that was an issue anyone was having on a broadscale basis...and my guess is that it would have a cause outside of the HRT. *
Thanks,
though it might HAVE to do with E levels / E products (pills, etc.) ==> hypertension?
(Hot flushes, - I'm off E right now)
I know at least two hysterectomised females that also had these issues.
Both had to change to E gel (Femigel) and E cream (from Compound pharmacy).
This apparently fixed the problem.
Axelle
Yes a lower dose of E is usually recommended post-op. Marci had me off Spiro and on a low dose of E up until the day of the surgery and then I was off it for 2 days and went back on it on the 3rd day (same low dose). Within a couple weeks, I went back to my doc and we experimented with getting me back on injections again. The dosage was lower than before but only slightly and that seems to work for me. It'll be different for everyone and really should be more based on how your Estrogen levels react more than anything.
I've not had enough money to see a specialist since my insurance dropped me 3 years ago(american -sigh-), but the gist of every source I've heard even officially by my ex endo was estrogen is generally halved.
I would guess as far as meds go you could drop the spiro but as far as the E is concerned I would want it kept high as well as the progesterone. Any doctor who think we are fully feminized after 2 years needs his head examined. Tell me do GG only go through 2 years of puberty? And as far as breast enhancement is concerned why would doctor wait till the patient is at least 18 and some even 20 before considering them? IMO I think most of use if not all are way under medicated as well as not medicated at high doses long enough. Just my opinion. ;D
Hugs,
Isabella
Hi everyone! My name is Kim, I'm new here so please bear with me. I joined this forum as I find your topics very relevant and helpful to me as a post-op M to F TS.
I'm 38 y.o. had my SRS in April 2007. I've been on Oestrogen oral tab twice a day since post op, tried to reduce this dose to once daily but I get really bad withdrawal symptoms of hot and cold intolerance as well as hot flushes and night sweats, so I stick to my twice a day dose. I dont drink and smoke and use drugs, I eat and exercise healthily. I'm not overweight, I'm 5'7 and 9 stones. Blood pressure, cholesterol are in normal levels. I dont take any other medications apart from vitamin supplemets. I'm also married, for a year now.
My problem is my testosterone level, its been very low (0.7 nmol/L), been having problem with low energy levels, low mood / apathy / boredom, tiredness, zero sex drive ( I feel sorry for my husband), nothing excites me lately, not even a new pair of shoes. I also notice my hair had started to fall ( 25 - 60 strands a day / yes Im counting It!). I'm wondering if its my DHT thats causing this, but my T levels are low. I'm confused. ???
I went to Belgravia hair loss clinic yesterday but they just wanted me to buy their products and treatment package without even checking or asking about endocrine status!
I read that some post srs M to F had been taking Progesterone and some Androgel (testosterone cream) to help with low T. I just wanted my T levels to be a at least within a the healthy women my age range. But there is also the DHT issue, would it trigger MBP (male pattern baldness), it is scary!
Im planning to arrange an appointment with Dr. Seal (GIC London Endocrinologist) but I remembered that I was discharge from their care after my SRS so I may have to ask my GP to refer me back to them again (sigh).
I'm wondering if any of you post op ladies had similar experience. I'm so stress out. I'm worried that my husband will get fed up with me. Thanks for reading this.
I got e great reply about this question in yahoo answeres and would like to share this with you ladies.
Erica fortes soli superant's reply (see below):
You're confused about a few things.
First, it's perfectly normal to lose 50-150 hair per day. Are the hairs coming out long or short? If they're long, and have a small white bulb at the end, this is perfectly normal. If they're short, it could be Telogen Effluvium (temporary hair loss) which can be caused by stress, diet, vitamin deficiency, thyroid issues, and more.
DHT doesn't make hair fall out. It causes hair miniaturization. When a hair falls out naturally, the action of DHT on the follicle causes it to shrink, so the next hair that comes in is smaller in diameter. This is why hair progressively "thins" in MPB, and doesn't fall out all at once. In both men and women, hair tends to thin as we get older. This is just a normal part of aging. Ask any 60 year old woman if her hair is as thick as it was at 30. She will almost certainly say, "no." The difference between male thinning and female thinning is that males lose their hair in a distinctive "pattern", starting at the peaks and crown, while women's hair thins all over at the same time (diffusely.) The best treatment now available against premature hair loss is Finesteride (brand name Propecia), which is a drug that blocks DHT. Dutasteride is a more powerful DHT blocker, but is only approved for prostate issue, not hair loss (though some physicians will prescribe it.) Minoxidil also works for some men and women by increasing blood supply to the follicles.
As for the low T, well that make sense since you no longer have your T production factories. Still, you should see an endo to make sure there are no other problems. You may just need to go on a small supplement of T. The 4 mg of estrogen you are taking is too high, and since E is a T suppressor, it could also be the problem. What are your E levels?