Because my HRT prescriber's practice is very hard to get hold of (when I needed a prescription renewal, it took several days to get the message through) and doesn't want to see me more than once in 3 months, I asked my GP to test my hormone levels in addition to their other tests. I wanted to see if the HRT was actually changing the hormone levels, since I have seen no effects in 3 months of HRT.
Today they told me: estrogen 89, testosterone 50-something (I think)
My problem is that I have no idea how that compares with normal male levels or normal female levels, let alone expected levels for HRT (M2F.) I asked the nurse who called me up with the results, and all she would say was "normal." I could not get any indication of which "normal" they were talking about. Since my GP's practice is not exactly trans-aware, I'm not really expecting expert advice from them, anyway.
I tried google, but haven't found any site with actual (serum) hormone levels for M2F HRT.
Does anyone have any idea whether my levels are reasonable for M2F HRT? If they aren't, I'd like to go back to the prescribing doctor, or maybe find a more accessible trans-experienced endocrinologist, but I don't want to go to the hassle if everything is just as it should be.
Those sound like pretty good levels to me. Your estrogen levels could be higher safely, but that's not a bad estrogen level for someone new to HRT. Your testosterone levels could stand to be a little lower, but 50 is in the normal female range as far as I'm aware.
This page looks like an okay reference on levels:
http://www.hemingways.org/GIDinfo/hrt_ref.htm
I talked to the doctor's office again yesterday. It turns out I misremembered the testosterone level. I also got what the lab considers "normal range" (presumably for males.)
So:
Testosterone: 74 (Normal: 348-1197)
Estrogen: 89 (normal: 11-44)
FWIW, my nipples hurt a little if I press on them. I'm hoping that means the hormones are finally having an effect.
It's important to also mention units. In your case, it' probably 74 ng/dl total testosterone, they are comparing you to males while in females, the range is anywhere from 15-90. My total T is 8.
Estrogen OR estradiol? Not the same thing. Estrogen is the sum of estrone and estradiol. Estradiol is the strongest form of estrogen (12x that of estrone) and the one that interests us the most.
Normal estradiol levels (in pg/ml) range anywhere from 20-650 during a menstrual cycle and can go up to 75,000 during pregnancy. Mine have ranged from 1,000-4,000.
-for good feminization t levels might be below 50
-many as rule of thumb strive for estrogen levels of 200 pg/ml or above.
If you are on pills you might think about sublingual use.
Its supposed to be less straining on the liver and less causing clotting factors.
Its also more effective.
Sublingual use might make for a fast rise in blood levels and a low hours later, so spreading the daily dose in a few small doses instead of two big ones might be a good idea. It might help with mood.
Another idea might be a skin patch for steady levels and pills.
hugs
There is no ideal level for everyone as people vary in their response due to a host of factors. Levels tested at a random time are also far from an accurate measure of what is really going on as levels go up and down constantly. I think doctors insist on numbers so the "right" number comes up, is in agreement with guidelines set for transsexual people, is recorded on file and so if anything happens to the patients, they are covered and won't run into problems with authorities. They obeyed rules so it's not their fault! This stance can harm patients as some can perhaps safely have higher levels without harm to the body and benefit from increased feminization BUT at the same time, if levels are measured at the end of an injection/pellet cycle, patient knows levels are higher the rest of the time so that the way it's measured is just to cover the doctor's ass! hehe ;)