What is everyone doing? Any preference? Hugs Shannon
cream!
Been on pills and patches, currently on patches. Patches is pretty sweet, more stable estrogen and just have to change it twice a week.
Implanted pellet, lasts 6months to a year, very stable constant amount E delivered...
I started on Patches but then switched to injections. The patches just wouldn't stay on and resulted in rashes for me. Hugs
Mariah
Been on injections since the start. : )
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Started on pills then switched to injections. Injections have been much more effective for me. Once a week and painless. I'll never go back.
Just short of four months on hrt with pills. My doctor and I am waiting to stabilize blood e and t levels with the intention of switching to injections after that point. I have always had problems with skin sensitivities and probably will be avoiding patches....and yes Liz, I may be looking for pellets at some point. - Anne
Pills here for over nine months and apparently my levels are still not where they're 'supposed' to be. I've had changes and thought things have been going at a decent pace but maybe slower than others.
I kind of want to switch to injections but I'm nervous about the shortage and higher intensity
I've done them all.
Started on pills. They were good. Injections were better (estradiol valerate). Creams and gels are too messy.
Lately I've been on the patch, and I'm not terribly impressed. Because estradiol valerate is in short supply, I'm trying to decide between pills again, or estradiol cypionate injections, the latter of which is kind of old school. I'll probably go with the latter.
To old for pills to be reasonably safe. Problem with patches is that if you wanted to reach physiological female levels, you end up looking like a bumper with lots of stickers on it...
Next week, I'll have a visit, and try to decide if I want to move from patches to injections... EV should be back in stock reasonably soon... I think.
I was almost completely convinced about my desire to move to injection, but the last couple days have had a bit of that noticeable "growth spurt" kind of feeling, and my areola looks a bit different now, so maybe the patch is enough for me after all... I DUNNO!!!!!
I have the implant and I take pills too. Works fine for me. I wouldn't like patches or cream, knowing myself.
Implants, but topping up my levels with gel as its getting towards time for a new one.
Was on implants and now on patches. I prefer implants but the small Estrodot patches work fine.
Pills, don't mind it. Just has become a routine. Had good results in the 7 weeks I've been on it
Injections currently, I'd get on pellets if I could afford them.
I've only used patched in various doses (low currently).
nobody else smears cream/gel on their arms? I'm on a daily dose of Estradiol-Hemihydrate (which is the natural estradiol with an extra water molecule attached as far as I know). If applied through the skin, there's no added risk for DVT's and it's much better for the skin than patches...
<EDIT: DOSAGE NOT ALLOWED>
Been on pills, patches, suppositories and now injections (every 5 days). Better than everything else I tried but more expensive and less breast growth...everything else, how I feel and look, hair growth, fat distribution, skin texture, substantially better.
Quote from: KayXo on October 14, 2016, 01:41:41 PM
Been on pills, patches, suppositories and now injections (every 5 days). Better than everything else I tried but more expensive and less breast growth...everything else, how I feel and look, hair growth, fat distribution, skin texture, substantially better.
Less breast growth on injections? That's the first time I heard that scenario. Quite a few have noted increased breast growth from injections.
On pills, would love to switch to injections and tried getting my doctor to switch me to them but due to the national shortage and no reliable way to get it he wouldn't switch. Hopefully when I see him again mid January for my next appointment the shortage is resolved as it's only been 5 months for me but I'm already sick of taking pills sublingually due to the hassle.
Quote from: Harley Quinn on October 23, 2016, 08:25:36 AM
Less breast growth on injections? That's the first time I heard that scenario. Quite a few have noted increased breast growth from injections.
One thing to note is I was on a high dose of pills and that the majority who have better results on injections were on a low dose relative. BUT, my injection dose is also quite high so really, I'm dumbfounded. I don't know why this would occur. I inject every 5 days as opposed to the usual 7 or 10 days so perhaps too frequent injections may have desensitized receptors to estrogen but in just two days, my levels drop quite drastically, from around 2,500 pg/ml to 1,300 pg/ml.
Needles, needles, and needles I prefer injection because they work like 3 times better in my experience. I don't have to take as many pills. Only problem is i forget and miss my shot days by a day or two. But they have me taking the average dosage a lot more than traditionally used by shorting the time between injection. Sorry for being vague but the site rules lol.
Hmmm. I started off on weekly injections for several months, then my endo bumped them down to every 5 days, and for the past month and half or so they've had me doing it every 4 days. I don't mind, though, even if I still hate needles I've gotten used to the routine. Used to take me 30 minutes just to work up the courage to push the needle through, but now the whole thing takes only a few minutes to do.
Quote from: KayXo on October 23, 2016, 11:40:56 AM
One thing to note is I was on a high dose of pills and that the majority who have better results on injections were on a low dose relative. BUT, my injection dose is also quite high so really, I'm dumbfounded. I don't know why this would occur. I inject every 5 days as opposed to the usual 7 or 10 days so perhaps too frequent injections may have desensitized receptors to estrogen but in just two days, my levels drop quite drastically, from around 2,500 pg/ml to 1,300 pg/ml.
This is something I don't think you would miss but are those number Total Estrogen or Estradiol? I have to request my Estradiol numbers be checked each time I get a blood draw because my prescriber only runs Total Estrogen. My Total Estrogen is currently running 600-700 where as my Estradiol is 40-50. Yes, I know it's the pills but a total Estrogen even at the numbers your reaching may not leave you with much Estradiol.
Pills. MD wanted to start me on shots but they are on backorder until November. I am allergic to bandaid and adhesive tape so I said no to patches.
Patches, love them, and the results.
Quote from: KayXo on October 23, 2016, 11:40:56 AM
One thing to note is I was on a high dose of pills and that the majority who have better results on injections were on a low dose relative. BUT, my injection dose is also quite high so really, I'm dumbfounded. I don't know why this would occur. I inject every 5 days as opposed to the usual 7 or 10 days so perhaps too frequent injections may have desensitized receptors to estrogen but in just two days, my levels drop quite drastically, from around 2,500 pg/ml to 1,300 pg/ml.
That is quite interesting. You'd think that it would be more like; "You have X number of estrogen receptors and just fill them to capacity and excess is just a waste." Hmmm... :)
Started with weekly injections for Estrodiol. Daily pills for spiro and progesterone. My doctor is moving me to pellets as soon as I run out of the injectible Estrodiol. She just wanted to make sure this is what I wanted/needed before locking me into 6 months. Love my Doctor. She rocks! If you are in SoCal. Pm me and I'll give her info.
Pills for Spiro
Patches for estrodiol
Warmly,
Joanna
Quote from: Norma Lynne on October 25, 2016, 01:52:05 PM
Started with weekly injections for Estrodiol. Daily pills for spiro and progesterone. My doctor is moving me to pellets as soon as I run out of the injectible Estrodiol. She just wanted to make sure this is what I wanted/needed before locking me into 6 months. Love my Doctor. She rocks! If you are in SoCal. Pm me and I'll give her info.
How exactly do the pellets work? I haven't heard much about them.
I started on injections, and I loved them. But I'm on patches since the shortage. And I've been moody, had rashes and they don't stick very well.
I began with pills then switched to patches. The pills seem to work better than the patches for me, but some brands of patches seemed to work a little better than others.
Quote from: Dena on October 23, 2016, 08:50:38 PM
This is something I don't think you would miss but are those number Total Estrogen or Estradiol? I have to request my Estradiol numbers be checked each time I get a blood draw because my prescriber only runs Total Estrogen. My Total Estrogen is currently running 600-700 where as my Estradiol is 40-50. Yes, I know it's the pills but a total Estrogen even at the numbers your reaching may not leave you with much Estradiol.
It is Estradiol, between 1,300 pg/ml to 2,500 pg/ml. Estrone is typically less when taken parenterally, in a ratio of 1:2 to estradiol so I have twice as less estrone.
Quote from: Harley Quinn on October 25, 2016, 11:16:26 AM
That is quite interesting. You'd think that it would be more like; "You have X number of estrogen receptors and just fill them to capacity and excess is just a waste." Hmmm... :)
The number of receptors is not a constant and varies from hour to hour, depending on hormonal environment. Higher estrogen reduces the number of estrogen receptors while less T, if I recall correctly, augments it. Progesterone also reduces estrogen receptor concentration.
Quote from: Danni98 on October 25, 2016, 04:03:25 PM
I started on injections, and I loved them. But I'm on patches since the shortage. And I've been moody, had rashes and they don't stick very well.
Yeah, I wasn't happy with the patches. Like you, I was on injectibles previously -- estradiol valerate. Wretched shortage.
Happily, I've just started estradiol cypionate injections today! Woo hoo! Like estradiol valerate, it's a 17β ester, but it's more slowly absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in lower peaks of serum levels, but longer lasting as well. Which hopefully means more gentle valleys.
I was able to find a compounding pharmacy that could compound it at twice the concentration, so it'll last twice as long in a typical commercial vial, and it actually turned out to be cheaper, too -- I'm paying only $75 for ten doses, rather than $95 for five doses. There was even a pharmacy that could make the concentration 8x, but I think that'd be trickier to administer.
My endoc was kind of happy to prescribe a less aggressive regimen.
Quote from: Harley Quinn on October 23, 2016, 08:25:36 AM
Less breast growth on injections? That's the first time I heard that scenario. Quite a few have noted increased breast growth from injections.
Ya I kind of agree with the injections having good breast growth. I had noticeable growth one month in. Switched to pellets after 2 months. And it seems to be better. A couple of B cup padded bras that I bought before I started HRT actually fit and look good to me. And there is this one A cup with no padding that I also bought before I started HRT is so so so close to fitting. I use that one to kind of judge my growth. Funny how th B cups fit better than the A cup.
My doctor told me that the order of best results were pills, then creams and etc, then injections and then pellets. She used injections to find the dosage because the dosage could be adjusted rather easy and then after she had me where I should be she started me on pellets.
One thing to remember is that insurance covers each different. My insurance only covers pills. Not injections, or pellets. So you may have to take pills if you can't afford the others.
Started w/ injections. Pills during drought. Back on injections.
I definitely notice better breast growth (judging by soreness) with injections. Soreness totally went away when I was taking pills.
Has anyone had injections and pellets (implants) before (at different times of course)? If so, which did you prefer and why?
I have an E implant and have to get another in February. It was harrowing but I think I'll get used to it.
Was on E tables for since I started and then switched to two implanted pellets that last 6 months two weeks ago..
After all the years on tables I switched because sometimes I would forget to take than, along with the varied E level on the blood test, and cutting the crap down going though my liver,,,,
The worst part of the pellets was being sore for about one week after it was inserted but at least my E levels should be stable now and I only have to take 3 tablets now at night........
Cheers Tracy
estradiol and progesterone oral pills and suprefact nasal spray
started off with oral E and just switched to injectable doses. Hope to add progesterone soon.
I started on oral pills, but I'm hoping to switch to sublingual pills toward the end of the year.
I have used patches for 7 months now, having been prescribed them for dysphoria. They have proved to be very effective, producing physical changes that are becoming very hard to cover.
I am not aware that there is a specific pill for sublingual use.
Pills contain micronized estradiol so all pills can theoretically be taken sublingually and be effective that way as the particles are small enough to transfer from mucosa to blood.
For micronized estradiol to be absorbed sublingual, it really should be an uncoated tablet, so it will dissolve faster and leave little residue.
I took uncoated tablets sublingually for several years. There was always a significant amount of residue from color, starch and all the other non active excipients in the pill. This is normal.