So before switching to injections I was always on Progynova for estrogen. I have a friend that is also trans and they mentioned being on estrofem (they take pills) which I was completely unfamiliar with. When they showed it to me it looked like birth control! Is that normal? I first thought that they were just self medicating on birth control until I saw the label. Is this a regularly prescribed estrogen?
That is the equivalent of Esterase which I take. The difference is I take the generic which comes in a bottle where as that comes in a neat package which they charge you more for. It's not birth control and is a standard HRT replacement package.
Estrofem is 17-beta estradiol whereas Progynova is estradiol valerate. These are practically equivalent as estradiol valerate is quickly broken down into 17-beta estradiol and they result in more or less similar levels.
Maturitas. 1982 Dec;4(4):315-24.
"Oestradiol valerate and 17 beta-oestradiol are virtually dose-equivalent. No differences in the spectrum of action of the oestrogen and its ester have been found either in animal experiments or man. The pharmacokinetic behaviour and the biotransformation of the 17 beta-oestradiol originating from oestradiol valerate are no different from those of natural 17 beta-oestradiol."
Thanks, the birth control presentation really threw me off lol. I know in the past that has been a desperately risky maneuver for some