Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hormone replacement therapy => Topic started by: J_infinity on March 04, 2018, 10:51:28 PM

Title: Temporarily stopping hrt
Post by: J_infinity on March 04, 2018, 10:51:28 PM
So I'm having a breast augmentation and was told to stop estrogen 2weeks before and 2 weeks after surgery, but I can continue to take Spiro. I'm nervous because iv meet such beautiful progress on hrt that I fear the month off estrogen will reverse some of the effects and I'll start to look male again. Has anyone experience this?
Title: Re: Temporarily stopping hrt
Post by: Dena on March 04, 2018, 11:15:23 PM
As long as you remain on Spiro, any changes shouldn't be noticed. Even being off hormones for a month including Spiro physically wouldn't change anything however mentally it could have an impact on you. Stopping is for your safety and don't worry about losing any progress.
Title: Re: Temporarily stopping hrt
Post by: J_infinity on March 05, 2018, 12:20:39 AM
Thank you so much
Title: Re: Temporarily stopping hrt
Post by: Kendra on March 05, 2018, 06:29:43 AM
I've had to temporarily stop estradiol twice this year (just had my 2nd surgery).  I didn't like the mental effects, but I haven't seen any physical downside caused by the time gap. 
Title: Re: Temporarily stopping hrt
Post by: Devlyn on March 05, 2018, 06:42:19 AM
I agree with Kendra, after about a week you feel pretty crappy. I've been off twice.

Hugs, Devlyn

Title: Re: Temporarily stopping hrt
Post by: KayXo on March 05, 2018, 08:38:21 AM
Thankfully I didn't stop estradiol for either my GRS or gallbladder surgery. When I spoke to the surgeon before my gallbladder surgery, he trusted my judgment and agreed that if women can undergo such interventions and continue to produce low to high levels of estradiol, then we should also be fine taking estradiol non-orally as our situations are similar. A recent study also concluded transdermal estradiol did not increase the risk of DVT and this is reassuring.

If you want to continue taking estradiol, you may bring up these points with your surgeon/doctor. If they still worry and aren't convinced, then you have no choice. YOU ABSOLUTELY FOLLOW THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS no matter what is asserted anywhere on the internet. But, I believe it's always healthy to converse openly with your doctors and good things may sometimes come out of it. :)

Best of luck with your surgery and honestly, I wouldn't worry much about it, just a few weeks and you keep taking the Spiro...but wouldn't Spiro's effects on potassium/sodium be a concern before surgery because of the IV? I would bring this up to the surgeon, just in case...
Title: Re: Temporarily stopping hrt
Post by: J_infinity on March 05, 2018, 11:30:14 PM
I'm not sure why he still allows me to take Spiro, but I do know then even thought I'm on <dosage removed by moderator> a day anytime I have my BP taken it's always a bit high iv always had a higher BP. I know that my fear is mental just the thought of looking in the the mirror and seeing any kind of a physical reversal of my feminization is scary lol
Title: Re: Temporarily stopping hrt
Post by: Lady Sarah on March 05, 2018, 11:44:24 PM
When I had my double laminectomy (spine surgery), I was told to NOT discontinue estradiol. They even brought me some during my 3 day hospital stay. Some doctors can be fickle. I don't know if it's because I already had my orchiectomy, and no longer produced testosterone, but that may have been a factor.