Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hormone replacement therapy => Topic started by: ClaireXO on March 25, 2018, 11:43:51 PM

Title: Injections or Pills?
Post by: ClaireXO on March 25, 2018, 11:43:51 PM
I am assuming from the clinic i am going to. They told me that If I wanted injections they'll show me how to self inject. I read so MANY posts about this on this website. I heard that injections are more hard to come by. I heard that you get better results if you use Injections. I am a bit worried of needles.. Should I just do pills first, but I am also a bit worried about my liver. Can you guys give me some advice on this. My appointment on tuesday and I am very very nervous. Can I get some recommendations? I know there is no proof that injections work more efficiently. Thank you <3 (Male to Female)
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: 2.B.Dana on March 25, 2018, 11:51:58 PM
I have done pills, patches and am now on injections at my request. I was on a high dose of pills taking them twice a day. I didn't think that was a big deal till I went to one injection a week. It's nice to do it once and forget about it till the next week. There are pro's and con's to every delivery method but the research I did had me leaning towards injections and I am glad I went that route.
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: Dena on March 25, 2018, 11:56:27 PM
If your blood test come back good, there should be no need to worry about your liver. If your uncomfortable with needles, discuss this with your doctor as patches or jells are also an option. The idea it to tailor the treatment so your comfortable with it. If your not comfortable with it, you might skip dosages and that isn't the goal of treatment.
Title: Injections or Pills?
Post by: TinaVane on March 26, 2018, 12:22:08 AM
I incorporate vitamin b-12 pills/ shots with mines. In the 90's the doctors use to prescribe those to the girls in Florida. Does not seem to be the case anymore
And yes I find shots to be much better

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Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: Cassi on March 26, 2018, 12:25:34 AM
Initially, the doctor who prescribed my HRT wanted me to do injections but ain't a big needle fan.  The Endo who took over my HRT has me on the patches which don't work; fall off in two days, ripple up, etc.

Thinking injections would probably be better; quicker and I won't have to worry unless of course I forget.
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: MicheleAdams on March 26, 2018, 03:56:25 AM
The problem is the data to back or refute the liver concerns is scant. It's more of a conclusion to explain correlation than causality data. So I asked some what if it's right and what if it's wrong questions of my doc.
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: KayXo on March 26, 2018, 09:07:07 AM
Quote from: ClaireXO on March 25, 2018, 11:43:51 PMI heard that you get better results if you use Injections.

I had better results on pills.

QuoteShould I just do pills first, but I am also a bit worried about my liver.

Studies have shown no harm to the liver from oral bio-identical estradiol.

Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: ClaireXO on March 26, 2018, 07:34:57 PM
Quote from: KayXo on March 26, 2018, 09:07:07 AM
I had better results on pills.

Studies have shown no harm to the liver from oral bio-identical estradiol.

Thank you so much! This calms my nerves a bit
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: KayXo on March 27, 2018, 09:43:59 AM
As always, check with your doctor. ;) Don't take anything you hear as gospel. Remain critical.
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: ClaireXO on March 28, 2018, 06:22:58 AM
Quote from: KayXo on March 27, 2018, 09:43:59 AM
As always, check with your doctor. ;) Don't take anything you hear as gospel. Remain critical.

Thank you

I got my prescription yesterday. Says, take one estradiol in the morning and 2 spirolactome day/evening (Off the bottle). So, do i need to take the estradiol at the same time every morning. For example, if i take estadiol at 7am today. Tomorrow it has to be at 7am? Just curious
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: KathyLauren on March 28, 2018, 07:31:41 AM
Quote from: ClaireXO on March 28, 2018, 06:22:58 AMSo, do i need to take the estradiol at the same time every morning.
You will get the best results if you maintain a regular schedule.  You want to keep the delivery of estradiol as constant as possible.  Fluctuations in the schedule will cause fluctuations in your blood levels, which can cause mood swings, and can slow down your development.
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: Lara on March 28, 2018, 08:13:55 AM
Have never tried injections. Always been on pills. I don't see any major difference. I personally am thinking of switching to injections.
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: KarynMcD on March 28, 2018, 04:10:04 PM
Quote from: ClaireXO on March 28, 2018, 06:22:58 AM
do i need to take the estradiol at the same time every morning.
Try to, but it's not that critical.
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: ClaireXO on March 29, 2018, 12:29:51 AM
My Doctors Orders was to take Estradiol once a day, every morning. I just began HRT yesterday. Is it normal to take Estradiol once a day. He said he'll bump up the dosage next time I have my appointment which is in 3 months. Obviously, I am going to follow his orders and take it once day. How come some doctors recommend twice day, or does that depend on how long you were on hormones?
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: kanad3 on March 29, 2018, 04:48:21 AM
Quote from: ClaireXO on March 29, 2018, 12:29:51 AM
My Doctors Orders was to take Estradiol once a day, every morning. I just began HRT yesterday. Is it normal to take Estradiol once a day. He said he'll bump up the dosage next time I have my appointment which is in 3 months. Obviously, I am going to follow his orders and take it once day. How come some doctors recommend twice day, or does that depend on how long you were on hormones?
It is normal to take once a day. The half life is 27 hous.
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: KayXo on March 29, 2018, 01:10:56 PM
Quote from: kanad3 on March 29, 2018, 04:48:21 AM
It is normal to take once a day. The half life is 27 hous.

The half-life is around 13-20 hours for oral estradiol, according to studies and monographs.
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: ClaireXO on March 29, 2018, 01:56:11 PM
Quote from: KayXo on March 29, 2018, 01:10:56 PM
The half-life is around 13-20 hours for oral estradiol, according to studies and monographs.

If the half life is 13-20 hours. I take it everyday at 7:05am. Does this mean once day is effective? Even if the half life is possibly 13-20hrs. I don't know how pills work generally. I am assume hormones stay in your system?
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: Dani on March 29, 2018, 09:25:41 PM
Quote from: ClaireXO on March 29, 2018, 01:56:11 PM
If the half life is 13-20 hours. I take it everyday at 7:05am. Does this mean once day is effective? Even if the half life is possibly 13-20hrs. I don't know how pills work generally. I am assume hormones stay in your system?

Any drugs half-life means that after that many hours has past from taking the drug , 50% of the drug is still in our bodies. In another subsequent half-life 50% of that is now remaining or now the drug blood level is down to 25% of the initial dose and so on it goes. Many clinicians feel that after 5 half-lives the drug is almost completely gone from the blood system or at least it is so low as to be no longer effective. All drugs are eliminated from the body by several methods, your kidneys and liver being the most common. The only time a drug will stay in your blood system is when the kidneys or liver are not working properly or if the drug has such an outrageously long half-life, that it is never eliminated from the body.

The 13-20 hours is for oral Estradiol. Other routes have some what different half-lives. 
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: KayXo on March 30, 2018, 09:53:08 AM
Some seem to do fine on just taking oral estradiol once daily. If you feel unwell, let your doctor know. ;)
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: epvanbeveren on March 30, 2018, 05:50:07 PM
I am now... hmm... 9 months probably (?) on injections. I was scared as heck from needles and it took me close to 6 months to get used to self injecting and now I am totally okay with it, actually looking forward to my next Tuesday 6pm injection.

The reasons I switched:

liver, health ?
boobs, bigger ?
only once a week vs daily
cycle instead of steady (?)

Of course I have no proof of any of my reasons is true, but I think so, by looking at friends who inject after switching from oral.
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: AlyssaJ on April 04, 2018, 10:00:16 AM
There are tons of stories of trans women having better results with the EV injections as opposed doing estrace tablets. The convenience factor and health benefits are definitely legit. The only issue I've heard of and discovered for myself is that it can be tougher to get settled in on a specific dose as your levels will swing quite a bit between the day you inject and the day before your next injection.
Title: Re: Injections or Pills?
Post by: April_TO on April 04, 2018, 12:24:49 PM
I have been on Tablets from the very beginning and have made considerable progress. I just like the idea of having even consistent supply of Estrogen in my system instead of the spikes that you may have to deal with IV.

YMMW, however I still prefer my tablets for convenience and eliminating the possibility of rupturing an artery.

April