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Hormone Blockers

Started by NXTransit, April 20, 2012, 04:13:08 PM

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NXTransit

Hey guys!

Does anyone know anything about hormone (estrogen) blockers? I have the option to go on them, and although I will say yes, I would like to educate myself a bit more about what they specifically do to one's body. Some people have said their voices had dropped a bit, and some say nothing happened except the stopping of the monthly cycle. Has anyone here been on them? Any answer is appreciated!

Thanks,
Nick
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Robert Scott

my understanding is that hormone blockers for ftm's are usually given to underage kids to prevent further female characterisitcs from developing.   

Typically ftm's who start with T don't take hormone blockers b/c Testorone is the dominant hormone and thus once your taking it it will reduce the estrogen naturally as it T becomes more stable in your system.

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NXTransit

Quote from: Robert Scott on April 20, 2012, 04:39:25 PM
my understanding is that hormone blockers for ftm's are usually given to underage kids to prevent further female characterisitcs from developing.   

Typically ftm's who start with T don't take hormone blockers b/c Testorone is the dominant hormone and thus once your taking it it will reduce the estrogen naturally as it T becomes more stable in your system.

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately I can't get T for a few more years, and right now hormone blockers are my only option. I wish I had come out earlier in life, so I wouldn't have had to deal with female puberty.. although, hopefully, the blockers will stop the cycle and maybe even let me boost my testosterone levels easier  :)
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4736251

Will taking estrogen blockers after childhood have any effect (I'm 18.)? I saw estrogen blockers sold as pills online, but they were for biological males and/or cancer patients.
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Bardoux

If all your doing is lowering/blocking your E, what hormones exactly will be running through your body? Osteoporosis as well as other major concerns can be caused from not having enough hormone, whether that be T or E, especially E due to bone preservation.
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Cindy

We put FtM kids on blockers at 8-9 yrs of age to stop puberty, they can then make IC when they are 18, if they decide to progress as female then there are no issues as the effects are reversible. About 30% decide to progress as female BTW. At post puberty they may block menstruation but need close monitoring otherwise they will be ineffective and there are possible severe side effects. Talk to an endocrinologist, playing with these drugs is not advisable.

On line drugs are a disaster waiting to happen.
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Jack_M

An expensive waste post puberty and it's unlikely to raise your T levels. T is the dominant hormone, T will still exist even with higher amounts of E, or even part inhibit E (which is why transwomen need to block T) but E goes bye bye in the presence of higher amounts of T.  Not having any sufficient supply of hormones will be difficult for a body used to hormones. It's not the same shock to the system for pre pubescent kids because they delay puberty so their bodies aren't used to higher levels of hormones already. It's also been shown in studies that taking E blockers inhibits weight loss and can lead to easier weight gain. A lot of guys who abuse steroids and take E blockers (to stop the increased T becoming E) can gain the bad weight easier.

Tbh, I personally wouldn't waste my time with them, especially if I had to pay for it because they're very expensive!  Even not paying I wouldn't though.  Emotions and energy levels can be whacked in a body without sufficient hormones running through it.  Easy enough to research, just look up the multitude of menopause support sites for stories of depression and lack of energy.
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aleon515

#7
Quote from: Jack_M on November 09, 2013, 07:28:10 AM


Tbh, I personally wouldn't waste my time with them, especially if I had to pay for it because they're very expensive!  Even not paying I wouldn't though.  Emotions and energy levels can be whacked in a body without sufficient hormones running through it.  Easy enough to research, just look up the multitude of menopause support sites for stories of depression and lack of energy.

Yeah I wouldn't either. They are very expensive, and I feel the best use is for young trans kids out there.  They have a lot of side effects. They might push your body into menopause without the T boost you would get.

If they are your only option (stupid only option), I would only do it with increasing exercise (you won't gain muscle mass, so it won't be much fun) including lifting and takign something like 1500 mg of Calcium. These are protective against osteoporosis, but family hx is a big factor. (This is what post-menopausal women have to do without E.)

--Jay
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4736251

http://www.advantagesupplements.com/esbl.html
Will these supplements work?  These supposedly decrease estrogen while increasing testosterone, but these aren't made for FTMs, so I'm not sure.  (I can't take T).
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Jack_M

Nope. They're designed for men and at that, don't even work for most men. If you want the results of being on T, it's taking actual T. And again, blocking E does nothing with regards to T levels.  Here's one vid about one of them on YouTube where one guy took one of these supplements but unlike other reviews he actually got labs done and his T level actually went down, not up!  He has closer to female range T too, so that'll help confirm how useless they are:



Save your money.
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randomdude5

I was started on blockers before going on T, and was kept on blockers for years as they VERY SLOWLY increased my T dose. Lol... BUT, point is... Yes, you may experience hot flashes or something, you MAY gain weight, you won't have any of the effects T will give you, and yes you probably should take calcium supplements.

I maybe experienced a hot flash once, did not gain any weight, and did not take calcium supplements, but that was probably a bad idea. One thing is for sure though, it was wonderful to get rid of menstruation. No doubt about it. Of course I do not know how expensive it was for you, for me it was mostly covered. That also plays a role in why I took them. But don't start taking weird medications on your own, you should see an endocrinologist first.
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aleon515

Quote from: randomdude5 on November 10, 2013, 11:04:51 AM
I maybe experienced a hot flash once, did not gain any weight, and did not take calcium supplements, but that was probably a bad idea. One thing is for sure though, it was wonderful to get rid of menstruation. No doubt about it. Of course I do not know how expensive it was for you, for me it was mostly covered. That also plays a role in why I took them. But don't start taking weird medications on your own, you should see an endocrinologist first.

It sounds like this is an approved route (strange strange) so that it is covered and he would be getting treatment, even though to me it is a "weird medication". I would recommend doing weights (small 5 lb weights are fine) and taking CA though. You may get some minor improvements in how you feel, but I would not expect any kinds of positive changes.

--Jay
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Magnus

There is no substitute for Testosterone. Aromatase inhibitors will not change your endogenous T levels (unless of course your endogenous Androgen have been a little higher and thus have also been being converted by the same process into Estrogen instead. But that would be the sole exception to my knowledge). Beyond that you would need to consult with an Endocrinologist to further discuss the benefits and potential drawbacks to make an informed decision.

Essentially, it is the precursor hormone DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone; a weak androgen) which is converted or synthesized by Aromatase into Estrogen (and a negligible amount of this process happening directly within the Adrenal Glands explaining why they also produce a small amount of both Estrogen but also Testosterone locally; however that amount is INSUFFICIENT on its own; enter the necessity of HRT in the absence of gonads). In general, if that action is not possible (inhibited) then neither Dehydroepiandrosterone nor Testosterone (but excepting Dihydrotestosterone) can be converted by Aromatase into Estrogen. As to how it will feel, I can't comment as I've never been on them (although I personally feel it should be a combination for FTM's owing to how easily excess Androgen can and will be converted to Estrogen but I digress). I imagine the rule of "it's different for everyone" applies to this just the same as does the swapping out of one for the other.


I now feel the necessity to clarify a lesser-known point of fact. It is not just the sharp decline of Estrogen alone in those who have had an Oophorectomy which is in itself responsible for the accompanying and significantly increased risks of Osteoporosis. In reality the culprit is a coordinated and significant decline between Estrogen AND Progesterone (and to a lesser extent ALSO the decline of Androgen, being that the Ovaries also produce the lion's share of it in females). The Adrenal Glands have always and always will only ever make a SUPPLEMENTARY amount of your erstwhile sex hormones/steroids; they only make what little they do within themselves because they are responsible for creating the preliminary hormones (by and large, these include DHEA in addition to the Progestogens) that will later become your Estrogen and/or Testosterone under further conversions in your Ovaries/Testis, also including your Progesterone (that seldom lauded one that plays both fields; is largely neither male nor female). A little bit of that happens within the Adrenal Glands BUT NOT ENOUGH, hence the necessity of the specifically male or female gonads.

My grandmother in example had Oophorectomy and Hysterectomy at age 20 (back then patients actually had a lot more deciding factor in their care; they weren't as easily overridden... pity we've lost that down the line. These days it is almost impossible to get those procedures done without exceptional circumstances forcing their eventuality. I know, I'd asked and was promptly denied, getting that "But what if you want babies?! We can't do that!" Argh. I was even informed I would be hard-pressed to find a surgeon willing to remove "healthy organs" even out of pocket. Anyway, I digress again) she has Osteoporosis now and I am convinced it is directly because she's also not been taking replacements for either Estrogen or Progesterone for about 34 years now (first 25 she had but she stopped for whatever reason). Very stupid decision but that IS her right nonetheless. Although, who knows... perhaps the synthetic stuff would have had negative cardiovascular effects by now if she had (important also to disclose that that risk is equal between synthetic Estrogen and Testosterone; consult the drug facts slip if you must. In fact, birth control pills could be argued the most dicey being that there have been so many more incurring the odd infarction here or there on them than compared against the other two. Most probably because they add more than necessary amounts of the hormones in those which still are producing their own, so it's too much altogether. Or so that's my educated theory).

So, 'E blockers' alone will not dramatically increase the risks of Osterpersosis just so long long as you are still manufacturing the necessary Progesterone until or unless you are able to later get on Testosterone. If however you are for whatever reason deficient in Progesterone and then also block your Estrogen, you would and only then be at similar high risk of Ostereopersosis as an elderly, postmenopausal woman (I'll hasten to add that has also had Oophorectomy) but which is refusing HRT. That's not where you want to be.

This same statement applies to transguys that have had Oophorectomy and stop their T for prolonged periods as well (in which case I'd say to them, go get Progesterone replacement at the very least). It's not good for anyone to be without at least one of these three hormones and at normal level. My grandmother hasn't been feeling right for about twenty years now and this is the reason why (every test she makes her GP do is normal; she just refuses to believe her not being on HRT is the reason for her feeling crummy. Bully for her). Her body wants one of the three at substantial level and it simply just isn't there in the amount it wants (and incidentally, needs). That has consequences and she's definitely reaping 'em. Makes me want to slip them to her but that's illegal, so... *sigh*


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