Quote from: pamelatransuk on April 05, 2019, 05:02:27 AM
Hello Bobbie

You have certainly chosen a really interesting and informative thread on which to make your first posting!

I am 64 and have been on HRT 14 months but a mere 20 days on Progesterone. As you may have read, I chose to mention it to my Endo in February mainly for the hope of areolae increase but also that it may help my low bone density - osteoporosis.

Clearly you and I and Kirsten and others on this thread are looking for similar potential benefits and it seems that we are all sleeping better as a bonus. Congratulations on the nipples increase!

I wish you every happiness and success on your HRT journey.

Hugs

Pamela

Am I the only one here who is not really looking for an areola or nipple increase?  I feel both o those are large enough for my size of boobs (close to 2" areolae, and 1/4" nipple)  I find it very unattractive if the areolae cover a major section of the frontal parts of a breast.  I would not like to have this happening to me!
I would not mind if my breasts are filled out more on the top (get rounder), but I am mainly interested in fighting any possible loss of bone density and get a better sleep.  I sleep between 4 and 6 hours max at night, and have to take a nap every day to make up for this.  Napping is OK, but it limits the daily activities pretty much!

Thanks Pamela, and likewise.

Bobbie

Quote from: Dietlind on April 05, 2019, 10:07:48 AM
Am I the only one here who is not really looking for an areola or nipple increase?  I feel both o those are large enough for my size of boobs (close to 2" areolae, and 1/4" nipple)  I find it very unattractive if the areolae cover a major section of the frontal parts of a breast.  I would not like to have this happening to me!
I would not mind if my breasts are filled out more on the top (get rounder), but I am mainly interested in fighting any possible loss of bone density and get a better sleep.  I sleep between 4 and 6 hours max at night, and have to take a nap every day to make up for this.  Napping is OK, but it limits the daily activities pretty much!

Well I measured mine yesterday, and ,my areolas are only about 1 inch in diameter, and are rather smaller looking, but then again, I don't have much in the way of breasts yet so they don't look at all odd.  THat being said, if they stay this size as my breasts get larger, it will look odd.

So if you are happy with the size and proportion of your breasts and the areolas and nipples are in proportion, then I think you are probably "right" in not wanting them to get much larger at all.

Hi jessica;

Unfortunately my iMAC auto-spelling keeps  translating Prometrium into Promethium!. So sorry about that!!
Judith

Hello Everyone

I think we have 3 general points to consider as we take forward and start/continue Progesterone under medical supervision:

1. ChrissyRyan's point on the other thread about the possible anti-estrogenic effect of Progesterone.
2. Daily use of Progesterone implied as cycling not stipulated at the origin of this thread. Some of us prefer to cycle. I am daily but have only been on it 22 days and hence have no personal experience to make comparison.
3. It is stated at the origin of the thread that we should be on an AA and E and Progesterone whereas there has been a move in some quarters recently to consider AA not necessary. However I am on an AA and E and Progesterone.

Just to consider in the months ahead.

Hugs

Pamela  xx

Quote from: pamelatransuk on April 07, 2019, 06:40:58 AM
Hello Everyone

I think we have 3 general points to consider as we take forward and start/continue Progesterone under medical supervision:

1. ChrissyRyan's point on the other thread about the possible anti-estrogenic effect of Progesterone.
2. Daily use of Progesterone implied as cycling not stipulated at the origin of this thread. Some of us prefer to cycle. I am daily but have only been on it 22 days and hence have no personal experience to make comparison.
3. It is stated at the origin of the thread that we should be on an AA and E and Progesterone whereas there has been a move in some quarters recently to consider AA not necessary. However I am on an AA and E and Progesterone.

Just to consider in the months ahead.

Hugs

Pamela  xx

Good evening Pamela,
                                        Just out of interest, have you experinced any influence of P on mood at this stage?

Wondering, Kirsten.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

To be completely honest, it is to early for me to judge on mood other than to confirm I am sleeping better which may or may not be connected to mood.

Hugs

Pamela  xx

Quote from: pamelatransuk on April 07, 2019, 08:40:54 AM
To be completely honest, it is to early for me to judge on mood other than to confirm I am sleeping better which may or may not be connected to mood.

Hugs

Pamela  xx

Better sleep is always a plus.   

I read through this significant Progesterone (P) thread that Jessica started and it was good to do so.  If I were to start supervised P, I think I may not have head hair loss as some said they have had, because I use Finasteride.

Chrissy

One thing that has changed for me in my fourth week of P is an increased libido.  I do not cycle the P and take it daily.  I know that during the luteal phase E is reduced and P is increased which causes a drop in libido in cis-women, but that possibly is different with a constant level of P throughout the month.  Spontaneous erections have been absent since I started hrt, but have returned with a vengeance in the last week. 

Quote from: Jessica on April 07, 2019, 09:00:18 AM
One thing that has changed for me in my fourth week of P is an increased libido.  I do not cycle the P and take it daily.  I know that during the luteal phase E is reduced and P is increased which causes a drop in libido in cis-women, but that possibly is different with a constant level of P throughout the month.  Spontaneous erections have been absent since I started hrt, but have returned with a vengeance in the last week.

This is interesting!  I hardly can remember anymore what libido is!  Are you on Testosteron blockers or did you have an orchi?  I wonder if I would be able to get any erections after I have had the orchi?  I am running on estrogen alone now, and progesterone may change a little about my feelings, too?
I see my endo next week, and by that time he should have read through all the info i emailed to him concerning progesterone.  I hope he will put me onto it!

Quote from: ChrissyRyan on April 07, 2019, 08:52:29 AM

Better sleep is always a plus.   

I read through this significant Progesterone (P) thread that Jessica started and it was good to do so.  If I were to start supervised P, I think I may not have head hair loss as some said they have had, because I use Finasteride.

Chrissy

Hair loss scares me! I wonder what the typical effect is on P ?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Quote from: Jessica on April 07, 2019, 09:00:18 AM
One thing that has changed for me in my fourth week of P is an increased libido.  I do not cycle the P and take it daily.  I know that during the luteal phase E is reduced and P is increased which causes a drop in libido in cis-women, but that possibly is different with a constant level of P throughout the month.  Spontaneous erections have been absent since I started hrt, but have returned with a vengeance in the last week.

@Jessica

Jessica,

Perhaps this increased libido is the result of more accumulated Progesterone in your bloodstream over the course of the four weeks.  What would be interesting is to see if this elevated libido level continues week after week if you do not cycle Progesterone, or if it tapers off if you begin to cycle, or if it eventually tapers off or gets stronger if you keep taking Progesterone without cycling.  Also if you find that increased libido (not specifically talking about the erections!) is beneficial or not for yourself.

Chrissy

Yes Chrissy

There are so many aspects to look out for on Progesterone.

I assume you are also considering starting on it if agreed by your Endo?

Are you seeking both emotional and physical benefit? Presumably quicker feminization? Do you like some of us, desire areolae or nipples increase please?

Hugs

Pamela  xx

Quote from: pamelatransuk on April 08, 2019, 03:41:44 AM
Yes Chrissy

There are so many aspects to look out for on Progesterone.

I assume you are also considering starting on it if agreed by your Endo?

Are you seeking both emotional and physical benefit? Presumably quicker feminization? Do you like some of us, desire areolae or nipples increase please?

Hugs

Pamela  xx

Pamela,

Yes, I will discuss using Progesterone with the physician when I can along with other questions.
I would like to have more feminine facial features and a more feminine body because I am a trans-woman.

I am unsure about gaining specific breast characteristics, I just want them to look natural and to be noticeable.  They do not have to get big, but I hope they will end up looking nice. 
I have been very patient. 

I really do not want to do facial surgery or BA and will remain patient.
I am not in a huge hurry because I still need more voice improvement but it is time to get more progress, slowly but surely.

I do appreciate all of your insightful posts that I have read.  Thank you for them.

Hugs,

Chrissy

Thank you Chrissy for your kind words and I appreciate your thoughtful posts on some many different subjects also.

We both coincidentally joined Susans in January 2018.

Hugs

Pamela  xx

Quote from: pamelatransuk on April 07, 2019, 06:40:58 AM
Hello Everyone

I think we have 3 general points to consider as we take forward and start/continue Progesterone under medical supervision:

1. ChrissyRyan's point on the other thread about the possible anti-estrogenic effect of Progesterone.
2. Daily use of Progesterone implied as cycling not stipulated at the origin of this thread. Some of us prefer to cycle. I am daily but have only been on it 22 days and hence have no personal experience to make comparison.
3. It is stated at the origin of the thread that we should be on an AA and E and Progesterone whereas there has been a move in some quarters recently to consider AA not necessary. However I am on an AA and E and Progesterone.

Just to consider in the months ahead.

Hugs

Pamela  xx

Hello Everyone

On an other thread Linde (Dietlind) has mentioned the possibility of on or after being prescribed Progesterone, amending dosage of Estradiol. This is similar to Chrissy's point - my point 1. above.

It will be interesting to see after we have been on Progesterone for a reasonable period (pun intended) of time and have our Blood Test results, whether it becomes necessary to adjust the dosage of E upwards (as P is somewhat anti-estrogenic) or downwards (as E level high) or leave as it is.

For those of us on any non-tablet form of E - I am on twice weekly patches - there will be a timing difference simply as E patches are more gradual than P tablets as the latter are taken every 24 hours (at bedtime).

So many things to take into account for us and our doctors.

Hugs

Pamela  xx 

@pamelatransuk
@Jessica

Quote from: pamelatransuk on April 05, 2019, 04:53:18 AM
Hello Christine and so nice to see you join this extremely informative thread both from as medical point of view (see origin of thread) and from the points of view of so many of us who have recently started with Progesterone.

There is so much to take in at the origin of the thread. In simple terms my advice would be to inform your Endo and Hemat of the latest scientific evidence herein which is as recent as January 2019. Secondly it will be necessary to differentiate between Progesterone to which this thread refers ONLY as opposed to progestins (MPA).

My limited knowledge from other previous Progesterone threads (aswell as this one) is that Progesterone if considered is added to E and not customarily substituted for E.  However it will be interesting to know why your Hemat may prefer substitution instead of addition if he follows that route. I assume it is for a reason connected to blood of course.

I think everyone on this thread on Progesterone take the medication at bedtime as it does make you drowsy and provides more and deeper sleep.

I hope you are soon able to resume HRT whether with or without Progesterone.

Hugs

Pamela

Hi Pamela,                       09 April 2019

Thanks for responding 05 April 19 to my post. Sorry it took so long, I have been busy with other issues and didn't have time.

When I had my conversation with the hematologist he stated the reason he prefers Progesterone is that it doesn't make blood sticky like Estrogen and Testosterone do, though Testosterone does it to a lesser extent than Estrogen.

Please don't take this as gospel as this was a short conversation at the conclusion of my first and so far only visit. My next actual visit with the Doctor will be Wednesday 24 April 2019, one week after my D-Dimer blood test.

Whatever I find out at the appt. on the 24th I will post on this thread. I still have to finish reading all the posts.

This is a very informative thread and the documentation supplied by Jessica is very helpful. I know I don't understand all of it but I will learn.

Thanks again Pamela. I hope your transition is going along very well and that you are happy with your progress.

Thank you Jessica for creating this important thread.

Best Always, Love
Christine

Quote from: Kirsteneklund7 on April 07, 2019, 06:55:22 AM
Good evening Pamela,
                                        Just out of interest, have you experinced any influence of P on mood at this stage?

Wondering, Kirsten.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

I have been back on E and P since the beginning of January.  I started back on my AA just over a  month ago.

What I can say is that over the last 4 months, and in particular this last cycle (which ends today (sort of, but more on that later), is that I have noticed at times I tear up a bit easier and more than I  would have otherwise.  Not full on crying or anything, but wet eyes that leak and drip down my cheeks, and maybe the occasional snotting up too.

Quote from: Jessica on April 07, 2019, 09:00:18 AM
One thing that has changed for me in my fourth week of P is an increased libido.  I do not cycle the P and take it daily.  I know that during the luteal phase E is reduced and P is increased which causes a drop in libido in cis-women, but that possibly is different with a constant level of P throughout the month.  Spontaneous erections have been absent since I started hrt, but have returned with a vengeance in the last week.

I'm kind of curious about this myself.    Most if not all HRT regimens have E at a constant dose, and if P is used it is either cycled, usually 10 days on, and 20 days off.  But I was wondering and had mentioned to my GD this morning when we were talking about this article (more comments from the Transgender team later in this post) if there would be any benefit of a constant daily dose during the off cycle days and and increase doe of P to cycle it on.

Quote from: pamelatransuk on April 09, 2019, 06:36:51 AM
Hello Everyone

On an other thread Linde (Dietlind) has mentioned the possibility of on or after being prescribed Progesterone, amending dosage of Estradiol. This is similar to Chrissy's point - my point 1. above.

It will be interesting to see after we have been on Progesterone for a reasonable period (pun intended) of time and have our Blood Test results, whether it becomes necessary to adjust the dosage of E upwards (as P is somewhat anti-estrogenic) or downwards (as E level high) or leave as it is.

For those of us on any non-tablet form of E - I am on twice weekly patches - there will be a timing difference simply as E patches are more gradual than P tablets as the latter are taken every 24 hours (at bedtime).

So many things to take into account for us and our doctors.

Hugs

Pamela  xx

I'm on sublingual E daily and cycle P one for 10 days/month.  After 3 months of this (January 1-March 1) my E was slightly above the high range at around 285, but that was maybe just under 6 hours after taking my morning dose.

I had follow-up blood work this morning and it was pretty close to just over 6 hours after my morning dose, so I really curious to see what my levels are today.  I added AA a month ago, thus the follow up.



Ok, now the big part.  I shared this article with my GD last week and they shared it with the rest of the Transgender health team and they were all very curious and intrigued.,  They didn't have any particular comments per say, but they were encouraged enough that they are going to look a the research backing this before getting back to me again.  Like me they were pleasantly surprised to hear that the breast cancer risk was not as high as originally thought.  And I think as a result of this article and study, they were encouraged enough to offer me the option to switch to daily P, which I gladly took them up on.  So over the next few months I will see how I feel on it physically and mood/emotionally and we will evaluate then 

The cool part is that today should have been the last day of this month's 10-day cycle (I dod days 1-10 each month to keep it easy), so I won't miss anything this month.

@Myranda

Quote from: Myranda on April 10, 2019, 07:32:52 PM
I have been back on E and P since the beginning of January.  I started back on my AA just over a  month ago.

What I can say is that over the last 4 months, and in particular this last cycle (which ends today (sort of, but more on that later), is that I have noticed at times I tear up a bit easier and more than I  would have otherwise.  Not full on crying or anything, but wet eyes that leak and drip down my cheeks, and maybe the occasional snotting up too.
I'm kind of curious about this myself.    Most if not all HRT regimens have E at a constant dose, and if P is used it is either cycled, usually 10 days on, and 20 days off.  But I was wondering and had mentioned to my GD this morning when we were talking about this article (more comments from the Transgender team later in this post) if there would be any benefit of a constant daily dose during the off cycle days and and increase doe of P to cycle it on.
I'm on sublingual E daily and cycle P one for 10 days/month.  After 3 months of this (January 1-March 1) my E was slightly above the high range at around 285, but that was maybe just under 6 hours after taking my morning dose.

I had follow-up blood work this morning and it was pretty close to just over 6 hours after my morning dose, so I really curious to see what my levels are today.  I added AA a month ago, thus the follow up.



Ok, now the big part.  I shared this article with my GD last week and they shared it with the rest of the Transgender health team and they were all very curious and intrigued.,  They didn't have any particular comments per say, but they were encouraged enough that they are going to look a the research backing this before getting back to me again.  Like me they were pleasantly surprised to hear that the breast cancer risk was not as high as originally thought.  And I think as a result of this article and study, they were encouraged enough to offer me the option to switch to daily P, which I gladly took them up on.  So over the next few months I will see how I feel on it physically and mood/emotionally and we will evaluate then 

The cool part is that today should have been the last day of this month's 10-day cycle (I dod days 1-10 each month to keep it easy), so I won't miss anything this month.

I'm so very happy that this thread as helped even one person, let alone several.
Research and discoveries are what has driven this.  Thankfully science is real.

I will see my endo tomorrow,  He feels that he is the best transgender endo the world has ever seen!  I emailed him all the information quite a while ago, and wonder what he has to say about it, and if he prescribes progesterone for me!