I need to know what is going on here! I don't understand why but ever since my surgery a year ago I have literally not felt the same emotionally. I know my hormones are still messed up and I can't understand how to solve it. I just don't feel youthful, feminine, or energetic anymore. That zing of yay cant wait to start my day today in the morning is just not there.  I'm always fatigued or have no energy, even if I have slept like a baby for 8 hours. Also, my metabolism is horrible compared to before. And there isn't any reason I should be feeling this way because I love my life and where I am.

I'm 21 years old, 5'6", thin build, and completely passable. I know that this problem is all related to hormones I just don't know how to fix it. I originally was seeing my endo who took care of me pre surgery but he is not a help at all. He is the type that writes the prescriptions and just says, take what makes you feel good rather than guiding me into what I need. Before surgery my estradiol level was always in the 700s and my testerone levels were immeasurable. After surgery, my estradiol levels were always in the 300s. I was on progesterone for 10 days out of the month pre surgery but stopped it after surgery, so I thought maybe that was the problem? I started taking progesterone and I felt like myself for a couple of days after a week of trying it, but then my body just went back into that fatigue mode where I can't move or have any energy.

So then I was told the problem is that I have no testerone and being so young, I would need to supplement it. I didnt understand because my testerone levels were always immeasurable pre surgery, but I figured I would do as the doctor said. And so, they prescribed a testerone cream that was supposed to be a very very low dose. However, even on this low dose I ended up getting little facial hairs and acne. So I immediately stopped it.

Now, I am just trying to figure out what the heck the answer is. I cut my estradiol dose in half from what Id been taking for the past 8 months and I felt alot better. More energy more life, but still not all there. I just dont have that happy feeling and zing for life. I am not sure if I need to cute my dose more? Because if my estradiol levels pre surgery were 700 and I felt amazing, and the dose I've been taking after surgery gave me levels of 300, then I fear cutting that dose too much will give me too low estradiol levels. Does anyone have any input? How am I supposed to have high estradiol levels again if taking more estradiol just makes me fatigued? What is going on here? HELP!

First of all, what unit of measure are they using for your E levels? 700 seems SKY high if I'm thinking of the right measuring stick. Also, what surgery did you have? Was it SRS, Orchi, or was it even trans-related at all?

I had my SRS about one year ago (early December 2010) and im not exactly sure what the units were exactly but I can find out. I am pretty sure I remember being told that my levels were high but I also was only on hormones for about a year -year and a half maybe before surgery? I'm not sure if that has something to do with it? My doctor also said before that if I felt fine at those levels it was fine. I just don't know how to get back to that now, it seems the more estrogen I take, the less energetic I feel. Yet my levels are half what they used to be and my testosterone levels both now and before were always immeasurable. I am so confused.

I think that even though your testosterone levels were measured the same after your SRS as they were before SRS, doesn't necessarily mean that you didn't have more testosterone flowing through your veins before SRS, making you more energetic. After all, you went from having a constant flow of testosterone coming from your genitalia, albeit being blocked by drugs once or twice a day, to having none. It kind of makes sense that you feel energetic.
I'm not a doctor, and I don't know much about the chemistry of a human, so these are just thoughts.

Something doesn't make sense here. You need to post what units "Estrogen level in the 700s" is? Estradiol is usually measured in pg/ml (picograms per milliter). Testosterone is measured in ng/dl (nanograms per deciliter). An E2 level of 700 pg/ml is super-off the charts, not in a good way, and something weird is going on. Also, even genetic females, or post-op MTF Ts, need testosterone. Normal T levels (total serum testosterone) in genetic females and MTF Ts are in the 10-85 ng/dl range. So if your T is "immeasurable" a lack of T or low T level maybe causing your problem.

This is something you should be discussing with your doc, and it should be an easy fix. If your doc is not familiar with treating MTF patients, or for some reason can't get your hormone levels where they should be, it's time to find a new doc. This really isn't rocket science or astrophysics he's dealing with.

JennX,
those numbers would be in pmol/litre the European metric, also SA based on UK, etc.
US as always has their own system. Square foot pound/furlong or what the hell ever :-)

700 pmol/l is no were near off chart, I have/had it, 734 pmol/l.
If pregnant a gg can be as high as 2000 pmol/l.

Axelle

Nonetheless, it could be a low testosterone issue, as mentioned.

Quote from: JennX on November 16, 2011, 06:53:19 AM
Also, even genetic females, or post-op MTF Ts, need testosterone...

...So if your T is "immeasurable" a lack of T or low T level maybe causing your problem.

The thing is I was placed on a testosterone cream months ago. My endo doesnt do creams so he referred me to this doctor from california who does. I told him my dosage and he sent me a cream in the mail. As soon as I used it, I felt wired to say the least. A couple of weeks in, I started to develop acne but I stayed on the cream for almost two months because I didnt get acne too often and I felt like the testosterone helped me make it through the day energy wise. After two months, I saw my face looked different and I swear I looked more masculine so I called him and he was like oops I gave you the wrong dosage. So he sent me one that was 10x weaker which don't even get me started at how angry I am I had to go through that. I started the low dose cream and it was ok but I still didnt feel like myself and I was still getting facial hair. Oh, and this darn cream has made me have development of an adam's apple I think. I'm not sure if that's even possible for me to have had growth of an adam's apple after using the testosterone cream for a couple months considering I dont ever remember feeling cartilage there before when I had not yet transitioned. Is that possible? Or is it that my thyroid being imbalanced is just swollen or something and is causing what cartilage was there before to be more prominent?

Anyhow, Im afraid to go anywhere near testosterone cream because my body seems to be overly sensitive to it. The dosage the doctor put me on the second time was supposedly the lowest they prescribe. I did feel like myself more when I stopped the testosterone cream and cut my estrace dose in half. I was sure I was myself and I felt better with more energy but the effect wore off after getting sick and being put on augmentin antibiotics for two weeks. It's been almost six weeks since antiobiotics and I thought my hormones would resettle by now but I just dont know. I dont know what to do anymore! Could it be a progesterone deficiency or something? Or should I just cut my estradiol dose down more if cutting it down gave me energy?

  Progesterone is a suppressor of testosterone and a moderator for the estrogen.  A reason why the cis-women produce this during their menstrual cycles.  Humans of both sexes produce small amounts of hormones of both sexes in their adrenal glands.  This, with the human appendix was once thought to be not have a useful purpose.  My own case was that my Dr. said that I had too much testosterone in my system as an adult that my estrogen levels were nearly nil because of that.  My muscles in my frame didn't develop like a normal male does because of too much testosterone, but did along with in increase of bone mass this past year on HRT.  That with the boobs are welcome here.  Also my awareness of certain things that was supposed to have happen during adolescence occurred this year, a 40+ years delay!  That's why the "blossoming" description below my avatar.
  Some postmenopausal women do get some relief and energy by using progesterone oral or in a cream.  The increased risk of reproductive cancer and the mood swings some have from this keeps a lot of the older women off of this stuff.  Your endo must rethink the value of progesterone in your young body, there are more information on the functions of all of the endocrine hormones that come out every year. 
  Joelene

It sounds like you are suffering from adrenal fatigue. I am no doctor, so take this as a possibility and not a diagnosis. There is no need to cycle progesterone because we have no uterous. Because you did initially feel better when you started taking progesterone I think it might be related. When women with hypothyroidism start taking progesterone it alows the thyroid to release thyroid hormone that it has been storing. This might be why you felt better for a few days. I personally would start taking higher doses of progesterone so both your thyroid and adrenal glands can recover their proper functional levels. I would also suggest finding a new doctor who is willing to run the right tests so you can get to feeling better.

Huggs

Emily