Question to M2F TS's only: Have you stopped HRT?

[Teri Anne]

Hi, Susanites,

I haven't come across this question as a poll yet and I think it's something we should begin talking about...

First, let me give you my background:  I'm 5 years post-op and have been off HRT (hormone replacement therapy) for four months with no problems (I quit cold turkey, though obviously this may not be best for everyone - check with your doctor).

In the news media, doctors are seemingly united in feeling, given the latest medical findings, that unless genetic women are experiencing terrible hot flashes, they should QUIT HRT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  To continue would, as some of the doctors say, be "dangerous."

When I quit, my best friend looked stunned at me, asking, "Will you still be Teri?  It was like she was asking if I was giving up being a woman.  I think she wondered if my breasts would suddenly shrink (that would be impossible) and suddenly I'd revert to being, er, Joe (not my former name).  I assured her that, "No, I am just following the advise given to genetic women."  I told her that I'd even heard of a few post op women at Susan's who had given up HRT.  I explained that current studies indicate that continuing HRT increases your chances for breast cancer and so I asked my friend, "You don't want me to die of that, do you?  My breasts aren't going away and I will continue being me."

I don't look at taking a pill as being necessary to define my gender.  In 1999, doctors used to DEMAND that all preop TS's had to be on HRT for 2 years in order to get "permission" to get SRS.  I was on it for over 2 years and so there was no problem with that.  Given the latest medical findings about HRT, though, I wonder if doctors have adjusted this demand.  I feel that, after you develop breasts, they should allow you to stop -- for your own good health!  Why should TS's be more at risk than genetic women?  Granted, the chances of getting cancer depend on a variety of things, including your genetic background.  But still, I've always been risk averse (I realize that a risk averse post op TS seems like an oxymoron, lol).

So, what are your feelings?  What have you decided?  Pre-op and post-op TS's should feel free to offer their opinions.  As I said above, I think it's something we need to begin talking about.

Hugs, Teri Anne

[Melissa]

Hmm, I'd vote, but there is no choice for me.  I'm pre-op and quitting would make me revert back because I'm still pre-op.  I also don't plan on continuing it forever.  I plan to continue it for probably the next 5 years or so because that's about when the changes should be complete and I would be post-op at that time.

Melissa

[Steph]

I'm post op and although I voted plan on taking HRT forever the jury is out on that as I've not had a chance to consult with my endo/Dr on wether there is a need for me to continue.  Personally I believe that the less meds we have to take the better and if I can get away from HRT I will.  But I know that there will a bit of a psychological side to quitting as there is this thing that I can't produce estrogen and do I need it?

Steph

[Cindi Jones]

There are benefits to the feminine hormones which we should not neglect.  They help your skin stay soft and pretty.  They help to prevent osteoperosis and hot flashes.  There may be some relationships with weight gain.

Personally, I had a miserable time getting off Premarin.  I still have hot flashes at night (in a bedroom at 57 degrees) and it has been 4 years.

I too believe that I don't want to take any more drugs than I have to.  I already take too many.  So with my doctor's support and advice, I quit taking hormones.

Cindi

[Terri Gene]

Quiting HRT???

My guess is that it would depend on the reason.  There are many reasons Not to use these drugs and every so often you meet someone who physically could not continue to use them and remain in good health.

I for one had major disagreements with family and friends about starting HRT, but from my view at the time it was a necessity.  I faithfully took my doeses for two years and suffered a stroke that healed very quickly.  The doctors at the time took away my Premarin and told me I should never use it again.  My psychologist, Dr. Dea in Redwood City told me I could get by on lower doses if I had a Bilateral Orchiectomy.  I agreed to the operation and Kaiser did it for me and I restarted on a light dose of estrogen and after some months had the amount doubled.  All went fine for me until Jan 24 of 2006 when I passed out at work.   I was evaluated with having had another Stoke, a little more then a year after the last one and I was again taken off estrogen and what I had at the house was thrown away by my wife.

It has now been a year and a week since then and I have not had any estrogen at all.  There has been no effect that I can determine, I'm doing fine and this last month has almost restored me to full health.

I have little to say for psychological reasons for quiting, that all depends on the persons envolved and thier Dr.'s but from personal experience I can say that quiting made no difference to my enjoyment of life and living it truthfully, I had been on estrogens for 3 years and have what they gave me.  My mental life is what I make of it.

So thats all I can say .... I quit cold stroke and never had a symtom of any problems over it.

Terri

[tinkerbell]

After surgery, my estrogen regimen was reduced, and I also stopped taking the spironolactone, but no, I have not quit HRT.  If I did,  I'd go berserk  >


tinkerbell

[Terri Gene]

 

but no, I have not quit HRT.  If I did,  I'd go berserk 

Why is that Tink?  I always thought I'd need it forever, but when it became life threatning, I just quit, are you that dependant on it?

Terri

[Terri Gene]

once you realise you don't really need it anymore it passes ok.  There are other treatments for bone reduction and all.  Just do as you feel you must.

Terri

[Jonie]

As a pre-op I quit a combination of two hrt drugs for a little while and I thought that I was going insane. As a post-op I am only on one hrt drug, I quit that for a little while and had some hot flashes but over all it wasn't a big deal.

[LynnER]

Im PreOp TS..... I quit HRT Voulnterily once for 6 months or so.... that was TRUE hell for me....
I stopped again for over a month due to lack of funds.... that was really really bad too....

After the experiances I had going off like that I will NEVER NEVER NEVER stop HRT untill the day I die...  seriously... I cant function with out the stuff.... and the withdrawl symptoms I go through seem to be way worse than they should be... so yeah....  never going to stop.... after my op and after the timer ticks out for the effective physical changes for HRT I'll move to a reduced dosage... and when I get way older I may go on a further reduced dosage, just enogh to stay sane... but I will never again stop.... <unless Im totaly broke and thats only temporary>

[Melissa]

Lynn, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but to have the op, you do need to stop hrt for a while beforehand and usually up until you get home.

Melissa

[rhonda13000]

#2, although I am actually partially post-op.

Osteoporosis will result from the cessation of HRT.

No thanx.

[LynnER]

Actualy Melissa, from what I understand Dr Bowers will allow the op with out stopping...you just go on a reduced dosage for a period of time... after all GG's have operations all the time with estrogen in there systems and there fine.

[KarenLyn]

I expect to remain on HRT even after GRS but at a lower dose. It took years to get on a comfortable dose and I still have horrible hot flashes on occasion.


Karen Lyn     

[Stormy Weather]

...after all GG's have operations all the time with estrogen in there systems and there fine.

It's not the estrogen in itself; amongst other things, it's predominantly the first-pass effects on the liver from oral estrogen that raise the likelihood of blood-thickening and clots forming.

[LynnER]

I doubble checked her website <Dr Bowers> she dosnt require you to stop estrogen, but she does ask you cut it back two weeks before quitting to what your post operative dosage will most likely be... and she asks you stop any AA's and progestrone and any other meds you may be takeing. I dont know what the requirements would be sence my script is for injectables anyways but Im sure I'll find out later on this year if I can find a suitable way to afford it 

[Yvonne]

I've been post-op for two years now and haven't stopped it.  Can't say I will.

[RebeccaFog]

   This has been a very interesting and informative thread for me. I haven't begun HRT yet, but I thought once you started, you were on for life. I had a fear that when I am post-op, that the pharm companies would all go out of business and I would be in agony because my HRT meds would be unavailable.

   Now, I know I don't have to rely on the meds once I've reached a certain point in treatment. This is very important for me to know.

   I had read early on that taking NO hormones would wreak havoc upon a person. I guess this is not true according to what I've read.


Love,

Rebecca

[Kate]

   I had read early on that taking NO hormones would wreak havoc upon a person. I guess this is not true according to what I've read.

I'd assume it's merely the same as becoming a post-menopausal woman, with all the usual complications (such as bone loss). Although I'd guess post-menopausal genetic women still have more estrogen in their systems than M2Fs who stop taking E completely.

Kate

[Teri Anne]

Someone mentioned cardiovascular benefits of taking estrogen -- the day the world changed for women is when it was found out, a few years ago, that estrogen DIDN'T have cardiovascular benefits.  As to bone loss, I'm not really concerned about it.  I figure that my bones, being originally male, are probably stronger than genetic women's bones.  Yes, we will all have bone loss inside our bones as we grow older but, as Terri Gene mentioned, there are safer ways of adding calcium to bones.  Maybe they're not as good but they pose far less risk.  It's that way with all medicines:  risk vs. benefits.

I'm surprised that some of you mention "hot flashes."  I'd never heard of TS's getting hot flashes and can't imagine how they could be caused.  If you're taking estrogen, that wouldn't be a cause.  It would be a cure.  Tapering off estrogen would seemingly not CAUSE hot flashes but I suppose I could be incorrect.  I luckily, as mentioned earlier, had NO bad effects when I quit estrogen cold turkey. 

As an aside, I noticed that I became more emotional when I started taking estrogen.  My highs were higher and my lows were lower.  I still have high highs and low lows.  Stopping taking estrogen didn't change that.  Sometimes I wish it would have.  I love the highs but hate the lows.  I feel that estrogen (and I have no proof of this) has probably permanently changed something inside my brain, perhaps the hypothalmus, so that I will always be more emotional.  This is a negative, in my opinion.

I sometimes have envied F2M's because they don't have to take this thing that makes them more emotional.  Testosterone, if anything, makes them more confident.  Perhaps we M2F's wouldn't ponder suicide nearly as much without the assist that estrogen gives in making us more emotional.  Add to that dangers of heart attacks or strokes from estrogen?

I have my female body matching my brain now and that's all I wanted.  Estrogen, good bye and good ridance.

Teri Anne