Hi friends! How are you? You look great. Have you been working out? Is that a new outfit?
As I alluded to in my previous post, my new doctor recommended that I switch my estrogen medication. His experience w/his patients had shown a far larger success rate with pills, versus transdermal patches.
Well, I took his advice. On a busy afternoon, I stopped by the pharmacy and picked up my new prescription. For safety’s sake, he’s starting me on a low dosage of 1mg a day. For reference, I was previously on a dosage of four 0.1mcg patches, twice a week (the maximum dosage you can have prescribed).
One of the key things I’ve noticed is something my doctor also pointed out: consistency. Patches can often have variances in how the estrogen is absorbed through the skin. This is important when you’re trying do things like stop or reverse male-patterned baldness (and slow down facial hair growth), or keep your emotions in control. I’m finding he is dead-on about at least two of those points. My mood has been much more stable over the past few days. I’ve felt more alert, focused and less prone to mood swings. Even after a pretty lousy Friday evening, I was able to shake it off and say “meh, those days happen.” I’ve also experience a more-consistent slowing of facial hair growth.
Of course, there are pitfalls. It’s been said that your liver has to work extra-hard to break down the hormones in pill-based estrogen. I had a few trans women tell me exactly that before I started HRT. However, that often depends on which doctor you talk to. My doctor has told me has rarely come across a client who had significant liver problems as a result of oral hormone treatment. In my specific case, I should be fairly worry-free since my liver is already in good shape (thanks in large part to a low-carb lifestyle I’ve led for awhile now).
So, all in all, pills have been a welcome change for me. I’ll be reporting back in a few weeks, once my doctor ups my dosage, to report on any new effects.
Ciao!
