(01-05-2015, 07:51 PM)BlueCoral Wrote: I was wondering if you guys can help me? This thread is full of info, but it's still a little confusing to someone like me. Basically what my deal is that I've tried herbs for about a year with almost no results at all. There have been a few effects like my balls shrinking and getting more emotional, but nothing to do with fat redistribution or growing breast tissue. What I was taking was green tea, red clover, reishi, borage oil, pm, and fenugreek. What should I replace those with? So far I know that estradiol replaces the pm, but I'm not sure about a DHT blocker, ar-5 inhibitor, or aromatiser.
Hi love.. let me answer this as best I can for you....
Estradiol replaces PM and other estrogenic herbals. It does come with some rare but dangerous negative side effects, including but not limited to pulmonary embolism and stroke. However.. taken and monitored under a physicians guidance.. it is relatively safe. It is normally taken 4mg-8mg a day for MtF transition purposes... the varrying degree of medication is based on how YOUR body responds to it and is determined through medical blood test monitoring.
DHT and 5-ar inhibitors are basically one and the same. Finasteride is a good DHT blocker because it inhibits 5-ar and stops it from producing DHT from testosterone. 2.5mg-5mg is the normal daily dosage for MtF transition and is again.. determined by how YOUR body adjusts to the medication as determined by medical blood test monitoring.
Aldactone aka Spironalactone is a Testosterone inhibitor... basically shutting down testosterone production by your testicles. The normal maximum therapeutic dosage for MtF transition is 100mg -200mg daily. This medication REQUIRES blood testing because it is a potassium binder and too much potassium in your system can be fatal. Normally people start out with 25mg-50mg a day, have multiple blood tests over several months and are slowly ramped up to full therapeutic levels. I must warn and repeat that this medication can cause serious health issues and your potassium levels need to be monitored regularly while on it. My doctor has me getting a basic metabolic panel every 2 weeks.
Progesterone.. a good medication for this is Naturogest... usually found as 50mg-100mg-200mg dosages... Progesterone does NOT need to be taken daily.... in fact doing so can be potentially dangerous. It is best taken for 7-10 days each month only to mimic the natural production of progesterone in the female body during menses to help soften the lining of the uterus to help make it pass easier.. it also has some effect on breast development... however it is NOT a required medication for MtF transition.. just one that can be helpful in the process. Normal dosages for MtF Transition are relatively low.. anywhere from 5mg-10mg a day cycled for 7-10 days (as progestin), or 50-100mg a day cycled as bio-identical progesterone like Naturogest.
As with all HRT medications.. always start with the lower dosages... and slowly work your way up to the therapeutic levels with frequent blood work done throughout the process to monitor for any potentially dangerous or deadly side effects. I can not stress this enough.. you absolutely NEED regular blood work done to make sure you are not negatively impacting your health with these medications. If you are not going to have regular blood work done.. don't risk your health and your life by taking these medications.
recommended blood work BEFORE starting HRT medications:
• CBC with Differential
• Basic Metabolic Panel
• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
• Lipid Profile
• Testosterone -Total + Free
• PT/PTT
• Urinalysis
after the baselines are drawn.. then regular basic metabolics and regular testosterone/dht/estrogen testing needs to be done. An indoctrinologist will be much better at deciding which tests you need done regularly to monitor your health and well being.
~Elain
