07-10-2018, 02:31 AM
Kliovance is a product by novo nordisk.
It contains Estradiol and a synthetic progesterone called nortisterone.
You would be better of buying Estrofem tablets which are also made by novo nordisk and contain the same estrogen as in Kliovance but without the synthetic progesterone.
If you are just starting your transition, you don’t need progesterone yet. Progesterone helps when the breasts are already formed. At the very start of a transition progesterone isn’t useful.
Another thing : always go for bio-identical progesterones. Not for synthetic progesterones also called progestins. They have side-effects that the bio-identical progesterone’s don’t have. You recognise a bio-identical hormone when the package mentions USP.
If you use Estrofem, you can take it sublingually for better absorption.
Let solve under the tongue. It may take a while due to the coating.
If you use Progynova, that one is cheaper than Estrofem, you can swallow it because Progynova isn’t suitable for sublingual use.
Sublingual use is good to bypass the liver. It puts less strain on your body.
Patches are also good if you apply them on clean, hairless skin.
A good starter’s dose is 2 mg / day orally and 1 mg / day sublingually of Estradiol.
You will also need a form of anti-androgen to suppress your testosterone. Sometimes Estradiol alone can suppress the testosterone, sometimes not.
That’s why blood work is useful. It helps you to determine your blood values.
Keep an eye on your prolactin. Your prolactin can’t go too high. Too high prolactin can be dangerous over time.
If you must use an anti-androgen, go for Spironolactone. It has relatively mild side-effects.
You have to avoid potassium rich foods when taking Spironolactone. Spironolactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic with testosterone-blocking side-effects.
It is in my opinion still the safest anti-androgen. Starting dose is 100 mg. Do not exceed 200 mg daily.
Androcur is another anti-androgen but can cause prolactinomas which are pituitary brain tumors. A rare health risk but still, the potential chance is there. Androcur can also cause depression or exacerbate it.
There is also Bicalutamide but that one is hit and miss.
If your health insurance is willing to cover it, you could ask for Lucrin or Lupron. That is the most effective testosterone blocker out there and has to be administered by injection only once every 3 months. It’s very expensive without insurance. Up to 2000$ a year.
Progesterone can sometimes be used as a suitable anti-androgen too. Micronized progesterone. Prometrium / Utrogestan. 100 mg to start with.
Remember to do enough research and have patience. Hormone replacement therapy is not a quick ride. It is a process over years.
It contains Estradiol and a synthetic progesterone called nortisterone.
You would be better of buying Estrofem tablets which are also made by novo nordisk and contain the same estrogen as in Kliovance but without the synthetic progesterone.
If you are just starting your transition, you don’t need progesterone yet. Progesterone helps when the breasts are already formed. At the very start of a transition progesterone isn’t useful.
Another thing : always go for bio-identical progesterones. Not for synthetic progesterones also called progestins. They have side-effects that the bio-identical progesterone’s don’t have. You recognise a bio-identical hormone when the package mentions USP.
If you use Estrofem, you can take it sublingually for better absorption.
Let solve under the tongue. It may take a while due to the coating.
If you use Progynova, that one is cheaper than Estrofem, you can swallow it because Progynova isn’t suitable for sublingual use.
Sublingual use is good to bypass the liver. It puts less strain on your body.
Patches are also good if you apply them on clean, hairless skin.
A good starter’s dose is 2 mg / day orally and 1 mg / day sublingually of Estradiol.
You will also need a form of anti-androgen to suppress your testosterone. Sometimes Estradiol alone can suppress the testosterone, sometimes not.
That’s why blood work is useful. It helps you to determine your blood values.
Keep an eye on your prolactin. Your prolactin can’t go too high. Too high prolactin can be dangerous over time.
If you must use an anti-androgen, go for Spironolactone. It has relatively mild side-effects.
You have to avoid potassium rich foods when taking Spironolactone. Spironolactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic with testosterone-blocking side-effects.
It is in my opinion still the safest anti-androgen. Starting dose is 100 mg. Do not exceed 200 mg daily.
Androcur is another anti-androgen but can cause prolactinomas which are pituitary brain tumors. A rare health risk but still, the potential chance is there. Androcur can also cause depression or exacerbate it.
There is also Bicalutamide but that one is hit and miss.
If your health insurance is willing to cover it, you could ask for Lucrin or Lupron. That is the most effective testosterone blocker out there and has to be administered by injection only once every 3 months. It’s very expensive without insurance. Up to 2000$ a year.
Progesterone can sometimes be used as a suitable anti-androgen too. Micronized progesterone. Prometrium / Utrogestan. 100 mg to start with.
Remember to do enough research and have patience. Hormone replacement therapy is not a quick ride. It is a process over years.