I'm on day 5 of HRT (4mg estradiol and 100mg spiro). The first day I took estradiol with no Spiro and I felt perfectly fine, the next day I started on 50mg of Spiro and it felt rough, mood and body were not feeling good. And today realized I wasn't even taking the full dose of 100mg, so I upped it to 100mg. Same deal, feeling rough.
Does it get better or level out? I'm almost tempted to drop spirolactone if it's still affecting me like this a month from now. I started HRT to improve my mental wellbeing, and I'm worried this is defeating the purpose.
Anyway, interested to hear others experience.
6 Comments
Hildegarde@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y
My doctor had me slowly ramp up the spiro dose over the course of four weeks. 50mg/day for the first week, 100mg, the second, continuing up to 200mg. Had some rough symptoms shortly after the increase days, but those largely went away once I was on a consistant dose.
These drugs will affect your brain chemicals, and brains tend to prefer consistency. You are probably reacting to the change more than the drugs themselves.
E + Spiro has improved my mental wellbeing immensely. Give it time.
MataVatnik@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y
Thank you, this is what I'm hoping for. I'll just have to stick it out. I just got doomer about it after reading some controversies on it.
gnomesaiyan@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y
You're transforming yourself, so there's bound to be ups and downs. This isn't going to be like flipping a switch. My practitioner told me about this, as well as through the informed consent I signed.
I have been on 4mg estradiol and 100mg spironolactone daily (oral 2/50mg every 12 hours) for just under two months now. I did have an outburst/panic attack about a week or two in, but they did say it was to be expected, but since then, it's been smooth sailing. Honestly, I feel even more like a woman now than ever before, and it has really internalized for me. I will say that I do get emotional more about things, where before I would be cold and closed off. It has also evened my temper, rationality, and made me more confident in myself than ever before. If this isn't a sign, I don't know what is.
To think the spiro is the culprit, well, it's blocking your T production so there's bound to be a mental/emotional change along with the physical. You might find your male side taking a back seat, at least that's how it feels with me.
I do plan on having an orchiectomy eventually so I can stop taking the spiro completely and just take E. I'm already having fantastic results so far, so I want to ensure that my body takes full advantage of it.
MataVatnik@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
These are the things I was counting on, im really hoping it helps erase my masculinity from my mind. Instead I'm getting stomach discomfort, lethargy and I feel a gloomy shadow being cast over my thoughts and everything and its hard to feel like a girly girl when i feel like this >.< My body never has been good at processing drugs. When I Lexapro it took my more than 30 days for my body to adjust.
gnomesaiyan@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
It sounds like you're describing fear and anxiety, possibly brought on by the change in hormones. You also might be experiencing some underlying psychological issues that are starting to surface due to the HRT, which could lead to exhibiting physical problems (stress and depression can manifest physical problems, I have personal experience with this).
I would also suggest that you seek therapy while transitioning to help with any unresolved issues you might have, even if you don't think so at the time. Regardless of how the HRT will make you look, you're never going to feel like a woman if you're not in the right head space. You want to be whole, not just physically but mentally as well.
Regarding the medication issue: this is something you should definitely bring up with your medical practitioner. I'm not a doctor nor do I know your medical history and intricacies, but it's important to understand that if there's a something going on that you address it before it becomes a problem. Take care of your body, you only get one!
MataVatnik@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
Very familiar with fear and anxiety, I started feeling it as soon as I came to terms with being trans a couple months ago, the prospect of radically changing everything about me was pretty daunting but now that most people know and I started the process it's not as bad.
Unfortunately these are physiological side effects from the drugs. I just hope it's simply from testosterone lowering, on not from someother effect of Spiro. Feeling a little better now, still dealing with lethargy, anger and rage is way down which is nice and an unfamiliar feeling.
Therapy is definitely something I should take up, my adhd makes it hard to keep schedules and take initiatives on these things
Thank you for the kind words 🫶