What is the best estrogen dosage and type?

[mountain air (imported)]

Hi everyone, I'm now taking Androcur and would also like to try a low daily dosage of estrogen for its positive benefits. Does anyone here have any recommendations as to what type of estrogen I should take and what the minimum dosage should be. I'm also currious about the positive health benefits that low level estrogen replacement therapy has had for those of you who have already been castrated. I wonder if the estrogen will get rid of any fatigue that I might experience from being chemically castrated? I'm not trying to grow breast or anything like that even though that might happen in the long run whether I take estrogen or not. I just want to get rid of any long term problems such as osteoporosis and weight gain etc. I'm still looking forward to experiencing a few hot flashes before I start taking estrogen. I look at it as a special right of passage along the journey of becoming a eunuch. I get a kick out of getting into the historical past of eunuchs in world culture. Becoming a eunuch to me is like joining a very special and privilaged Global community of people who get a chance to experience life from a whole new and enriching perspective.

[Christina (imported)]

From what I've been told, Estradiol is the safest and most efective estrogen. It comes in 1 and 2mg strength tabs. For a low dose, you might try 2mg a day. It's also relatively inexpensive. I was buying 120, 2mg tabs for less than $16 US without insurance, but it did require a prescription at that price.

[mountain air (imported)]

From what I've been told, Estradiol is the safest and most efective estrogen. It comes in 1 and 2mg strength tabs. For a low dose, you might try 2mg a day. It's also relatively inexpensive. I was buying 120, 2mg tabs for less than $16 US without insurance, but it did require a prescription at that price.

Hi Christina, do you think the dosage of 1mg would be too much and lead to feminization when you consider what my testosterone level will be in a few weeks from taking androcur? I was doing some web surfing and I found premarin in something like .625 mg for next to nothing. I think 3 months with shipping was less than $40 USD. I don't like the idea of taking premarin though because of the inhumain treatment of horses. My only reason for taking estrogen would be to control hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, weight gain, and the onset of osteoporosis. The later of which is probabely not a real threat because I have been taking very large amounts of calcium for several years now and I plan on staying to that regimin. I'm still considered young at age 30 which does put me at greater risk than an older male undergoing castration so there is a possible reason for concern in the distant future. I'm hoping that the hot flashes and night sweats will be very mild when the do take place. I have been researching female menapause and there seems to be a minority of women that are spared from dealing with hot flashes and night sweats. It it probabely something genetic in nature that causes them once your body is depleted of sex hormones. I'm also going on an exercise program which includes weight training to keep my muscle tone. I don't mind loosing some muscle mass I just don't want it turning into fat on my tummy and hips.

[Christina (imported)]

It's always the best advice to start on the lowest dose possible. You could try the 1mg Estradiol tab and see if it meets your needs. That would be equal to the .625mg of Premarin. You should give yourself 4 to 6 weeks on a given dose before changing if you feel a need to. I also share your feelings on the way Premarin is obtained. Unlike Estradiol, Premarin contains other compounds that do not make it pure estrogen. I have also been told Premarin has an increased risk for blood clotting, not a good thing.

[boyz2sissies (imported)]

Hi,

The following is a good website for what you are talking about, although the site is really talking to MTF transition. I did some of these numerous times, both estradiol and Premarin AND an anti-androgen, over a period of three years for like three months at a shot. I bought it over the Internet from New Zealand I believe it was.

You want to be careful with HRT as there are precautions. AND, two of the three times I did the HRT I stopped because I attempted suicide. I became extremely depressed after some time each time. But that is me. Depression for me now has virtually been eliminated, although I am on Zoloft which has helped me a lot. Two weeks ago, I experienced a rather deep depression after my meds ran out.

I never desired to transition, I would never ever pass and I wasn't at all fem; I just wanted the body mod effect. Chemical castration never achieved anywhere near the effect I've experienced via surgical castration.

All in all, I very happy I am cut, just wish I had done it a long time ago.

Good luck,

Michael

Disclaimer: All the following is quoted directly from the Anne Lawrence website. I post it for informational use only and am not endorcing anything stated below.

http://www.annelawrence.com/regimens.html

Estrogen is the most important part of any feminizing regimen. Some typical initial estrogen dosages for preoperative transsexual women who have not undergone SRS or orchiectomy (castration) are as follows:

Oral estrogens:

estradiol (Estrace®), 6-8 mg daily;

OR

conjugated equine estrogen (Premarin®), 5 mg daily;

OR

ethinyl estradiol (Estinyl®), 100 mcg (0.1 mg) daily;

OR

Transdermal estrogen:

estradiol (e.g., Climara® or equivalent), two 0.1 mg patches, applied simultaneously;

OR

Injectable (intramuscular) estrogen:

estradiol valerate (Delestrogen®), 20 mg IM every two weeks.

Occasionally half the suggested dosage may be sufficient. Sometimes the dosage will need to be increased, rarely even doubled. Beyond a certain point, larger dosages will not increase tissue response, but will only cause more side effects.

Oral estrogens are most commonly used, and are typically very satisfactory. Among the oral preparations, I prefer estradiol. It is very inexpensive, and has low hepatic toxicity. Most clinical laboratories can perform estradiol blood levels; it is more difficult to obtain meaningful measurements of blood levels with conjugated equine estrogen or with ethinyl estradiol. Estradiol is also produced synthetically, without cruelty to animals; this is not the case with conjugated equine estrogen (Premarin®), which is prepared from the urine of pregnant mares.

Estradiol tablets can be taken sublingually (placed under the tongue to dissolve) instead of being swallowed. This may reduce possible liver toxicity, since with sublingual administration, much of the medication is absorbed directly into the blood stream, rather than being metabolized by the liver after first passing through the digestive tract. Less metabolism is also likely to result in higher levels of estradiol itself, and lower levels of its less-active metabolites, estrone and estriol. Micronized estradiol tablets are specifically designed for either oral or sublingual use, and dissolve quickly under the tongue without an unpleasant taste.

Premarin® is by far the most expensive oral preparation. One of its few advantages is its relative potency, which is notably higher than estradiol on a milligram-per-milligram basis. This is because some of the equine estrogens in Premarin, especially equilin, have higher biologic potency than the estrogens normally found in humans.

Ethinyl estradiol is a chemically-modified form of natural estradiol. The ethinyl substitution results in a longer duration of action, and greatly increased potency. Consequently, typical milligram dosages of ethinyl estradiol are about one-fiftieth of typical milligram doses of estradiol.

I think that taking 81 mg of aspirin daily is a good precaution for persons taking oral estrogens, assuming no contraindication to aspirin exists.

Transdermal estrogen causes less clotting tendency than oral estrogen, which is possibly important to some patients. However, transdermal preparations are more expensive, and skin reactions to the adhesives employed are not uncommon. I recommend transdermal estrogen for most patients over the age of 40, to patients with risk factors such as cigarette smoking, and to patients with a personal or family history of cardiovascular disease.

Injectable estrogen also causes less clotting tendency, and is less expensive than transdermal estrogen. The major drawbacks are the need to employ syringes and perform injections, and the somewhat greater tendency of injectable estrogen to increase serum prolactin levels. If the former is not a problem, and if the latter can be checked regularly, injectable estrogen can be a satisfactory alternative. Contrary to the belief of many consumers, there is no credible evidence that injectable estradiol produces superior feminization.

If you have access to laboratory testing, a serum estradiol level of about 125-200 pg/ml – about one-third to one-half the normal female mid-cycle peak – is often considered ideal, at least for the first two years or so of feminizing therapy. It is not necessary or desirable to "cycle" estrogen, or any other medication, in an attempt to mimic the normal female menstrual cycle.

After orchiectomy (castration) or SRS, dosages can be reduced. Following SRS, anti-androgens can be discontinued, and estrogen dosage can usually be decreased to one-half or one-quarter of the pre-op dosage, i.e.:

Oral estrogens:

estradiol (Estrace®), 1-2 mg daily;

OR

conjugated equine estrogen (Premarin®), 0.625-1.25 mg daily;

OR

ethinyl estradiol (Estinyl®), 20-50 mcg (0.02-0.05 mg) daily;

OR

Transdermal estrogen:

estradiol (e.g., Climara® or equivalent), 0.05-0.1 mg daily.