Started on Estrogen, AGAIN

[WeRNotAfraid (imported)]

Hello all. This week I started on 2 mg Estrofem (estradiol) a day, which I ordered online from an overseas pharmacy that does a lot of business with transgendered people. I'm preparing for my rescheduled orchiectomy surgery, and I thought it would be good to get on hormones before so that maybe I wouldn't have such a dramatic drop-off post op.

Anyway, my question is this: Can Estrofem tablets be dissolved under the tongue? I read on Anne Lawrence's site that they can be, but does anyone have personal experience? I'm a smoker, and though I am young I have gotten terrified of blood clots. Supposedly, estrogen taken sublingually is less likely to cause clotting problems. After surgery I plan on quitting smoking and switching to the estrogen patch.

Thanks!

[Leona Lee (imported)]

Hello all. This week I started on 2 mg Estrofem (estradiol) a day, which I ordered online from an overseas pharmacy that does a lot of business with transgendered people. I'm preparing for my rescheduled orchiectomy surgery, and I thought it would be good to get on hormones before so that maybe I wouldn't have such a dramatic drop-off post op.

Anyway, my question is this: Can Estrofem tablets be dissolved under the tongue? I read on Anne Lawrence's site that they can be, but does anyone have personal experience? I'm a smoker, and though I am young I have gotten terrified of blood clots. Supposedly, estrogen taken sublingually is less likely to cause clotting problems. After surgery I plan on quitting smoking and switching to the estrogen patch.

Thanks!

Hi honey! I would think that under the tongue may be O.K. if you can stand the taste.

The ultimate is injections,then patches. Is there a reason you might be suseptable to blood clot's? If you are, you might check with your Doctor.Hugs,Leona

[WeRNotAfraid (imported)]

Smoking while on estrogen is a no no, since apparently it raises the risk of blood clots. I only take 2mg a day and am trying to stay physically active, so maybe I am worried unrealistically, but still it scares me, since you can drop dead with no warning. I guess the obvious thing to do is to quit smoking, but I'm also trying to lose weight right now and if I quit I will gain huge amounts. Kind of a lose-lose situation.

[Karisma (imported)]

Under your tongue should be totally fine(as far as I've been told), though as Leona mentioned, your in for a treat . For some reason stuffing things under ones tongue hightenes it's flavour, or so it seems.

As for blod clots - btw, noticed your only 3 years older then me , anyway - it's not a myth. But as I see it, realistically the chance of getting one isn't really that high. I've never known anyone in real life who got one or who themselfs know of anyone who got one.

But a preemptive checkup first might be wise, if you haven't done so already. And ask if the doc can see any danger-areas.

To minimize the risk of clots you could also take something to thin out the blood, not sure what there is in terms of options in America though. But i'm not sure if it does more harm then good if your not taking very high dosages of estro to start with.

[Christina (imported)]

Under the tongue, or sublingual, is probbably the prefered method for taking estradiol tabs. There is no bad taste either, in fact it's a little sweet tasting. Mind you this will only work for estradiol (as far as I know) and not premarin. The advantage of doing this is to get the estrogen into the blood stream without going through the liver. Anything ingested will pass throught the liver making it important to have a liver function test to be sure there are no problems. And yes smoking will also increase the risk of clots. The patch and injectable estrogens are less likely to cause any problems too, because they enter directly into the blood stream, bypassing the liver.

When you use the estradiol subligually, it's probably a good idea not to eat or drink anything for 30 minutes or more to gain the full effects of the medication. I have done this many times, but usually in the evening when I can relax.

If you are going to divide the dose into 2 a day, make sure they are evenly spaced out every day (12 hours apart for 2 doses) so that your body will have an steady amount of hormones. You don't want to have spikes during the day then lower amounts overnight.

Most doctors will tell you to take aspirin as a precaution for clots. Some say aspirin does nothing to help for clots. I am divided on the issue so I take it as a precaution and have had no problems as of yet, and I still smoke. The usual dose for aspirin is one 81mg tab a day. I was advised by my doctor to take the 325mg tab a day. Coated aspirin is the best for daily use because it dissolves in the intestine and not the stomach. Over time uncoated aspirin could cause stomach ulcers. I use a brand called ECOTRIN coated aspirin. It's a little expensive, but if you find it on sale one bottle will last almost a year.

[WeRNotAfraid (imported)]

It may all be useless now, anyway. I just got back from the urologist because I've been having some pain in my groin. Well, I have a hernia and have to have surgery. I told the doctor about my orchiectomy plans, and he told me that there is pretty much no way it's going to happen now. Apparently the hernia operation will created scar tissue in my abdomen, which will make it impossible for the plastic surgeon who was supposed to do my operation to go back in. The surgeon I wanted to use works through incisions in your stomach to keep from creating scar tissue on the scrotum, but now it looks like it's not going to happen. I don't know what I am going to do now. I'm going to go ahead and cancel my Electrolysis 2000 appointment and stop taking my hormones, because it looks like it's not worth it anymore.

[Leona Lee (imported)]

It may all be useless now, anyway. I just got back from the urologist because I've been having some pain in my groin. Well, I have a hernia and have to have surgery. I told the doctor about my orchiectomy plans, and he told me that there is pretty much no way it's going to happen now. Apparently the hernia operation will created scar tissue in my abdomen, which will make it impossible for the plastic surgeon who was supposed to do my operation to go back in. The surgeon I wanted to use works through incisions in your stomach to keep from creating scar tissue on the scrotum, but now it looks like it's not going to happen. I don't know what I am going to do now. I'm going to go ahead and cancel my Electrolysis 2000 appointment and stop taking my hormones, because it looks like it's not worth it anymore.

Hi! Well thats a drag ,the Hernia.I am of the opinion that type of ochiectomy is the ultimate,especially if you would want srs later.Then you have all that virgin tissue to work with.Cheers,Leona

[Paolo]

Christina,

It may be one of the YMMV things, but I find that when I take aspirin, I bleed like a stuck pig. So at least for me, it's doing something to thin out the blood.

Recently, I woke up with a very intense and deep pain that felt like it was coming from the exact center of my leg, in the femur area. After a few hours, I could hardly walk on it. Called a friend who is a nurse, she said to take a full dose of aspirin and do it for the rest of the day as the bottle directed.

The pain went away, and hasn't come back. I also recently had a go with a lump in one of the dorsal veins of my seldom-used and often overlooked penis.

Same thing - aspirin.

Bump was gone in one day.

[Kelly_2 (imported)]

The surgeon I wanted to use works through incisions in your stomach to keep from creating scar tissue on the scrotum, but now it looks like it's not going to happen.

Hi, dear.

Many of us have had the orchie through the scrotum, and have done fine. I subsequently had SRS and the small scar in the middle of the scrotum did not cause a problem. Perhaps you may wish to reconsider. If you really do wish to have the orchie, then that seems like a good option.

I hope that all goes well with the surgeries, hormones, and transition. You do have support here.

Warm hugs,

Kelly

[spirono13 (imported)]

Apparently the hernia operation will created scar tissue in my abdomen...

Abdominal hernia operatios are orthoscopic these days. That means 3 very small incissions and very very little scarring.