So I had a talk with my endocrinologist about hormones, Ive been on 1 MG of estradiol and 2.5 MG of finasteride for 3 months now (Im trans) and now we are going to start increasing my dose. She is starting me on injections next Friday, 10mg every other week of estradial valerate. She says she likes to take things slow to make sure my body reacts accordingly. When I asked her about taking more anti-androgens she said she didnt notice any difference between parients who took finasteride and patients who took spironolactone. But for the time being we are just increasing the estrogen. She also said that by increasing the estrogen, it will then decrease some of the testosterone, so I have a couple questions and welcome other's experiences.

1) What is the difference between DHT and Testosterone? Does it matter if I take spiro or finasteride?

2) By increasing estrogen, will testosterone be decreased?

3) What kind of doses are other transexual women on? Im looking to get the best feminization I can. And my doctor seems to be willing to work with me on it.

4) It will probably be another 3 months before I up my dose or change medications again. So far, I have only noticed fewer erections and some hair regrowth on my head. Do you think I will notice any new effects in the meantime? I know it varies from person to person and that I am on a low dose but if anyone else has been in a similar situation, I welcome their story.

Thank you, Oogie =)

1) Di-hydro-testosterone is much more powerful than ordinary testosterone. It is the form of T responsible for male pattern baldness (MPB) and benign prostate enlargement/hypertrophy (BPE/BPH). Finasteride is a 5-alpha reductase (5AR) inhibitor, slowing/interrupting the conversion of T into the more powerful DHT. Finasteride is a good treatment, but better (IMHO) when used together with spironolactone.

2) Yes, generally. It competes with T at your body's receptor sites.

3) Read the Yahoo! group TSDoItYourselfHormones to gain more information. Generally, a minimum of 4 mg/day and a maximum of 8 mg/day can be used in Male-to-Female treatment. This is where your own doctor's experience comes into play. I personally started on 1 mg per day for several months, then 2mg per day for several more months, and finally was prescribed 2mg twice per day for a total of 4 mg daily. Even after age 50, it generated surprising breast growth, resulting in a B cup after two years. HRT generally works over a period of two to five years, depending on your personal body chemistry. Your mileage may vary (YMMV) as we are fond of saying.

4. Three months is a very fair time to wait before adjusting your dosage. The human endocrine system is a very delicate balance, and it affects more than just T and E. After two to three months, you may notice breast buds forming behind your nipples, although this development is generally associated with higher dosages.

Good luck, dear. I wish you all the best!!

Slowly working up the dose is the best way to go. Everyone's bodies respond differently. Some endos seem to be super cautious. A 10mg shot every 2 weeks is not all that low, especially if you are also doing oral. You don't want your estrogen levels up way too high like much over 600pg/mL, that of a woman at the peak of ovulation. Blood tests let you accurately know what the hormone levels are. Just make sure they are done the same number of days after a shot and the same number of hours after a pill, preferably lots and lots of hours, to get accurate and fair to compare results.

Thanks guys I appreciate the advice, and still welcome the advice of others btu just to be clear I am stopping the oral and switching to the injections. This Friday! So pumped!