Transgender But Not Transitioning

[Moobzie]

Re: estrogen and heart problems in males - it's been discovered that equine derived E (e.g., 'premarin') is apparently the culprit.  So ...  different sourced E topically applied seems to:
1) Not have the negative effects of equine E.
2) Actually have health benefits (several studies showed increased longevity - which makes sense given the fact that women generally outlive us!).
Moral - stay away from horse piss.

[WPW717]

I have advocated for this multiple times on the past to no avail.
Have even done the research on the best drug delivery method for a non first pass mechanism that doesn’t have the blood clot risk. It’s called Menostar and is a transdermal patch good for a week. It should elevate my estrogen level from unmeasurable ( last 6 venipunctures) to about 20-30 pg/ dl. At my weight. This is where menopausal womens estrogen level are targeted to be for osteoporosis prevention and hot flash relief. 
I have those too. They all understand the greater risk to testosterone therapy in my case but are not responding to the need for hormonal replacement. I just don’t understand them. Frustrating!

[Evolver]

Moral - stay away from horse piss.

LOL! 😄 Damn good advice...

I have advocated for this multiple times on the past to no avail.
Have even done the research on the best drug delivery method for a non first pass mechanism that doesn’t have the blood clot risk. It’s called Menostar and is a transdermal patch good for a week. It should elevate my estrogen level from unmeasurable ( last 6 venipunctures) to about 20-30 pg/ dl. At my weight. This is where menopausal womens estrogen level are targeted to be for osteoporosis prevention and hot flash relief.
I have those too. They all understand the greater risk to testosterone therapy in my case but are not responding to the need for hormonal replacement. I just don’t understand them. Frustrating!

Regarding estrogen as a valid treatment regime for any number of reasons, I'm also at a loss as to why it is not administered as a mainstream medication to men who would benefit from it. It DOES reduce or eliminate hot flashes, bone density loss, even cognitive issues which result from other treatments which reduce testosterone. To me, it seems like a more vital hormone than testosterone and I am of the opinion that its natural level should be maintained no matter what. It used to be administered far more often in the treatment of prostate cancer for example, and it was very effective. But the side effects were unacceptable for most men, and newer drugs, known as chemical castration, took over. The side effects of those drugs are horrendous!

I get the feeling that the elimination of cardio issues from different recipes of estrogen replacement, or different methods of administering it, hasn't translated into an increased usage for men who would benefit from it. That leaves the assumed undesired feminizing effects as the reason why doctors won't consider it. Sad, really, especially considering the number of men out there who already have a feminine body! 

[Sophie]

I have been followed by an endocrinologist since my thyroidectomy 12 years ago and now being a woman of transgender experience.

I started wearing 0.1 mg estrodiol patches 2/week primarily for bone loss prevention and hot flashes. Now that I'm 50, these are basically the same health concerns that genetic women of my age also deal with. 

The other effects that I am truly enjoying are my increasing level of patience as well as my empathy and listening skills. It was my wife who first noticed that if I have to wait for an appointment for either at the doctor's or the salon, or even waiting in traffic I am much more calm.

♥️Sophie♥️

[Evolver]

Sophie, have you had any difficulty in keeping up with your supply of patches? There's been a big shortage of them here over the past year or so, I think it has been in other countries too.

The other effects that I am truly enjoying are my increasing level of patience as well as my empathy and listening skills. It was my wife who first noticed that if I have to wait for an appointment for either at the doctor's or the salon, or even waiting in traffic I am much more calm.

♥️Sophie♥️

Whether it is due to a personally rising estrogen level (I've never been tested) over the past couple of years or something else, I have also felt a lot calmer within myself too, with patience being the standout. Most of the time now, I feel truly serene. 😉

[Sophie]

I haven't had any problems here in the USA. I pay a $15.00 co-pay for a 90 day supply. 

For me, rather than being prescribed for transgender HRT, it is prescribed as preventice care for bone loss prevention and reduced cardiovascular disease. 

♥️Sophie♥️

[Evolver]

Lucky girl! ❤️

Bone loss and vasomotor symptoms during and after menopause are rarely discussed as mainstream issues publicly, even though most AFABs and some AMABs will experience them, with most AMABs witnessing them too. The shortage of estradiol patches here actually resulted in a feature piece on the news recently, highlighting the negative effect on productivity in female dominated workplaces and industries due to the need for sufferers to often take sick leave because of the debilitating nature of the symptoms instead of being able to access the patches and soldier on. It's how I learnt that we had a shortage here.

I have a firm belief that estradiol is a wonder drug. Just think - apart from it being an effective treatment for menopausal and other symptoms, if everyone in the world took it, there would probably be world peace!

[42CSurprise!]

It is worth noting that it hasn't always been this way... testosterone in charge of everything that matters... or so it believes.  I read a fascinating book years ago that looks at archaeological evidence of female values predominating in some early cultures.  Yes, we could use more estrogen and less testosterone when it comes both to international relations AND family relations...

Chalice and the Blade

[Moobzie]

There is also a whole bunch of historico-archeological evidence that matriarchal societies were not all that benevolent - lots and lots of infanticide.  Unjust violence is not limited to males (Cleopatra's Egypt, Elizabethan and Victorian England - duh!).

The book you showed the link to has some major historical falsehoods.  The author's thesis that patriarchy is the father (pun intended!) of all aggression while matriarchalism is pacific  - using monarchial England as an example - is ludicrous (just ask the Scots and the  Irish!!!).  And claiming that humanity was mostly peaceful until those terrible Jews invented violence and those terrible Catholics "demoted" Christ's Mother is asinine.
Human history - actual history - is far more complex, nuanced, and interesting than the crap-headed bigotry in that book.

[42CSurprise!]

You obviously have a better memory of that book than I do Moobzie.  I haven't looked at it in over forty years and it was definitely not the focus of my graduate studies.  The title popped into my mind reading Evolver's comments with which I agree.  Perhaps this article sheds some light on the topic of testosterone and violence.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/09/harvard-biologist-discusses-testosterones-role-in-society/

[Moobzie]

I agree that there is a causal correlation between testosterone and aggressive behavior - even with females who get it during trans treatment (e.g., Nashville shooter who killed 3 kids and 3 adults).  It even occurs in other species (male cervids during the rut, bull elephants in theirs).  However, the point I was making is that violence is not perpetrated exclusively by males or testosteronized females.  There are also many examples of female mass murderesses (yeah, I know - old fashioned word, but it fits here).  Unjust violence is a problem of morality - acts chosen, for the most part, by the perpetrators.  Can't really blame patriarchy, matriarchy, oligarchy or even malarchy.

[42CSurprise!]

...Unjust violence is a problem of morality - acts chosen, for the most part, by the perpetrators.  Can't really blame patriarchy, matriarchy, oligarchy or even malarchy.

This clearly isn't the place to take a deep dive into this topic but a factor you're not acknowledging with which I am familiar is the impact trauma has on all of us.  Acts of violence can certainly be called immoral and on the surface it can appear they are volitional but we now have a much deeper understanding of how trauma impacts the brain and can lead to behaviors that can cause great suffering both for the perpetrator and those around him or her.  That will never be relieve the perpetrator of responsibility and it will always be society's determination of what is a fair and useful punishment.  But none of us is free of the influence of the environment into which we were born.  The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree and not every home is a happy one.

[Moobzie]

Oh, but I DO know the impact of 'trauma' upon people, both personally and professionally.  And while 'trauma' can affect motivation it does not remove freedom to choose one's actions.  Again, I know this from both personal and professional experience.  And in the Nashville case it apparently did motivate the heinous crime she committed - but did not cause it.
However, I agree that this may not be an appropriate venue for such discussions - but I didn't bring it up.