About 2 months ago, my doctor changed up my hormone regimen. My levels at the time were too high, so she switched me from weekly estrogen injections to biweekly. I had some concerns about this change at the time however, I decided to at least give it a try (More on those concerns). Unfortunately, those worries have turned out to be completely justified. This current regimen is awful.
The primary issue with the current hormone regimen is the extreme emotional and psychological whiplash it is triggering. The first week after an injection is generally fine, it is no different than my old regimen. On the other hand, the second week is awful. My mood starts to decline a few days into the second week. About halfway through the second week, I begin to experience severe general anxiety and intense anxiety spikes. The last day before an injection is the worst, as I keep having near-constant headaches. The anxiety and headaches go away in a day or two after a hormone injection but come back after 10 days. As a result, I am cycling between being fine and having overwhelming anxiety every week. I have been through this cycle 4 times now and it is becoming unbearable. In fact, it seems to be getting worse. This past weekend was the worst yet, the anxiety was so bad that I was unable to leave my home without triggering a panic attack. I can’t keep this up until my next appointment in another 3 months.
Clearly, I need to change my hormone regimen. My plan is to switch from 10 mg of estrogen biweekly to 5 mg weekly. I believe that these extreme emotional cycles are the result of my estrogen plummeting during the second week, so this should keep it more constant. There is a small issue, however. My hormone provider wants me to keep on the current plan of biweekly injections until my next appointment, in three months. They have been reluctant to change things between appointments in the past, so I am not confident that they will approve the change this time. I am planning to start these weekly injections without discussing it with the doctor, it wouldn’t be the first time I have taken that initiative. However, I am nervous about doing so. My doctor has expressed some irritation at my previous modifications to my hormone dosages, even if they have always worked out for the better. I worry about them refusing to treat me anymore, a serious threat with so few other providers. I am still going to make the change anyway, I can’t handle another week of these cycles, but it still worries me.
Natalie's Transition Diary 