Having BAD Mood Swings, is this normal for HRT ?

[Jinny M]

This has probably been brought up before, But I was wondering if anyone else on HRT is experiencing BAD mood swings. I'm 7 months on Hrt . Spiro and Estro.

latley I've been struggling with mood swings , I can get in a really bad , depressed mood for no reason what so ever. That mood makes me mean. then later I can be fine. These have just started happening . Makes me want to stop HRT when they come.

Do we get PMS sorta from the HRT ? Is this the roller coaster ride people talk about with HRT ? Does anyone else get this ? if so does it make anyone else question , weather they should continue taking thier HRT ?

97% of the time , I'm happy and fine. being on HRT has mellowed me out and made me alot happier , but when these bad moods come ,,, whoooa , I dont know who that person is.... I also get really hot , every now and then, I noticed it mostly in my face and head. Is that whats called a hot flash ? Is it caused from HRT ?

I see my HRT Doc in a couple of weeks. I'll definatly bring it up when I see her.

Thanks Jinny.

[Traci Elizabeth]

I have been on both Spiro & Estrogen for two years. I never had depression but I would cry at the drop of a dime my first year and I was very very emotional. More of a high/melancholy than a downer.

[Jinny M]

I dont like it when I get in that mood. I get So Mad and down for no reason at all and want to be left alone . I'll get snappy with someone when I'm in that mood. I just sat and thought , OK what just set me off into this mood and I honestly can figure out why.. I'm glad I dont get that way often. I'm usually very happy and have a very positive outlook on things . I do get emotional about things and will cry real easy now, But thats all Positive. That Bad mood is ,,,, ICKKKKK !

I see my Theraphyst next week , But I'm her 1st and only transgender patient , So I'm not sure if she'll be able to tell me if the Meds have anything to do with it. But I definatly will tell the my HRT Doctor on the 15th.

when that mood comes , my wife says, Gee... your so Hormonal. Thats why I got to wondering if its part of the changes from HRT and if anyone else experienced it.

Thanks for your input,

Jinny

[Traci Elizabeth]

Well to be honest Jinny, your wife probably knows you better than you know yourself so take head. I know my wife does.

[BreenaDion]

Yes 21 months on HRT and I DONT GET MOOD SWING ANYMORE. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its normal to get mood swings , I did after 9 months on Prem an spiro but I found a way to even the moods out and doesnt involve medication either.
Breena.

[Aprilrain]

yes I have BAD seriously do not want to exist episodes that come at random. They might last a day or a week. If they are longer they are usually punctuated by a day or two in between where I think im better but then I fall off a cliff again! Feeling bad in and of its self doesn't make me want to stop HRT its all the negative things I attribute to transition when Im in this state that makes me question transition period. I don't question transition when I feel normal. on the other had i some times get very slightly manic some times as well. Manic is probably not the right word for it maybe really excited and happy about life? I don't do anything stupid in either of these states however the depression is bad enough when it happens that I am considering anti depressants. I wish i could just live in that "manic" state but normal is fine to and probably more functionally realistic.

[CharleneT]

Emotional swings are pretty common on HRT. Talk to your doc, sometimes a re-balance of the drugs/timing can help. It did for me.

[Kelsy]

I find myself crying far more but generally my mood stays fairly level for the most part. When I do experience depression
it is extreme and deep and I feel paralized and unable to do anything, luckily the depression doesn't last long a couple of days at the most then it goes
I do wonder if it is possible to sync with my wifes cycle because my moods and depression intensify when she has her period.?

[Beth-Lock]

I have has some bad, persistant depressioms on anti-androgens like Androcur and spironolactone. Depression is even listed among adverse side-effects that are grounds for disccontinuing Androcur, which is specially potent as an anti-androgen.

[Kaitlyn Michele]

Jinny you have to take the ups and downs ..

You should be fine over time... you will either have less moodiness, or you will be able to identify the onset and deal with it... It's not a joke, but it i do have to laugh when i get in a really bad for no reason mood..

depression is a side issue that can happen at different stages of HRT and/or transition.. we are doing some pretty deep stuff... so take good care of yourself and don't get down about being down if you know what i'm saying

[Jinny M]

Thank You Ladies ,,

It's good to know I'm not the only one that is/has been experienceing it . I guess that meens the Meds are doing what they're suppossed to and changing me. I know at my last Doctors visit , She said my testosterone level was at 70 , that was 3 months ago. She didn't tell me what my Estrogen Level was though at that visit, She upped my Spiro dose at that visit too. I'm going to definatly talk to my Doctor about it on the 15th , see what she says.

[BreenaDion]

Always find out what your numbers are. Testosterone they or some want it around 50 or a little lower. The estrogen should be just under 200 as not to create blood clots. Also find out ur A1C , sugar level, Vitamin D , cholestrol. If its a reputable Doctor then they should be checking all these and maybe some others if need be at every blood draw. If not you should ask them to do it and ask for the numbers after the test when you have a Dr appt.
Breena.

[Joann Smith]

I did not think i was having mood any swings...untill the wife started tracking them ... and low and behold i go nuts once a month like clockwork ...which pisses me off because i nothing i say is taken seriously during this time which makes even more nuts....on the up side though I am not having crying spells...

Joann

[Inna]

Do we get PMS sorta from the HRT ? Is this the roller coaster ride people talk about with HRT ? Does anyone else get this ? if so does it make anyone else question , weather they should continue taking thier HRT ?
Thanks Jinny.

:heehee:, to answer your "Does anyone else get this" question, yes woman do!
Part of growing up babe, some experience severe some mild some nothing at all, just as GG's do, although I wonder for those who say I don't..............perhaps for them it is not as obvious?????

[Melody Moore]

While things have changed for me with my emotions I think that I was well prepared and expected that,
so I don't over-analysis it if I find myself getting teary or emotional about anything things. I just accept
it goes with the territory with being a female.

My theory is that prior to starting on hormone therapy we are so accustomed through male conditioning
not to be reactive to our emotions. But when we start taking Oestrogen it brings out many emotion that
we might not be use to & we make the problem worse by over-thinking or analysing things.

In the male world it is not cool to show your emotions or you get crap about it, so we become so accustomed
to repressing our emotions, but when we start taking female hormones it becomes impossible to do that. So then
a conflict starts between the 'male self' & the 'female self'. Previously it was easy to repress our emotions, but
as we progress then it can become harder to keep doing that.

Just yesterday I was talking to a member of my support group about this & she did agree that she was
over thinking or analysing her emotions a lot trying to find away to stop these emotions & her reactions.

I guess I stopped trying to fight with my emotions sometime ago and just accept that emotions are normal.
So this has worked well for me now I am in transition. After 14 months now of being on hormones I have never
had a 'melt-down' like I was told I was going to have. So I think that emotional preparation is important if you
want to have as smooth as ride as possible. Don't worry I get really teary if I see something very touching on
TV, on the internet or on my everyday life - but as I said, I don't fight with any of this, I just accept it is part
of me, especially now that I am a female.

[Jinny M]

Thanks Again ,

I was expecting being more emotional and sensitive and crying easy. I didn't expect the bad/down moods, that caught me off guard. Now that I know others experience it and I'm not the only one . I'll be able to handle them better and not dwell on why/what caused it, but rather try to occupy my time when it happens with something fun I like to do. My wife said , I guess we'll have to expect you getting bitchy every so many weeks now, Welcome to Womenhood . Made me feel alot better reading all your posts and talking to her and hearing her say Welcome to Womenhood .

I'll still tell my Doctor about it , see what she says about it. She's at Fenway Health it's a LGBT Doctors Offices/Clinic, it's a part of Beth Isreal Deconis Hospital in Boston, MA. All the Staff are residents from the Hospital . They do a complete screening of all my labs . my wife went to my last visit with me and I asked how the Meds are working as far as Labs , The Doctor said things ar progressing great, that my T was Knocked down to 70. I didnt even think to ask about the E level was, I'll ask about it this time and about the A1c too. I also see my Primary Care regularly and he runs a thorough Blood screening also , He also corisponds with my HRt Doctor on my progress and Health.

Thanks Again Jinny