[ti]question[/ti]Difference between mg and mcg doses? Facial changes on T?

[EchelonHunt]

I am on Testosterone 25mg and Estrogen 50mcg.

Google tells me this "One mg is equal to 1000 micrograms. This means that a milligram is 1000 times bigger than a microgram."

I'm worried that my estrogen dose is abysmally low and isn't high enough to slow down the effects of testosterone.

I mean, I could discuss this with my endo in June and I might just ask at the next appointment for copies of my blood work so I know where my estrogen and testosterone levels are at.

The body/facial hair is still coming in pretty heavy and I have to shave it immediately otherwise I get dysphoric as all hell.

Another thing that is bothering me is the facial shape, I've noticed recently that it looks very male and it's why I'm passing more as a cismale. When I wear my wig and look at the photo, I look like a man (even with a shaved face) in a wig and it just makes me feel like shit, I hate it so much! I miss my softer features, when I looked more androgynous. This isn't bone structure changes, is it? It's facial fat distribution, right? If I were to drastically lower T and boost the E, would it change back to how it used to look?

Thing is, I don't want to quit T entirely because it gives me mental stability and I don't want to lose any bottom growth (it's 50/50 mixed on whether you lose bottom growth after stopping T, some say it stays the same size, other say it causes shrinkage). But right now, the majority of the cons are far outweighing the pros.

Being on T - Pros
Mental stability
Bottom growth

Being on T - Cons
Passing as cismale
Male facial structure and hair pattern (I have widows peak, I don't mind it because I can wear wigs to hide it)
Facial/body hair growing in faster
Looking too masculine as I originally feared, not androgynous enough
Mood instability of some sort, just increased irritability and anger... could just be dysphoria manifesting

Being on E - Pros
Stops hot flushes (side effect of surgical menopause from total hysterectomy)
Makes me feel balanced, evened out
In the beginning, I no longer saw an ugly male stranger staring back at me (not saying male is synonymous with being ugly, I just can't stand seeing a masc male reflection staring back at me)

Being on E - Cons
Not really a con related to E... just the E effects aren't strong enough, they are barely noticeable. Too low.

Help???

[Trinity]

More data needed, blood levels.

Yeah low dose E is usually 2 mg isnt it?

You probably need to go up a bit imo

[Avery]

Unfortunately, from my research into T, it can change the structure of your face more or less permanently. I mean, likely some of it is fat redistribution which isn't permanent, but any structural changes, which come after a few years on T, are permanent. But then again, since E softens the structure of AMABs maybe it's possible. Definitely something to discuss with your endo to figure out what this means for you and the changes you've experienced.

Most drugs aren't directly comparable. These aren't hormones, but they make a pretty good example. I was on 40 mg of one type of antidepressant which is the maximum dosage, but when I switched to a new med they put me on 100mg right from the start, the maximum is much much higher because it reacts in the body differently, so 40 mg of the first and maybe about 80mg of the second have the same level of effect.

The difference between T and E is still huge, in terms of your prescription, especially if 2mg is low dose E, but if it's the numbers that are bothering you, like if they make it seem unbalanced (which logically makes a lot of sense), try to sort of change the perspective on the numbers and definitely talk with your endo in June.

[Ativan Prescribed]

The irritability and anger could easily be too much T, you might be able to use a lot less, then less body hair and maybe, just maybe, the top of head hair will come back, it could. More E is going to have a calming affect if you have too much T, at least it does for most MTF and lowdose NB's.
It depends on the kind of delivery system for E, lots of differences in the amounts, I found by googling the comparison chart, but that isn't very good either, one delivery system will have a different affect than another, no way to tell unless you try them, but all in all, they are about the same as far as results.
I think there would be a definite change in fat distribution from T, just as there is for E. You could try switching them up and go for the extra E, and reduce the T. T is one of the things that can make people, especially men, aggressive and anger easily. It can be, it isn't always. There are way to many other factors to be able to actually tell, but changing up the doses should give you an idea. The numbers for the levels of T and E are looked at as a ratio more than the actual levels, unless they are unusually low or high, but even then it's about the ratio. One level number means nothing without the other.
Sounds like you could easily adjust each one to get a better result, try it and see, but remember that it really takes a few months before you can make a judgement call, I know everyone says they can tell a difference right away, but that difference changes as the body gets used to different levels. Same thing with the so called roller coaster rides from both, if they let it settle and not get overly excited about it, in a few months things would be a lot better. Some delivery systems are a lot different than the others, but once the levels are achieved that you want, the ratio looks good and your body especially is used to the change, then one delivery system over the other is simply personal preference, none of them affect the levels anymore than the daily differences in levels anyways, and they can and do fluctuate all over the place, if you wanted to know the average you'd have to take over three blood draws a day. The Drs will do the blood draws to make sure that you aren't going sideways on them. It takes a bunch of draws before they would give and actual average, because the number or level is only an indication, not an absolute. If you get a blood draw, just check to see if the ratio is where you'd like it, and that is one higher than the other, otherwise you're just going back into that absolute thinking on levels, one higher than the other is most of the determination, I don't really care what people say, most go by what they think they feel and a lot of that is simply how you want to feel, like I said, it takes at least three months before you can give a reasonable answer about yourself as far as how you are doing. It is like antidepressants, they work on other hormones that your brain needs and there are four main ones and a few others, but antidepressants are the same way, it takes time before you can say it is the antidepressant or wishful thinking or just giving up and deciding it isn't right, it might not be at first, it might work really good at first, it takes the body getting used to changes in the levels, you change one and the others will compensate, and that's what T and E do, it isn't the amount you are getting at first, because the other hormones are readjusting as well, you take a bunch of E and the T levels will go up to keep the ratio right, but eventually they get over it and the E levels are higher in the ratios. The initial changes are anybody's guess, there is no rule that says change this this amount and these will change this amount. You know how the doses are determined? They ask how you are doing and if you say good, then that dose is right for you. There isn't a predetermined way of knowing what the dose is going to be, and because of fluctuations, they go with low dose to get the body used to another change coming up. So if you think that the T levels are too high, then take a lower dose or up the E level or do both. after a couple three months get a blood draw to make sure you are in the ballpark, and it's a pretty big ballpark, some people have facial hair and have very high levels of E, the hair can be genetic. I forget what they consider normal levels and even the ration is pretty broad. If you feel better, then that is the right dose, just like antidepressants.