54 weeks since starting HRT. I am feeling pretty crummy today, I think it is a head cold. Stuffed up, sore throat, groggy, yuck. I am getting sick of feeling crummy. I get these lethargic feelings quite a bit, just really low energy. As I talk to people about it, the women always say "welcome to womanhood". Do women really have lower energy than men? I know this can be a side effect of the reduction in Testosterone, but it seems like I should be used to it by now. So I looked at my lifestyle and tried to figure out what could be contributing to these low energy levels. The big one that stood out is diet. My diet has been crap for a while now, but is something I can easily change. So I am going to get a solid meal schedule in place and make sure I get enough calories as well as plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins like chicken, salmon, and eggs. I used to get through my days with very detailed schedules that I would write, planning out each event for the day. I would often never follow it exactly because new things pop up all the time, but I stuck to the really important things. I decided to do this again, and am going to strive to make my meals a big priority from now on.
My therapist has mentioned anti depressants a few times, and I am hesitant to start any other medications. I take enough pills at the moment and think simple lifestyle changes should make a difference. I also added some time on my schedule for daily meditation, as my stress handling abilities are compromised at the moment. Taking about 10 minutes a day to just sit and be meditative used to be a big help for me, and I stopped. So now I will start again! I am hoping these two changes will make a big difference in my energy levels.
The last thing I am hoping to change is my medication intake, which I am going to solve with my upcoming surgery! My endo wants me to continue taking Spironolactone after surgery, but I think I may stop and see what happens. This is one of those sketchy things that there really isn't much solid scientific evidence to support. From my own research it appears that half of doctors recommend continuing Spiro until 3 years total HRT time to maximize feminization. The other half say no androgen blockers are required anymore. I am pretty happy with my results so far from HRT, but I hate dealing with the side effects of these medications. I have a blood test scheduled for a month after surgery, so I plan to stop taking all of my T blockers altogether and see what my levels are at that blood test. I also know that I am aware of my mood changes as my T levels go up, so I will be mindful of this as well. The goal of this surgery is to stop taking the medications, and that is what I plan to do.
As I have been running more consistently, I have been getting in better shape and running further. I noticed recently that I have a serious electrolyte problem after about an hour of running. The weather has not been hot yet, so this makes me really nervous to continue to increase my mileage. I use an electrolyte beverage when running, but it doesn't seem to be able to keep up with the loss. I have been in a constant state of mild dehydration since starting HRT, as shown by my piss color. I can't seem to drink enough water to overcome this, so I am guessing its electrolytes. I just got some electrolyte powder supplement that I am going to start taking first thing in the morning to try to help. I also plan to limit myself to 1 cup of coffee in the morning. This is a big reason I want to stop taking Spiro, it is a diuretic and I take a high dose of it. My electrolyte balance should normalize after surgery from reading other people's experiences. It is just frustrating that I have to limit my running. I don't think I will be in good enough shape by August to run my 50k, so I am pretty bummed out about that. Practicing patience has been tough, but it should be worth it once the surgery is done and everything goes back to relatively normal.
My therapist has mentioned anti depressants a few times, and I am hesitant to start any other medications. I take enough pills at the moment and think simple lifestyle changes should make a difference. I also added some time on my schedule for daily meditation, as my stress handling abilities are compromised at the moment. Taking about 10 minutes a day to just sit and be meditative used to be a big help for me, and I stopped. So now I will start again! I am hoping these two changes will make a big difference in my energy levels.
The last thing I am hoping to change is my medication intake, which I am going to solve with my upcoming surgery! My endo wants me to continue taking Spironolactone after surgery, but I think I may stop and see what happens. This is one of those sketchy things that there really isn't much solid scientific evidence to support. From my own research it appears that half of doctors recommend continuing Spiro until 3 years total HRT time to maximize feminization. The other half say no androgen blockers are required anymore. I am pretty happy with my results so far from HRT, but I hate dealing with the side effects of these medications. I have a blood test scheduled for a month after surgery, so I plan to stop taking all of my T blockers altogether and see what my levels are at that blood test. I also know that I am aware of my mood changes as my T levels go up, so I will be mindful of this as well. The goal of this surgery is to stop taking the medications, and that is what I plan to do.
As I have been running more consistently, I have been getting in better shape and running further. I noticed recently that I have a serious electrolyte problem after about an hour of running. The weather has not been hot yet, so this makes me really nervous to continue to increase my mileage. I use an electrolyte beverage when running, but it doesn't seem to be able to keep up with the loss. I have been in a constant state of mild dehydration since starting HRT, as shown by my piss color. I can't seem to drink enough water to overcome this, so I am guessing its electrolytes. I just got some electrolyte powder supplement that I am going to start taking first thing in the morning to try to help. I also plan to limit myself to 1 cup of coffee in the morning. This is a big reason I want to stop taking Spiro, it is a diuretic and I take a high dose of it. My electrolyte balance should normalize after surgery from reading other people's experiences. It is just frustrating that I have to limit my running. I don't think I will be in good enough shape by August to run my 50k, so I am pretty bummed out about that. Practicing patience has been tough, but it should be worth it once the surgery is done and everything goes back to relatively normal.