05-03-2014, 10:04 PM
The question came up in a discussion the other day about whether engaging in NBE, that is, taking herbal phyto-estrogens and anti-androgens have the effect of lengthening one's natural life span or shortening it, barring psychological complications that sometimes lead to early death.
I don't believe there are any rigorous studies that attempt to answer that question. There seem to be unsubstantiated reports of shortened life spans for transwomen, but I don't put much credence in these stories; just how many transwomen could there be in their 80s and 90s today when the first MTF transsexuals originated in the 60s and 70s? Not enough be statistically significant in making such a claim. Many of the early deaths were due to other factors, e.g., suicide and murder.
Has anyone asked their endo about this? What was their medical opinion? Of course, even an endocrinologist wouldn't be able to say whether herbal substitutes for pharma-HRT drugs are safe or not.
My thinking (wishful) is that since women live longer that men by about 5 years, a transwoman should also have a longer life span on average. Plus, given the fact that miroestrol is less likely to trigger breast cancer than estradiol, and is also known to strength bone tissue, could herbal HRT be even more conducive to good health and long life?
Even if true, it's very important to be monitored by a doctor to ensure that no adverse effects on the liver and kidneys are occurring when on HRT. DIY HRT is strongly discouraged for that reason. I wonder how many of us NBEers are being monitored on a regular basis.
I just wanted to throw this thread out there to generate some discussion. It's always good to get the perspectives of others on the board. It's a great way to learn more about what we're doing when we pop those capsules every day.
Clara
I don't believe there are any rigorous studies that attempt to answer that question. There seem to be unsubstantiated reports of shortened life spans for transwomen, but I don't put much credence in these stories; just how many transwomen could there be in their 80s and 90s today when the first MTF transsexuals originated in the 60s and 70s? Not enough be statistically significant in making such a claim. Many of the early deaths were due to other factors, e.g., suicide and murder.
Has anyone asked their endo about this? What was their medical opinion? Of course, even an endocrinologist wouldn't be able to say whether herbal substitutes for pharma-HRT drugs are safe or not.
My thinking (wishful) is that since women live longer that men by about 5 years, a transwoman should also have a longer life span on average. Plus, given the fact that miroestrol is less likely to trigger breast cancer than estradiol, and is also known to strength bone tissue, could herbal HRT be even more conducive to good health and long life?
Even if true, it's very important to be monitored by a doctor to ensure that no adverse effects on the liver and kidneys are occurring when on HRT. DIY HRT is strongly discouraged for that reason. I wonder how many of us NBEers are being monitored on a regular basis.
I just wanted to throw this thread out there to generate some discussion. It's always good to get the perspectives of others on the board. It's a great way to learn more about what we're doing when we pop those capsules every day.
Clara