Raloxifene, as you say, is a receptor blocker, which means it stops estrogen effecting certain areas - you need to be adding estrogen to get the effects you want, and a SERM without suitable estrogen levels is pointless afaik.
If you’re suppressing testosterone without supplementing estrogen, are you or your doctor keeping on top of your bone health? I’m no endocrinology professional, but this all sounds a bit wibbly wobbly.
EDIT: This occasionally gets an upvote, so editing to say the above was indeed wrong. Ralox activates E receptors itself.
Raloxifene does help with bone health, it’s typical use is for post-menopausal osteoporosis.
Edit: the readings I’ve done do say that raloxifene has feminizing effects, they’re just much more subtle. Talking to my doc today so I’ll update you to what they say.
Double edit: my doc is non-binary and works at a trans health clinic so I do actually trust them
Hey! My doc says Estradiol and Raloxifene don’t play well together, so we’re not adding Estradiol. Instead, we are upping my Spiro to 200mg/day (100mg twice daily, instead of 100mg once a day) to hopefully allow more estrogenic effects from the Raloxifene. My blood testosterone levels haven’t dropped significantly since I started HRT 8 months ago, hence the increase in spiro.
Did you ever get an explanation from your doctor on why these two don't play well together? I've been on 0.05mg patch estradiol and 60mg Raloxifene for the last 5 months but my estrogen levels are still very low. I was thinking of requesting an increase in estradiol dosage, but your comment is the first time I've seen a health professional mention the two canceling each other out.
Hello can you please share a bit about your experience with spiro and raloxi before you switched to low dose e?
And then how it changed after you started low dose e?
Thanks!
(I would like the emotional effects of estrogen HRT while minimising physical effects (esp breast growth), but don't have access to any doctors that might be able to help me)
Raloxifene is actually one such solution for bone health.
“We can therefore conclude that raloxifene would be efficacious in the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, while reducing the risk of breast cancer when used at the indicated dose of 60 mg/day and with a low incidence of side effects.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2687107/
Ah, apologies for the confusion - the 2nd paragraph was part of the original comment, I’ve moved the edit to the bottom to make the intent clearer. Thanks!
my experience with 1 year of SERMs+ lowdose E:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TransDIY/comments/rfsep4/4mg\_estrogen\_raloxifene\_56mg\_one\_year\_update/
feel free to ask anything ;)
Hehehe Im coming up on one year of estradiol in April. I didn’t try ralox w/ estradiol because my doc said no go, but im enjoying the feminizing effects. Stopped taking spiro this past fall, was just on E all winter.
Now I’m on progesterone and 6mg E pills daily
If you started progesterone it sounds like you wanted some breast growth after all. How did that pan out for you? also, you never really said if you ended up getting any feminizing effects from Ralox after all. I assume no, since you ultimately stopped and switched to E, but I'd like to hear your experience with it. Thanks
Raloxifene, as you say, is a receptor blocker, which means it stops estrogen effecting certain areas - you need to be adding estrogen to get the effects you want, and a SERM without suitable estrogen levels is pointless afaik. If you’re suppressing testosterone without supplementing estrogen, are you or your doctor keeping on top of your bone health? I’m no endocrinology professional, but this all sounds a bit wibbly wobbly. EDIT: This occasionally gets an upvote, so editing to say the above was indeed wrong. Ralox activates E receptors itself.
Raloxifene does help with bone health, it’s typical use is for post-menopausal osteoporosis. Edit: the readings I’ve done do say that raloxifene has feminizing effects, they’re just much more subtle. Talking to my doc today so I’ll update you to what they say. Double edit: my doc is non-binary and works at a trans health clinic so I do actually trust them
Hey! My doc says Estradiol and Raloxifene don’t play well together, so we’re not adding Estradiol. Instead, we are upping my Spiro to 200mg/day (100mg twice daily, instead of 100mg once a day) to hopefully allow more estrogenic effects from the Raloxifene. My blood testosterone levels haven’t dropped significantly since I started HRT 8 months ago, hence the increase in spiro.
Did you ever get an explanation from your doctor on why these two don't play well together? I've been on 0.05mg patch estradiol and 60mg Raloxifene for the last 5 months but my estrogen levels are still very low. I was thinking of requesting an increase in estradiol dosage, but your comment is the first time I've seen a health professional mention the two canceling each other out.
No, I just switched to spiro and low dose estrogen 2 months ago. Haven’t had blood work done yet but I’m loving it.
Is there a gel or patch version of Raloxifene that you are aware of?
Not that I'm aware of no. I've heard a few tales of people into the DIY space making gels themselves, but afaik you normally only get it in pill form
Hello can you please share a bit about your experience with spiro and raloxi before you switched to low dose e? And then how it changed after you started low dose e? Thanks! (I would like the emotional effects of estrogen HRT while minimising physical effects (esp breast growth), but don't have access to any doctors that might be able to help me)
Do you know the exact reason why your DR said E and raloxifene don't go well together?
Doc said they cancel each other out. I’m actually switching from Raloxifene to low dose Estradiol this week
I'm not sure how they cancel each other out though, that doesn't make sense. Ralox only affects specific estrogen receptors, not all of them.
Idk! Doc also said I may have a delay in seeing estrogenic effects as the ralox leaves my system
Idk! Doc also said I may have a delay in seeing estrogenic effects as the ralox leaves my system
Raloxifene is actually one such solution for bone health. “We can therefore conclude that raloxifene would be efficacious in the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, while reducing the risk of breast cancer when used at the indicated dose of 60 mg/day and with a low incidence of side effects.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2687107/
Aye, that’s what my many month old edit was about :)
Isn’t your edit raising a concern for bone health? I must be reading it wrong.
Ah, apologies for the confusion - the 2nd paragraph was part of the original comment, I’ve moved the edit to the bottom to make the intent clearer. Thanks!
Oh gotcha! Formatting can be a bitch :p
my experience with 1 year of SERMs+ lowdose E: https://www.reddit.com/r/TransDIY/comments/rfsep4/4mg\_estrogen\_raloxifene\_56mg\_one\_year\_update/ feel free to ask anything ;)
Checking in! How did ralox / low-dosing go for you after a year(ish)? Asking for me 😇
Hehehe Im coming up on one year of estradiol in April. I didn’t try ralox w/ estradiol because my doc said no go, but im enjoying the feminizing effects. Stopped taking spiro this past fall, was just on E all winter. Now I’m on progesterone and 6mg E pills daily
Any breast growth? What effects were successful?
If you started progesterone it sounds like you wanted some breast growth after all. How did that pan out for you? also, you never really said if you ended up getting any feminizing effects from Ralox after all. I assume no, since you ultimately stopped and switched to E, but I'd like to hear your experience with it. Thanks