Pills, pills, pills

Editor's Note: This entry is backdated from my old website I had back in 2001.

Hormones are part of the game. That's all there is to it. I'm not going to try to cover everything about hormones today, but I'm gonna say a little bit about it. Mainly, I'm just amazed at the number of pills I pop per day these days. I feel like an old woman who has all these medications that the doctor has prescribed. But it's really not all THAT bad.

When Dr. Matas gave me my prescriptions for healing after my breast augmentation surgery... wow, that was pretty much a lot of pills on top of what I normally take. I added an antibiotic, hydrocodone and valium into the mix. A walking pharmaceutical experiment.

Here's what I take now. Spiranolactone (100mg tablets twice a day), Estradiol (2mg tablets once a day), a Women's One-A-Day™ tablet, extra Vitamin C (500mg tablets twice a day), and Vitamin E (1000 i.u. tablet). The Spiranolactone is generic for Aldactone, which is a diuretic drug (makes ya have to pee a lot). But it also increases breast tissue in males and is a natural anti-androgen (blocks the androgen produced in testosterone). I have to make sure that I'm careful with my water intake and get plenty of it. I also have to be sure I'm near a bathroom most of the time, LOL.

The Estradiol is a synthetic estrogen. I used to take Premarin, however I'm not pleased with how it's produced (Premarin is a composite word for Pregnant Mare Urine... and the stories I've heard about how they get these urine samples is absolutely horrific... I won't be a party to animal cruelty). Estradiol is completely synthetic and is actually closer to the real thing than conjugated estrogens. While the Spiranolactone blocks the natural androgens from getting to my system, the estrogen has "free roam of the park." What has it done for me? Softer skin, changes in hair texture, fat redistribution (mainly to my BUTT it seems), and the occasional "mood swing from hell."

I take the multivitamin simply because it seems like a wise thing to do. Same with the Vitamin C. Bacteria thrives in warm weather so I just try to make sure that I help keep any germs at bay. The Vitamin E was prescribed by Dr. Matas after my initial healing had begun on the breast augmentation. Vitamin E works as a powerful antioxidant protecting the cells of your body, including red blood cells and helps protect unsaturated fat from the destructive damage of oxygen. It also may help fight heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, cataracts, and improve your immune system, but this is not known to be a fact. I had no idea of the all the benefits it provides until Dr. Matas requested that I start taking it.

Be forewarned that taking TOO much of certain vitamins is not good for you. I suggest looking at Thrive Online's Vitamin Guide for more info on vitamins and what might be good for you to take.

Anyway, that's a 50,000 foot level view of this stuff. Want more info? Check my gender links section for links to other sites that talk about hormones and other chemical goodness.