Hormone Esters Compared

#TODO, find data, cite sources.

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Estradiol Esters Simulator

In general, we recommend people use Estradiol Enanthate (EEn) and Testosterone Cypionate (TC). The reasoning is straightforward.

For Estradiol: Valerate has too short of a half-life and can cause mood cycling. Cypionate is a good half-life, but Enanthate is a slightly longer one. For estradiol in particular we think stable levels are important as possible to help prevent mood swings and PMS-like symptoms. Therefore we recommend EEn or EC if EEn isn’t available.

For Testosterone: we’re not familiar with valerate, it’s not used in our area. TC and TEn seem to be the most common options. While TEn has a slightly longer half-life (just like with EC/EEn) the melting point of TEn powder is very low, maybe something like 30°C. This can make it more difficult to deal with in a home lab. Go with TC.

There are other esters that have very long half-lives, in the multi-week range. We think it’s best to avoid those in case there’s a problem with your dose or your DIY and you need it to cycle out of your system. Injecting once a week seems to be widely regarded as the right move, and EEn and TC seem to fit into that perfectly.

More data on estradiol esters surely on Transfem Science.