So, when does it all start? Am I over thinking it?

[Ltl89]

So I have been on Estradiol for the past week and a half (I've had thirteen doses to be exact), and I haven't noticed much of anything as of yet.  I understand I'm relatively in the beginning of it all, but I imagined that I would have noticed something by now.  While I realize the physical effects take time, I thought I would have noticed some of the mental feelings people experience early on.  This is probably a stupid panic thing, but I just want to check whether this is normal.  So far nothing has really occurred that is too significant, so I want to make sure I'm not abnormal or that hrt isn't working for me.  Again, I know it takes time for it to kick in, but I was under the impression I would feel the effects early because I have read other people had that experience.  As of now, nothing has really changed or altered.   I just want to ensure that's normal.

Here are the following changes that I have noticed, but they may be in my head.

-Sense of smell seems to have slightly improved.  May not for the better, but things are a little different (best word for it)

-I haven't noticed any emotional or mental changes, but sometimes I feel a slight euphoria or sense of well being after taking my pill.  However, it's short lived and very minimal.

- Embarrassing, but things downstairs feel different and like they are shrinking, but I don't know if that's really happening or in my head.  But something seems different even though I'm not too sure if that's really the case or how to explain what I am perceiving.

That's really been about it so far.  So is this normal?  Is it not?  Am I over thinking it?  Thanks in advance for any feedback. 

[Jane's Sweet Refrain]

Hi,

At 1 1/2 weeks, I felt little or nothing, except happy to be on HRT and headed in the right direction. You're headed that way too. I bequeath to you whatever patience I can.

-Jane

[Vicky]

You have definitely started, but you would need to look at some really weird and small parts deep inside of you to see real changes.  It would also require a complete chemistry lab to figure them out exactly, and it would be in molecular units of amino acid structures.

My eyesight ain't that good!! 

[sam79]

I think the biggest thing to keep in the back of your mind is YMMV... You just can't predict how you'll react.

Also, the initial dose you're on may not be great enough to cause any major changes. Certainly that was the case with me for a good month. All I had after 4 weeks were more sensitive nipples. And a much happier demeanour, but that was more a result of heading in the right direction rather than anything else.

[smile_jma]

I didn't feel or notice anything at 1.5 weeks. No mental changes, no smell getting better, no physical changes...

Don't worry.

[Jennygirl]

It's way too early! Hang in there!

in 3-4 weeks you should see some minor progress

Pretty soon though it will start to fly by.

Take pictures NOW!!! Not necessarily for sharing, but for yourself. You're never going to look like you do now again!

[Sammy]

My observations after 1 months and almost 2 weeks (of them estro has been for one month):
- mental effects. I am much more calmer person and I take things more lightly now. I drive more safely and carefully now. Yet, I still have my temper as I noticed a couple of days ago, when I almost picked up a fight with one neanderthal in the shopping mall, who was quite rude towards girl working at the counter. Though, I noticed that when he was "eyeballing" me, I actually smiled into his face - probs because I knew that would infuriate him as well. Nobody was hurt in the process, except for his ego maybe.
- I can cry more easily now and I like it.
- I am more responsive towards other people, but that might be mental conditioning as well.
- my nipples at times get painfully sensitive and swollen (in a hot bath or rubbing against sweaty shirt during jogging... ouch), but no buds or anything else.
- it could be that my hair is growing a bit slower, but since I am also taking Biotin as the supplement, it all might even out.
- my skin has actually underwent the most changes - it has smoothened out greatly, the oily feeling is gone - to the extent that I need moisturisers and day and night cremes. It is smooth, silkie and a bit dry, and I like touching it. The same with my hands, but I hate playing with my cat now because any scratches he might leave - they will take week and more to heal...
- some of my belongings feel heavier to carry around, my bike especially, but I suspect I have burned some muscle with my exercises as well.
- sometimes I feel very sleepy and want to take a nap.
- some of my eye-lashes have grown back and in general they are much thicker now.

[Ltl89]

I'm glad it's normal for things to take time,lol.  I just can't wait too much longer!  I'm on my 17th dose and still feel the same when I posted this.  Slow progress is better than nothing, but I want something at least.

Take pictures NOW!!! Not necessarily for sharing, but for yourself. You're never going to look like you do now again!

I should probably start to do that.  If things work out well for me, I might make a before and after video in the future.  Still, I'm not sure  how much I'd want to share going forward.  We'll see.  In any case, I have enough photos of myself to remember my appearance as my mom loves pictures.  Unfortunately, I don't know how much I'll care to remember how I (used to) look.

[Bookworm]

Take pictures NOW!!! Not necessarily for sharing, but for yourself. You're never going to look like you do now again!

Do this. It helps. I am pre hrt, but I am growing my hair out to try and help my disphoria. It does not seem to grow from a day to day, but when I look at it on a week to week basis I notice the difference. 

[Stefani2]

Oooh, and agreed with the pictures! I took dozens and dozens when I started and I am already like WOW. There have been some definite (if subtle) changes already this early in and that is thrilling.

[Joanna Dark]

I'm glad it's normal for things to take time,lol.  I just can't wait too much longer!  I'm on my 17th dose and still feel the same when I posted this.  Slow progress is better than nothing, but I want something at least.

What are you expecting may I ask? I don't think anything remotely changed for me until at least the one month mark. Around then my boobs got itchy and I had breast buds. It mighta been three weeks not sure. I shoulda kept a journal. That is something you can do right now. Record your progress in a journal.

[Vicky]

I am sure this link is somewhere here, but it is to the WPATH SOC7. and page 38 has a pretty good list of what can be expected on HRT.  Most of the stuff they mention has an onset of several months, and it seems that the dose is not really that important to its speed.

http://www.thisishow.org/Files/soc7.pdf

[Sammy]

Well, I can see only little subtle changes in my face and maybe some of them are because of I am also rapidly loosing weight and burning down all male pattern fat. Mental changes were pretty fast as soon as I started to take E - on which I have been for one month (1,5 months on Spiro). I have absolutely no developments in my breasts - no buds, etc, except they tend to get sore at times and if I start pressing them gently, they kinda hurt veeeery little. And as of yesterday I finally feel that my libido is going down fast. Before it actually went up and down, up and down, but right now... ufff I hope it has finally settled. When I was growing up I was pretty much asexual and my body retaliated for this later in my 20-ties... I can blame numerology as well, but according to this pseudo-science because of my birth date I am oversexualised - and it used to be. To the extent that I was sometimes silently praying "Somebody... please help me... This thing is going to kill me someday". I guess my prayers were answered

[Ltl89]

What are you expecting may I ask? I don't think anything remotely changed for me until at least the one month mark. Around then my boobs got itchy and I had breast buds. It mighta been three weeks not sure. I shoulda kept a journal. That is something you can do right now. Record your progress in a journal.

I haven't been expecting any physical changes, but I thought I would "feel" the hormones.  Everyone talks about the emotional and mental changes they experience that I can't help but feel it isn't working as well as it should.  But it's still early and likely all in my head.  I do feel something like a slight euphoria and/or wave of happiness after taking the medication, but it isn't too strong.   In any event, I just want to make sure it's all getting in my system and starting to work it's wonders.  I'd hate to take my meds for it all not to work. 

[Joanna Dark]

To tell you the truth I haven't felt anything either. I am calmer. I happier. I get more enthusiastic about things. And all this is prolly related to the fact I am finally doing what I have wanted to do since I was five. I don't really feel anything and I think I am changing just fine for the most part. Prolly pretty fast actually and I'm 31.

[Just Shelly]

I will say many exaggerate some of the early changes...call it the placebo effect!!

From my experience and what I also seem to notice to be very common early changes are; softer skin and sense of smell.

I think this is something almost everyone experiences early on...I swear within a couple of weeks my skin was at least 50% softer...too bad I got used to it and now its feels like crap half the time!! It also goes dry very quickly...I am constantly moisturizing!! sense of smell...this only got stronger as time went by...I have a couple of boys going through puberty and I can tell you they emit a smell that is very strange...then if they have a couple of friends over omg!! Its not BO its just a weird smell...I do notice it with men sometimes as well.

I've also noticed I do not come across the feminine smell other women emit at times....I always thought this was in my head years ago...but since I have been on HRT I have never smelled this same smell again...it was not a bad smell...more like a feminine hygiene product smell IDK!!

My sense or likeness for color has also changed over time...the only problem is that I am partially color blind UGH!! It never bothered me that much... now...if their was a procedure to correct it and I had a choice of having a BA or the procedure...I would have to think hard...I just love color now!!

[Nicolette]

My sense or likeness for color has also changed over time...the only problem is that I am partially color blind UGH!! It never bothered me that much... now...if their was a procedure to correct it and I had a choice of having a BA or the procedure...I would have to think hard...I just love color now!!

I sympathise. Recently, they cured colour blindness in squirrel monkeys using gene therapy. No doubt it will work for humans, but they need further years of testing before it can be guaranteed safe and approved, unless you submit yourself as a guinea pig, of course.

http://www.neitzvision.com/