Yeah, the alcohol issue is definitely amplified by HRT. Basically, it's twofold. Estrogen causes less alcohol to be broken down by the liver, thus you can't metabolize it as fast, plus Spiro dehydrates you because it's a diuretic, which means that less of the alcohol is diluted, and thus you start feeling it a bit faster. It only gets worse as HRT goes on, because your muscle mass will decrease and your fatty mass will increase, and alcohol can't be dissolved in fat, so more of it goes into your blood. So yeah... be careful. And make sure to drink plenty of water when you're drinking. I took one swig of wine while I was cooking about 7 months in, while I was feeling thirsty, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Flushing, wooziness... I had to sit down for a while and let it pass. And that was after what was pretty much only about a quarter-glass of wine at the most.
The other effects, I'd say everything seems legit except for maybe the cleanliness part. Others do report it, but I personally think that's more primarily a function of the social expectations of femininity getting to people.
All of the calmness that you describe is DEFINITELY a hormonal effect, though. I don't know a single trans person who went on HRT who has not reported that they almost immediately felt calmer, more at peace with the world, more connected to it, and you feel like you're just going along with it instead of constantly at war with it. I remember these feelings all too well, and I can tell you that it only gets better the longer and longer you're on it. I'm still feeling that same feeling of peaceful contentedness a whopping year into it, and it's still truly amazing! And I too felt a bit like a little kid again right after starting HRT... looking at the world in wide-eyed wonderment again, a bit like "yeah, the sky is blue, but did you ever notice that the sky is BLUE?"
Have fun, from one Carrie to another!
