Odors and tastes - HRT effects, and what did you experience?

[Antonia J]

Quick informal poll for everyone....

So I've been on the usual HRT regimen for transitioning male to female, and a few months into it I noticed that a few foods started tasting different. No specific pattern, but a few foods such as tortilla chips and certain fruits that I really like  have almost become inedible due to the strong or sharp flavors I now experience. My morning coffee when brewing has also become super pungent to my nose.

I am curious to hear if any of you have ever experienced this, and if it ever goes away?

Thanks!

Toni

[Lady Lisandra]

Taste is usually linked to nutrition. If you lack vitamin C for example, orange juice will taste extremely delicious to you and you'll want to drink liters and liters of it. Maybe the hormones have changed how your body absorbs food, or what concentration of nutrients you need. I can't think of any other explanation, but I'm no expert.

[steph2.0]

I noticed that a few foods started tasting different.

I am curious to hear if any of you have ever experienced this, and if it ever goes away?

We discussed this in a different thread, but I've always found cilantro to be disgusting. There happened to be some in a dressing I ate last week, and I found that it didn't bother me. It wasn't yummy like some people say, but the flavor was mild and not soapy or metallic like it used to be. It was a huge surprise. Maybe it was just what they were using at that particular restaurant. I'll keep experimenting.

Stephanie

[JoanneB]

Several members of my support group along with myself noted our new love for all things pickled. In my case you can't lay off part of the reason being from Spiro, I wasn't on it then.

Aside from pickled food, I will overall since being on HRT, about everything I see, smell, taste, or experience is a lot different, in some cases more intense. Perhaps because it is now OK for me to have feelings?

[Devlyn]

I'm eight months on HRT and a few weeks ago was the first time cilantro ever tasted soapy to me, not sure what's going on there.

Men smell. They should work on that. 

Hugs, Devlyn

[JoanneB]

Men smell. They should work on that. 

Hugs, Devlyn

One of the great things about HRT for me was the No Longer Stinkin Like a Guy.

[laurenb]

My ability to smell yucky things definitely got better(?). Especially anything organic and decomposing.  I can smell stuff now that I never could before... kitty litter way in the other room (you're turn), who put shrimp shells in the trash without putting them in a ziploc?, diesel fumes from a truck that went by 2 minutes ago... And Man stink...ewww

[steph2.0]

One of the great things about HRT for me was the No Longer Stinkin Like a Guy.

Yes! I noticed that, too, Joanne. In Florida that's a huge plus.

Steph

[KayXo]

Since HRT, my sense of smell and taste has most definitely sharpened.

[RobynD]

Lots of changes. Some subtle, some not. Men smell better to me. Sharpened ability to detect muskiness or spoiled food. I've lost most of my taste for sweets and of course the salt cravings drive other taste changes. This is to name just a few.

[AshleyP]

A sharper sense of smell, but changes in tastes, not really.

[Anne Blake]

I have always had a keen sense of smell and taste but at around the two to three month mark I noticed and appreciated a strong increase in both. But at over a year on hrt, this has become steady state normal for me. I do still love no longer smelling like a man!

[judithlynn]

I have now been on HRT the second time around for nearly 5 years. Its interesting now how things have changed. Men smell sort of "yummy" to me now. I seem to really notice when a another woman has perfume on.  Before I was very attracted to other women, but I now know from therapy that most of it was just envy. Now I seem to more attracted to women as girl friends.  I really have had a lot of taste changes too.  I have almost lost the need for sweet things like chocolate or biscuits, but sometimes crave Danish pickled herrings (sild), Branston pickle and gherkins. Boy can I detect prawn shells going off! I don't seem to sweat as much (unless the temperature hits 40C (Today its 32C in Victoria)) and when in bed companions tell me that I have a musty feminine sense about me.
Judith

[brandyvgs]

Being as of 10 months now on HRT, that I smells men's cologne extremely strong on any guy now and always a bit overwhelming. 

Food tho seem to be normal in the tasting but than again I am also doing both HF,LC and Mild Keto and I tend to have a weird craving for chocolate every now and then tho.