Is it true our brain matter changes on HRT?

[Renate]

NB: I'm truly sorry that you haven't reaped much (any?) benefit from HRT.

It has been a godsend for me.
No, my personality has not changed form night to day.
At the core I'm still the same old me.
Emotionally, I am much more accessible, a shy smile will always provoke a big grin from me.
Somebody crying will cause that twitch in my nose as a precursor to my tears falling.
I am much calmer and have a much larger reserve of patience.
More to the point, I am happier.

Oh, yeah, then there's the physical and sexual effects too.

[Naturally Blonde]

NB: I'm truly sorry that you haven't reaped much (any?) benefit from HRT.

It has been a godsend for me.
No, my personality has not changed form night to day.
At the core I'm still the same old me.
Emotionally, I am much more accessible, a shy smile will always provoke a big grin from me.
Somebody crying will cause that twitch in my nose as a precursor to my tears falling.
I am much calmer and have a much larger reserve of patience.
More to the point, I am happier.

Oh, yeah, then there's the physical and sexual effects too.

What physical effects or changes have you experienced Renate?

[Northern Jane]

Among Intersex people (who are often on hormones for medical reasons) it seems that about 2/3rds of the people have strong negative reactions to one hormone and find the opposite one has very calming effects and it isn't always the hormone one would surmise based on the state of their anatomy - there is something else at work there.

In assessing an Intersex infant to determine the best sex of rearing, doctors try to asses the amount of prenatal androgen exposure feeling that the more exposure, the more likely the child will identify male.

The most recent research indicates behavioral differences exist even in newborns and continue to diverge through childhood and intensify even more with puberty so there is no doubt that "gender" (in some form or other) is present from before birth and continues to strengthen through the teens but I don't think there is yet a clear indication of where the root lies.

That's fine for someone like me who was supposed to be male but could never pass for one, even as a child, but I don't know how all this fits for those who "come out as transgendered" in the 20's or later.

There is much we have to learn yet!

[Renate]

What physical effects or changes have you experienced Renate?

I've lost a lot of muscle mass, my fat has migrated to my butt and thighs, I have a waist now.
The changes on top haven't been excessive, but sufficient for me.
Body hair has decreased tremendously, head hair has made some comeback.
HRT caused a complete shutdown of the male sex system.

[deviousxen]

I've lost a lot of muscle mass, my fat has migrated to my butt and thighs, I have a waist now.
The changes on top haven't been excessive, but sufficient for me.
Body hair has decreased tremendously, head hair has made some comeback.
HRT caused a complete shutdown of the male sex system.

Back when I had weight on, I was getting curvier.

Now that the fat is gone I can actually tell that it made my hip bones rounder and they stick out slightly more. Its not that it doesn't affect bones at ALL, I think its just that it does it subtly and that ALL changes differ from person to person cause we're all not the same...


My emotions have changed. There is more dimension to them. The way I act is different and it may have changed a little before HRT when I was accepting this, but the HRT definitely did something for my brain. My libido is correct to me.... It feels so much more right than before. It all feels different and much less harsh than before. I'm more in touch with what makes me happy too... Regardless of how depressed I am.

Of course it changes things... Are you kidding me? It changed A LOT. Mentally ESPECIALLY.

[pamshaw]

My feeling after 10 months on HRT is not that my brain changed but HRT stopped the suppression of my female self. I am much happier and relaxed and things don't bother me as much. I had a hard time relaxing before HRT because the was so much confict in my brain. I am much more emotional because T suppressed my femine feelings. I am so happy as my female body has shown some real progress and when natures mistake is surgically corrected I will be at peace.

Pam

[Naturally Blonde]

I've lost a lot of muscle mass, my fat has migrated to my butt and thighs, I have a waist now.
The changes on top haven't been excessive, but sufficient for me.
Body hair has decreased tremendously, head hair has made some comeback.
HRT caused a complete shutdown of the male sex system.

I haven't noticed much in my case. Since being on HRT for a nearly a decade I've noticed weight gain but in the wrong places like on my belly. I would like to get fat on my butt and thighs but it's not happening. I had very little body hair to start with before HRT, just a little bit on my legs and that doesn't grow now, so that's one plus. But my breast growth is limited and doesn't look like female breasts.  Am I expecting too much from HRT?   

[deviousxen]

My feeling after 10 months on HRT is not that my brain changed but HRT stopped the suppression of my female self. I am much happier and relaxed and things don't bother me as much. I had a hard time relaxing before HRT because the was so much confict in my brain. I am much more emotional because T suppressed my femine feelings. I am so happy as my female body has shown some real progress and when natures mistake is surgically corrected I will be at peace.

Pam

This is true.