When will I be able to tell?

[SiobhanB]

Hi all,

So I'm due to start HRT on the 27th, and I was just wondering, when will I know I've taken that first little tablet?  So I'm guessing that in the first stages you just 'feel' changes as the physical ones will take some time.  I know it will vary from girl to girl, but does it take a day, a week, a month?
And what's that first feeling likely to be - a rush of emotion, sadness?

Thanks in anticipation,

Siobhan.

[justmeinoz]

First day two weeks back, was a bit of an anticlimax actually. Slight feeling of," oh, so that's that I guess".Since then I have felt happier, sort of effervescent, and more open to emotions. Early days yet though.
Karen

[Cindy]

For me, and I suspect for most it was immediate. The relief and the joy and the happiness of 'being on the next BIG step' For me the first changes were mood and emotions, I started to feel more relaxed and contented.  My mental and emotional state has continued to be 'more' feminine in a way that I cannot really explain since I've always been feminine. I think possibly it is the anti-AAs killing of T that has that effect. I've noticed skin changes, softer skin, some fat re-distribution but not enough but it has only been a year.

The other thing I have noticed, and it is an indirect effect is that I find it increasingly difficult to pretend to be male. My intention was to go PT and not to transition at work, for complicated reasons, but I'm finding that is getting to be very difficult, and it has become obvious to people that I work with that I have changed. The men at work no longer include me in the 'male' topic conversations but the females now include me in theirs, well mainly. It has not been rude or in anyway offfensive, just more the casual way guys talk about stuff 'they know' woman aren't interested in

Regrets? Yes, I should have done this when I first wanted to when I was 13

Cindy

[jessevmp]

i think for me the first thing i noticed was the skin softening and the muscle tissue deteriation these were pretty fast. i have been on them lagitimately for a year and illegally for 1 year i guess is my estimate. havnt really kept good records the chest knots appeared about six months in but the soreness was around three months about the same time the sensitivity went up
jessie

[Rabbit]

Within 24 hours my nippies were doing all kinds of things :| After that, over the next month I noticed softness and some face changes (gained about 2-3 pounds too :| But that might be from the overeating and cupcakes hehe). Also, a little bit of emotional shift / sensitivity towards the end of the month.

[jesse]

it takes a while hun be patient alow the hormones to work and work on staying healthy. nothing can end transition hopes faster then a sudden bought of disease. hugs
jessica

[SiobhanB]

Thanks all, as you can probably tell I'm kind of excited!

For 31 years I've been dreaming of this (since I was 5 years old).

Can't believe I waited so long.

Presenting as a male won't be a problem for me, as I'm fully out and present as female all the time.  I don't really try to pass though as I don't think I stand a chance. I present more as an MTF transsexual than as female.  Hopefully when the hormones kick in, that will be able to change.

Roll on Wednesday...

Siobhan.

[Susan Kay]

I'm sure everyone's experience varies. For me, I almost cried, and I'm not a crier, as I left the doctor with my hormone prescriptions. I ambled to the pharmacy and dallied around before turning them in, then disappeared for a time before picking them up and sort of heading home to eventually take them.

Yeah, right! No speeding tickets, but no time wasted either. Within 30 minutes of taking them, several things happened: I felt a calmness come over me, I felt almost euphoric (almost a high, but I remember highs from the 70s - this was not that) and most importantly I felt that that was exactly, without any reservation, the right thing, the only thing to do, and that I would follow it through. And so far I have; surgery in 5 weeks. I truely believe that if I wasn't a female soul wrapped in a male facade, I would not feel that way.

The "high" lasted about a week for me. The sense of rightness has not changed. This is the right way, the only way for me. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thinkl if it wasn't quite right, I would not feel right about it.

Susan Kay

[Northern Jane]

And what's that first feeling likely to be - a rush of emotion, sadness?

I remember that time! It was about 1963 and I was 13 or 14 so I stole someone's birth control pills  Doses were more than 10X stronger in those days and by the second morning I was experiencing quite profound morning sickness! (That made things tense at the breakfast table! LOL!)

Sorry, nothing useful to contribute .... just reminiscing 

[Melody Maia]

I felt almost immediately loopy and a bit dizzy like my body was saying "whoa that's different!" Mental changes began after about two weeks. It took awhile to get the dosages right, but nipples and breast pains started in month three. Since then, skin softening, emotional changes, fat distribution etc. have all happened. I am now six months in and wondering what other changes are coming down the pike. Probably muscle deterioration. That has begun, but hasn't advanced too far yet.

[Susan Kay]

The physical changes as opposed to the emotional ones.

About 4 months in, after wearing the mirror out checking, breasts started development. After 13 months, growth continues. Hooray! Some skin softening but not very discernable, at least yet. Body hair reduction hard to gauge as I routinely shave - epilate - Nair it real regularly. Fat redistribution seems to be happening - T-shirt shoulder seams are further down the arms, waist ratio is less compared to the hips, though little change on the hips.

All physical changes and improvements are welcome, but the emotional improvements are the important ones. Regardless of how feminine or not I look, I'm not feminine if I do not feel feminine. And I feel feminine. Case closed.

Susan Kay

[Vanilla]

For me, the first thing that I noticed was that I seemed to have more energy. Just a general feeling of alertness. After that, my moods improved gradually. This was within the first week. There weren't any mood swings or anything for a while. I actually started to notice physical changes before I experienced any of those. Things like my skin becoming much smoother, softer, and sensitive to touch.

It wasn't until about the 5 week point that I started getting urges to cry for no reason. I remember at one point, while watching Scrubs, that I was crying without knowing why. It was the weirdest thing.

[justmeinoz]

I have had to give up a pair of skinny leg jeans that used to fit. They were snug before, but were uncomfortably tight yesterday.  It looks like my thighs have gained a bit of weight. I have lost a set of love handles too!    Not sure but I think my hair is shinier as well.   

My mood is generally still happier than it has been for a long time, and I seem to get over setbacks a lot quicker too.  I found out this week that my son had outed me to my ex some time ago, and although I was angry, I did not stew on it for several days as I would have a while ago, but  cooled down after an hour or so. 

Karen.

[Megan Joanne]

Mental state changed right away, though probably more from the fact that finally I was taking what I'd been waiting to take for a long time, than probably from the actual effects of the stuff itself, who knows, I was too overjoyed with tears to care, just that I got 'em and that more results would soon come. So long as you don't expect too much right away, no miracles, you're mental state will most likely be the first change, the body, it may take a few weeks to a few months before any real big noticable changes, maybe longer, but the changes will happen, its all gradual, just like growing.

[Jenna_Nicole105]

I hope to find this out myself soon, if I can find a doctor willing to work with me.

Very discouraging to have an HRT letter and have doctor... after doctor... after doctor tell you they won't work with you.

Have pretty much exhausted all options in my hometown of Joplin, Mo. Trying to find someone in Springfield an hour away and still not having any luck.

Will likely have to go to Kansas City, easier said than done with no vehicle, nor a credit card to rent one. Sigh.... so close, yet so far.

[Anatta]

I remember that time! It was about 1963 and I was 13 or 14 so I stole someone's birth control pills  Doses were more than 10X stronger in those days and by the second morning I was experiencing quite profound morning sickness! (That made things tense at the breakfast table! LOL!)

Sorry, nothing useful to contribute .... just reminiscing 

Kia Ora Jane,
  I remember  when I was around 11/12 years old I was at a friend's house and wasn't feeling to well, one of my friend's older sisters gave me a couple of her birth control pills, telling me they were headache pills and would make me feel better...Wow could that be why I ended up transitioning   

Metta Zenda 

[Sarah B]

The only time other than offical prescriptions that I took 'hormone' tablets was taking a couple of my mums birth control pills.  What stopped me from taking more of them was the fact they came in a blister pack and I wondered if some of them would be missed.  I still remember the first day I saw my doctor, he gave me a shot and gave me a presciption for premarin.  I went next door got the scipt filled out and took my first legal dose. I suppose I was happy, but then I never had time to reflect on what the effects were going to do.  I knew the basics and I was content with knowing just that.

I was more concerned with working and enjoying my life at that stage.  Many pills later, come this Monday I will have an implant and see how that goes.

Warm regards
Sarah B

[pebbles]

20 minutes after taking the first tablet I felt odd not hugely different but odd the realization of what all this meant. Psycological only
6 hours after I needed to pee then again 1 hour after that. Duiretic effect of spironolactone
18hours after I noticed on my way to the supermarket that I was much more sensitive to the smell of men... noticing that I also smelled of boy at that time but the smell was fading. (physical psycological)
21hours after my nipples itched scratching them I realized they were more sensitive.
23hours after I noticed my libido and sex drive was dropping sharply.

Physical changes begun slightly after 5 days with my nipples becoming swollen and puffy.
More acute changes occured after 2weeks with my hair and skin becoming less oily, changes in metabolism, and breast budding.

So yeah... but I did start hormone blockers and E at the same time and I also used injectables so I probably got a quick reaction.

[JungianZoe]

First pills?  Purely psychological changes, and probably more related to the thought of taking pills than the pills themselves.  Got confirmation of that at my three-month checkup when my T levels were 650 and had absolutely no physical changes whatsoever.  My endo says not to count those months as HRT because nothing worked.

Now after changing the HRT regimen, the first noticeable difference was the nipple pain/sensitivity.  Then skin softening.  Then came the emotional roller coaster and some major (and I mean MAJOR) cognitive changes.  Without conscious thought, I tuned in to the frequency of humanity and the need to nurture and maintain friendships.  For the 10 years prior, I'd been a hermit who maybe called people once every four or five months and steadfastly maintained a policy of ignoring text messages, voicemail, email, and even phone calls, until I was ready to communicate.  But once the HRT switch took place, I wound up sending 2500 text messages in one month, AND breaking my stepdad's record for voice minutes used (his minutes used for business).  Truth told, I didn't even notice until my mom asked me about the spike in minutes and taught me how to check my phone use.   I now look forward to the dinging sound of a text or the ringtone that tells me a loved one is calling.  That has been the single-biggest change I've experienced so far on HRT, and I think its most precious gift to my well-being.

I just broke the 4-month HRT mark, and along with continued breast growth (over halfway to an A cup at last!) the next biggest change has been a serious reduction in the coarseness of my underarm hairs in the last two weeks.  Used to be that I couldn't shave but every three or four days or I'd cut myself.  Now I can do a daily once-over and the stubble isn't poky, but soft.  I've also been gaining some badly needed weight and was proud of the day that my butt was too big to pull up my skinny jeans without undoing them. 

Still a long way to go, but I'm giddy about what's already happened!

[Vicky]

The first thing I was able to tell was that my bank balance had gotten smaller, buying the meds with my ATM card caused my overdraft protection to kick in, which doubled the co-pay I have on them.  Sigh!!  I did however have a big grin on my face when I took the first pill!  That has not changed!  There was a feeling of peacefulness and completeness that developed over the first week, and that has not changed, although at 22 months, I no longer expect to feel any different, so it has lessened in intensity a bit.  My endo is pretty sure that it is just psychological, but did order a couple of special tests for me since I am a DES child and so is one of his other patients.  Nipple tenderness was there in the second week, and by three months there was the beginnings of shape change to my breasts.  6 months brought actual pain if I hit my breasts, particularly the nipples.  7 months brought an end to my going outside without some type of upper chest cover.  At one year, I had my first official breast exam for lumps and for gland development checking.  In July when I have my two year check up, it will be an actual mammogram.