Breast Disappointment

[Ayaname]

I started taking estrogen supplements over 2 years ago and about 14 months in I switched to "the real stuff". It wasn't until about 7 and a half months later that I started anti-androgens at which point my breasts had only grown into barely noticeable mounds. The bulk of my breast growth was about 4 or 5 months into taking spiro. In about a month they grew to a very small A cup that hardly even extends past my sternum and then they just stopped:( I've been on sprio for 10 and a half months now and there's been no more growth whatsoever. I'm worried that they are all done growing. I worry that I've messed up their growth by trying to take estrogen without anti-androgens for so long. Has anyone else added anti-androgens late into their transition and still had ample sized breasts? Is it common for there to be more than 5 months between growth spurts?

[Joelene9]

  Be patient, as you may have read in Susan's, breast development varies with the person, their family history and the age starting HRT.  Mine was a sub-A cup with those herbal supplements plus massage for a year, now a sub-B cup and sore.  My breasts will not fit an A-cup because they have a broad base.  The growth spurts varies, the 5 month seems to be the the norm here.  The cis-women have the same long wait.  The anti-estrogens will help.  Patience dear.  If you are still taking the suppliments, quit now!  They will only inhibit the breast growth!
  Joelene

[Fate]

i took anti-androgens 2 months late, it seems T slows down growth. they grew really fast into a A for the 1st few months; but they slowed down after that. they are growing just very slowly

[Ann Onymous]

Not everyone sees the same effects...I was hamstrung by being extremely thin when I transitioned all those years ago- as in under 125lbs in my mid-20's.  I was a junior size 3 or 5 depending on the manufacturer.  Suffice it to say that I saw next to no impact from HRT.  There just was not any fat to redistribute and that can be a big factor.   

Having added some weight over the past few years, we have toyed with dosages just to see if my earlier theories were correct and I now find myself with new development close to 15 years post-op.       

[tatiana]

i took anti-androgens 2 months late, it seems T slows down growth. they grew really fast into a A for the 1st few months; but they slowed down after that. they are growing just very slowly

T definitely slows down the growth. Anti-androgens are key.

I was on HRT for like 8 months. I barely had any growth. At one point I completely stopped HRT and I started partying and drinking lots. For some reason, the alcohol (lots of beer), somehow triggered fat accumulation in female areas while I was off HRT for over a month.  My endocrinologist tells me that estrogen's effect is cumulative over time. Maybe the cumulative effects of estrogen hasn't kicked in yet for you.

I'd say start drinking few beers occasionally, but I have no proof that it was the alcohol that triggered my fat distribution. It's just a little myth of mine.

[JessicaR]

Ayaname,

   I'm going to guess that you're a do-it-yourselfer; if you are being prescribed, I would seriously fault your doctor by having you on estradiol without an anti-androgen. From everything I've learned, I think that inhibiting the effects of testosterone is more than half the battle for successful HRT. You can basically mark the beginning of HRT from when you started taking the spiro. If you are, in fact, doing this yourself, you absolutely need to go to doctor and have your levels tested; if you're taking too much E for your body it might be converted to T!!! If you are seeing a doc, please disregard the previous statement ;-)

  If it makes you feel any better, I was on HRT for 5 years and barely had an a-cup. It really does depend on the person. Something you might want to consider, though, is asking your doctor about progesterone. Depending on your chemistry, the danger of taking it might outweigh any benefits but it's worth a discussion. My doc started me on it about 6 months ago.... I grew a little below a cup size which brought me to less than a b but they just look better.. more rounded and "perky"   I don't like what it's done to my mood over the long term, though, so I'm considering stopping after GRS.

[Janet_Girl]

At 36 months now, I can say that it does take time.  I am at a B cup, and I still have some growth going on.  Give it time and then wait till after SRS or Orchidectomy, before making any decision about a BA.

Oh and I am 17 month post-orchie.

[Kaelleria]

Breast growth takes time... like 3-5 years time. Be patient!

[Tyler90210]

Ayaname,

   I'm going to guess that you're a do-it-yourselfer; if you are being prescribed, I would seriously fault your doctor by having you on estradiol without an anti-androgen. From everything I've learned, I think that inhibiting the effects of testosterone is more than half the battle for successful HRT. You can basically mark the beginning of HRT from when you started taking the spiro. If you are, in fact, doing this yourself, you absolutely need to go to doctor and have your levels tested; if you're taking too much E for your body it might be converted to T!!! If you are seeing a doc, please disregard the previous statement ;-)

  If it makes you feel any better, I was on HRT for 5 years and barely had an a-cup. It really does depend on the person. Something you might want to consider, though, is asking your doctor about progesterone. Depending on your chemistry, the danger of taking it might outweigh any benefits but it's worth a discussion. My doc started me on it about 6 months ago.... I grew a little below a cup size which brought me to less than a b but they just look better.. more rounded and "perky"   I don't like what it's done to my mood over the long term, though, so I'm considering stopping after GRS.

Do you know if you need to take E with progesterone for breast growth or will the progesterone do it on its own?

Also if you still had normal or half normal cis-male T levels, would that stop all breast growth even from progesterone?

Sorry for asking, it's just that I'm on Depo-Provera for birth control and want to make sure if I'm on T that the little bit of chest growth I've gotten will go away.

Thanks.

[JessicaR]

Do you know if you need to take E with progesterone for breast growth or will the progesterone do it on its own?

Also if you still had normal or half normal cis-male T levels, would that stop all breast growth even from progesterone?

Sorry for asking, it's just that I'm on Depo-Provera for birth control and want to make sure if I'm on T that the little bit of chest growth I've gotten will go away.

Thanks.

   As far as I know, progesterone has most of its effects on the glandular tissue of the breast whereas estrogen effects both fatty and glandular tissue. It's like body builders who take steroids; they bulk up from the T but have breast growth at the same time. Since Depo is such an effective antiandrogen, what you're doing now is the equivalent of speeding up and adding weight to a truck just before  standing on the brakes and turning around. If you're considering starting T at all, ever, I would consider a non-hormone type of birth control.
   You could also look into Ormeloxifene.. it's a selective estrogen receptor modulator used for birth control. (Although I don't know where you are in the world; it may not be available to you.) It's an anti-estrogen which might help slow down the truck, too 

[Joelene9]

  Human testosterone has a breast growth inhibitor.  We humans are about the only one of the mammals that show our boobies when we are not suckling, including the great apes.  When the body builders use anabolic steroids, some of those are from animal sources, the rest that are synthetics that mimic the human T molecule to some extent, but not on others.  This fools the pituitary gland to shut off your own T when these androsols are used. 
The results after long usage:
  Gynecomastia (breast growth).
  Decreased or no libido when off of these drugs.
  Permanent sterility. 
  Some cases of "roid rage".  etc.
  In our case, it depends on how much T is in our systems, results will vary with the person.  Remember, premenopausal ciswomen have some T in them to regulate their own reproductive system, keep their energy and libido up.  This has been proven in menopausal women given the very tiny amounts of T.   
  Joelene