Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hi people been reading a lot of recent post regarding HRT treatment & its different side effect's, I know many will have different symptoms/problems ranging from sore/itchy nipples sweating more & crying more randomly, some where I read it can make you more prone to mood swings what impact would that have on the gender dysphoria, I have yet to start my treatment  in the UK ( its a little on the slow side over here)  but what is what the general symptoms what delights do I have to look forward to so to speak i would love to hear from you any comments great fully received.

  Hi Sara,

  The most common early effect I hear about is an lessening of the dysphoria and a better general feeling of well being. I can not say that was what happened to me but then I did experience bad dysphoria myself. I can tell you that I've become more emotionally sensitive and find keeping tears back difficult regardless of the reason for them. I haven't experienced the mood swings others relate either. But then I've never been prone to mood swings. I've had difficulties in expressing my feelings all my life and tend to be tight with them. I do have soreness in my breasts, worse when I first get up, and they have been itchy off and on. Happiness is one side effect I really like and looking down at or feeling my breasts makes me happy for sure,

   Sara, another thing that made me happy was to see how you put you comment on HRT. " I have yet to start my treatment" and " what delights do I have to look forward "   ;D ;D ;D

  Hugs,
    Laurie

Part of what you experience will depend on your dosage and whether it is a pill, patch, injection, or gel/cream. Some methods are more prone to mood swings than others. This is a definite YMMV topic. I am using an estradiol patch which tends to provide a very even delivery. I have only been on HRT for two months.

So far no mood swings, but in general I have become more patient. I am also much less aggressive while driving. Movies are bringing out more emotions, both laughter and sadness. Normally I keep my emotions in check, but I have been letting them out a bit more often now. Oddly it does feel great to cry.

My nipples have become more sensitive, and the breast buds are very sore. I find myself protecting them by hugging folks at a bit of an angle so they don't get bumped. Sometimes I forget about them, but a slight nudge is all it takes to remind me that they need protection!

Although I have just begun my journey, so far it has been great.

For my Dysphoria it just reduced in many ways. I found this huge relief from this constant background anxiety that I didn't even know was really there until it was gone.

Physically, my breast had aches inside as things grow. They still do some days. Actually a lot today as my dose of E has gone up.

Emotionally, yes I do cry easier but it's a relief now. I actually can stay calmer than I ever could before. When I cry it's because I feel and those emotional are allowed to flow. It's more real than the years I turned my mind away from my emotions to protect my male shell.

The only negative aspects for me are mood/emotional. For me, the chemistry has been challenging. The delights? Everything else is like Christmas morning. Wake up .. anticipation is boobs are bigger, butt is bigger, less body hair, softer skin. Big smiles! That said, I am much more moody, and if I post anything in here that pisses anyone off, it's hormonal, and I apologize in advance!  :icon_chick: Still trying to figure out the correct balances with my doctor.

Side effects?  Leg cramps were a problem when I was on the patches, largely because my E levels were not high enough.  They disappeared when I switched to injections.  Sore nipples, yes, but that means my breasts are growing and that is a very happy thing for me.  So yes, I try to protect my breasts from over aggressive hugs, bumping into doors, etc.

I also have had problems with cold hands whenever the weather is cold, and an overall greater sensitivity to the cold, probably because my skin has become thinner.

But the side effects are worth it. I am calmer, more patient, a better listener, I have better intuition and a better ability to read people.  No more panic attacks.  I am a less aggressive driver.  I have much less of a temper than I used to.  Oh -- and I got boobs, a nice hiney, pretty legs, and my face has been changing so rapidly that my profile pic is outdated even though it has only been up for two or three months.

Most of those aren't side effects, but effects. It means it is working.

It's like saying that a side effect of aspirin is that it took your pain away.

Have any of you had any mussel loss do you feel "like" the weaker sex as I like to be active ( gardening, rebuilding my bike engine's ) you know the sort of things men do but when I go through transition I will still like to retain these jobs "the body might change but the interests won't" do the arms lose there power, yes thanks Laurie I,m slowly coming round to the fact I need to live I need to transition it is the only way & if I have to go down the private treatment route I will so a good stiff talking to was what I needed, I didn't realized there were so many types of HRT creams patches ect but looking forward to going on it to JOIN THE CLUB.

Yes I have lost muscle mass. To me that is not a side effect but part of my goal. It's not the E that does it. It's any reduction in DHT conversion that will make the biggest effect. Lowering T is the secondary cause of muscle loss. I'm quite happy about it really.

So abs disappeared and my extra 30 pounds of fat dropped to my lower belly. My trapezoid muscles have reduced in size around my neck. I would like to see further reduction there. Arms and legs both shrank some. My for arms are much thinner.

Does it affect my job? So far no. However I have found some things that were difficult before are now at my physical limit. For instance I had to remove a large hydraulic motor to replace a brake in a wheel drive gear case. I have done this plenty of times. It's not the removal but the reinstall action that is difficult. The motor can be removed with the hydraulic hoses attached so the hoses help somewhat with the weight but also make realigning it more difficult. In the past lifting it back and getting the shaft splines lined up was a chore. This time it took my several tries as I could not hold it up for very long. I had to sit and take breaks in between attempts. Lifting it my legs started to feel like I had pedaled a bike several miles. I was sweating profusely and near exhaustion each try.

One thing I forgot before was the Spironolactone side effects. Working outside when hot I'm used to getting to the point of feeling weak from low blood sugar. Usually I keep a soda with me to sip on. I know not the healthiest but the surgut content kept me feeling ok. So now when I feel weak it's due to low electrolytes. Salt mainly. It takes longer to recover from that than the low sugar took. I now add a packet of salt to things like French fries and I go through a lot of dill pickle spears and pickle brine at home.

Oh and right now I'm dealing with a lot of testicle pain on my left side. Comes and goes. I talked with my endo about orchidectomy and he suggested a urologist who does it. I'm definately looking into getting those things cut out.

hello!
So I started out hormones six months ago some side effects I noticed.
-My hair started shedding rapidly (I'm 22 so this was a shock) but it is a good sign that the hormones are triggering new growth in hair follicles!
-Tender breasts, goes without saying but even when theres no growth they will still be sensitive so don't get hit in the chest!
-Dry skin
-Lack of erections, which is fine for me but since I wasn't, ahem, playing... with it I have woken up in the middle of to night to spontaneous ejaculation.
-Hard tissue under the nipple, this freaked me out at first but normal part of growth!!
-and you will pee..... a lot!!!
As far as side effects these are the ones that concerned me the most!  Well physically but they're all good signs of progress!

As far as emotional side effects I didn't experience much but everyone says I'm a lot happier now which may be the case for you since you will be finally moving towards your new life, but depression and other stuff will be extremely environmental, just be sure to have good friends to help you through!

I think the one that concerns me is the strength loss as my only transports is a pair of motor bikes, I know some forum users ride bikes so hopefully it worn be an issue, so the side effect are quite varied.

Quote from: coldHeart on May 19, 2017, 08:33:16 AM
I think the one that concerns me is the strength loss as my only transports is a pair of motor bikes, I know some forum users ride bikes so hopefully it worn be an issue, so the side effect are quite varied.

  Hi Sara,

   Yes, You can add me to the list of those that feel a bit weaker. I have noticed when carrying things they feel a bit heavier, not drastically but definitely heavier. I also think I feel in some in my legs while out on my walks, that or I am suddenly using different muscles. I don't know why that would be the case though. I have started trying to walk with a little more attention to my hips though and trying to keep my male swagger to a minimum.

It's a good thing I am not presenting  female on my walks yet as I have a very masculine swagger I'v developed over the decades. It's a bad habit to break.

  Hugs,
   Laurie

I think the mussel lose & most of the other symptoms will be a small price to pay to gain happiness, manly swagger hey Laurie I would of thought you would have shaken your bootie when you walked ,i haven't tried walking like it yet but I,ll probably given the impression I,m on springs.

Quote from: coldHeart on May 19, 2017, 02:03:42 PM
I think the mussel lose & most of the other symptoms will be a small price to pay to gain happiness, manly swagger hey Laurie I would of thought you would have shaken your bootie when you walked ,i haven't tried walking like it yet but I,ll probably given the impression I,m on springs.

  Sara,

  After 64 years it's hard to forget how to "Walk Like A Man".. I'd shake my bootie if 1) I knew how and 2) I had a bootie to shake.  LOL

  Hugs,
    Laurie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlHsOmTPqaI

 :D I don't believe that Laurie, with all that steak & eggs for breakers you much have a well tone bootie just like mine

First, since nobody has mentioned it yet: everybody is different.  These are personal anecdotes and they may indicate trends, but your own experience may or may not be anything like what you read here.

That said, here are a couple of other things that happened to me but not yet mentioned here (that I could see):

• Far less body odor, especially underarms.  It used to be that I can absolutely not go without deodorant/anti-perspirant but now it's barely needed at all.
• The cisgender women in your family and among your relatives would probably be good indication of what your might look like after a few years on HRT.

hey guys!
Im not a person keen on waiting while getting evaluated etc...
So i figured im just gonna get my HRT off the internet, does anyone here have perhaps an advice or tips about going this route?
thanks so much!

I'm only just over 2 weeks in at this point however I am definitely noticing the constant need to pee!  ;D

Other than that only good things! :)

Much love. <3

I never realized that it worked so quickly on the body.

Quote from: Marcy8 on May 20, 2017, 04:45:19 PM
hey guys!
Im not a person keen on waiting while getting evaluated etc...
So i figured im just gonna get my HRT off the internet, does anyone here have perhaps an advice or tips about going this route?
thanks so much!

If you reviewed the greeting links given to you in your first post, you will discover TOS 8 which forbids discussion of self medication. This rule exist because you are discussing something thats illegal in the United States and we wish to avoid legal issues with Susan's.

That said, with modern treatment, self medication is a bad idea. Modern treatment involves regular blood treatments to monitor your hormone levels and dosages are adjusted to what your body requires instead of giving you a fixed dosage that may be dangerous or insufficient. In the United States informed consent can eliminate therapy while still giving you high quality treatment. Informed consent isn't available everywhere but many places have adapted the model.

If therapy is required, many therapist will agree to a letter in as little as 3 or 4 visits so it's best to ask about your therapist's policies early on so you know what to expect.

I'm approaching the end of my transition.  I now live a fully functional life as a woman and it's rare that people notice I am trans.  I'm undergoing SRS in six weeks time.

The effects of hormones on the brain and body vary from person to person.  It's affected by your genetics, age, bioavailability of sex hormone binding globulin, and a half dozen other things.  It's hard to predict exactly how hormones will affect you.

The effects also depend on the method of administration.  Certain methods will absorb more estrogen into your bloodstream.  I found that my hormone levels on implants were far higher than any other method.  Because they produce stable levels, I also don't get anywhere near the same mood effects that gels or patches were giving me.

I've been very lucky.  I was in my mid-30's when I began transitioning. My body is quite sensitive to hormones and I've had great results.  Here's some of the effects (and side effects):

Effects:

- Breast growth.  My breasts grew to around a size C in about 2 years
- Reduction of muscle mass: according to my cheap bathroom instrument, my muscle mass has atrophied around 30%
- Increase in body fat percentage
- Reduction in size of bladder (need to pee more often)
- Dramatic reduction of libido
- Changes in shape and size of genitals
- Darkening along raphe line of the genitals
- Body ceased to produce sperm or semen
- Softening of body hair
- Significant softening of skin
- Redistribution of fat from tummy to hips/thighs
- Swelling, darkening and increased sensitivity of nipples
- Decreased body hair
- Changes in facial shape
- Heightened sense of smell
- Decreased skin oil
- Increased sensitivity to cold
- Changes in body odour and urine scent
- Shrinkage of prostate and bladder
- Increased resting heartrate
- Decreased red blood cell count
- Changes in experience of sex.  Increased connection between emotion and sex
- Changes in experience of orgasm.  Ability to experience multiple orgasms
- Changes to erogenous zones of the body
- Much wider range and depth of emotions

Side Effects:
- I had very high levels for a while and had trouble with prolactinomea.  It was causing redness and pain in one eye, and some headaches
- Reduction of mental focus and drive
- Increased level of calmness
- Changes in parenting propensity, attachment behaviours and circadian rhythms
- Change to shape of eyeball
- Soreness, itching, and pain in breasts
- Emotion and mood issues can be a challenge for anyone going through such a huge social change.  Adding high hormone levels amplifies those things greatly.  It was only when I sat and talked to a few friends who are mothers that I realised how much of my anxiety was connected with hormones
- Mood symptoms are greatly amplified for me if my HRT regime includes a progesterone component.  It's worse with synthetic progesterone than bioidentical progesterone (although the later is much more expensive).
- Greater appreciation for nature, seasons, sunsets, animals, children, and life
- I use Spiro, which gives me urges to to consume salty foods
- I need to pee more often - which is partly from a smaller bladder, partly because spiro is a diuretic

I know you asked about hormones, but it's worth discussing the social changes too.

I would say that when I began transition, I was so consumed with my desire for changes to my body that I didn't really stop to understand the social effects of transition, or what it really means to be a woman in society.  The experience of the social change was far more profound for me than the quiet little journey my body was on. I had to find new ways to communicate, had to learn to stroke men's egos, had to prove myself in every business meeting, and had to confront some of the male privilege I had lived with. 

I began to confide in other women, and they confided in me.  I slowly became comfortable chatting while peeing, bawled my eyes out through six-hour sessions of electrolysis, listened to totally oblivious people making transphobic remarks at business dinners, and learned how to brush off the bar-room sexual advances of men without hurting their egos.  I invested thousands of hours of emotional energy trying to resolve the trans-TERF conflict in my head.  I became closer to my mum, but watched my Dad grieve for the young boy he raised.

I wouldn't change any of it for the world, but don't overlook the social changes.

All the best for your transition !!  <3