I've seen a good handful of stories lately of HRT not working for some people, and it's making me quite upset. Yes, I'll be transitioning at the good age of 18, which should show some drastic changes, but what if it doesn't work? Is there any way I can tell if it will work beforehand?
I'm planning on doing the sublingual pills, btw. I can't swallow pills and needles/blood make me nauseous. Can't do that.
Well it's not magic... but as long as you get your levels right there's no way it wouldn't work. Some people think HRT is more magical than it is though. It only causes subtle differences.
Very few people do not respond to HRT, it does need to be monitored though. I have a friend (here on the site) who has had limited response in boob growth but other aspects have worked well.
Don't worry, even though we all do!
There aren't many ways to predict, sadly-although for breast size, look at what runs in the family. I come from a long line of svelt women, so my breast growth has been almost nada-although oddly enough, in this past month (which is my 16th), I've gone from an AA to an A cup, and things can only get better from there. Hormones are unpredictable. You might pass in your fifth month. You might get some puffiness in your chest, and nothing else besides that after two years. But most likely, you'll fall somewhere in between. Just don't expect a miracle. I started at 18, and my standards were too high, that's certain!
Everyone always tells me that I've had such great results from HRT.
Honestly I don't think HRT has affected my face much at all- okay definitely the skin but not much else.
Pretty much the "results" as I see it are more from my own effort to transition in a way that makes me happy. Going into it, I guess I realized this and lowered my expectations of what HRT would do for me. I realize now, that was a smart move!
I would say that the greatest effect of HRT has been the mental aspects, the feeling of calm, more connected to emotions. As well, it has affected my body in a very positive way (again, mostly skin changes- but also fat redistribution). Facially though, not much changed. The biggest difference is the result of me learning how to use makeup and dress in an appropriate and way that is always an attempt at being flattering to what I have to work with.
The sum is greater than one part alone. HRT affects many of the parts, but it is still just one piece. The sum of all the things we must learn and adapt with during transition is what makes a happy transition. You get out what you put in
Quote from: Jennygirl on July 03, 2014, 03:25:07 AM
Everyone always tells me that I've had such great results from HRT.
Honestly I don't think HRT has affected my face much at all- okay definitely the skin but not much else.
Pretty much the "results" as I see it are more from my own effort to transition in a way that makes me happy. Going into it, I guess I realized this and lowered my expectations of what HRT would do for me. I realize now, that was a smart move!
I would say that the greatest effect of HRT has been the mental aspects, the feeling of calm, more connected to emotions. As well, it has affected my body in a very positive way (again, mostly skin changes- but also fat redistribution). Facially though, not much changed. The biggest difference is the result of me learning how to use makeup and dress in an appropriate and way that is always an attempt at being flattering to what I have to work with.
The sum is greater than one part alone. HRT affects many of the parts, but it is still just one piece. The sum of all the things we must learn and adapt with during transition is what makes a happy transition. You get out what you put in
This. Well put Sis.
All too often I hear stories of people who have gone on HRT, even surgery to rectify their problems. HRT or surgery will not do that. You do that. You are who you want to be by hard work and facing up to your issues, many of us need help with that, and that is where a good therapist and even more so, good friends come into the scene.
Me too! I really want to get the endo appointment the day of my 18th bday and just get it over with the whole transition already and I think too much about negative stuff! Just hope for the best...
I will try my best not to echo the prior posts, because I agree. Hormones are not magic.
They do some cool stuff, not all of it is visible.
At your age, the best thing is HRT will stop testosterone damage in its tracks, and that, rather than estrogen may make the biggest difference between you and many other transitioners. Also it will stop male bone formation and allow for some female bone growth, so you may get some hips (jealous).
No clue what will happen though. Your face will likely soften, most likely breasts, new skin, subcutaneous fat, less body hair, you will smell different. But even these changes are quite subtle, and it is the culmination of the whole package that makes such a profound difference, not just one thing or another. I really wish we could tell you more.
The weird thing is, you may not fully respect all of the changes like others will, because you will never get to appreciate what HRT will prevent from happening. You will just know life without that damage.
As for what I feel, I definitely noticed the lack of T more than the addition of E, especially at first. Now I barely remember what T felt like and I really notice the surge of an E injection.
Which reminds me, you may quite possibly have to swallow T blocker pills, just like I have to get injections (I used to hate shots. Now they are fun!!! Weeee!), but it is amazing what you will do for that peace of mind that transition can bring.
Best of luck.
Starting at 18, you should have a very good chance of getting results. I know that word "should" is what's concerning you, but it's impossible to say what results anyone will get until they actually start to happen, because we just don't know enough about how the body responds to hormones to predict those kinds of things very well. I must admit that sometimes I feel jealous of those who managed to get to the point of being completely passable in less than a year, but I haven't even been on full dose HRT six months yet, and I'm getting a somewhat late start too (I'm currently 27) so I guess I'm not in a position to complain. And also, it's not that I haven't gotten results, it's just that I'm still a ways away from being able to go outside with a completely female presentation and no fear of getting clocked.
I think what you have to keep in mind is, that your starting point has a lot to do with how long it will take to reach the point of passability. If your appearance already is somewhat feminine, you may actually find yourself being very passable in no time at all. But as others have said, HRT is not magic, and you shouldn't look at it as a panacea. Even those without a lot of masculinization usually end up having to do a few extra things on top of HRT to get to a point they're happy with (laser hair removal for facial/body hair being the most common, followed by breast implants). That's just the way it is unfortunately, there is no one thing that can undo all the damage caused by years of testosterone poisoning. But if transitioning is what you really want to do, you shouldn't let that scare you. Even if you're not passable as quickly as you'd like, unless you have an extremely masculine starting point, it should be possible for you to get there eventually. And if you do have a bad starting point, HRT is certainly not going to make it any worse. And physical effects aren't the only benefit of HRT either. Even if I was getting no physical development, I would still continue to take it just because of the positive mental effects it has given me.
So really, don't worry about it so much. HRT doesn't do everything everyone wants it to all the time, but it's never a bad thing. Just try to go into things with reasonable expectations, and I doubt you will be disappointed. :)
Edit: Lol, a lot of people posted while I was writing this I see. :D Just for a for a frame of reference, I started writing after Cindy's first post, but after reading what other have posted, I think we all have pretty similar thoughts on this issue. ;)
Quote from: Chic on July 03, 2014, 02:21:38 AM
I've seen a good handful of stories lately of HRT not working for some people, and it's making me quite upset. Yes, I'll be transitioning at the good age of 18, which should show some drastic changes, but what if it doesn't work? Is there any way I can tell if it will work beforehand?
I'm planning on doing the sublingual pills, btw. I can't swallow pills and needles/blood make me nauseous. Can't do that.
Transguy here :D But I have a friend who was in your situation. She's 18 and she was afraid of the hormones not working, however, she started a week ago and she's already noticed sensitivity in her chest area :) She's also taking sub lingual pills. Now I'm not too knowledgeable on E, but I don't think the worry should be too great, especially at your age. If you're relatively healthy as well, I think the hormones will work ^^ And if it doesn't work for whatever reason, your doctor should be able to find out what's wrong and prescribe you a different form :)
Quote from: Cindy on July 03, 2014, 02:34:31 AM
Very few people do not respond to HRT, it does need to be monitored though. I have a friend (here on the site) who has had limited response in boob growth but other aspects have worked well.
Don't worry, even though we all do!
If it's me you are referring to, Cindy, it's more than just the boobs.. That profile pic I've got up currently predates HRT by a long, long time..
Chic, it'll either work or it wont.. You can't know until you try.
Chic, think of HRT as a means of aligning your body chemistry with your mind.
Yes, secondary characteristics - breasts, fat redistribution, etc happens to a certain degree, but the main thing is the change in hormonal makeup and the peace that you'll be from not having further male development.
The rest boils down to your own hard work and determination to make the whole package work - what you put into this will have a far greater bearing than what popping a few pills a day will.
I'm a non-binary and have been on HRT for more than 2 years. I put zero to minimum effort in feminine deportment, so I am read as male. On the other hand, there are plenty of girls here pre HRT who pass very well. Given your age something is going to happen - don't add unnecessary stress to your life.
It's been three months since I started HRT, a combination of estrogen and anti-androgen. The effects have been subtle, but totally uplifting:
Emotions - I feel much closer to them now, much more empathetic. I'm not a cry-baby, but if something moves me, there will be a tear or three...
My sense of smell - it was always good, but now I can smell men in particular much more acutely. And the ones I can smell don't smell that nice generally...
My body hair has become very fine, like most girls.
Breasts - they're starting to make their presence known, very quietly And they hurt - don't knock them!
And one more HRT effect. I AM ALWAYS COLD.
So the effects have been subtle one-by-one, but taken together it's been an interesting time...
Quote from: sad panda on July 03, 2014, 02:26:33 AM
Well it's not magic... but as long as you get your levels right there's no way it wouldn't work. Some people think HRT is more magical than it is though. It only causes subtle differences.
this
I think it will work well for you.
The affect it has had on me in the 9 months I've been on hrt is massive.
It's like a lottery it will have some effect but how much is impossible to say.
I think sometimes people underestimate the power of hormones.. often times the changes seem subtle to us because we see ourselves every day ~ the drastic changes are seen by those who don't see you very often. Also, sometimes we put unrealistic expectations that only further add to the illusion; watching transition videos or before and after pics sometimes makes us forget how long a process this all is.
I will say though, from what i've seen on this website and youtube and multiple other places... whether it takes 1 year or 5 years... we all eventually reach the destination. Of course it has a lot to do with self perception and appreciating the body you have, to be able to appreciate the changes you see; but all the people I see on here that have been transitioning for a long time; you all look phenomenal to me... even if many of you often believe you still don't "pass" or that you're too masculine, i have yet to see a masculine face in this forum crowd lol. So, by that logic, the changes aren't as subtle as we think, they're actually quite drastic in the long run, but subtle in the short run. I'm about nearly 5 months in and my hair has thinned but its not at its optimal reduction yet, i still don't have an ass and my cheeks haven't filled in either - people tell me i'm gorgeous, beautiful, passable, etc. and sometimes I just don't see it; but i just keep telling myself "this is temporary ~ everything will come in time", it helps me realize that even if im not happy yet with what I see, eventually I will be... you can't be living years with a high increase of developmental hormones and not expect to see drastic changes.... I mean, there are some VERY drastic transitions in the before and after thread... but most of those are over the course of 1+ years, so in a way it should give all the ones who fear the future, hope that the future holds nothing to fear.
Sometimes its hard to remember this though.
As for the OP ~ you're 18, HRT is gonna do wonders for you lol the thing to remember is that some people see the drastic changes within months, others see them develop slowly over the course of a year or more.
3 years on hormones and still haven't made it to a AA-cup.. Fat still accumulates in the standard male places.. No hips.. No butt.. Minimal, if any, facial changes. The avatar pic predates hormones by a long, long time.
Levels have been fine the whole time. Different delivery methods make no difference to levels or development. So, no, it doesn't happen for everyone - and, frankly, I'm surprised that anyone is saying so..
I'm going to second what Kelly's saying-I'm sixteen months in and started at eighteen, and almost nothing has changed for me either. I'm bothered by how many people here are comfortable saying that HRT is all about changing your mind, and the way you feel. There are far more powerful drugs that can work wonders on the mind: antidepressents, mood stabilizers, anticonvulsents even, and they very rarely put a dent in dysphoria. Dysphoria is caused by a misalignment between the mind and the body, and if the body doesn't change, for many people there won't be the slightest improvement, I know that's the category I fall into.
I can't speak for everyone, but in my case antidepressants didn't work at all. HRT is the only thing I tried that successfully helped me deal with my depression. And even if the physical changes aren't overwhelming, at least you know you're not going to get any worse while on HRT.
Edit: And if that is really you in the avatar, somehow I have a hard time believing hormones did nothing for you. ;)
I've spent a lot of time worrying about that. And I've expended considerable effort researching what hormones do and don't do, how likely they are to do them, and what factors contribute to whether or not you'll get them. In addition I've spent a lot of time in the before and after thread. Honestly, I've only seen a handful of cases where hormones didn't bring people to passability. Conclusion: it's a lottery. One thing that does seem fairly reliable though is that you can generally predict what kind of breast development you'll get by looking at your closest family members (minus a cup size, for good measure).
The way I deal with the uncertainty is by pretty much operating under the worst case assumption that hormones won't do anything at all, and focusing on looking my best without them. There's a lot of things you can do to achieve passability with the right makeup, clothes, and style. Then when you get on hormones, if you do end up getting changes, it'll be the icing on the cake to everything you've already got going for you.
Personally, I think you look great already. Don't worry about it too much :)
Not much gain by worrying about things that are largely out of your control. Be informed, know what your choices are, but worry doesn't really help.
im in the same boat as the op... im 18 been on e only for about three months and nothings happened... my blood test just showed that my levels are still in the male range though so my doc finally added spiro so hopefully that will cause results... I know its sooo hard not to worry but we just have to do our best to be patient.