So if this thread doesn't exist, it should! What are your weirdest HRT side effects?
Since I started HRT I build up static electricity charges on myself constantly, even in buildings where there's no fabric or carpeting on which to generate a charge except what I'm wearing. I don't know if it's my hair on my shirt, or if I move differently, or what, but it seems like the charges I build up have been going up in quantity and strength with dosage increases.
That's probably just a misconception on my part, but it's gotten progressively worse until I'm at the point where I'm scared to death of opening doors. If it's a little dark you can see the spark go between my finger and the door handle. When I get out of a vehicle I try to discharge on the back of my calf through my jeans because it doesn't hurt as bad.
I was getting a little worried I was going to fry my phone because it's been in my hands a few times when it happens, but after thinking a bit about how electricity works (or my rudimentary understanding of it) I don't think that can happen, the charge would have to be coming from somewhere else onto me to be likely to route through the phone and do any damage to it, I believe?
It gets me when I'm having a bad day and touch a door handle without thinking about it. ZAP! And then I recoil in pain and sometimes add an expletive, and anybody watching from a distance thinks I'm challenged or something. Or if I DO think about it then I'm scared to touch the handle and sort of tap the handle quickly and lightly a few times like you would when testing to see if something's too hot. Then if nothing bad happens I'm clear to open the door. Whenever I can I open doors by shoving them open with my foot.
Anybody else have any odd things happening that seems coincidentally timed with HRT somehow?
The odds are it's your shoes or something you are wearing. Feminine clothing tends to use more synthetics and wool with both fabrics tending to generate more static. Shoe soles tend to be plastics because rubber isn't a good option for something as thin as shoe soles.
My move to Arizona really caused me to send the power generation off the scale. If I am on a nylon carpet, it seems like 3 steps is enough to generate a sizable spark.
Someone else had a thread (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,200130.0.html) a long time ago talking about eye twitching. It happened to me too!
I've also read about people becoming insanely hungry, which I think happened to me. My hands have also been really dry!
My sense of smell became much more sensitive.
Quote from: Ms Grace on April 20, 2016, 02:40:59 AM
My sense of smell became much more sensitive.
Holy crap yes. After the increased sensitivity from quitting smoking years ago I thought that was it, but now? It's like a whole new world of subtle scents. Some not so subtle, more stinky ;D
All of that, although I think the static electricity may be due to the dryness and the reduced oil on the skin. I also developed a craving for hot peppers, whole or as sauces. That one comes in waves. I mentioned it to my endo and he checked with other patients. They had them too.
I've just started my HRT but I too have noticed the increased sense of smell. I've been fearing an oncoming Migraine for weeks now because one of my early warning signs had been hyper sensitivity to smells. Now it seems it will be my norm and I'll have to find another way to know if they will be sneaking up on me.
Quote from: Ms Grace on April 20, 2016, 02:40:59 AM
My sense of smell became much more sensitive.
Dear god, yes. The other day in class this guy crossed his legs toward me and the smell coming from his foot was so bad I had to stop playing.
And the ones who don't shower every day? So gross. Except for the few who manage to smell good without showering...which, that's a whole new level of stuff I wasn't expecting. If I hang out around them for a few minutes or more my skin gets really pale, my lips get really red, and it feels like my core temperature goes way up and that I'm radiating heat or pheremones or something, not sure what, but I feel like I'm practically glowing.
Not sure if other people can notice or not, but I thought HRT would kill off those sorts of telltale signs, and I feel like this is even MORE noticable than the visceral reaction that used to occur on testosterone. Maybe nobody can tell and it just seems way more noticeable than it is.
Quote from: StillAnonymous on April 20, 2016, 02:36:18 AM
My hands have also been really dry!
Less T, more E. Progesterone helps. My sense of smell is also much sharper. Most definitely!
1) Increased sense of smell
2) Improved eyesight (seriously, my prescription changes every time they increase my dosage)
3) And most interestingly, my tolerance of spicy foods has gone WAAAYYY up.
I eat just about everything with cayenne, habanero, or ghost pepper on it now. At the very least a handful of jalapenos, lol. Sriracha sauce does good in a pinch, and mongolian fire oil for when I'm cooking chinese food.
Sooooo tasty. Everyone around me starts sneezing just from smelling it. :D
I just threw away a jar of pickles that were supposed to be like buffalo wings or something because they were too spicy, I think I actually became -more- sensitive to it.
I used to hate spicy foods, but I'm becoming more open to it.
My sense of the fearful changed. Perhaps the long closeted build up of anticipated horrors that did not come true was part of the catalyst. Perhaps being able to finally be honest with myself about the basics of who I am is key ;) There seems to be any number of personal and social situations where I feel far less fearful. Not quite the bullet proof days of being a teenager but it gives me more strength to adapt and welcome change.
I love weird and happily acknowledge a pledge to "Keep Portland Weird" I'm doing my part ;D
My sense of smell defiantly increased during my year on HRT. Whats weird is, 2 weeks ago I switched from pills to injectable estrogen and ever since I've been insanely hungry. I want to eat everything in site. I've gained 4 lbs in the last 2 week where as during the last year I lost 15 and then maintained a steady 128 lbs.
My taste for spice has increased. I put Sriracha on a lot of things. My craving of salt and pickles - yum. I think somewhere i am keeping a pickles company in business.
I think the increased appetite thing is pretty common. I know I've gained about 5 pounds over the last few months even though I'm trying to be at least somewhat careful, and it seems like it pretty much all went to my thighs.
Pickles are nice, but I like anchovies better. I think actual salt blocks manage to be less salty somehow, supersaturation or something.
Something else I just realized recently is that I cringe internally way harder than I used to when I see people get hurt, it's physically uncomfortable now.
The increased cravings for salt have all to do with Spironolactone which increases sodium/water loss.
The weirdest side-effect I've experienced is a tendency to gasp in surprise during conversations. I'm not sure what that's from, exactly, but I never did it before HRT and it's happened a few times in the last week or two.
Quote from: MeghanMe on April 24, 2016, 11:58:03 PM
The weirdest side-effect I've experienced is a tendency to gasp in surprise during conversations. I'm not sure what that's from, exactly, but I never did it before HRT and it's happened a few times in the last week or two.
Yes, I too have noticed a quicker and more pronounced startle response to all kinds of stimulus...interesting as my resort to anger or rage is very much reduced. But are these side effects of medication or personal social adaptation to being our more genuine self?
Well I hate to bring down the tone, but I have experienced constipation since hormones. Anyone else had to unpleasant side effect.
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Only when I didn't her enough water, Marissa. It's more likely spiranolactone than estradiol causing it.
Don't know whether it would qualify as wierd but at the risk of cheapening the magic with words my entire sensory and nervous system feels like it has been totally upgraded.
Everything is "more" and oh so good I struggle for words to do it justice.
Like going from fuzzy low volume black and white to full on giant screen HD surround everything.
Apparently I was quite a sight as I tasted a strawberry and was totally overwhelmed with how good it tasted for a few moments.
After a couple of weeks on HRT, I had an itchy scalp for a short while. My skin type has changed from oily to dry, so perhaps that had something to do with it.
The only negative effect I've had from HRT is that my fingernails have turned to crap! I've heard that progesterone can help, but my doctor will not prescribe this to me because I'm over 40, and therefore at a high risk of getting blood clots - Fair enough. I use a good quality nail hardener which helps a little, but not enough. :(
I have that one too, Violet. My doctor (!!) prescribed acrylic nail polish and biotin. It helps.
Quote from: Dee Marshall on April 26, 2016, 09:47:58 AM
I have that one too, Violet. My doctor (!!) prescribed acrylic nail polish and biotin. It helps.
Thanks Dee, I'll give the biotin a go. :)
I'm not sure that bio identical progesterone has any significantly greater risk of blood clots. I am over 40 and my doc prescribed it.
The one about being startled easier and generally more effected by stimulus is also true for me.
Smell, colors, vision ( went from near sighted to farsighted), desire to eat, spicy foods (continues from pre-hrt but on more foods, try broccoli and chalula sauce) have all heightened.
Some guys smell fantastic ( a very attractive attribute), most slightly off and some gross.
My doc prescribed prometrium but only after a year on hrt because he said you need a base of breast tissue to have it make a difference. I am 53.
Quote from: ItsMarissa on April 26, 2016, 07:00:53 AM
Well I hate to bring down the tone, but I have experienced constipation since hormones. Anyone else had to unpleasant side effect.
Spironolactone and progesterone can cause this.
Quote from: RobynD on April 26, 2016, 11:25:18 AM
I'm not sure that bio identical progesterone has any significantly greater risk of blood clots. I am over 40 and my doc prescribed it.
Indeed.
Climacteric. 2003 Dec;6(4):293-301."In both peripheral and cerebral vasculature,
synthetic progestins caused endothelial disruption, accumulation of
monocytes in the vessel wall, platelet activation and clot
formation, which are early events in atherosclerosis, inflammation
and thrombosis.
Natural progesterone or estrogens did not show such
toxicity."
Contraception. 1987 Oct;36(4):373-402.
Oral micronized progesterone. Bioavailability pharmacokinetics, pharmacological and therapeutic implications--a review."No side effects have been reported as far as lipids profile, coagulation factors and blood pressure are concerned.
PLoS One. 2014 Jan 21;9(1):e84698."Results indicate that progesterone has short-term cardiovascular safety. Endothelial function, weight, bloodpressure, waist circumference, inflammation and coagulation were unchanged"
Menopause. 2010 Nov-Dec;17(6):1122-7"recent data have shown that norpregnane derivatives but not micronized progesterone increase venous thromboembolism risk among transdermal estrogens users."
"there was no significant change in APC sensitivity among women who used transdermal estrogens combined with micronized progesterone compared with nonusers."
Climacteric. 2013 Aug;16 Suppl 1:69-78."it appears that transdermal
estradiol alone or combined with natural progesterone
does not increase thrombotic risk."
Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, Vol. 4, No. 4, 2000"progesterone does not carry the risk of thromboembolism, prolactinoma, and myocardial infarction."
Rev Prat. 1993 Dec 15;43(20):2631-7."This favourable effect of estrogens is completed by other mechanisms which modify platelet aggregation, prostacyclin/thromboxane equilibrium, endothelin, etc., and which improve arterial wall morphology and vasoactive reactions. Some synthetic progestogens, given with oestrogens for endometrium control, may compromise these spectacular vascular benefits, but
this is not the case with natural progesterone."
Maturitas. 2015 Mar 9."When taken with oral or transdermal estrogens, no significant association of venous thromboembolism (VTE) with concomitant micronized progesterone"
"Similar results had been previously reported for the ESTHER study in which micronized progesterone and pregnane derivatives did not increase risk for VTE"
Maturitas. 2011 Dec;70(4):354-60."With respect to the different pharmacological classes of progestogens, there is evidence for a deleterious effect of medroxyprogesterone acetate on VTE risk. In addition, observational studies showed that norpregnane derivatives were significantly associated with an increased VTE risk whereas micronized progesterone could be safe with respect to thrombotic risk."
Circulation. 2007 Feb 20;115(7):840-5."In addition, our data suggest that norpregnane derivatives may be thrombogenic, whereas micronized progesterone and pregnane derivatives appear safe with respect to thrombotic risk."
Fertil Steril. 2014 Apr;101(4):898-904. "Prempro has been associated with numerous side effects, including heart disease, adverse changes in lipid metabolism, and thrombo-embolic processes (59).
By contrast, micronized progestin (MP), bioidentical to the progesterone produced in the ovaries, has not been associated with such side effects."
J Pharm Pract. 2014 Apr 17;27(3):243-252."Pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), with a reported incidence ranging from 0.49 to 2 events per 1000 deliveries"
Risk of VTE is at 0.05-0.2 %. Pregnancy is marked by VERY high levels of progesterone, up to 100-200 ng/ml.
Ann Intern Med. 2005 Nov 15;143(10):697-706.« The relative risk (standardized incidence ratio) for venous thromboembolism among pregnant or postpartum women was 4.29 (95% CI, 3.49 to 5.22;P < 0.001), and the overall incidence of venous thromboembolism (absolute risk) was 199.7 per 100,000 woman-years. The annual incidence was 5 times higher among postpartum women than pregnant women (511.2 vs. 95.8 per 100,000), and the incidence of deep venous thrombosis was 3 times higher than that of pulmonary embolism (151.8 vs. 47.9 per 100,000). Pulmonary embolism was relatively uncommon during pregnancy versus the postpartum period (10.6 vs. 159.7 per 100,000). "
Hence, most cases of DVT and PE, already quite low, are present post-partum when progesterone levels drop, not during pregnancy when levels are high
In clinical trials and randomized controlled trials evaluating micronized progesterone, mentioned in Prometrium's product monograph , not one single case of thrombosis or altered coagulation factors is mentioned.
I take a high dose of oral progesterone. My clotting times are normal.
Thanks KayXo
Any help or advice in getting around / dealing with the constipation would be appreciated.
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Constipation = bring on the prune juice
It's not sexy but it gets the job done.
and whenever you think you are hydrated enough, you probably still aren't. Hydrate often.
Thanks RobynD
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Smell has heightened definitely, which has its pros and cons. Now the cautery smell from burnt flesh in the OR smells much more stronger and it LINGERS around me for a while :'( :'( OR no longer a choice for me to work after i graduate, I just can't deal with the smell now.
Forgot to add since I started HRT I regained the ability to dream.
Now I know people would say everyone dreams you just don't remember but even though I dreamt as a small kid I gradually lost the ability along with my emotions as I got older. Happened so slow I hadn't noticed until it all reconnected. I believe in the T poisoning theory for me.
That's gotta qualify as weird or probably points more to being weird before hormones but either way it's now fixed.
Thank you hormones :)