I know we can't talk about doseages here. and I know someone will say YMMV. So please spare me that lol, I know my miles may vary but I want to hear about YOUR miles.


I've been on HRT since late December. I'm not quite getting the results I wanted yet. But I'll preface and say I started with patches. My doctor wanted to give them a try since she wanted to spare my liver any strain. But they didn't work. I developed a rash first on Climara within days, and then a rash within weeks on Vivelle Dot. So those don't work.

I think between my athletic nature (I run seven miles a day) It was both making the patch come loose while I worked out, and my skin type it was causing a pretty bad rash.. and Ultimately I don't think the estrogen was absorbing very well. So we switched to tablets which was where I started to see changes.

Since I can't say specifc doses I'll say~ I was on pretty much the lowest dose one could have for tablets from about febuary until late last month when we moved me up. I've got bloodwork to do in a week, so we'll see.

I wonder if Im expecting too much too soon. But I so desperately waiting until I get some more changes.

Did you have a higher dose before you saw results? I'm young, 23 by the way..

Some of the changes I've seen are, skin changes, body hair changes (in most places), and maybe some slight softening of the face.

Am I expecting too much too soon? I just want to live my life.. and I don't care to come out of the closet until my  body changes more.

I started on Climara patches, and switched to Vivelle Dot because the Climara (well, I was using the generics, the brand name may not be so awful) never stuck right and were *humongous.* On both patches, I was at a very low dose; without getting into specific numbers, it's always been within the range prescribed to menopausal cis women. In fact, I am apparently receptive enough, or something, that even within that range I was showing signs of liver damage at the starting dosage and had my original dose halved... We never did figure out what was going on there.

Anyway, I think it must vary *so* much by individual, because I had breast buds and soreness by 5 days, and skin softening and facial changes within a month or so. I ended up having to go full-time at work sooner than I planned b/c I couldn't hide what was changing anymore. But again, it's the luck of the draw - I got some nice effects, but I've also never seen my "masculine pot belly" diminish or any real waistline develop, and the fat distribution was VERY slow, like to the point where it's only now at just past the 3-year mark that I'm getting a bit of a butt and hips.

(I started at 32, and also had GRS not quite a year ago.)

I've only been on HRT for just over 2 months now, and as I'm hitting 40 this year, I've settled for being patient...

Still, my skin has become a lot softer, and any fat I gain seems to be going to the right places (okay, I'm thin as a rake, BMI of 19 at 5"9, so changes are very small  ). Also my chest has started to fill out; not grow, but my slight gynecomastia has become filled out toward the middle and sides -- not even at an AA cup yet though, but close.

Skin took just over a month to become noticeable, and is now soft all over. Filling out, or better the tingling that went with it, started after two weeks or so. I'm not out yet, and am also waiting for sufficient changes before going for the social transition piece, in particular at work. Am aiming for anything between 6 months and a year on HRT before taking that step, but it's of course going to depend on the speed and magnitude of various developments.

I'm a 30-year-old trans woman from the NE who started HRT seven weeks ago. Was on a low dose of spiro and normal dose of E taken sublingually. I still look like a boy (I get carded all the time) but I have seen several changes: my skin has changed and is much more pale, smooth and my pores are smaller. I had bad acne and that has vanished. IT'S GREAT! I think I'm getting some softening of features and a little bit more face fullness but I'm unsure. My face looks different. Someone the other day told me who has never saqid anything before that I look like a girl. I was dressed pretty andro so I doubt it was my clothing. Also, I had gynemcomastia before transition and I'm still the same cup size as before but my band size shrunk an inch and my areoal has puffed out plus my nipples have grown where they now poke out of my shirt and are the size of a pencil erase. I'd estimate they doubled in size. My chest is always sore now as well. The only other change is my skin has softened over my whole body as well. Mentally, I think i find it very hard to get angry at all now. I've always cried at sad things so I can't say that has changed much. Hope this helps.