Hi All!

I've been on HRT for over a year.  I've had the expected changes: larger breasts, softer skin, fat redistribution, changes to my thingy and associated bobbles as well as wonderful emotional changes. However, I've also had some changes that I was not expecting....

My muscles work differently: my endurance has increased, strength is almost the same but recovery time after exercise to failure is off. There is a much faster partial recovery but it takes longer to make a full recovery. 

I don't heal from injury quite as well. 

I'm cold most of the time.

My hair is different, like, softer.

The arch on my feet is higher and my feet are shorter.

I'm way more flexible.

My sinuses behave differently.  I get runny noses, something I never got before.

My muscles feel differently when I squeeze them – firm but not hard like they used to be.

Hair on my head grows faster but hair on my face grows slower.

Is all of this normal or am I just a genetically more bizarre than I thought?

Hugs,

Jen

None of those are unusual for me at all..

same here. My arm muscles are weird though. I'll be sitting at a table and it feels like I can't move my arms and I've lost my strength , but once I move they're as strong as ever.

OMG the runny nose! Nobody prepared me.

Nope, that all sounds normal to me, especially the cold all the time and the muscles thing (I don't have very *visible* muscles anymore, but I lost almost zero upper-body strength). I lost about a whole shoe size, too, I think.

OK, I'm not sure my hair grows faster on my head - but it was crazy soft and thick before HRT too - but I am sure body hair slowed WAY down.

huh? Those are bad things? Seems like you're doing really well to me. Congratulations. I'm on my 9th month and it's great.

About the same for me as well.  Haven't gotten the runny nose, or at least not yet.
So I'm legally blind, and I have really great hearing and I've notice that my hearing is a little better in the last two months.
I've would listen to a song, I've heard so many times, and I'll notice something I've never heard before. 
One of my friends thinks it's just like watching a movie over and over, but if that's the case why is it happening all at the same time?   

Oh, and I've found I am making eye contact now.
My only insecurity with Albinism was my Nystagmus (The involuntary movement of my eyes).  I had such a hard time looking someone in the eyes.  It freaked me out.  Once I knew that person, it got easier but still felt freaky.
I started noticing at work, I am looking people in the eye and it doesn't really freak me out anymore.

Quote from: DrZoey on February 03, 2014, 08:43:24 PM
huh? Those are bad things? Seems like you're doing really well to me. Congratulations. I'm on my 9th month and it's great.

Oh, I'm not complaining at all.  My body really likes E in so many ways. I just wasn't ready for this dramatic of an effect nor so many effects.  Actually, I feel much more at home in here now.  It's like it finally fits.  I was not expecting this.

It also seems I'm not as unusual as I had thought.  I'll have to think about the hearing thing.  It may be correct.

Hugs,

Jen

Men smell, that was the biggest one for me.

One day I was sitting on a tram an had a guy next to me and thought its not BO, but he smells.
Then every men has a sort of oder.

Yes the runny nose! I've also stopped having sinus problems which used to plague me. My strength is nothing like it used to be, I'm now weaker than my wife. I did notice after being on E for a few months, when I started to run again, my endurance was nil. I would get tired so darn fast! And it felt like I was just pushing my poor muscles so hard, and getting about 10% of the return I was used to.
Also, my sense of smell is insanely good. Food preferences have changed, I now get super strong cravings, oh and my favorite unexpected change? Boys =yesh please.

My nose stopped running! Otherwise, yes, all the above, even though my hair loss was so massive that even the regrowth so far is more amusing than useful.

I can smell women, too. It's crazy and makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. Now I know how women would know if their man is cheating. Scary.

Oh, how to put this... my used panties, smell like female panties, in a certain spot... >_> Wasn't quite expecting that change! Actually my whole body odor has changed. Thankfully I don't stink too badly after working out now, and can usually go without deodorant.

Quote from: JLT1 on February 03, 2014, 07:27:39 PM
The arch on my feet is higher and my feet are shorter.

Just started HRT but wait this can be a thing!? O.O

I currently have size 9 uk women's shoes...just out of the normal size range for high street shopping, if my feet went down a size I could go shoe shopping!

How common is this?

Quote from: Danniella on February 05, 2014, 05:02:29 AM
Just started HRT but wait this can be a thing!? O.O

I currently have size 9 uk women's shoes...just out of the normal size range for high street shopping, if my feet went down a size I could go shoe shopping!

How common is this?

It is a thing. Shoe size and height often drop. A size or two for feet... A couple or more cm or an inch or two. As always, YMMV but shrinking muscles can cause reduction in size.

Quote from: Danniella on February 05, 2014, 05:02:29 AM
Just started HRT but wait this can be a thing!? O.O

I currently have size 9 uk women's shoes...just out of the normal size range for high street shopping, if my feet went down a size I could go shoe shopping!

How common is this?

I m pretty sure that its possible to go down a size,,,just enough so you can go shoe shopping

Quote from: FalsePrincess on February 05, 2014, 05:06:25 AM
I m pretty sure that its possible to go down a size,,,just enough so you can go shoe shopping

Quote from: Tori on February 05, 2014, 05:06:09 AM
It is a thing. Shoe size and height often drop. A size or two for feet... A couple or more cm or an inch or two. As always, YMMV but shrinking muscles can cause reduction in size.

-squeeeeeeee-

I hope this happens to me!

One of the things that I hate the thought of most is not being able to go on shopping trips...there is only so much joy you can get from buying things online >.>

Hormones really are amazing things 

I have a similar shoe size. I have to squeeze in when shopping, but I can do it... still hoping to shrink. You pass better though.

I dropped 2 sizes in shoes.

I'll never forget before hrt, but living ft my cousin who's my best friend we're getting ready to go out, I was going to wear a pair of her shoes as we had the same shoe size, I was swimming in them.

I could use some shrinkage