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 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 

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. 

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

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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