Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone knows much about what happens to your veins on your arms when you take hormones.  I can't find much about it.  I have pretty large veins on my arms and hands and it would be superfun if they would go away!!  Anyone have any experience??

I've been wondering the same thing, as I have the opposite problem. I have small veins and my skin is so opaque you can't even see what veins I do have. It usually takes about 10 nurses and 100 tries to draw blood from me.
So, am I suddenly going to grow big juicy man veins on T?

Nero

Hi Alleigh,

Good question honey.

I have been on hormones 8 years and now 4 years post op.

I used to give blood regularly, before I transitioned and had well developed veins in my arms. Now when I go for blood tests the Nurses havereal trouble finding them and I spend a great deal of time squeezing rubber balls or having things strapped round my arm so they can find them.

I cannot say this is a defined effect of HRT, but you raise an interesting point.

Buffy

that is interesting and thinking on it I have been on HRT for over 2 years and just recently the Phlebotomist s are having trouble drawing my blood when i need a blood test

I have high cholesterol and I have to have blood drawn once every 6 months. It is not uncommon for me to be poked at least twice with the nurse moving the needle all over the place to find a vein. I have been stuck up to a dozen times with the nurses going away crying. This has not changed at all, with me going on HRT. I remember going into the draft board to give blood for my enlistment and this guy behind was watching me get stabbed several times and he fainted right on top of me. So I don't know if it will ever change.
Sheila

Nero, yeah, they will become more visible and larger. At least mine did. Part of it was the fat redistribution, so my hand and arm veins have less covering them.

Dennis

here you can have mine Nero *rips pulsating veins out of arms* yik!

I never really thought about it....... but pre hrt I could give blood and in record time  (Id make it go faster so I could get out faster) they were large and tended to pulse....

When I had my anxiety/heartatack they couldnt find a vein to save my life...... and when in the other hospital after that the vampires had to go at me like fiends to find a vein....

I atrophied my arms by not lifting a thing over the weight of a cup of coffe for two yrs. That reduced my muscles and my orchy kept the testosterone from building them back up. I also had injections of saline mixture solution to collasp the veins. that really hurt but it worked. Its done for many women who want to reduce vericose veins or large veins.. Its hurt really bad for 10 minutes then goes away. It leaves little bumps which gradually go away. I do lots of work now and i have no large veins and my muscles are still small because i have no T in my system. I hope this helps. I had this done in 1999.

My hand and arm veins have shrunk considerably on hormones (thank God).

Dawn

My hand and arm veins are acceptable.  I remember they used to be quite prominent when I was a teenager, but now they hardly stick up at all.  Heck, my Mom's are more prominent.

Melissa