Hi there,

This might have been asked before but here goes. I was out with a friend yesterday who was the same size as me at 5ft 6inches. I had not seen them for a long time, about six months. She said I was shorter than her. I asked what hight she was and she said 5ft 6inches. I said that's the same as me are you wearing heals, she had only an inch. I said lets me see and I stood up against her and I was like nearly 3inches shorter. When I got home I measured myself and I was just slightly over 5ft 4inches I was gob smacked to think I had shrunk.

So my question is this, is there any evidence of people who have been on HRT for about 2yrs and longer loosing body hight? I'm not complaining, just curious and of course worried a little that something else might be going on like the spine crumbling or curvature of the spine (not that it looks like it is in the mirror). I am seeing my clinic on tomorrow so I will speak to them too.

Thanks and take care,

Stardust

I've heard it's the muscle in between the vertebra in the spine, muscle atrophy or something etc
Losing an inch in height is common apparently, and no doubt welcome for most! ^__^ I'm not sure how long it takes but if you're at the two year make then it must be between one and two years? Awesome.

It may be possible but as always I'm skeptical..

Quote from: Naturally Blonde on February 09, 2010, 05:13:35 AM
It may be possible but as always I'm skeptical..

Well naturally blonde I can't escape from the fact that I have lost nearly two inches in hight and I was only made aware of it by my friend not something that I had really thought about. Physically I am fit, I run three times a week for 3 to 4 miles I eat a healthy diet, I don't drink (so its not the booze, lol) so its either as above or spine deterioration, (I hope not). Well I suppose I will let everyone know after a physical at my docs. Just to exclude other things.

If its HRT well its a cool thing. It will make me 5ft 4inches and a 1/4. Just a side thing my shoe size has gone down a size too.

I am not making this up, I have no need to do such things as there is nothing to gain.

As I said in my post, I was gob smacked as I'd not heard from others about a decrease in hight.

Stardust 

As Stardust points out, height is not something that you check regularly.
Once you're an adult you presume that your height is a constant.

It's a fact, standing up straight I am 2.5" shorter than I once was.
When, how and why this occurred is up for debate.
My inseam appears to be the same as it ever was.
This would lead me to believe that the shortening occurred in my spine.

Or maybe just my head has gotten flatter!

It happens to a lot of people, but some say it doesn't happen to them. *shrugs* Same thing with shoe size going down, some people get it and some don't.

I know I shrunk and so did my feet. o_0

There's a theory about the tilt of the pelvis that is affected by hormone treatment.

If you look at "anatomy for artists" then you can see how the pelvic bone tilt (and amount of curving of the spine to a smaller degree) differs between feminine and masculine bodies..
Some trans-girls experience a slight difference in posture in that area, which results in an inch or so (sometimes more) being shaved off their height.

If you have lost that much height, I suggest a visit to your doctor to check for other issues.  Usually height loss is due to spinal compression.  I'm 65 and have been on hormones for many years and have only lost 1/2 inch in all that time, most likely due to age.

My sister (yes a genetic woman) lost 6 inches due to spinal issues.

Sarah L.

Quote from: Miniar on February 09, 2010, 09:23:41 AM
There's a theory about the tilt of the pelvis that is affected by hormone treatment.

If you look at "anatomy for artists" then you can see how the pelvic bone tilt (and amount of curving of the spine to a smaller degree) differs between feminine and masculine bodies..
Some trans-girls experience a slight difference in posture in that area, which results in an inch or so (sometimes more) being shaved off their height.

Got it in one.

there are a lot of 'trans theories' about loosing height, and rebuttals too. But in some, the hormone therapy changes muscle structure and the pelvis can be rotated forwards in the classically female manner, the spine is then more curved, resulting in a slight loss of overall height. more J than l if that makes sense?

So I assume this works in reverse with T? Hmmm...

I have a colleague at work who has lost nearly six inches in height.   Strangely, for a man, the cause was oestoparosis (I think that is how it is spelt).   If you have lost significant height, I would speak to your Doctor as the cause may not be hormone related

Quote from: stardust on February 09, 2010, 05:39:32 AM
Well naturally blonde I can't escape from the fact that I have lost nearly two inches in hight and I was only made aware of it by my friend not something that I had really thought about. Physically I am fit, I run three times a week for 3 to 4 miles I eat a healthy diet, I don't drink (so its not the booze, lol) so its either as above or spine deterioration, (I hope not). Well I suppose I will let everyone know after a physical at my docs. Just to exclude other things.

Well I've been on HRT for many years and I'm not aware of any height change. I'm still 5' 7".

Quote from: stardust on February 09, 2010, 05:39:32 AM
If its HRT well its a cool thing. It will make me 5ft 4inches and a 1/4. Just a side thing my shoe size has gone down a size too.

I am not making this up, I have no need to do such things as there is nothing to gain.

As I said in my post, I was gob smacked as I'd not heard from others about a decrease in hight.

Stardust

I think I may have gone up a shoe size as my feet now hurt in most of my shoes and trainers! 

Quote from: Miniar on February 09, 2010, 09:23:41 AM
There's a theory about the tilt of the pelvis that is affected by hormone treatment.

If you look at "anatomy for artists" then you can see how the pelvic bone tilt (and amount of curving of the spine to a smaller degree) differs between feminine and masculine bodies..
Some trans-girls experience a slight difference in posture in that area, which results in an inch or so (sometimes more) being shaved off their height.

That's a more possible theory maybe? but I still don't think you could loose that much in height.

Hi all,

Thanks for all your replies, I met with my support group tonight and one other transwoman said she also had lost a similar amount of hight to me. I also spoke to my therapist but all they could say is to speak to my consultant on Monday. So I have an appointment then just to clear up things and may be have some tests to exclude anything else.

Stardust

I thought hormones didn't affect any bones? I was told once they are grown and locked into place they won't change from hormones.

Still 5'11"

Quote from: kaide on February 10, 2010, 06:15:17 PM
I thought hormones didn't affect any bones? I was told once they are grown and locked into place they won't change from hormones.

Bones are connected by tendons and ligaments and so on, and there is space between each bone where these tissues are.  If these are affected in the same way as muscle mass is (aka, reduced), then the space between the bones can shrink, which is how you can get height decrease even if the bones don't change.  And there's also the posture factor too (which can be changed by the changes in tendons and ligaments).

I can only speak as I find, I have no theories just experience and all theories are just that theories. Personal experience on the other hand is something to consider. I even can home and measured myself again tonight just in case I had made a mistake, no mistake still the same. nearly two inches shorter. I think it is more to do with muscle and rotation of what you all ready have rather than the actual bones themselves, but hey, who knows. HRT and genetics have different outcomes as we are all individuals. What happens to one person will not be the same for another. Its a pot luck lottery of how your body will change.


Stardust

Quote from: Ketsy on February 10, 2010, 06:30:25 PM
Bones are connected by tendons and ligaments and so on, and there is space between each bone where these tissues are.  If these are affected in the same way as muscle mass is (aka, reduced), then the space between the bones can shrink, which is how you can get height decrease even if the bones don't change.  And there's also the posture factor too (which can be changed by the changes in tendons and ligaments).

More or less what I tried to say, but you said it a hundred times better.... oh so yeah I agree 100% it's what I've read and the general consensus around these here parts. eerr here being local TG community. >_>
lol

Same as what Ketsy and Muffin said. I measured myself just before HRT to have a baseline to go by. In a year I seem to have lost almost 2 full inches. I know other factors can affect this such as osteoporosis but I do take calcium supplements daily, and I always measure first thing in the morning before being upright all day compresses my spine. I'm sure bones don't change, so that only leaves the shrinkage of the connective tissues and hip tilt as the likely causes.

There were several topics about that and I said "very unlikely" each and every time.
Well, I am only 20, my medical center has my profile and height record used to be about 167cm. About half a year ago they measured me again, as they usually measure again at 20.. I was found to be 163/164 O_o
Was the previous one a mis-measure? I don't know.. personally I rather be a bit taller

Anyways, in my case I am not getting shorter due to age as in mu age you can still get a bit taller at times.. but then again I might have always been like this. I dunno. Pelvis tilt? what is that? how can you find out? sounds unlikely doesn't it?

Hands/feet never shrunk, they were always this small though I doubt they can shrink, they're pretty much all bone.