I was wondering how much of what people felt was a placebo effect but Spiro has had huge impact on me from the first pill.  It's probably because my testosterone was so high to begin with but I'm kind of shocked.

This is the first three days.

Peeing dark yellow every hour.  I've been drinking more water to compensate so this has a lot to do with it.  Got up in the night to pee twice..which I've never done in my life before.

My face felt tight and had a slight headache.  This might have been a hydration thing too.

I was masturbating 3 times a day but haven't had the urge to do it for two days.  This was SHOCKING to me.

Not hungry.  I am kind of a huge snacker but haven't needed to.

Feel great.  No fire, no anxiety.  I think a lot of this might be the fact that I started HRT at all..but who knows.

I was told that I might get tired but I'm actually much less tired.

Fascinating, I'm happy it's helping you level out. This is just spiro?

Quote from: EmmaM on March 11, 2011, 04:53:28 PM
Fascinating, I'm happy it's helping you level out. This is just spiro?

Yep. It's been amazing and FAST.  No sex drive hardly at all.  The tip of my penis has been numb and this morning it had fallen asleep.  I don't ever remember that happening before but I couldn't feel it at all when I touched it.  Very weird.

I was bummed about not starting estrogen right away, we're going to start estrogen in six weeks.  I feel so good that I'm kind of afraid to start estrogen.

I am also realizing that while the self identity and desire to be female hasn't gone away the obsessive DESIRE has.  It's scary to think that this was actually tied to some sexual desire or some testosterone driven male focused obsession.  Then again, knowing that my blood is become female gave me great comfort in that..well..part of me just IS female and I don't have to try so hard or think about it so much. There is also some comfort in knowing that I'm being proactive..but this is a LOT of comfort.

I'm going to be exploring that a lot more over the next few weeks.

I thought Interalia was loony tunes but not so much any more.

Soooo...I guess some people who have had GID all of their lives feel better with just a hormone adjustment.   If these feelings keep up, this might save me a lot of work    I have always been very comfortable with my personal identity but extremely uncomfortable with my gender and sexual identity.   Maybe people who transition completely don't feel as comfortable with their personal identity too?

gahhh im so jealous, i have to wait 6 months till i get to see an endo, it would be interesting to see what changes from just spiro to when you start you estrodiol.

I'm in no hurry to go on estrogen at this point.  I lost five pounds this week!  I have no appetite.  I went to the movies and got a small popcorn and ate 1/3 of it.  In the past I would have gotten a large and finished it before the trailers ended.

I'm loving this.

HEY! My response was not put up (My phone must be going loony)

I'm happy you've found a way to be happy! I'll share some stuff with you all that I usually keep to myself, maybe this will help with your identity (GID) question:

I masturbate MAYBE twice a week. I currently do not have sex at all. I have been eating healthy for about three years, and feel like I'm in the best shape this body can achieve without being in "masculine shape." I have no current obsession with being a woman - I have near total psychosexual inversion, I "feel like" I have a female brain - and I view total transition as just another step in the process of correction. I am scared of what HRT will do to me psychologically, because I hear reports that it can make you actually feel like less of a woman. I have no regard for my sexual identity, I don't give a damn who sees me with whoever, and my gender identity is nearly rock solid. How crazy is all of that?

If you choose not to transition further, there will be no perception shift on my part. People can be transsexual in many states. Of course, I'll get back to you when I start my regimen.

Quote from: EmmaM on March 12, 2011, 01:53:31 PM
I am scared of what HRT will do to me psychologically, because I hear reports that it can make you actually feel like less of a woman.

Don't be scared, be honest with yourself when the time comes for ultimate life satisfaction.  I don't think it has made me feel less of a woman...it has made me feel less like "I need to become" and more like "I already am."

Someone cynically said of late transitioners (and I think that distinction is super important) that we all have intense GID but some have had real failings as a man and need to leave that behind too. (I don't agree with this but see how it does affect me)

Aside from anxiety throughout the day, deep shame, and crying at night..I haven't had failings as a man.  People know me as a man, I have a company as a man..an IMDB page, wikipedia page, tons of friends, and business colleages.  I am going to an LA movie premier in the next couple of months and was thinking about how I'd want to be dressed.  I would rather wear a gown and look awesome but that's not my body and plenty of women in the industry don't get dolled up.  I'm a little butch.  I'll wear a suit with some color.

I have a VERY good life and operate well within it.  HRT is allowing me to truly relegate gender to gender..and personality to personality.   I've already integrated b cup breasts into my life.   As my body becomes more female, I'm going to integrate those too.   I've already decided that I wasn't going to start wearing a wig.  I've been bald since I was a teen and am totally comfortable with it.

So I guess I'm transitioning to alien.

Glad to hear you have had such positive results from the spiro. I noticed the changes within a couple of days and decided I could never go back. I started with Spiro and a low dose of E. I wasn't sure if I wanted to transition but after 3 months I threw in the towel and told my doc to up me to "professional" (lol) level HRT. I did also get the Doc's blessing to switch from Spiro to CA to avoid the side effects of the spiro. You have to import the CA though. The E has made a big mental difference too. I can feel the difference towards the end of the week when my E shot is wearing off. I got a new script to switch to oral to avoid this.

The loss of libido was something I feared but it has been one of the best parts of the HRT. It has really added mental clarity but I can still perform in the bedroom when duty calls. While "off duty" I find myself performing "equipment checks" just to make sure the junk hasn't gone inactive since it no longer screams for attention.

Quote from: melissa42013 on March 12, 2011, 08:57:20 PM
Glad to hear you have had such positive results from the spiro. I noticed the changes within a couple of days and decided I could never go back.

That's for sure.  If they told me tomorrow that I had to stop spiro I'd be in for an orchietomy. I have more fear of going back than transitioning.  I think a big part of what I've got going on is that I still weight 240 lbs.  That's down from my 280some high but I'm still "transitioning" from fat to skinny.

I wasn't afraid of my loss of libido at all.  I was just surprised that it happened so quickly.  I thought it'd be months.

Quote from: japple on March 13, 2011, 03:33:44 AM
If they told me tomorrow that I had to stop spiro I'd be in for an orchietomy.

LOL
Once I realized the significance of HRT in my life I had thoughts like, "Wow, what if I was in Egypt in the middle of the uprising, and ran out of HRT!" Kind of funny but scary too if you know what I mean.

Regarding the weight. I am starting to see muscle mass loss too from the spiro (now CA). It was subtle but I started noticing a looseness on the skin on the back of my hands and then started comparing them to a guy friends and noticed the pads were smaller. A week later the skin is normal again but my hands are more slender. I also get splinters a lot easier which sucks. lol.

I also noticed shoulder and bicep muscle loss too. I would routinely carry 100 lbs but had to cut it down to 80lbs at a time or less.

I like the changes though, and welcome whatever more HRT has planned for me. Then it will be the surgeon's jobs to do the rest.
-M

This friday will be 4 wks on spiro. The first week was rather startling, the rage anger anxiety disappeared. Not that I was raging, but that feeling I could is gone. I just don't seem to be able to get angry. My sex drive is about the same, not much. I don't seem to dwell on it much. My sense of empathy seems better.
I did go through a couple days of heavy hyperkalemia kinda stuff, but it ended as fast as it came on.

As I'm taking it as an Androgyne, it's doing just what I expected. Mellowed out the GI. My therapist see's a difference, she laughingly declared me CURED!, but didn't elaborate much else on it. Other things are subtle and I don't really know if it is wishful thinking or not, at least it's a positive thing.
I'm way past the placebo effect, and what I thought was that, turned out to be the spiro. I feel oddly more normal and I don't know what that is. Anyways, I will never be the same again....... a good thing.

I just started Spiro too. It's like the anger melted off me instantly. I'm not nervous or anxious any more. It takes a lot to get me riled up at all, which was so easy before. I'm a lot more effective with my time too- I don't need to be thinking about 20 things at once, and that feels absolutely amazing : ) I'm on 200 mg/day, which seems huge.

The only negative side effect is that I'm super lethargic lately, so hopefully that will end : )

I started E at the same time too, and I don't know that I've noticed it's effects as much as the loss of T. My emotions are so much more obvious now- it's amazing. I'll just realize that I'm feeling sad, or that something is attractive, and that's that : ) This is the most amazing experience I've ever had!

Some of us have the immediate result we are looking for-that's the way it is for me too. I have cycled on and off in order to be able to function for my wife. When I start up again the result is rapid and there is no question about the cause of the lowered testosterone.
Japple, when Interalia tells you something you would be well advised to listen. He has been there and has made a detailed scientific study of his condition and I am grateful for all his posts. They have helped me and others a great deal.

Randi

I've felt just great every day. I was singing and dancing even MORE than usual at work today.  I've had moments of anger, dysphoria, and sadness this week but they were all so much lighter and more manageable than before.   I was happy to feel all of them..because I can still feel.

I was worried about a personality change.  I have the same personality but the edge is off.  The intensity gone.

Quote from: alia on March 14, 2011, 02:52:57 PM
I just started Spiro too. It's like the anger melted off me instantly. I'm not nervous or anxious any more. It takes a lot to get me riled up at all, which was so easy before.

I felt the exact same thing!

Quote from: japple on March 12, 2011, 01:22:34 AM
I thought Interalia was loony tunes but not so much any more.

I LOL'd.

EENNVVYYY You. feels like forever