First month on Low Dose estrogen only

[Adchop]

I got my blood work back & I've been approved to start taking estrogen, but no AA was required. I'm curious if anyone else here was on low dose estrogen only, & if so I'm curious what your first month or two on estrogen was like? when did you start experiencing changes? What were those changes? I'm going the transdermal patch route. I guess I need to put tape over the patch to help it stick?

Thanks!

[jennytvx]

I was on low dose for 1 month then up to double the dose the following months.  I started feeling lumps under my nipples and pain started in the end of the second month.  I noticed it was puffy and I could tell it was swelling a bit.  But the pain was most noticable.

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[JulieWeeks]

I took low dose estrogen pills only for four months before stating AA.  The first thing I noticed was a big drop in libido and my breasts started to have random bouts of pain but no growth.  After a couole of months, my chest and arm hair started to reduce.  There was a new sense of calm and happiness that I hadn't had before,  but it might have been a bit of placebo effect too.

[Charla]

 I am on my first month of low dosage HRT.  I know it has been said before, but I feel much calmer now.  I do feel some knots underneath my nipples and I am losing body hair.  I also have found a really need to drink a lot of water, as I am on spironolactone.

[Mariah]

I was when I started because I needed my nephrologist to sign off on the spiro before I could be put on it so for the first 6 weeks of I was on low does E only. It does happen. A lot of it depends on your body and the doctor. Hugs
Mariah

[StillAnonymous]

I'm not out, but the first comments I received were about my face: It looks skinnier.  I can see it now too when I compare recent pictures to my older pictures.  I'm trying to be so objective about it, and it is difficult for me to notice the changes without others making comments.  It's kind of exciting, though, when other people notice it... because I know it's working!

Tenderness in the chest.  When I started, my chest was at 33.5", and it was 35" by the end of the month.  I've been measuring and wanted to be able to track the changes really well.  It's still 35", but it's rounding out more and not merely protruding.

I was thinning on my hair a little bit (not bald, but thinning a little bit)  Unfortunately, estradiol alone did not resolve this for me.  I have heard that it does for some people, but it didn't for me.

[Obfuskatie]

I got my blood work back & I've been approved to start taking estrogen, but no AA was required. I'm curious if anyone else here was on low dose estrogen only, & if so I'm curious what your first month or two on estrogen was like? when did you start experiencing changes? What were those changes? I'm going the transdermal patch route. I guess I need to put tape over the patch to help it stick?

Thanks!

I like using bandaids to keep my patches secure, the cloth ones that breathe. I did need AAs, but I noticed changes pretty quickly for my mood. My skin became a lot smoother in the first couple months. Somewhere around the three month mark I had really bad muscle cramping, as I was in the process of losing a lot of muscle mass. My breasts have been developing on and off from about the 6th month. And after a year or so my body hair was noticeably thinner and lighter. My head hair has been a lot stronger and a bit thicker as well.


     Hugs,
- Katie
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[KayXo]

I also have found a really need to drink a lot of water, as I am on spironolactone.

What about cravings for salt? It's important to eat enough salt on Spiro as it increases sodium loss.

I'm not out, but the first comments I received were about my face: It looks skinnier.

Do you take Spiro? Usually, female hormones make the face fuller, softer looking and increase fat deposition.

Somewhere around the three month mark I had really bad muscle cramping

Spiro can cause muscle cramps due to loss of sodium/water. Eating more salt, drinking more water sometimes resolves this.