What Exactly will HRT Do to me?

[Guest Kayla Grace]

I understand that person to person may vary so I might be beating a dead horse here ... but what exactly does HRT do to it's recipients?

Here's what I'm pretty sure (though not positive) it does:

- Thins out the body hair (excluding facial hair ... unfortunately) making it finer, thinner, lighter, and less prominent

- breast growth (dependant on the genetics of the recipient)

- Gives that "feminine glow" to the skin

- re-distributes fat

- less prominanent veins (such as forearm)

- reduces the "junk" area, and makes it sterile

Here's what I'm not so sure about:

- hair growth?

- reduces muscle?

- thought processing (in regards to "feminine" thoughts and characteristics)?

I would like to gather all of the information possible, so I may accentuate the good characteristics of myself, while catering to and de-emphasizing my male point weaknesses.

God Bless,

Natalya <3

[Guest TGTrish]

Looks like you have it pretty well correct. As for head hair, HRT has partially reversed my receding hairline. I'll still need clip in bangs and hair extensions though.

Trish

9mo into HRT

[Charlize]

I don't think we can pick and choose. You have given a pretty good inventory of that which i experienced. i also have felt much more at peace. That may or may not be a the direct effect but i lie it.

Things carry so much between individuals that i'm afraid results are somewhat unpredictable. Perhaps it is best to review them with your doctor or therapist and to read through the forum regarding the experiences of others.

Sorry for such a round about answer but it may be as accurate as any.

Hugs,

Charlize

[Guest Ky_Ki]

The standards of care have a chart in them of the accepted effects.

There are lots of anecdotal stories of feeling at peace, improved smell, ease in feeling emotions, and in some cases an inch or so in reduced height - but nothing recognized by the doctors.

[Guest]

The WPATH document covers this quite well.

As for me:

Hair has become thicker. Not thickened. Each individual hair follicle is thicker now.

Still bald.

Severely reduced muscle mass, almost immediately.

Possibly rewired brain, further feminine. This may simply be a placebo though.

More acute smell.

More acute touch.

More at Calm and Peace.

Just my 2-bits worth.

Huggs,

Joann

Forgot to say: More acute sense of taste.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Guest

[StephanieVikingGirl]

Hi Natalya,

Yeah, as usual YMMV, but I have noticed lots, and lots of changes on HRT. I am always second guessing myself though, and so I always try to get confirmation on things that others can see. You know like hair regrowth, I have had a lot. Softer skin, very noticeable. Fat redistribution, mostly on my face, which changed my features a lot. Breast growth, each boob is more than a hand full now, and so maybe a B cup. Nipple size increase, two fingers barely cover them now. I lost height with age dropping from 6 feet 0 inches in the late '80s, to 5 foot 10.5 inches in 2008, and now as of three months ago 5 foot 9.5 inches (only the last loss "could possibly have some HRT influence", but I don't really know). My hands, feet, and wrists are definitely smaller. I measured my wrists before HRT at 7.0 inches, after HRT 6.5 inches. The thing that pleases me the absolute most is the lack of bald spot from HRT, that kinda keeps suicide completely away now. All of these changes have been independantly confirmed since I don't ever trust myself to not have a placebo effect.

As for mental, psychological effects, and senses: I have experienced pretty much exactly the same kind of subjective effects that Marie has been posting about since she recently started on HRT. Since those are subjective, I can't get anyone to confirm them for me, but reading her posts (which are well writen, especially from a Canadian who is multi-lingual) has confirmed for me that maybe my senses and affected brain are not placebo after all.

Once again, we are all different, so YMMV.

hugs,

Stephanie

[Guest]

change how you smell. Medically proven by me training and not smelling anything anymore. lol

I don't know it rewire your brain but it calm and for me stopped depression that was going for 21 years.

The effect of stopping depression had impact on my brain that for sure.

Also felt no aggresivity at all, not even being able to be frustrated for 1 month now.

by the way, placebo is an effect in itself. The effect it have is very real too.

My gender therapist did warn me of PMS like effect about once a month. Which I felt since. Hysterical is the word for me.

She say that hormones primarily fonction in the brain relate to emotions and that your will feel some change on that level.

She also said that the first thing to change is the brain because it's the most "plastic" or adaptable organ in our body.

well... endo will give physical effects and psy will observe mental effect.

I have every confidence in her.

[Carolyn Marie]

I agree with much of what has been said above. I would be skeptical of claims of behavioral changes resulting from HRT. I know of no definitive studies of such effects, just anecdotes, and how much is hormones and how much is willfully changed behavior is unknown. I know a few transwomen who seem just as aggressive, just as belligerent, and just as prone to want to dominate others as they likely were before hormones. I think there is a degree of stereotypical behavior at play in some of those descriptions.

The physical effects are well documented, though, and while specifics will vary, most folks will experience many of the effects to some degree.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest April Kristie]

It may have been said a little differently, but within a few weeks of taking my first E pills, my GD went away never to be seen again. If this is what other women describe as "at peace" then I am in that camp.

[Guest Kayla Grace]

i also have felt much more at peace. That may or may not be a the direct effect but i lie it.

I think that's mainly because you finally have what you've been coveting for years, but that's what makes being trans great right Charlize?

Looks like you have it pretty well correct. As for head hair, HRT has partially reversed my receding hairline. I'll still need clip in bangs and hair extensions though.

Trish

9mo into HRT

Congratulations Trish! I'll check out your gallery if you have one after I'm done with this post! My SO has actually found hair extensions, if you were interested. pm me if you'd like a link, and I'll get back to you when I get it.

Stephie, I didn't know Marie had been blogging, I'll check it out

My gender therapist did warn me of PMS like effect about once a month.

Oh my god ... At work today, I was just so edgy, I kept saying "I can frigging take this place today!". Work volume was slower then normal even. PMS syndrome?

The standards of care have a chart in them of the accepted effects.

There are lots of anecdotal stories of feeling at peace, improved smell, ease in feeling emotions, and in some cases an inch or so in reduced height - but nothing recognized by the doctors.

the height isnt much of a problem. I'm 5'7", and apparently that's considered tall for a girl. meh?

Thanks all. I would rather get it from my fellow sisters on HRT, then rely on the internet. As we all know, it can be full of crap.

I'm going to give my doctor a call on Monday, and see if they can find me a place to prescribe HRT. I'm not sure I can wait a full year for the Toronto Gender Clinic. I'm getting ... a bit giddy and anxious

God Bless,

Natalya <3

Edited December 20, 2014 by Kayla Grace
Word changed to correct **word

[Guest]

on the other hand, I won't invent being aggressive just because I want to stick to proven scientifical effects. As long as it makes you happy...lol

[Guest]

nor can I make me smell bad after 2 hours of intensive exercises because it's not in the list... there's so much unproven things I just get lost in all of this.

[StephanieVikingGirl]

I defnitely agree Marie, no detectable body odor....unless maybe pheromones. My sense of smell is very much improved, and that is proven. We in the wine industry know from testing at U.C. Davis that women have a better sense of smell. Its the hormones. Yep, and I wish I had some wine right now because I can detect so many more intense aromas. Subjectively I feel way less aggressive, and everyone who rides with me has commented on my driving like a girl now. I don't know how Danica Patrick does it, I just don't have it in me anymore. The skills are still there (I used to compete in SCCA Solo II events), but I don't have any desire to use them unless I really, really need to. Oh well, I didn't see that one coming, it totally surprised me. So in some ways it could be seen as a down side to HRT, but I am probably safer now. Just reminiscing on what HRT has done for me.

hugs,

Stephanie

[Guest]

concerning effect on the brain : it's well known that they are many sexual hormones receptor in the brain. Hormones are bound to have an effect. Maybe not the presence of E to be extra extra conservative but at least the absence of T will have effect. But a transgender friend I know in real life was switched hormones because her bipolar disorder got very very bad under HRT. I will not get into specifics about how the brain react to hormones because it's very contreversial and I don't really know what i'm talking about but don't go thinking that it will have no impact whatsoever.

Not scientifically proven doesn't mean it's not there. It means the research is not precise or conclusive enough to be accepted by specialist.

My gender therapist have done a master on those subjects, it's quite recent and she do know what she's talking about. At least a lot more then me. She gave me numerous example of people who where unstable mentally and that hormones didn't help at all.

I'm not saying it's a magical pill. But to go into HRT thinking it will have no psychological effect feels dangerous to me.

[Guest]

I will 2^nd Marie's comment.

Starting HT and not expecting any psych. changes is dangerous, at best.

Huggs,

Joann

[Guest]

plus, just to talk for fun. Although unproven, every humain brain have receptors that will change things to fit the said hormones role in nature. The brain is an organ that adapt easily. It's not like bones that is set when someone start to take HRT as an adult. Your hips will not become larger because everything is already fixed. But the brain will adapt to your new hormones. It's likely that every brain receptor you would have as a 10 years old girl will trigger with your new puberty.

PMS, although subjects of jokes, is one of those mechanism triggered by hormones. It's something in a girl brain that trigger a massive release of hormones to start the mechanism to eject what was made in the uterus. It's a mechanism that develop at puberty under estrogen. You will take estrogen. The brain, contrary to bones, will changes as if you where on puberty. Some girl don't have PMS so maybe you won't have that. But it's likely your brain will modify to adapt to it's new role. I know my way to react to my child have change, it's hard to pinpoint the exact nature of those changes but I can swear to you it did, you can't be mistaken on that. It's only logical, by brain is changing to be able to be a good mother. We would all be different mother, nobody can say what will change in your brain.

I have no proof of that. But it's not that far fetched to expect such adaptability from the brain. It's a amazing organ after all.

[Guest LizMarie]

I am not sure there are actual behavioral changes because of HRT, but I rather suspect that behavioral changes that do occur are a secondary result of people finally facing themselves and being honest with themselves, thus allowing themselves to express in ways they stifled previously (whether consciously or not).

[Guest Ky_Ki]

I am not sure there are actual behavioral changes because of HRT, but I rather suspect that behavioral changes that do occur are a secondary result of people finally facing themselves and being honest with themselves, thus allowing themselves to express in ways they stifled previously (whether consciously or not).

There are plenty of non trans people that go on t blockers and things like drops in levels of aggression and competitive instincts are common reports. So I don't think the effects are entirely imagined and only repressed instincts.

[Guest]

well, I actually asked my gender therapist about this topic (effect of HRT) and asked the scientific basis for some of what she said :

"Pas vraiment d'étude sur les trans mais la psysho-neurologie est bien documentée sur les impacts des hormones sur les émotions et le psychologique. Le synthétique bcp moins documenté. Quelques études sur les hormones face aux troubles de l'humeur, la contraception chez les femmes ou hormone de remplassement sur andropause et ménopause alors on fait un peu nos corrélation. Ça peut-être évolué aussi... "

or in english

there's no real studies about the mental effect of HRT on trans people but the psycho-neurology is well documented on the impact of the hormones on the emotions and psychology. The synthetic hormones are not very well documented. There's some studies on mood disorders, contraception for woman or HRT for andropause and menopause so we need to do correlations. Maybe there's something new on that...

[Guest]

maybe it's already known but I'm searching the internet for papers on changes in brain for HRT and i've found this one :

http://www.eje-online.org/content/155/suppl_1/S107.abstract

just reading the abstract is interesting I think.

[Guest]

In conclusion, our data show that in young adult

humans, androgen treatment increases the volume of

the female brain towards male proportions and antiandrogenCestrogen

treatment reduces the size of the

male brain towards female proportions. The findings

imply plasticity of adult human brain structure towards

the opposite sex under the influence of cross-sex

hormones.

[Guest]

Interestingly, in adult female canaries, testosterone

treatment also resulted in singing behavior normally

heard only from male canaries (23, 24).

lolz

[Guest]

another more recent one with conclusion in line with the first

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19751389

RESULTS:

The classical mental rotation network was activated in all three groups, but significant differences within this network were observed. Men without GID exhibited significantly greater activation of the left parietal cortex (BA 40), a key region for mental rotation processes. Both transsexual groups revealed stronger activation of temporo-occipital regions in comparison with men without GID.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results confirmed previously reported deviances of brain activation patterns in transsexual men from men without GID and also corroborated these findings in a group of transsexual patients receiving cross-sex hormone therapy. The present study indicates that there are a priori differences between men and transsexual patients caused by different neurobiological processes or task-solving strategies and that these differences remain stable over the course of hormonal treatment.

[Guest]

I've not seen articles that contradict those two on changes in brain structure. But i've seen plenty of studies that show no difference after HRT between how cisgender male brain USE the different regions and Post HRT MTF brains.

It's like saying, yeah our brain change but we won't necessarily use our brain differently for task that male are strong in (via brain activity imagery). Not seen any studies for HRT MTF in task that female are strong in.

[Guest]

So yeah, here is a video that explain brain plasticity. Sorry if I talk a lot about that but i've worked with a neuropsychologue for many years and talked a LOT about that.

The (first) study show that our HRT transgender brain have the capacity and WILL become a female brain. It doesn't mean that you will unlearn what you have learn (as the second study show) but you will more then likely lose some male specific mechanism and gain some female specific mechanism. Listen to the video and think about the implication of those things on you.

that, to me, underline the importance of being followed by a gender therapist when on hrt, at least at the beginning. I know many of you know that, and are followed but maybe some new person will now have an extra reason to do that