4 Days on Hormones, is this normal?

[Carrie Ines]

So I started HRT last thursday. I obviously wasn't expecting much to happen right away as most of the accounts from other trans girls is of a slow process. Day 1 and 2 nothing really, a little rush of happiness maybe, excitement.

Day 3, I suddenly became very aware of my breasts. I've always had a little extra up top and a kind of semi androgynous body shape but they have certainly grown. The same goes for my hips and bum.

Day 4, I definitely feel softer and feel like my muscles have relaxed a little. I know this is not psychosomatic as i met up with a friend today for lunch, a friend I see regularly, last time was last week and the first thing she did was look me up and down and say "there's something different about you, your skin looks really healthy and your face looks different, fuller"

Is it usually this quick to act?

[Angela Campbell]

Nope. In 4 days i would expect almost nothing from the estrogen except perhaps a bit of euphoria from the exitement of beginning, and a bit more peeing from the spiro. It takes a lot of time for the balance of the hormones to change in your body. It takes even longer for the different levels of the hormones to have any effect. I felt the first soreness in my breasts at about 6 weeks and first growth in about 4 to 6 months. B cups in a year. But I am one of the lucky ones as most get way less.

not magic, it takes years.

[Carrie Ines]

I'm not talking massively, but enough to notice, plus with someone else who saw me recently to comment like that backs it up and reassured me it wasn't in my head.

Maybe it has something to do with my metabolism. Or maybe good cells??? I've also always healed really quickly, when younger and i used to get cuts all the time people have commented. I'm not talking wolverine here but quicker than normal.

So nobody else has had this quick response?

[Kaitlyn Michele]

carrie

who knows is the answer. whats normal is to want instant results, better results etc... maybe for you its working already, maybe not... maybe some things can happen instantly for some people..anything is possible
over time you will know for sure and that's all you can do.

it took a couple weeks for me to be certain I was getting slight feelings in my breast area and improvement in the softness of my skin(for me the change to my skin was the changed physical part pf HRT..i got very little real breast growth)
...it took 3+ years and srs to develop hips...

[Kimberly Kael]

Our bodies just don't react that fast. It could be a subconscious change in posture or a dozen other factors, but your body didn't change its shape noticeably because you started changing hormone levels a few days ago.

Breast buds kick into gear pretty early, but you'll notice long before anyone else would. Not in shape, but in tenderness at first.

[stefan37]

Nope. I experienced breast tenderness about 6 months on Spiro alone. After introduction of estrogen it took about 3-4 weeks when my wife noticed my skin had gotten softer. I experienced enlarged aerolas about 4-6 weeks in. My breast started to bud about 3 months.

The very next day aftet introduction of estrogen I noticed I had some anxiety but the effects seemed to be short circuit. After 3 days my anxiety was obliterated for the first time in many years. Anti anxiety meds dulled the anxiety but it was still there. That confirmed for me estrogen was needed by my brain. I knew at that point I had to fully commit to transition regardless of the consequences.

[Megan G]

Nope. In 4 days i would expect almost nothing from the estrogen except perhaps a bit of euphoria from the exitement of beginning.

not magic, it takes years.

Yes think years, not days or weeks

I am about 11 months in on my hrt and like you I remember the beginning. You are so desperately looking for the changes. You so badly want to see it working that I think your mind plays tricks on you but hey I guess anything is possible.

Megan...

[LeaP]

Extremely unlikely. You simply don't replace enough cells that quickly. No-one does. The structure of your skin has to change, thinning, lessening oil production, and pores getting smaller over time. Doesn't happen in 4 days! Sensation in the breast? Maybe. But growth? Nope.

[MelissaPaige]

In 3.5 days of starting HRT, I started feeling ripples of light pain from armpit/shoulder down toward areola. During the next three weeks, they grew. Within that time, a couple people who know were shocked at some facial changes. Yes, it's possible. Of course, I had a burst of changes in the first two months and then very limited changes the next two months.

From what I hear from others, that kind of immediate response is apparently rare...

[Carrie Ines]

I know is sounds strange but they defo have, they feel different in my hands. I'm not complaining, just wasn't expecting this to happen as i've always thought it takes time, just like people are replying about.

I had a feeling it was maybe my mind playing tricks on me but I can't figure out my friend (who doesn't know by the way) seeing a change if it is all in my head...which it's not i assure you

[celeste26]

What might be the cause is an undiagnosed condition of intersex. It does happen that a person who is intersexed might not know it for a long time well into adulthood. Simply because there are so many different levels of how this condition might show itself. Some very dramatically and many very subtly.

I am not saying this is it for sure, but there are cases I've read where the changes come very rapidly.

[Eryn]

You might be experiencing a secondary reaction to your body becoming used to the new regime or simply due to the knowledge that you've taken this step. A little water weight gain could explain what you are experiencing.

[Carrie Ines]

What might be the cause is an undiagnosed condition of intersex. It does happen that a person who is intersexed might not know it for a long time well into adulthood.

This thought did actually cross my mind, however all the articles i have read on intersex suggest an obvious marker to show intersex, usually abnormal genitals or scaring from surgery in early childhood. The only signs I can think to suggest that this is a possibility is that I have all my life, as far as i can remember had a little extra than the normal male in the breast area, a B Cup at the moment, i'm not overweight but I do put weight on my chest and bum/ thighs, these seem to be the last place I lose it from.

How would I be able to test for being intersex?

I've also just thought of something my Mum said a few months back. I was on a bit of a health kick, still am, but was exercising a lot, had lost weight from my belly, not that i needed much but could feel getting out of shape a little.

I was chatting with her and said I can't lose it from my chest, she said "well there's probably not much chance of you losing those". I didn't think much of it til the mention of intersex in an earlier post. There was something knowing about the way she said it though thinking back...or maybe thats me reading into it

[Kaitlyn Michele]

just based on this thread you ARE reading too much into everything..

over time this will all happen for you if you do a good job executing your plan to transition... your skin boobs hair etc may never change much or they may change a lot...or take a very long time..

[Jorja]

More than likely it is a placebo effect. You have wanted HRT for some time, now you finally got it, and you know what is possible. The mind loves to play tricks on us.

[Kathryn Martin]

Oh my God we have an intersexed shapeshifter......

[Carrie Ines]

A little water weight gain could explain what you are experiencing.

This is quite possible, i do feel a little bloated.

Also what Jorja said about a placebo effect and the mind being a powerful thing could also be a factor but not in the way of my mind playing tricks on me. i know my body and there has definitely been a change, a small one, believe me i'm not saying here that I have suddenly morphed but I can assure you there has been a change.

Jorja's point has raised the thought of the mind being powerful. Think of faith heeling, of many cultures, there is evidence to suggest that if you believe in something truly then it can happen, no matter how fantastic. We create our own reality, to a certain extent, maybe the belief and drive to do this is so powerful it's spurring things along.

Or i have a condition i was never made aware of xx

[celeste26]

Without any obvious signs the only way would be to get a DNA assessment.

[whowhatwhen]

The only thing I noticed by day 4 was my libido dropping like a stone, other than that my boob stuff started maybe at week 2 or so.
HRT Is definitely a YMMV thing so I dunno.

[PretzelGirl]

Intersex is so varied, you can't just test for it. You can test for specific subsets of it. There are different things that show up in different ways. Some only show up because of having surgery or still having a condition not altered. I would take a deep breath and see how things go for a while. Maybe water weight is the right answer. I know many have also said they put on weight quickly after starting. A little extra weight of any type can make the face and skin look different.

[dreamer_2.0]

One month to the day into HRT, haven't noticed a thing. Skin might be softer, if anything.

[Cheyenne Skye]

I mostly agree with the other posts that it's in your head or some possible weight change. I was on Spiro for two months before I started estradiol. It took another month before my nipples started itching to let me know something was happening. But that was with pills. If you're injecting your E, you might feel something sooner because it's a lot more going in your system at once. Definitely YMMV.

[noeleena]

Hi,

The bodys receptors dont change to accept different bodys hormones unless you body has those receptors your body can not absorb synthic meds that quick and make body changes so quick,

now as to intersexed , im one and my own hormones started change,s in my body over 20 years ago . so for those of us yes our bodys can effect changes because we have both male and female hormones and other detail and because our bodys are quite different in our make up ,

yes every person born does have both male and female hormones as to how much and the rate will depend on many factors less female hormones for most men and and less male hormones for women yet again depends on the makeup of the person , and theres a lot of detail to know with out the background info of the person , to answer or say what those differences are,

And for a few and thats rare some are totaly different again ,

...noeleena...

[Michelle789]

I am two days on hormones, and yeah I do notice a little increase in peeing from the spiro, and I do feel somewhat more relaxed and euphoric. I'm not sure if what I feel is the hormones already kicking in, a psychological effect, or a combination of both.

I agree that YMMV. I saw a video on hormones before I was even allowed to be prescribed any, and the first effect is usually feeling euphoria, more relaxed, and confirmation of your gender identity. This generally happens from 2 days to 2 weeks. Physical changes generally come later, but it's still YMMV.

[Sarah M]

When I started HRT I was on Spirotone for 28 days nothing was happening except feeling lousy from a very low T- level an I took my Estradiol Valerate Injection an I started feeling better an about a week My nipples were very very sore an have been sore now for over a year about 3 months my skin was getting soft an as the months passed my chest hair is not growing out anymore an body fat redistribution is taking place an my nipples an areolas an breast are larger facial changes are beginning to take place. It will take time it's not overnight wish it was but it's not ! ...

[HelenR2]

Your skin might be a little oilier but that's about all the changes you can get in four days. If your mood has changed you might be a little more relaxed and that can show in your face but it won't be an actual physical change. Your breasts, hips and bum have NOT grown. At best that is just wishful thinking, at worst you are kidding yourself and us. Still, good luck anyway.

[LeaP]

If you're injecting your E, you might feel something sooner because it's a lot more going in your system at once. Definitely YMMV.

It's the other way around. The fastest estrogen uptake is sublingual. The advantages of injections are steadier levels, not having to replace patches, take pills or use creams constantly, and low cost. Injected estradiol is in oil, which allows you to metabolize it slowly.


Your skin might be a little oilier but that's about all the changes you can get in four days.

Skin becomes less oily and thins over time on MtF HRT . It's one reason trans men often have to deal with acne breakouts when they start T. As with learning how to carry things like women must when your breasts develop, you soon gain a real appreciation for another common female preoccupation - moisturizer.