First weeks of HRT

[lesliecleves]

I'd like to hear the range of experiences...and feel a need to share

[Marleena]

I think this one has been beat to death Leslie. Not much will happen the first few weeks if you are on a full regimen (T-blocker and E). Breast tenderness and a feeling of well-being should happen first. The dark clouds all disappeared at about the one month mark for me and I finally felt "right" for the first time in my life.

[Michaella]

Nothing much at all happened for at least a month, then I think I noticed some softness and clearing of skin. It took a couple of months before I felt anything with my breasts, only after nearly 3 months seeing anything in my face. However, I am 63 years old, and on a relatively cautious path, a low dose of estradiol orally per day. Your experience may well be very different.

I've heard a number of transwomen report a sense of lightness, an elation that they have not had before. I can't say that is happening to me, but I do feel a little more at peace with myself, a little less edgy, than I used to be. Others have said they have noticed this in me too. I am trying to be realistic, not create too high expectations of rapid change.

Michaella

[Aprilrain]

If anything NOTICABLE happens in the first few weeks it's plecebo effect. Eventually, much like grass growing or the hour hand on a clock, change occurs.

[Karen62]

I just started HRT this week, and as Michaella alluded to, while there is some talk of this epiphany moment with some women when they start HRT, I didn't experience any of that. And that is fine with me. But I think there are true psychological effects at play, even if they are merely placebo effects, that occur when T-women take that first, mystical and scary plunge into the unknown world of estrogen. Change is expected, but we don't really know what or when or how much or anything, really. But if you personally never felt some emotional sense of relief at finally starting on your own path to congruency with HRT, that doesn't mean other do not.

I have a related experience that I think shows that the mundane to some can be an exceptional thing to others who have not experienced it before (or not in a very long time). In 2002, I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. I literally stopped breathing 69 times an hour during the night! I was prescribed a CPAP machine. I didn't like the way the machine worked, but I was going to make it work because I was having not only physical affects, but psychological affects from sleep deprivation. Well, the first machine I got was defective, and I didn't know it. Instead of holding a continuous air pressure throughout the night, the pressure got higher and higher until it would be like blowing my brains out, which kept me from sleeping at all. I went from bad sleep deprivation to severe sleep deprivation and was in a really bad state. Finally the machine was recognized as defective and swapped out for a higher end APAP machine (that automatically provides only enough pressure to keep your airway open and then fall back to lower pressures when not needed).

So the whole world sleeps at night, right? Sleep is as common as dirt, right? Well, April, I can tell you that on the 2nd night I used that new machine, I slept for 12 hours and woke up feeling like was 20 years old again. I nearly wept about how amazingly good I felt. It was a real epiphany moment for me. But I was told by the doctor that once you acclimate to using APAP, you become a normal sleeper again, meaning you have good nights, restless nights, even occasional bouts of minor insomnia, but sleep apnea will no longer be the problem. You just become a normal sleeper, and the novelty is gone.

All I really want now with HRT is to feel like a normal woman, whatever that means (at least to me). No novelty, no epiphany, no pink fog needed. I just want to be the real me, content with myself, happy to live an authentic life of congruency. No, estradiol is not heroin, not LSD, not anything other than a means to get us to where we feel normal. And there is ecstasy in that, isn't there?

Karen

[Aprilrain]

Karen, The difference between estrodiol and a CPAP machine is transparent. The machine has an immediate effect where as estrodiol does not. What you experienced with the machine was not placebo. I'm not saying estrodiol does nothing, quite the contrary, it has profound effects, I'm just saying that it takes time. If you think the minute changes that become apparent after a month or so are life altering just wait until you've been on the stuff for at least a year.

[lesliecleves]

I am less edgy and anxious. Find libido sharply drop, with smaller genitals and that pleases me in their new appearance. At the same time there's a libidinal frustration or change of almost constant vague desire, though one not with compulsive direction.

I cannot separate placebo effect and direct chemical effect. I'm not sure how important that is at my early stage. and I wonder where it is going.

[Sammy777]

I will say this, in that first week or so, Yes I did feel different, but it wasn't the effects of the pills, it was a sense of happiness and a lifting of depression in knowing that I finally had them and was over one of the bigger "milestone" hurdles in all of this craziness.

It wasn't until months later that I started [even if it was just to me] to see or feel any changes from it.
You have to remember that even in a natal girl, hormones IE: Puberty takes YEARS to do its job.
Why would you think these same changes would take any less time in you?

At least for me anyway, these changes show themselves in more of a "well will you look at that" way
Then a Oh look I didn't have breast yesterday, I better go buy a bigger bra way :lol2:

Oh, and while on the subject of the effects of Estrogen, I would like to DEBUNK** two "HRT" MYTHS*.

MYTH* #1) Estrogen can/will change your brain chemistry, or "make it Female". THIS IS FALSE!

If that was the case, and Estrogen Rewires your brain to that of a Female.
Then why didn't all that Testosterone in your body "Rewire" it to Male a LONG time ago?

Being TS means your brain was HARDWIRED in the womb to be Female in the first place.
It is basically the whole reason you are TS in the first place.

MYTH* #2) Estrogen can/will change your Sexual Orientation. THIS IS FALSE!

Your Sexuality, whatever it may be, denied or expressed, is also HARDWIRED in the womb.
No amount of Estrogen will change that any more then trying to "Pray the Gay away" :lol2:

Sexual Orientation is fluid in most all people, whether or not they choose to explore or accept it.
There are no hard lines dividing Straight - Bisexual - Lesbian/Gay - Asexual - Ect..
There is and will always be certain amounts of over lapping in ALL of them.

2A) I suddenly fine myself attracted to Men and/or Woman now.
SPOILER ALERT!!! You always were, you just never explored the fact, or more so you denied/buried it.
"Search your feelings, you *know* it to be true!" [Lord Vader] :heehee:

*[URL="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myth"]Merriam Web

[Dianne S]

Estrogen can/will change your Sexual Orientation.

I find that just spironolactone has done that for me... :)

Maybe I have a fair bit of ambient estrogen because I've had noticeable breast growth after just 5 months on spiro.

[Aprilrain]

Dianne, Sammy is saying that estrogen has nothing to do with sexual orientation. She's debunking a myth that it does.

[Jorja]

@lesliecleves - One should not expect any results from taking HRT for about 3 to 6 months. At that point you will probably notice soreness of the nipples. From this point forward it is usually suggested to stop HRT if you are not ready for the irreversible changes that will come from continued use of HRT.

[Persephone]

As is often the case, Jorja is the voice of sanity (and experience) here.

Changes of any type are slow with HRT. But for most of us the feelings that we identify as "gender dysphoria" definitely tend to be relieved.

A cute clip from Big Bang Theory (contains audio).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mU3SD9hWVw

Hugs,
Persephone.

[LeaP]

Forget the psychological aspect for a second. Estradiol is known to act in two primary physical ways. Gene transcription effects – including those within the brain – take a LONG time to show up. Months. There are hundreds of trillions of cells in the human body. Billions, if not trillions of interest in terms of transsexual cellular differentiation. The entire process of hormone receptor uptake, DNA and then RNA transcription on into differentiation is holy shit complicated. Moreover, multiple, so-called initiation events are required before the differentiation typically starts. The badly transcribed plain English version of this is that blasting a cell with a little estradiol a few times won't do it. There maybe 8 or 10 protein signal events at the RNA transcription level before cell differentiation even begins.

The second physical effect is in synaptic signaling. It is known that estradiol speeds signaling in the brain. The mood effects of estradiol are also well-known, both in scientific terms as well as in the experience of most women on the planet. I have not read anything that directly relates the two. As regards mood, a good part of the effect in natal women is the variance – as opposed to some absolute level – of serum estradiol levels during the monthly cycle.

In any event, the bottom line is that I largely agree with April. My own experience, having started Spiro and Finasteride well in advance of estradiol, was that anti-androgens provided most, if not all of the effect. I have noticed changes in my thinking, emotionality, and a number of other things over time from estradiol, but I really don't think they were a significant factor until well after a year in.

[Frances]

You will feel relief (and possible excitement) from having finally taken the step, then apprehension over what may come next. Everything else is too unpredictable to call.

[Dianne S]

@Aprilrain... yes, I totally missed Sammy's point. But mine still stands... I am now attracted to men whereas before I wasn't. I don't know if I was consciously suppressing it and that finally realizing I need to transition has freed me from suppressing that as well, but whatever it is... I found the change quite unexpected.

[Sammy777]

Dianne, Sammy is saying that estrogen has nothing to do with sexual orientation. She's debunking a myth that it does.
Thank You April :D



Estrogen can/will change your Sexual Orientation.
I find that just spironolactone has done that for me... :)

Dianne, please refrain from cutting snippets that are used out of their full context to make it look as if I support a falsehood rather then trying to debunk it.
To be fair to everybody, I have just edited my previously misquoted post to better reflect the point I was trying to make that medications whether they be Estrogen, Spironolactone, Progesterone or any other part of someone's HRT treatment will in NO way change your Sexual Orientation as it is HARDWIRED in the brain.

Much in the same way you can not change whether or not someone is Left or Right handed.
You can TEACH a left handed person to use their less dominate Right hand, but it will NEVER change the fact that the person in question is/was and will ALWAYS be Left Handed.

That person may be taught [or forced by society] to write, eat, use tools, play guitar, ect with their Right hand but they will ALWAYS know that they were Born Left handed and that, that will never change.

To further illustrate my point; If ones innate Sexual Orientation is/was able to be changed with Hormone replacement, or any other medications then it would be logical to conclude that ANY person's [Not just Transsexuals] Sexual Orientation could be changed.
Which would lead to the conclusion that ANYBODY wishing to NOT be BI/Gay/Lesbian/Ect. could become, or worse yet, Forced to become a "Normal functioning heterosexual man/woman" with medications.

242272
You have NO idea just how long I have been waiting for any chance to use that pic, because it is just too funny! :D


@Aprilrain... yes, I totally missed Sammy's point. But mine still stands... I am now attracted to men whereas before I wasn't. I don't know if I was consciously suppressing it and that finally realizing I need to transition has freed me from suppressing that as well, but whatever it is... I found the change quite unexpected.

Thanks!
While I obviously can not comment on your personal experiences, allow me to share some of my own regarding my sexual orientation.
Growing up I considered my self "Straight" [growing up male] and then solely "Lesbian" after coming out.
While I can not speak for everyone, I suspect that others have followed a similar "path" in finding their own true sexual orientation.

I believe the reason why so many over the years have thought that HRT in some way changed their sexual orientation is because the timing between one coming out, one becoming comfortable with themselves and starting to look inward coincide with the start of HRT.

Basically, for those that did not previously feel they were attracted to the opposite sex [Men] before transition, mainly due to the negative stereotypes with being a "Gay Man" subside and give way to a more open and honest sense of self.

In other words, in becoming and accepting the woman within certain walls and prejudices are torn down as one more freely gets to feel and experience what it is to be the true person they have been the whole time, a woman. And in doing so open themselves up and align to the more "traditionally accepted" notions of what is and is not acceptable for woman. IE: being with the opposite sex [Men].
When the idea of being with a man stops being a "Homosexual" act and becomes a "Normal" act, the idea of it becomes easier to accept.

You are now able to explore these possible aspects of your sexuality without fear of ridicule.
And in doing so is when you finally accept that these "new found" feelings where really there all along, just suppressed since puberty.

Think back, HARD, about all those little clues you dismissed and buried, those glances that make you pause, shake your head then say Naaaaa I like girls. Well who doesn't think that [insert any male actor's name] is good looking, it doesn't make me gay dude!
Are you sure you just liked every one of their movies, just because, or was perhaps something a bit more?? :D

Those odd fleeting feelings you couldn't quite put your finger on growing up, but quickly forgot or denied even happen.
I'm sure the longer you think about it, the more they will surface.

Oh, back to me? Well mine came in a serious [and funny] WTF? moment.
The more I thought about it, the more I began to accept it. Although it was still an "untested" theory until out one night.
Here I am with a female friend of mine who up to then wasn't even aware this was even an option at the time, lol.
Cue seriously good looking bartender, who up to this point I hadn't really noticed as I was busy talking with my friend.
I took a quick glance at him, did a double take, followed by a longer look, at which point I turn to my friend and plain as day say wow he is hot, or good looking, doesn't really matter exactly what I say, the whole point being that with those few words came acceptance.
And quite the shocked look from my friend who replied something to the affect of "You like guys?" to wit I replied "Ya, I guess I do" :lol2:

PS: for me, theory became fact that night, and as any good scientist knows, an experiment is only valid if it can be reproduced. Which it was [with um great great pleasurable intensity, lol] a short time later, in my private lab ;)

[arbon]

I was more asexual back then.
I could not be a man with another man there was no stirring in me for that.
And not much more sexual attraction towards women, but there was more sexual interest in them.

Not now.
It is a lot different now.

I really don't think it was just a matter of being able to explore my sexuality more, something else changed. Or was awakened. I think it is more complicated and that HRT does or at least can play a role in it.

You should consider that we are pretty much the only ones who completely switch off the T and replace it with high doses of E. Can what happens in our brains when we do that really be compared to other groups like gays?

[Michelle789]

Leslie, Everyone has different experiences, and hormones generally work very slowly. As others have said here, think in terms of years, not days or weeks. Months - well some changes can be noticeable within a few months. Here is my experience. I was initially placed on a full dosage of estrogen, and half the normal dosage of spiro, which is how my doctor prescribes hormones.

Immediately. I felt this euphoric high, and it lasted about a week until I had my first mood swing. This may have been a combination of the hormones and the stressful events that occurred the first week I was on hormones.

2-3 weeks. I noticed my skin started to feel a bit smoother, and Cody noticed too. Morning erections disappeared. My sex drive lowered considerably. My body odor changed.

4 weeks. I came out at my AA home group. This was the single most important coming out event in my entire transition, since this is the primary cis-gender group of people I see regularly, and it's quite a large group too. Everyone there noticed that I was WAY more relaxed after coming out, along with co-workers, and my former neighbor who is not in AA. Cody noticed that I seemed WAY more relaxed after about a month on hormones, which coincided with the day that I came out at AA. I'm not sure if my appearing more relaxed was because of the hormones, coming out at AA, or a combination of both. At that time there were slight changes to my cheeks. Although the euphoric high disappeared, I felt relatively more at peace with myself.

5-6 weeks. My breasts started to get sore. Mood swings are generally more common by now. At this time, I also had a much easier time kissing Cody heavily on the lips. I'm not sure if this was the hormones, or me simply being with Cody for over 2 months.

6 weeks. For about four days, I noticed a change in my sense of smell and taste. I became more sensitive to taste and smell. Certain things I like to eat repulsed me, and my makeup temporarily gave off an unwelcome scent. This passed after about four days, and didn't return until after about 3-4 weeks after I doubled my spiro. The same thing repeated itself for about 3-4 days, and then passed. I will mention this again later.

7 weeks. I had a serious cry for the first time. I became more in touch with my emotions and have cried more often ever since.

2 months. My face was a bit softer, with changes being most noticeable in my cheeks. My skin was considerably softer. My doctor gave me the choice to either double my spiro or to keep the dosage the same, since I was getting better than average results. I chose to keep my spiro the same, since I didn't want to go to the bathroom more. I ended up regretting this decision as it ultimately lead to testosterone creep after 4-6 months.

3 months. My face was even softer. I had a friend analyze my pictures and noticed the difference. My friends noticed that I sounded way happier in my voice (this was gradually over the first three months on HRT).

4 months. My breasts were starting to grow.

5 months. My facial expression (eyes and mouth) started to appear softer.

4-6 months. Because I didn't double my spiro dosage, I started experiencing the symptoms of testosterone creep. This included a return of morning erections, increased sex drive (and erections), anger and irritability, and crying much less. Chest hair that was lasered off was starting to grow back. I was feeling worsening anxiety. Interestingly enough, my body was still continuing to feminize. My breasts, in particular, were starting to grow noticeably larger.

6 months. I saw my doctor again and I told him about my testosterone creep symptoms. He said that I had every symptom of testosterone creep, and immediately doubled my spiro dosage. I immediately felt better the first several days after I doubled my spiro dosage.

6 months and 2 weeks. I started to cry WAY more. I cried a lot throughout the second half of February. My morning erections disappeared again, and my sex drive lowered.

6 months and 3 weeks. A similar episode to when my sense of taste and smell temporarily changed (similar to 6 weeks). Once again, the episode passed after about 4 days.

7 months. I notice that my interests are starting to move more toward the feminine. I am more likely to react to things like a woman when I get excited about something. I have more of an appreciation for flowers, decorations, and other finer things. My face and skin are considerably softer by now. My breasts are a little larger.

This is strictly my experience. Yours may differ, and you may experience slower or faster changes. You may experience more or fewer changes. You may experience the changes in different order.

[KellyJameson]

Trans men and women quite likely have a sexuality that is unique to them from being born misaligned between body and brain.

A significant part of my GD was wrapped up in the confusion I experienced during the sex act. Many trans people struggle with trying to understand their sexuality finding it almost impossible to label as being one thing or another. There is a well known sexual fluidity among trans men and women.

We are sexual with and through our bodies. The same bodies we change through hormones and surgeries.

For trans how can they know what their actual sexuality is until they transition?

Plus those who know the experience of being "seen" as their true sex in a sexual setting will experience what I can only call an awakening of that which has laid dorminant (unused and unexperienced) all those years.

Our sexuality is determined in the womb but it is not known "completely" until after transition. Up until that time you have been removed to some degree from your sexuality because of your body and how you are forced to use it and have a relationship with it.

I thought I was asexual but I was simply someone who had removed sex from my life to lessen the painful experience of GD, just as I lessened all other possible gender roles including the unconscious elimination and use of gendered pronouns.I did not have a body to be sexual with that matched my brain, causing extreme stress and dissonance

Until you can escape the pain of misalignment you search for ways to reduce it.

I always encourage anyone who determines that they are trans to avoid labeling their sexuality until after transitioning.

Sex and sexuality as that need to label "it" can greatly add to the confusion and anxiety.

In my opinion gender identity as that divergent separation between brain and body trans people experience that GD comes out of makes discovering ones genuine sexuality very difficult if not impossible until after transitioning.

One more reason this is such a tragic experience until it is remedied. Everything is stolen from you.

[Sammy777]

You should consider that we are pretty much the only ones who completely switch off the T and replace it with high doses of E. Can what happens in our brains when we do that really be compared to other groups like gays?

Actually it can in a few different ways.
1) Science has shown that not just the chemistry of the brain is different between the sexes, but the brain itself is fundamentally different between men and women.
Certain parts of the brain [I can't recalled all the scientific names of each part] are larger in men, and other parts larger in women.

2) Science has also shown that [with varying degrees] that the physical and chemical make up of the brain in Homosexual Men will in some ways mimic that of the female brain, the same for Lesbian Women's mimicking that of a man brain.

**Similar studies have been done/tried to further this theory on Transsexual Men and Women's brains, but due to a lack of available donors any tests to date have used to small of a data pool to get any reliable results.
In case you are wondering? These test can only be preformed postmortem [I see dead people].

3) People with androgen insensitivity syndrome (http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/androgen-insensitivity-syndrome) [AIS] are typically X/Y Chromosomal Men whos bodies do not respond to Testosterone and develop female sexual characteristics.
**Note while similar on the surface, this is completely different then the chromosomal conditions, explained below.

4) Here, just read this. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/46,_XX/XY) To many variables/conditions to explain quickly.

While all these conditions vary greatly from one another, two thing seems to be constant.
1) Regardless of any condition, the base line belief is that once the brain is formed, that is it, it doesn't change.
2) None of these conditions seem to manifest any fundamental changes in ones sexual orientation during onset or later treatment.

On an unrelated, not very scientific note, here is an interesting read (http://www.handresearch.com/news/left-handed-men-may-think-more-like-women.htm) regarding how Left Handed Men [supposedly] think differently then Right Handed Men. In short, Lefties Rule! NaNa NaNa Ya! Woo Hoo!

Share and Enjoy :D

[Dianne S]

@Sammy777, first of all let me apologize once again for completely missing your original point. I can only plead fatigue; I didn't read your original post carefully enough.


Think back, HARD, about all those little clues you dismissed and buried, those glances that make you pause, shake your head then say Naaaaa I like girls.

I really cannot recall any such clues... honestly! I was never a "macho" guy, never homophobic, and I had a couple of gay friends, but I just never thought about my sexuality. (Thought about my gender a lot, of course!)

I was very much attracted to women and that was fine. And now I find I'm attracted to men, and that's fine too. I just find it interesting. I haven't actually done anything about it because I'm in the middle of a separation after a very long marriage, and frankly the idea of dating guys is quite scary at the moment.

Maybe there were clues in the past, but if so they are very deeply buried in my subconscious.

[Marleena]

Estrogen

Taking estrogen has stronger physical “feminizing” effects, caused by the estrogen’s direct influence on cells of your body that have estrogen receptors and also by an indirect suppression of testosterone production.
Typical changes from estrogen (vary from person to person)

Average timeline Effect of estrogen
1–3 months after
• softening of skin
• decrease in muscle mass and increase in body fat
• redistribution of body fat to a more “feminine” pattern
• decrease in sex drive
• fewer instances of waking up with an erection or spontaneously having an erection; some MTFs also find their erections are less firm during sex, or can’t get erect at all
• decreased ability to make sperm and ejaculatory fluid

Gradual changes
• nipple and breast growth
• slowed or stopped “male”-pattern balding
• slower growth of facial and body hair
• decrease in testicular size
(maximum change
after 1–2 years)

Estrogen affects the entire body. not possible to pick some changes and not others.
Breast and nipple growth starts early but is usually gradual – it can
take two years or more for breasts to reach their maximum size. As in
non-trans women, there is great variation in how large breasts grow from
estrogen. In many MTFs breasts do not grow beyond an A or B cup. If you
are not happy with the size of your breasts after 18–24 months on estrogen,
you can consider surgical augmentation (see Surgery: A guide for MTFs
booklet). The implants will look most natural if you wait to get as much
growth as you can from hormones.
Most of the effects of hormones happen in the first two years. During
this time, the doctor who prescribes your hormones will want to see you
one month after starting or changing your dose, then 3–4 times in the
next year, then every six months.

Changes are from estrogen in conjunction with a T-blocker.


*Addendum*: My endo said I should feel a sense of well being 2-3 weeks in. It took about a month. In my case it was so profound that I felt like I was "cured". He warned that stopping HRT would see a return of the GD.

[Ann Louise]

For me, the initial overt indication of any physical response to starting HRT was the complete loss of my old libido within about a week of starting spiro. But the psychological effects of starting HRT, overall, were enormous. The fact that I'd finally taken a resolute step forward in my transition fed me personal strength and power to continue. I crossed my own psychological Rubicon River that Saturday morning when I rushed out to the pharmacy parking lot and downed my first spiro with a bottle of spring water. And my libido? It's now come back with a vengeance. Meow! ^_^

[LeaP]

Easiest first - there is an important distinction to be made between AIS and CAIS (complete androgen insensitivity syndrome). Individuals with CAIS are INVARIABLY women, both in terms of full secondary sex characteristics development as well as identity. It's more common than realized and historically, these women never knew of their condition. They often find out late in adolescence these days, at least in places with medical care access, when menses fails to start. Transsexuality (male identity) is virtually unknown in this population. Those with lesser AIS run a gamut of physical intersex and identity conditions.

The comment that the brain doesn't change once formed is incorrect from at least one perspective, and requires further clarification besides as to the meaning of "once formed." Two things that cross-sex hormones DO change are overall brain volume (decreases in MTFs) and the volume of the lateral and third ventricles (increases in MTFs). This is from an imaging study, by the way, not from examining cadaver brains.

The cadaver study to which you referred is the one performed by Zhou (et al) in 1995. Since the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTc) is known to be sexually dimorphic, this study focused there, finding for example that trans women and cissexual women had similar volumes. (This is the simplified explanation – the study actually focused on peptides.) moreover, despite the limited numbers, the researchers also concluded that this did not appear to be due to cross-sex hormones administration and was independent of sexual orientation.

There have been other studies since, some based on cadaver studies, others on scanning, brain region response activation, etc. An additional BSTc Study in 2000 demonstrated additional dimorphic differences in that area where MTFs were the same as cissexual women. Again, without implications for hormones administration or sexual identity. Yet another study involving this area in 2002 showed that this area of the brain does not differentiate until adulthood – over a wide age range between 16 and 28.

Another sexually dimorphic area of the brain is the interstitial nucleus of the hypothalamus. This area however, differentiates between the ages of two and four. Again, trans women are similar to cissexual women here. While the primary differentiation occurs in early childhood, it does respond partially to hormonal change later in life. A cissexual man whose testosterone levels drop will wind up with a nucleus volume between that of a cissexual man and a cissexual woman.

Imaging studies include one that looked at regional responses to certain steroids and another that looked at white matter volumes. Cis and trans women were similar in the first. There were differences between cissexual man and trans women in the second. Neither study fully controlled for possible differences due to sexual orientation, however.

Brain imaging studies related to similarities between, for example, homosexual men and cissexual women differ from the studies referenced above, with the exception of overall volume. These focused on symmetry and blood flow to certain areas.

[Persephone]

Regardless of any condition, the base line belief is that once the brain is formed, that is it, it doesn't change.


LeaP has just provided a wonderful summary of information on this. Neuroplasticity has come into prominence lately and we now know that brains do evolve and change due to many factors.

Hugs,
Persephone.

[arbon]

A significant part of my GD was wrapped up in the confusion I experienced during the sex act. Many trans people struggle with trying to understand their sexuality finding it almost impossible to label as being one thing or another. There is a well known sexual fluidity among trans men and women.

We are sexual with and through our bodies. The same bodies we change through hormones and surgeries.

For trans how can they know what their actual sexuality is until they transition?

Plus those who know the experience of being "seen" as their true sex in a sexual setting will experience what I can only call an awakening of that which has laid dorminant (unused and unexperienced) all those years.

I relate a great deal to what you wrote.

[HelenR2]

My two cents after two years on Oestrogen and Spiro......
A subtle and welcome improvement in my complexion and skin texture plus a noticeable reduction in facial spots. On the minus side I have to moisturise before wet shaving to avoid getting red areas.
A small amount of breast growth.... perhaps an A on one side and slightly smaller on the other.
Erections are down by about 70% and involuntary erections by maybe 95%. Not everyone would welcome this but I love it. no more waking up in a tent etc.
A smoothing out of emotions.... I feel generally a little calmer, again welcome.
I have purposely lost some weight by dieting but my belly hasn't shrunk so much as the rest of me..... not so good.
I am still as bald as I was before but my body hair has thinned out or possibly the hairs themselves are a bit thinner.
Not much else really but bear in mind that I am 58 years old and as individuals we will all see different degrees of effects.
Best wishes
Helen.