been taking estradiol enanthate via subq injection for the past 3 weeks, 0.15 ml every 7 days. i haven’t really felt anything different tho… is it too soon to tell? im not on t blockers, mainly bc im still closeted, but i thought by now id feel some change by now
I’ve been on HRT for ~4 years now. You need to give it more time. Whoever told you it took a couple weeks was pretty off. Personally, it was at the 3-6 month mark that my emotions began to “widen” I guess, and the quality of my attraction change. It took around a year (so, after the feminizing hormones had been affecting my body for a while) for me to begin feeling different about myself, to feel happier about my body.
It takes time, I know that sucks, but the changes will come.
Hi! I’ve been on E for 9 weeks now, and on my third dose of AA for a week. The first effect I noticed was my smell (transpiration) after a week. But then I had to wait until this weekend for the second effecr which is some light boobs budding. Hormones are slow! Be patient and know that things are going to get better!
Edit: Oh right, I am able to produce tears through emotions again! (I couldn’t say since when)
3 weeks ain’t that much time especially with no blockers. hell with blockers and a hoodie you could boymode for quite some time and get changes. 🤔
So about a month in you may start noticing emotional changes. If you hit 3 months without anything like breast tenderness or random crying ask your endo (if you have one).
Monotherapy should be fine but may be slower. If nothing happens within 6 months get a level test for certain
My partner has been on hrt for over 3 years now, she says you’re looking at 2 to 3 months minimum before physically feeling any changes. Its a long slow process, her body still continues to change. Take your time, trust the process. You’ve already done the hardest part :)
thanks for the advice! okok i thought so but wasn’t sure, someone close had told me i would experience mood changes and such within a few weeks after starting lol
Yep and it takes about four years for physical progress to slow, even though some alterations will continue. Oestrogen isn’t like serotonin; where increased levels of serotonin cause fairly abrupt changes but the results across those who take SSRI/SNRIs are inconsistent, the results of higher oestrogen levels are slow and hard to notice at first without taking progress photos, but it is consistent, works for everyone, and will be noticeable in a few months. Body hair thinning and lightening for me was the first sign.
DIY enanthate vials usually have 40 mg / mL, so 0.15 mL should be 6 mg?
Using the injectable estradiol simulator, this is what levels would be estimated to be over time:
Notice how it takes nearly a month to even get to a steady state … EEn has a half-life of 5 - 7 days, so it takes a week to peak and another week to eliminate. This is compared to estradiol valerate (EV) which has a half-life of 3.5 days, so EV peaks faster and higher, and eliminates much faster than EEn.
When I first started EV injections, I could feel changes the night I injected, but I didn’t feel any obvious benefit or mood change until the third day or so.
But it’s important to note that not all trans women react to estrogen the same. Some feel no difference at all. Others actually have worsened dysphoria.
So early on you are not likely to notice many physiological changes. In my first month or so of HRT, the earliest changes I noticed were softening skin, changes to body odor (less spicy / less smelly), and fewer involuntary erections overnight and in the morning when I wake up. I wonder if you will start noticing these soon, too.
EDIT: I had sore breasts pretty quickly, too - I think it was a matter of weeks, but I was taking EV which brought my E levels up quickly. I would expect breast soreness in 1 - 3 months with EEn, but I’m not certain - I bet others have written about their experiences starting with EEn.
thank you for that graphic! i hope so too actually.
There wasn’t any major change to how I felt either. My emotional range did expand but my day to day didn’t feel any different. Been on E for 2+ years now.
If your testosterone levels are suppressed, it’s working.
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I’m also a few weeks in and not seeing any changes. I am also on a t blocker, though I don’t know if it’s working yet as my first blood test isn’t for another month. It takes time. I feel a little different mentally, but I am physically still a giant hairy man.
My advice is to try and find one person you can absolutely trust and confide in them, if you can. It’s better to do this with help than alone. Maybe find a local-ish group that meets up in person and attend if you aren’t comfortable with people who know you. I find it odd to think about, but I am more comfortable discussing things with people I have never met but who share in my daily struggles than to talk with someone I know who doesn’t.
yayay buds! im not on a t blocker tho. i do actually have someone i really trust and do confide in! tho they don’t have much exp with transitioning itself lol
It’ll take time; everyone goes at their own pace. They’re hormones, after all, not an instant pot of coffee. 0.15mL isn’t a large dose either, depending on the concentration. I’m 17 months in, and it just keeps getting better as I go along.
lol fair. someone i know who’s alrdy transitioned said i should feel some emotion changes within a few weeks. in hindsight i should have waited longer before asking but i get nervious im doin something wrong.
Oh, hello! And welcome :)
Do you know the concentration? That is, how many mg of estradiol you are using?
I wouldn’t expect to see much effect from E per se at three weeks, especially if it’s a low dose, but one of the first things to look for would be nipple sensitivity. If your T is suppressed, you’ll get a noticeable drop in libido and body odor pretty quickly.
nip sensitivity, huh? so that explains that :/ genuinely didn’t think anything of it
Congratulations: you’re growing boobs! :3
