Crosspost from PinkEssence, sorry so long!

I was recently asked to share my experiences with HRT, so I thought I'd add my $.02 here if anyone cares to read. As much of our experiences go, mine was very similar yet slightly different from most. Perhaps the differences are more in the telling, but who knows. At any rate, I can corroborate what most of the other posts here have already mentioned, so I'll try to only share what I found was different.

I would also like to mention that I'm no expert and I don't consider my own experience or anyone else's to be a tutorial on HRT. These are powerful drugs with the capability of affecting far reaching negative consequences . You must do your own research, be your own advocate, and get professional medical assistance; at the very least have regular blood checks (every 3 months minimum to start) and wellness monitoring done. I DO NOT recommend self medicating, but I know it happens so regardless of how you get your hormones, your doctor MUST KNOW what you are doing in order to be able to help you.

I very recently had the experience of watching a friend who had been self medicating on far too high a dosage, end up in the hospital with massive blood clots in her lungs. Guess what, she smokes too! She now can never go back to HRT without causing herself imminent danger. She is now permanently shut off from one of the most beneficial avenues in transition. PLEASE QUIT SMOKING AND GET MEDICAL HELP!

Because I live in a remote area, there are no experts immediately available; I knew that I would be teaching my doctor as much as anything, I wanted to give my doctor the best impression that I was facing this in an informed and cautious manner. These dosages were all on my own behest after at least a year of intense research on my own about hormone regimes and it's possible effects given available knowledge and my known medical history. I do know for example that I have always had very immediate and strong reactions to any medications, in other words they have always had their prescribed affect immediately and with relatively low dosages. I also do not smoke, and anyone who does is exponentially increasing their risks on HRT.I feel the extra time involved in getting up to my current dosage was a pittance compared to the lifetime I'd waited to start. I won't mention exact dosages or meds here; again I do not feel this should be a tutorial on what to take, you've got to do your own research on what will help you most.

I would also mention that I began my own regular measurements using a cloth tape measure, of the typical 3 points used for bra fitting, as well as waist, buttocks, and thighs. Just try to be consistent on where and how you measure.

After a full blood test, I initially started on only a low dosage of an antiandrogyne 1/2 of the minimum recommended dosage, taken daily. I remained on this for 30 days, paying attention to side effects. As expected, I saw an immediate diuretic effect, and increased my water intake to compensate. I now keep 3 large cups of water, one at my bedside, one at my desk, and one at my dresser; I commonly drink them all every day as well as water with meals or whenever I'm thirsty.

After the initial 30 days with no unexpected side effects, I also began a very low dosage of an estrogen, approx. 1/3 of what my expected maximum dosage should be, and again 1/2 of the recommended minimum dosage.

After another 30 days (now 60 days total), I increased the antiandrogyne to the minimum recommended dosage. This was followed for another 30 days.

Now at 90 days with no uninteded effects, I returned to the doctor after getting another full blood test. My T levels were already within female norms by now, and lipids had not been adversely affected. We therefore kept the antiandrogyne at its current dosage, and increased the estrogen to the minimum recommended dosage.
After another 30 days, I increased the estrogen to it's current dosage, which is now 2/3 of the maximum recommended dosage, though still at least 1/2 of what I hear some are taking.

I stayed on this dosage until my next 3 month checkup and bloodwork. Both E and T levels were within normal female range, and it was now that I requested starting a progesterone, again half of the minimum recommended dosage; this was continued for 30 days, after which I went to the full minimum recommended dosage. These dosages have been what I have followed for the past 3 years.

As mentioned by others, in the beginning much of the initial feelings are at least possibly psychsomatic. But I did have a marked sense of peace develop over the very first week, the feeling that a weight had been lifted from my soul. As the antiandrogyne began to affect me I became much more calm; this has been the single greatest blessing to me.

By the end of 3 months, spontaneous erections had ceased and the diuretic effect had seemingly plateued. I was also feeling the beginnings of a nodule forming under my nipples, though I cannot say I felt any increased sensitivity.

By 6 months, ejaculate was becomming clearer and any erection required direct stimulation. I have always had soft skin, so that effect was hard to judge. I did however have drier and clearer skin, and was now able to cease the topical acne treatment I had been using most of my adult life. I have also been relatively hairless on my chest all my life, but other body hair was certainly becomming softer and easier to shave. Facial hair was totally unaffected by the hormones, but I had also started laser sessions 6 months previously, with marked patchiness beginning to show. I also began to notice decreased upper body strength. The nodules under my nipples had become larger, they were also beginning to 'get in the way'! While tactile sensation did not increase, my breasts were certainly sensitive to being bumped or jostled. It wasn't really painful but certainly grabbed ones attention; I began to call doors 'booby traps', lol!

At the end of one year, people who had not seen me for some time were noticing marked changes in my face. I now could see nice rounded thighs when I sat down, in fact my derriere and thigh measurements had far outpaced my breast measurements! I still have not had any great increase in weight, thank goodness my ectomorph physique did not seem affected. The nodules in my breasts had expanded and flattened, becomming disks under the nipples; while not as great as I would have liked my areolas had expanded and darkened some and nipples were slightly larger. Body strength had certainly decreased, but not debilitatingly so. I just needed to use leverage more often and take more trips to move things. I also began to get accustomed to asking for help, that was a big cultural shift for me!

I am now 3 years into HRT. Breasts are no longer sore or tender, nicely rounded and a full A cup. Larger would have been nice, but I like that they are all mine and seem proportional for my physique. I do know that the C-cup I thought I'd want seems way too big, if I ever get BA I'll stick with a B-cup.The only unwelcome change I have to mention is my nails. Despite progesterone, and daily vitamin supplements, they are slow to grow, and extremely thin and brittle. Skin is definitely drier, moisturizing and exfoliating is a constant routine. With less coarse body hair and regular shaving I do get constant remarks about my skin, though I still don't believe it's any softer than when I started.
Erections still happen though much less readily. I wasn't really hoping to retain this, but I'm not unhappy that I have. Ejaculate is almost nonexistant, that alone has been extremely welcome; I never liked the messiness before and having it go away has seen sex become much more pleasant for me. Orgasm is just as most have already mentioned, but I would add that in the right circumstances I am at least somewhat multi-orgasmic!
Mood change has still been the greatest gift of all. I did not see great mood swings, I attest that to my gradual hormone regime. I am certainly calmer, though I feel less focused sometimes. My son clearly got his ADHD from me, and that has become more of a challenge for me than it was before. Instead of mood swings, I do find my emotions are much more accessible. I really 'feel ' again, when before I usually just felt dead. It's not out of control, but I can cry much more easily, both in happiness and in sadness. Yeah, I 'get' chick flicks now :D