| Date (beginning) | Hormone Type | Daily Dose |
|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2003 | Premarin | 0.625mg |
| June 7, 2003 | Premarin | 1.25mg |
| November 11, 2003 | Premarin | 2.5mg |
| February 11, 2004 | Premarin Spironolactone | 2.5mg 100mg |
| March 26, 2004 | Estradiol Spironolactone | 4.0mg 100mg |
| August 23, 2004 | Estradiol Spironolactone | 4.0mg 200mg |
| Date | Weight | Left Breast (vertical) | Left Breast (horizontal) | Right Breast (vertical) | Right Breast (horizontal) | Waist | Hips | Buttocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2003 | 68.5kg/151.0lbs | 23cm/9.0" | 23cm/9.0" | 23cm/9.0" | 22cm/8.5" | 88cm/34.5" | 93cm/36.5" | 95cm/37.5" |
| June 5, 2003 | 70.0kg/154.0lbs | 23cm/9.0" | 23cm/9.0" | 23cm/9.0" | 22cm/8.5" | 91cm/36.0" | 93cm/36.5" | 95cm/37.5" |
| July 15, 2003 | 70.0kg/154.0lbs | 24cm/9.5" | 23cm/9.0" | 23cm/9.0" | 22cm/8.5" | 91cm/36.0" | 96cm/38.0" | 97cm/38.5" |
| August 10, 2003 | 70.5kg/155.0lbs | 25cm/10.0" | 23cm/9.0" | 24cm/9.5" | 22cm/8.5" | 91cm/36.0" | 98cm/38.5" | 97cm/38.5" |
| October 26, 2003 | 70.5kg/155.0lbs | 26cm/10.2" | 24cm/9.5" | 26cm/10.2" | 23cm/9.0" | 90cm/35.5" | 97cm/38.5" | 98cm/38.5" |
| November 22, 2003 | 71.5kg/157.5lbs | 26cm/10.2" | 24cm/9.5" | 26cm/10.2" | 23cm/9.0" | 91cm/36.0" | 98cm/38.5" | 98cm/38.5" |
| February 29, 2004 | 67.5kg/148.0lbs | 26cm/10.2" | 25cm/10.0" | 26cm/10.2" | 23cm/9.0" | 89cm/35.0" | 95cm/37.5" | 95cm/37.5" |
| March 26, 2004 | 67.5kg/148.0lbs | 25cm/10.0" | 25cm/10.0" | 25cm/10.0" | 23cm/9.0" | 89cm/35.0" | 95cm/37.5" | 95cm/37.5" |
| May 20, 2004 | 68.5kg/151.0lbs | 26cm/10.2" | 25cm/10.0" | 25cm/10.0" | 24cm/9.5" | 88cm/34.5" | 97cm/38.5" | 96cm/38.0" |
| July 15, 2004 | 68.0kg/148.5lbs | 27cm/10.5" | 26cm/10.2" | 26cm/10.2" | 24cm/9.5" | 88cm/34.5" | 97cm/38.5" | 96cm/38.0" |
| September 10, 2004 | 67.0kg/146.5lbs | 27cm/10.5" | 26cm/10.2" | 26cm/10.2" | 24cm/9.5" | 88cm/34.5" | 95cm/37.5" | 96cm/38.0" |
| December 11, 2004 | 66.0kg/144.0lbs | 27cm/10.5" | 26cm/10.2" | 27cm/10.5" | 24cm/9.5" | 88cm/34.5" | 94cm/37.0" | 94cm/37.0" |
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| May 10, 2003 | The measurements taken today constitute a baseline. Hormones have not had any physical effects so far. All future measurements should be compared to this baseline for an indication of overall change. |
| June 5, 2003 | After one month on a minimal hormone dose, the measurements show no significant change. The minor changes seen are within measurement error. I have felt a little aching in the breasts and some minor emotional changes. I have also experienced an insatiable craving for carrots, which may be related to the hormones. I will now double the dose. |
| July 15, 2003 | I decided to stay on the same dose for another month, since I am starting to see changes, and I wanted more time to evaluate what is going on. The most noticeable change is in the breasts; outwardly, they still look the same as before, but they are getting sore and tender - just as expected. Small increases are seen from the measurements in the hips and buttocks - perhaps fat redistribution is beginning, or perhaps the changes are within measurement error. Maybe next month will begin to show a trend. |
| August 10, 2003 | Very small changes continue to show. Perhaps something is beginning to happen. I have had plenty of time now to evaluate the current dose, so I will increase it soon. |
| October 26, 2003 | Still, the changes are fairly small. The breasts are beginning to grow, but the most noticeable difference since I started the hormones is the bulkiness of the tissue, not the size. I have not yet increased the dose; the transgender community here has had a problem with vanishing doctors lately, and we are looking for new ones. I don't want to increase the dose without proper medical supervision, so I will wait until a new doctor appears. |
| November 11, 2003 | I found a new doctor, and I had an appointment with her today. We decided to double the hormone dose, and I will evaluate it until January. At that point, we will do a blood test and consider introducing an androgen blocker. |
| November 22, 2003 | There are no significant changes since last month. Hopefully, the increased hormone dose will begin to kick in and I will see more change in the near future. |
| February 29, 2004 | I saw the doctor earlier this month and got some blood work done and got a prescription for generic spironolactone. No problems were found in the blood tests, but testosterone was still rather high, as expected. I keep forgetting to take measurements, so there is a longer gap than there should be. Breast size continues to very gradually increase. I have lost some weight, and that is reflected in some of the measurements. So far, the introduction of spironolactone has not caused any problems or had any major effect. I wonder if it has something to do with the weight loss. The next change in treatment will be a switch to generic estradiol in about a month. |
| March 26, 2004 | It is time for the next change in medication. I was planning to switch from premarin to estradiol after I ramped up. Generic estradiol is a somewhat stronger estrogen preparation, so it should cause more physical and emotional changes. The dose I am taking is a good pre-op maintenance dose; it should not be increased above what I am taking beginning today. So far, spironolactone has not caused any serious bad side effects. On some days, I seem to be somewhat thirstier than usual, but this is about all. There have been no bad emotional effects either. In the physical measurements, there is no significant change since last month. This is (and was expected to be) a very slow process. |
| May 20, 2004 | There appears to be a slight increase in my hips, while my waist has reduced a little. Perhaps the fat in my belly is slowly moving downward towards where it should be. Also, a slight increase in the breasts is observed. Weight is a little higher, but I have not gained back as much as I lost when I started taking spironolactone. I am actually quite surprised at how constant my weight has been in the year since I started keeping these records; I thought the hormone treatment might have a stronger effect. The total variation in my weight at this time has only been 4 kilograms, which seems minimal. Still, there have been no serious physical or emotional side effects. I plan to continue at the same hormone dose for at least three more months, when my next regular doctor's appointment will be. |
| July 15, 2004 | There is still no significant change. Breast size seems to have increased a little, but otherwise nothing has changed. I am still amazed at how constant my weight has been. I don't even watch what I eat. |
| September 10, 2004 | The latest blood work, done in mid-August, revealed that testosterone was still higher than it should be, so the doctor increased the dose of spironolactone. Again, weight and measurements have not changed significantly. So far, even under the influence of spironolactone, body hair has not reduced significantly; maybe the higher dose will do the trick. It will be interesting to see if something happens after the reduced testosterone level kicks in. |
| December 11, 2004 | So far, the higher dose of spironolactone has had few noticeable effects. The only real change over the last three months is a slight reduction in weight, along with a slight drop in some measurements. I also notice an increase in frequency of urination - a common side effect of spironolactone. |