Don't feel any change. Had pills, gel and now injections. 9 years HRT. May be placebo
this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2025
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Intramuscular formulations are designed to release into the bloodstream gradually over time, which is why most are designed for a dose (on average) every 7-10 days. This typically doesn’t present as a noticeable immediate “boost” in levels, but more of a gradual curve up and down.
I will say that days 2-4 for me (on a 7-day injection cycle) are definitely more full of energy and have more of a mood boost for me, as compared to other days.
I’ve noticed some feeling on and off, though certainly not at noticeable as the OP
Yes, but only if I miss or delay a dose. I take sublingual pills every 12 hours. When I take them on schedule things feel normal. If I forget to take them, I start to feel uncomfortable around 1h30m to 2h later. I become anxious and uncomfortably hot. I feel relief at that point because taking the late dose stops some specific unpleasant feelings.
In response to your questions, I don't think feelings are an accurate way to assess dosages. You have no way to consciously feel your own hormone levels directly. Every feeling reported in this thread is a second or third order effect of the hormones which is neither precise nor timely.
When I first started taking my patches I had a tingly feeling where the patch was applied and in the rest of my body (but not as strong). Now about one and a half years later I don't get that feeling anymore (still on patches).
I use an estrogen implant that lasts about 12 months. When it's coming to an end, I start to get moody and irritable.
But I started HRT long enough ago that the euphoria side of it is long gone. Now it's just normal
Woah! Where can I get one of those?
Ask your doctor, it's typically used as a hormonal birth control implant. Seems to be most commonly used for transfem HRT in Australia, but that doesn't mean doctors elsewhere will say no.
This is a bit of a cop-out answer, but the effects of HRT vary hugely based on the person. The "relief" you are feeling might be placebo, might be due to biochemical dysphoria, or a bit of both.
When I was on injections, I definitely felt a bit crappy at the end of the week, and a lot better about 30 minutes after my dose.
When I was getting my dose for patches worked out, I felt what I can only describe as "testosterone anxiety", which persisted as I slowly bumped up my dose over a couple of weeks and eventually went away when I got up to three patches. (Now I'm on spiro and back down to two, and things are fine). This was a different feeling to injections wearing off.
Now the only thing I notice is that I get four days of being really tired and bitchy pretty consistently every 25 days or so. I'm not going to speculate what that is, but since I'm on a very stable dose of two patches every two days, I don't think it's due to dosage.
That's likely your menstruation cycle! Trans women have observed and experienced menstruation since HRT became a thing
We have all the parts needed to experience menstruation, just less of some of the tissues involved, so typically we experience weaker or even not noticeable periods. Some trans women do have very strong periods including period shits, cramps, and large mood swings. It's also possible that how we take HRT affects how noticeable the period is. I'ts not well studied for obvious reasons.
Also, all the different ways of taking HRT have different half lives which is why you feel better or worse when low. Often doctors prescribe people valerate for injections but put people on on a 7 day injection cycle when the half life is 4.5 days, and don't give people a high enough dose for them to have comfortable levels on day 6 and 7. Ideally valerate is instead taken every 5 days to avoid a very large dose and to avoid the 2 days of being too low.
With gel and pills the half life is very short and so you can notice the same day if you are a few hours late, but blockers will change the experience a lot ofc.
As others have mentioned it's different for everyone!
In addition to all of us responding differently we also take HRT differently. I take enanthate injections every week and so at the end of the week I don't feel much of a low because my levels are very stable. Would I feel a relief if I took HRT orally or transdermally and therefore had more swingy levels? Maybe. Maybe not. I certainly remember noticing changes more easily back when I did gel, but it was also early on in my transition and so perhaps things have changed now.
When it comes to mood, I honestly can’t tell what is because of HRT and what is because of changes in my life, it’s been far too dramatic lately :P
Anyways, I do always look forward to injection day! And I love doing em and feel amazing afterwards! Tho it’s only a mood thing. And again, could just be the joy of continuing a ritual that brings me the desired changes in life. Either way I’m not complaining, either effect is 100% desirable in my opinion! ^^
It’s interesting to me to compare my excitement around injections with my roommate, who sees it more like a chore I have to help remind her to do.
It improves my own mental health when I take it, when my levels are too low I get depressed.