Life happens. Prescriptions can be delayed, routines get disrupted, or you may need to pause medication for personal, medical, or practical reasons.
The short answer: a pause of a few weeks is unlikely to cause permanent changes, but you may notice some temporary physical or emotional effects. What you experience depends on the medication you take, how long you’ve been on it, and how your body responds.
First: a few reassuring points
- Short gaps are common.
- Most gender-affirming changes happen slowly, over months or years – not days.
- Changes from a short pause are usually reversible once medication is restarted.
- Stopping hormones is not dangerous for most people, though it can feel uncomfortable or distressing.
If you are taking oestrogen
If you stop oestrogen for a few weeks, you might notice:
Possible physical changes
- Hot flushes or night sweats
- Fatigue or low energy
- Slight changes in skin oiliness
- Reduced breast tenderness
Possible emotional changes
- Low mood or emotional flatness
- Increased anxiety or irritability
- A return or worsening of gender dysphoria for some people
What usually won’t happen
- Breast development does not disappear
- Fat distribution changes do not suddenly reverse
- Facial or body hair does not rapidly increase (this takes much longer)
If testosterone is no longer being suppressed (for example, if blockers are also stopped), some testosterone-driven effects may slowly resume, but this typically takes longer than a few weeks to become noticeable.
If you are taking testosterone
If you pause testosterone for a few weeks, you might experience:
Possible physical changes
- Lower energy levels
- Changes in libido
- Return of menstruation (for some people, this can happen within weeks)
- Hot flushes or temperature changes
Possible emotional changes
- Mood swings
- Increased dysphoria
- Feeling “out of sync” emotionally or mentally
What usually won’t happen
- Voice deepening does not reverse
- Facial hair does not disappear
- Muscle and fat distribution changes are gradual and won’t suddenly undo
- Many of testosterone’s permanent effects remain even during longer pauses.
If you are taking puberty blockers or hormone blockers
Stopping blockers for a few weeks may allow your body’s natural hormones to begin circulating again.
You might notice:
- Temporary changes in mood
- Dysphoria related to the return of unwanted hormonal effects
Short gaps are unlikely to cause significant physical changes, but ongoing suppression works best when medication is taken consistently.