A side effect may first show up as one small change that is easy to dismiss: a different night's sleep, a new tenderness, a shift in mood. The aim is to notice that first change and write it down so a provider can read the pattern.
It does not list what you should expect. It shows how to record what you actually notice and where to read what is reported.
Note an ordinary week first
Write down what is normal for you
Before any hormone is started, note how you feel on an ordinary week. Sleep, energy, mood, appetite, and any symptoms that brought you to the visit. Without a baseline, a later change is hard to judge.
Keep the list short
Keep it to a handful of items you can score the same way each week, so the list stays easy to fill in.
Track what changes after a start or a dose change
Record the date and the change
Note the date a hormone was started or changed. Next to it, write what changed and when you first saw it. A symptom that appears right after a change tells a different story from one that has been there for months.
Note how it behaves
Does it come and go, or stay? Does it get stronger or fade? A symptom that builds week over week is the kind most worth reporting early.
Where to read what is reported
Public sources describe the benefits and risks of hormone therapy. Look for the sections on risks and side effects in a clinic's page on hormone replacement therapy for menopause. Then compare it with the medical society view in a medical society hormone therapy page.
Your own list is not a substitute for these pages. It is what lets you ask a specific question about them.
What to bring when a change shows up
Write down a baseline, date every change, and bring the list to your provider. If something is sudden or severe, do not wait for a visit. Contact a provider or emergency services. Public hormone therapy pages cannot tell you whether a change you notice is a side effect, and only a provider can.