Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hormone replacement therapy => Topic started by: Dana Lane on December 16, 2009, 04:33:12 AM

Title: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Dana Lane on December 16, 2009, 04:33:12 AM
I have been self medicating for the last 7 months with siterone (t blocker) and various estrogen supplements. I saw my new doctor yesterday and she wrote me a prescription for Avodart to block testosterone. From what I can tell this blocks DHT. After my blood work she is going to put me on a hefty dose of estrogen. Has anyone ever had Avodart prescribed to them for blocking T? I most certainly do not want my T levels to climb!
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Hannah on December 16, 2009, 04:40:46 AM
I use spiro and avodart both and it rules. If you go through with it get generics, because brand name dutasteride is pricey still. I'd clarify the siterone situation with her, because she might be thinking her meds are in addition to yours and not replacing or vicea versa.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Dana Lane on December 16, 2009, 04:46:44 AM
Quote from: Becca on December 16, 2009, 04:40:46 AM
I use spiro and avodart both and it rules. If you go through with it get generics, because brand name dutasteride is pricey still. I'd clarify the siterone situation with her, because she might be thinking her meds are in addition to yours and not replacing or vicea versa.

I am going to send her an email to verify this. She said they don't make siterone in the US so she is aware. She also knows I don't want to self medicate.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: jesse on December 16, 2009, 04:49:59 AM
why the avadart it seams like overkill to me if the spiro is doing its job is thier an additional benifit to taking both that im not aware of
jessica
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: vanna on December 16, 2009, 05:03:14 AM
This has been covered like a zillion times but avodart blocks dht a type of T,  not T in total it dosent cause any shutdown of production just stops dht attacking dht sensitive hairs on your head.

It is used with your normal T blocker, i would try and stay with Siterone too if possible, it is very very effective in stopping production.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Dana Lane on December 16, 2009, 05:08:49 AM
Quote from: Ms Delgado on December 16, 2009, 05:03:14 AM
This has been covered like a zillion times but avodart blocks dht a type of T,  not T in total it dosent cause any shutdown of production just stops dht attacking dht sensitive hairs on your head.

It is used with your normal T blocker, i would try and stay with Siterone too if possible, it is very very effective in stopping production.

Thanks, I did search and couldn't find anyone that said they were prescribed Avodart for blocking T. That is the main question. Am I the first? :)
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Renate on December 16, 2009, 06:54:58 AM
Siterone is a New Zealand brand for cyproterone acetate.
It's not that they don't make it in the US, it's that cypro is not FDA approved.

People in the US usually end up being prescribed spironolactone.
As mentioned elsewhere (everywhere, actually) this is a hypertension medicine with anti-androgen effects.

"Hefty" doses of estrogen is so 60's-ish, so passé.
They used to do that before effective anti-androgens were regularly prescribed.

This appears to be another case of your doctor being from another planet.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Dana Lane on December 16, 2009, 07:47:22 AM
Quote from: Renate on December 16, 2009, 06:54:58 AM
Siterone is a New Zealand brand for cyproterone acetate.
It's not that they don't make it in the US, it's that cypro is not FDA approved.

People in the US usually end up being prescribed spironolactone.
As mentioned elsewhere (everywhere, actually) this is a hypertension medicine with anti-androgen effects.

"Hefty" doses of estrogen is so 60's-ish, so passé.
They used to do that before effective anti-androgens were regularly prescribed.

This appears to be another case of your doctor being from another planet.

Kind of strange because she works in a transgender care clinic! And when I mentioned a hefty dose of estrogen basically it is just a lot more than I currently take. I am probably taking just enough to stay out of menopause.

Post Merge: December 16, 2009, 08:59:55 AM

My doctor is very quick to respond!

This is not new at all. In fact, avodart is about 5 times more effective at blocking testosterone than spironolactone. A prominent mtf surgeon in the area, dr. Mcginn has been using this method as well for a while.

I am supposed to take this every other day, btw.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Autumn on December 18, 2009, 01:18:39 AM
I take avodart every day and have been for almost two years. I doubled my initial dose in the spring (another hair loss phase, hell yeah) and my doctor didn't change it when I started being legitimately treated.

Avodart helps you get your hair back. It's also the most expensive part of HRT, yeah.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Tammy Hope on December 18, 2009, 02:32:55 AM
What is the most INexpensive (yet effective) AA available in the United States (via whatever method)?
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Hannah on December 18, 2009, 02:45:00 AM
Quote from: Autumn on December 18, 2009, 01:18:39 AM
I take avodart every day and have been for almost two years. I doubled my initial dose in the spring (another hair loss phase, hell yeah)

That's really compelling Autumn! I've read that at higher doseages it's capable of getting 100% of dht but never processed the implications of that for us. Have you seen any performance comparisons of Avodart vs. Dr. Reddys Dutas? I usually take Dutas but a while back my doctor gave me some avodart samples and I swear to god it felt different. Bloodwork keeps coming back in the green, but...I dunno how to describe it, maybe it's psychosomatic.

Laura I've already spent more on anti androgens than Janet spent getting neutered and I'd imagine Autumn has too if all she's using is avodart...so that's definitely the least expensive overall I'd guess. For pay-as-you-go spiro is prolly best, the cash price for mine before my insurance got over themselves was just about $20 a month.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Tammy Hope on December 18, 2009, 02:47:22 AM
$20 a month isn't so bad...
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Autumn on December 18, 2009, 11:25:44 PM
I was on dutas until last month, so about 21 months on it after 12 months of USDA propecia. I just switched to USDA avodart since my insurance is paying for it, making it slightly cheaper than buying dutas. God it feels so dumb that we can't talk about doses on finasteride/dutasteride, they're all over the bloody internet. A 'full' dose of avodart is five times the standard dose and that means FIVE TIMES THE BILL. If you can afford that, just have an orchi. I seem that I've gained more hair by doubling my dose, but I had another shedding phase when I doubled it so it's hard to tell... and the spiro increase, and then now estrogen. Shedding phases can really ruin your hair so I don't want to experiment stepping up or down. If I had even realized that it would cause shedding, I wouldn't have changed the dose. Now I feel stuck with the doubled cost because no one really knows what happens to a TS on HRT who steps down their avodart.

I've spent... many hundreds per year on dutas alone.  You know, I really wondered why I couldn't seem to save money... probably because of the $1000 HRT bill every year. My doctor didn't alter my avodart dose or my spiro does when I went legit, he just changed my estrogen to estropipate which is a time release with much better results according to him.

So I can't say I've noticed a difference switching to avodart from dutas yet, but there was a significant improvement over propecia by switching to dutas. For most people dutas should be more effective.

My estrogen is $10, dutas is $40, spiro is $20 on insurance but I don't buy it. I'm going to continue with overseas spiro and progesterone probably, I am afraid of poking the insurance company too much.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Hannah on December 19, 2009, 01:23:35 AM
Yeah I don't want to take that much dutasteride so I'll stick with one in the morning and a divided spiro dose. I agree that 5x the expense isn't worth it for  what, like 6% more bang? There were a few other things going on that month so feeling different on the brand name stuff was prolly in my head or unrelated.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Tammy Hope on December 19, 2009, 04:14:24 AM
oh! progestorone!

I forgot that...any los cost options there? Ive heard enough good about it I really hope to make it part of my routine.

(oh, and yes, when I have any semblance of income there WILL be an "orchi account"
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Dana Lane on January 19, 2010, 12:44:24 PM
Just an update. So far I notice no changes in the t-factories or their buddy. So it seems that things are working (or not working to be more accurate) as hoped for on Avodart. I will be seeing my doctor again in late March and hope to get another blood test to see if my T is still as low as it was before.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Virginia87106 on January 19, 2010, 01:37:31 PM
Dana-  I have a friend who started taking avodart 2 years ago, and I just saw her for the first time in 2 years last Christmas, and I was amazed at the breast growth.  I know some of this depends on genetics, but she was easily a D cup.  So for her, it definitely worked.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Dana Lane on January 19, 2010, 01:57:14 PM
Quote from: Virginia87106 on January 19, 2010, 01:37:31 PM
Dana-  I have a friend who started taking avodart 2 years ago, and I just saw her for the first time in 2 years last Christmas, and I was amazed at the breast growth.  I know some of this depends on genetics, but she was easily a D cup.  So for her, it definitely worked.

Wow! Fingers crossed!! :)

Actually I have noticed a bit more growth in my breasts. My mother is easily a DD cup and her mother was so large I am not sure they have a size for them. It will be interesting to see what I end up with.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: mtfbuckeye on January 19, 2010, 05:56:47 PM
I'm seriously thinking about starting on Spiro, avodart, and/or something similar.. I've read a few things online about side-effects, risks, etc, but I'd love to hear from people actually taking this stuff. Do the T blockers "work?" Are they worth the money/risk/etc? I'd love unvarnished opinions either here or in a private message...

It's also worth noting that I am interested in this option not just for feminizing purposes... More and more I just want to be free from the effects of testosterone.
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Dana Lane on January 27, 2010, 03:31:31 AM
Another update. I started to wake up with erections (significant ones) over the last week so I told my doctor about it. She gave me a scrip for spiro to add to the mix. I was always a bit skeptical about Avodart as a T blocker. Maybe it works for some but I have evidence that it doesn't work for me!
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: Randi on January 27, 2010, 10:06:54 AM
mtfBuckeye, Spironolactone did a number on me in about two months but I have read that it can raise levels of bad cholesterol in your blood. It's a diuretic so drink lots of water. I stopped taking it and my T levels started to increase again but very slowly.

Randi
Title: Re: Avodart for blocking testosterone?
Post by: AnneK on March 29, 2017, 03:16:30 PM
Quote from: Dana Lane on January 19, 2010, 01:57:14 PM
Wow! Fingers crossed!! :)

Actually I have noticed a bit more growth in my breasts. My mother is easily a DD cup and her mother was so large I am not sure they have a size for them. It will be interesting to see what I end up with.

I just started on Avodart.  Hopefully I'll also get good results in this area.  Not sure I want DD though.   :laugh: