Androcur vs Spiro

[smile_jma]

For those NOT in the US...

Did any of you try both? I just got switched from spiro to androcur and I read that there are more people that got depressed with andro than with spiro. If that sounds like you...how long did it take before you started feeling bad?   Mind you, I was on super low dose of spiro to now a low dose andro...Maybe the low dose had some issue with my T levels being too high, or my super fast metabolism. I don't know, but now I'm on the new med.

Other than the liver, is there anything else I should be worried about in terms of side effects (not the good ones like less hair growth and the boobies, but the serious ones like depression and liver damage). 

Is drinking alc still "forbidden?" E: pills (sublingual if I remember to not swallow), A: pills. I'm guessing yes, since everything goes through the precious organ.

[Henna]

Androcur here is the one and only antiandrogen which is used and I haven't really heard that anyone developed depression because of that or liver damage. The liver damage is on extreme high doses for a prolonged use, which no MTF uses.

Of course everything is possible and the liver entzymes should be monitored with laboratory values.

Alcohol is never recommended with any pharmaceuticals. But the dosage of Androcur which is used for MTF, is small even on high doses for MTF, that personally for myself, I don't consider alcohol a risk, especially since I usually take only few glasses of wine per week and that's it. But if you are a heavy drinker, yeah for sure it stress the liver to the extremes.

[Shellz]

I couldn't believe how much better I felt when I switched from a typical spiro dose  to androcur ... all the tiredness and aches in the legs disappeared. So I felt considerably happier and I am on half as much androcur, and my t level is 0.5 nmol/L. My liver function test is normal and we generally have a glass of wine with dinner.

[smile_jma]

Well thats good to know.  I have a problem of reading posible side effects, even though I KNOW even in a trial of 50,000, and only 1 person developed a side effect (of any drug), they have to write it down. I still think, "could that be me too??"

[Cindy]

I'm on Spiro as I was worried about the depressive effect of Ando, although my endocrinologist prefers it as as a 'superior' AA. However I suffered from clinical depression and that was my reason not to go on it.

I think the depression issue is more of a concern for people who have a history rather than a 'random' occurrence.

As for Alcohol I was told that I should drink no more than the daily allowed intake for a female and to make sure I have alcohol free days. To be honest I was a heavy drinker but since I'm happy and finally me I only have an occasional social drink rather than the brain erasers that I would have had in the dim past.

[Sara Lin]

Hi! i've been on hrt for 3 months and since the beginning my endo prescribed me with androcur (both spiro and androcur are available on my country) and shots, i did a huge research before starting hrt and i found many people experienced depression using androcur which she (my endo) also explained it could happen. After 1 month i started to experience heavy depression phases, they are gone now but i had them for about 4 or 5 weeks and it was very very hard at least for me bc i've always been a very sensitive person. And as for the liver, im getting a monthly check and im perfectly fine i barely drink, say, one beer a month or so lol and no smoking either.

[smile_jma]

I guess you're OK now?

[Sara Lin]

Yes its all gone now what my endo told me and also some of my friends who have transitioned and used androcur was that for some people varies totally, like, some having depression just a few weeks or a couple of months to some others who have them even up to six or more months to be honest i was kinda scared when i did my research on the side effects before starting hrt, since everything points androcur as a very bad choice and dangerous but i think it also depends a lot in your inner self and how you can handle things and stay strong good luck!

[smile_jma]

Yah, I'm about at the 1 month mark (of andro, total of ~3 or 4?), but usually I let things fly and.."oh well, it is what it is" type of attitude. I don't think I can say I've ever really had depression as I can focus my mind on something I like. Might not be HAPPY and act alone (which to others might look like I'm depressed), but I don't think it's depression during those times, and that usually only lasts a day..2 at the most.