Switching antiandrogens, what can i expect?

[sammielicious]

Hello...my first post! yay! OK, so i went the not so okay way and done it myself. I was on cyproterone acetate and estradiol for over a year before going to a doctor. i know it's bad but i was desperate. Here's the deal, i finally went to a doctor...He's really nice and gives a darn about me.  i checked out as fine. He kept me on the same dose of estradiol but is "making" me switch to spironolactone as my antiandrogen.  Has anybody here made that switch? Any difference in how you felt afterwards? i'm just scared i'll feel different.

[Ms Grace]

Hey Sammie

I'm glad to hear you have decided to stop self medicating, it's important to have these matters looked after by a proper medical person. As to the change between the two I can't offer much I'm afraid as I have been on Spiro since the start. Depending on where your T levels are it might help to lower them further, certainly my T levels are close to zero. Spiro is also a blood pressure medication and may be one of the reasons the doc has switched you if your BP is up a bit. It is also a diuretic, so expect to pee a bit more, probably better to take in the morning not before bedtime!

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Cheers

Grace

[sammielicious]

Thank you! He's switching me because cypro isn't FDA approved so he also has zero experience with it. Personally i wish i could stay on it. But he's the boss now.

[KayXo]

Cypro is usually a stronger anti-androgen but I'm sure the doctor will know what to do to keep T at bay and allow for adequate feminization. If you notice returning androgenization symptoms (increase in libido, erections, oily skin, acne, faster body hair growth, body odor, skin less soft, etc.) or/and regression in feminization (reduced breast growth, more angular face, etc.), advise the doctor immediately.

[sammielicious]

Thanks! Usually when i missed a dose of cypro or had to cut back because i was waiting on a new shipment (another reason doing it yourself is a bad thing) the first symptom i noticed was being aggressive...angry.   i didn't like it all. That scares me more than body hair or something. Well, the morning surprise too...well that usually made me cry. Have i mentioned i'm just really nervous about switching? 

[Cindy]

I'm spiro - wonderful! CA does have a side effect of causing or triggering depression, doesn't happen to everyone but if you are susceptible to depression it can be a no no.

[Apples Mk.II]

I'm so glad I got switched from spiro to cyproterone acetate. Spiro gave me one of the worst possible side effects: Messing with my digestive system to unknown extentes. I spend months unable to gain weight and having to go to the bathroom several times per day (and not exactly to pee).

Anyways, I had to convince the endo since he wanted to put me on flutamide. He did not have a great opinion about spiro.

[sammielicious]

My doctor proposed Flutamide too! But the cost is outrageous and it has even worse risks to the liver than cypro.  I really wish i could just stick with it. i was a very depressed person before i started taking cypro and estrogen. i seem more grounded and easy going now. Maybe just because i am happy to be out.   But i do remember reading about all the possible side effects.

[KayXo]

Surprising that flutamide is still being proposed because there is a newer anti-androgen of the same class now available, bicalutamide (Casodex, Calutide) which is much less toxic to the liver, has fewer side-effects overall, has stronger anti-androgenic activity and only needs to be taken once daily (or even once every 2 -3 days, as it has a long half-life of 5.6 days) versus three times daily for flutamide.

I think flutamide is no longer used in men with advanced prostate cancer and has been replaced with bicalutamide for side-effects, ease of taking and more favorable anti-androgenic activity.

[f_Anna_tastic]

I just switched from spiro to cyproterone a few days ago.

I'm in the UK though.

I think I was massively resistant to Spiro.

Nothing to report from the swap as of yet.

Mod edit: no dosages please.

[Apples Mk.II]

Surprising that flutamide is still being proposed because there is a newer anti-androgen of the same class now available, bicalutamide (Casodex, Calutide) which is much less toxic to the liver, has fewer side-effects overall, has stronger anti-androgenic activity and only needs to be taken once daily (or even once every 2 -3 days, as it has a long half-life of 5.6 days) versus three times daily for flutamide.

I think flutamide is no longer used in men with advanced prostate cancer and has been replaced with bicalutamide for side-effects, ease of taking and more favorable anti-androgenic activity.

I only know of a sure market for flutamide, and it's sex workers, and transgirls that are ok with the dick and like penetrating. Flutamide does not affect a lot brain, erections and even sperm production is still possible. Originally I asked cyproterone acetate intead of flutamide with the excuse of more side effects on flutamide (I actually wanted the most powerful and feminising thing I could get my hands on.). The good thing on flutamide is that genital atrophy would be minor compared to other treatments.

[sammielicious]

Wow. It sounds like i went with cypro for pretty much the same reasons as you. i am certainly NOT ok with erections. i lived way too long with that. i won't say i hate that part of me, but i do not want it functional at all. That is one of my big worries with spiro. 

[Apples Mk.II]

Maintaining funcionality is a necessary evil if you are planning to go for SRS, specially if it is going to take several years.

Right now I can't get it to work, but that's because my body only allows one weight hanging from my wiener, and that's androcur. Add another thing such as lorazepam / ativan, or being really anxious or depressed, and it won't raise. I just do it once a week just for maintenance purposes.

[sammielicious]

i really don't care for "functionality" and i doubt i will ever be able to afford SRS/GRS since face surgery is what i am really after. i just can't see me ever being able to get both.  i'm not exactly young. So i have my priority list.  i must admit, switching seems more like a bad idea every day.   

[Apples Mk.II]

SRS for me despite being unpassable. Some bad issues (taxes, paying for exams, etc) have drained my savings account so much that I don't think I will meet the money requirements for FFS (and I had the money already), so if FFS ends being unaffordable for me until I am working again, at least I won't have to care about using an antiandrogen.


Going back to an AA, I have a friend that was one year on spiro before the endo switched her to Androcur. She keeps insisting that she did not started seing changes until the switch. She also keeps saying the same about me (8 months spiro, nearly six on androcur), that I look more female since I started taking androcur. And it may be true, I probed to be fairly resistant to spiro, and the equivalent amount of androcur gave me better results. On the other side, my libido worked worse on spiro than androcur.

[KayXo]

Flutamide does not affect a lot brain, erections and even sperm production is still possible.

The same is true of bicalutamide except that bicalutamide is safer, only needs once daily dosing and is more potent. It makes no sense to take flutamide if a better, safer alternative is available.

[sammielicious]

i'm just really nervous. i am happy with how i have reacted to cypro. Switching scares me a lot. Then againm most everything does anymore. :p i read that flutamide should also be used with leuprolide acetate for best results. But i haven't really heard of that being used in the USA. idk. There aren't many doctors where i live that want to deal with gender stuff anywayz.

[KayXo]

i read that flutamide should also be used with leuprolide acetate for best results.

In men afflicted with advanced prostate cancer whose life depends on degree of androgen inhibition so they need to cover all bases. Either one or the other should be sufficient for us but, if leuprolide is taken, best to combine with flutamide/bicalutamide for the first 2-3 weeks to prevent testosterone flare-up. 

[sammielicious]

All i know now is that i was better off on my own.

[INgrid Alicia]

Ive been with flutamide / estradiol one year... and im OK.. my doctor knows and she recommended to continue like that, but i want to change it because maybe i am OK now, but who knows in another year, I wolud like to let my liver a rest a little of flutamide, so i want to tell my doctor to make that change  to spiro or cyproterate, i really dont know.. what to do ....