Quote from: Ellement_of_Freedom on September 22, 2016, 09:14:06 PM
She did mention that about 50% of patients get pseudo-depression for the first six months or so, from the drop in testosterone. If it happens to me she said I may have to take anti-depressants, temporarily.
It's not pseudo-depression, it's real and is not caused by a drop in testosterone, otherwise we should note the same in individuals taking other anti-androgens like LHRH agonists or spironolactone that also reduce/inhibit testosterone, which we don't. It's crazy to think that instead of stopping Androcur treatment if depression occurs, someone would prescribe another medication on top of Androcur to address this issue which could potentially lead to other side-effects sometimes associated with anti-depressants that are hard to stop, by the way, in many people. Androcur and spironolactone are not the only anti-androgens out there. There are LHRH agonists, bicalutamide and even estrogen injections/pellets which can strongly reduce testosterone, on their own and are deemed safe, according to studies.
Personally, sometimes, I just don't get some doctors. I'm not a doctor myself but it makes no sense.
QuoteGiven the risk of thrombosis from taking progynova
Have you actually come across any studies where Progynova was associated with an increased incidence of thrombosis? So far, I have come across only one incidence where the person was genetically predisposed but that's about it. Thrombosis has been usually noted in those taking the older forms of estrogen such as ethinyl estradiol and Premarin.
Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2005 Dec;113(10):586-92."Sixty male-to-female transsexuals were treated with monthly injections of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) and oral oestradiol-17beta valerate for 2 years to achieve feminisation until SRS. There was a significant decline in gonadotropins, total testosterone and calculated free testosterone. In general, the treatment regimen was well accepted. An equal increase in breast size was achieved compared to common hormone therapy. Two side effects were documented. One, venous thrombosis, occurred in a patient with a homozygous MTHFR mutation. One patient was found to be suffering from symptomatic preexisting gallstones. No other complications were documented. Liver enzymes, lipids, and prolactin levels were unchanged. Significantly increased oestradiol and SHBG serum levels were detectable. In addition, an increase in bone mass density, in the femoral neck and lumbar spine, was recorded. We conclude that cross-sex hormone treatment of male-to-female transsexuals using GnRHa and oestradiol-17beta valerate is effective, and side effects and complication rates can be reduced using the treatment regimen presented here."
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Dec;88(12):5723-9."The large differential effect of oral EE and oral E(2) indicates that the prothrombotic effect of EE is due to its molecular structure rather than to a first-pass liver effect (which they share). Moreover, these differences may explain why M-->F transsexuals treated with oral EE are exposed to a higher thrombotic risk than transsexuals treated with td E(2)."
"In conclusion, we have shown that treatment of MtF transsexuals with sex steroid hormones (CPA combined with E2 or EE) affects the hemostatic balance with a very pronounced difference in the effects of oral EE compared with the effects of both td E2 or oral E2. Oral EE induces a clinically relevant prothrombotic state."
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Dec;97(12):4422-8. "Historically, high-dose estrogen in the form
of ethinyloestradiol or conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) was
used to suppress testicular function and induce feminization.
In
view of the procoagulant nature of these older estrogens and the
inability to use plasma estradiol levels to guide treatment, this
protocol was changed in 2004 to oral estradiol valerate"
To be fair, I also came across another 3 cases (Eur J Endocrinol. 2013 Sep 13;169(4):471-8.) where estradiol valerate (Progynova) was associated with thrombosis but in two of those, they were also taking cyproterone acetate which has been shown to slightly increase the risk and those women smoked, for the most part, had a hypercoagulable disorder, had Type 2 Diabetes or were immobilized, all risk factors for thrombosis.
QuoteThe idea of having an implant put in every year or so does make my blood run cold, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Many find their implants run out by month 3 or month 6.
