Next steps and bicalutamide

[ds1987]

Hi all! I've been off for a bit, trying to find my way back to normal. But then I realized, there is no "back." So now, I'm going to start moving forward. I haven't been in my female mode for a while, but I think she is slowly taking over me, becoming me. It's more painful than I had expected, seeing someone I don't identify with in the mirror, not being able to keep my brain in check with anxiety and stress...

I have an appt with my primary in two weeks to discuss an anti-androgen. I'm thinking I'd like to take bicalutamide as opposed to spiro, as I have a family history of blood pressure issues and I already get easily dehydrated. Does anyone have experience with bicalutamide? I've read that it blocks the testosterone without slowing the production, what sort of effects will that have in my body and mind? I've also been prescribed an SSRI, but have not taken it in nearly a month. Will an AA help to take care of what an SSRI would do, or should I take both simultaneously? I know there isn't a cover-all answer, but any feedback would be so wonderful. I'm ready to stop feeling lost

[KayXo]

I took it for awhile pre-op. It can be quite expensive and the doses needed to make a difference can be quite high making it even more costly, unless you have insurance. It blocks all androgens, to a certain extent, in the body and in the brain so the effects are similar to any other anti-androgen. No point in measuring T or DHT levels as bicalutamide reduces neither, just blocks and tests can't tell you how much is blocked. Bicalutamide, taken alone, will actually raise T levels due to blocking androgen receptors but it doesn't matter cause T is blocked. Good thing though is that the extra T will convert to estradiol.

You can find more info about it at the wikipedia page, it's quite comprehensive with lots of references.

Other options for anti-androgens are taking E by injection or pellets alone as E also reduces T on its own. There are also LhRH agonists such as buserelin acetate and goserelin acetate.