Did my Orchi - still on Spiro

[cicilia]

I did my Orchi 4 weeks ago,  but my Endo kept me on Spiro.  Not sure why but I hate Spiro because it makes me get up to pee in the middle of the night.  EVERY night!!!!    I haven't had a full/straight 8 hours sleep in over a year and a half.  He changed my dose but that's all he was willing to do.  Not sure why he is keeping me on Spiro.  If it's all about BP,  why not go to some other more typical BP solution?  What's so amazing about Spiro? 

<No dosages>

[Dena]

You need to ask your doctor. If it's for blood pressure, you might consider taking it in the morning so most of it's out of your system by evening. Most of the milder BP medications are diuretics so switching to another medication may not gain you anything. Some people after surgery continue to produce T at very high levels elsewhere in the body. A blood test should confirm if your one of those people and if you are, eventually that production will stop so Spiro will no longer be needed. Remember that your employing your doctor so you deserve answers to any questions you might have.

[josie76]

My endo gave me the option of staying on one spiro tablet a day after my orchi. His reason is that the adrenal glands still produce other androgen hormones that can continue to encourage body hair growth ect. I decided not to continue spiro but I had self weaned down to zero before my orchi procedure. He did take me off finasteride as he said with no T there is no DHT so no need for finasteride at all anymore.

[Pisces228]

I'm still on spiro after my orchi for hair growth.  I have still noticed increased feminization since the orchi so it's not like it was pointless.  A few cis women take spiro for hirsutism so it isn't that uncomment to take it for hair growth.

[cicilia]

I am on Spiro  and doing it in the morning.  I still pee 1x every 3-4 hours so I get up to pee 1x to 2x a night.  That's the only thing that really bothers me about Spiro.  He has said at some point in the future of my T zeroes out I can go down.  Here is how my BP looks / looked (I check daily and keep a spreadsheet):

Pre Orchi:
July 2017 - Nov 2017 - Spiro :   138 over 80,  pulse 67.
Nov 2017 - Mar 2018 - Spiro  higher:   135 over 74,  pulse 66.
Post Orchi:
Mar 2018 - Present - Spiro :   135 over 79,  pulse 74.

It seems like my BP at pre Orchi is roughly my BP at post Orchi.  But my pulse rate is up 7 beats per minute; which scares the heck out of me and triggers my PTSD and Panic Disorder when I think about it. 

<No dosages>

[Doreen]

If you're not producing any testosterone (or its in female limits) there really should be no reason to continue it.  The benefits from estrogen if you're on it will far outdo any existing androgens produced by the adrenals.  Then again I'm not an endocrinologist, just some schmo that decided to stop taking it after 3 months when I realized it was useless anyways    You don't HAVE to take it if you don't think you need to or don't want to.. just discuss this with your docs.

[josie76]

That does sound like a high dose. I was on that dose when I started. At one year he dropped my dose in half. Now I'm on zero since my orchi. I also was told to take half dose morning and half in evenings.
I know a younger girl who goes to my same doctor who has been on twice my dosage. Think it has to do with her being young and likely had much higher T production.

[cicilia]

If you're not producing any testosterone (or its in female limits) there really should be no reason to continue it.  The benefits from estrogen if you're on it will far outdo any existing androgens produced by the adrenals.  Then again I'm not an endocrinologist, just some schmo that decided to stop taking it after 3 months when I realized it was useless anyways    You don't HAVE to take it if you don't think you need to or don't want to.. just discuss this with your docs.

I think my Endo wants to leave me on until my T hits zero.  in 3 months, and I will pull blood 2 weeks before then and hopefully he changes his mind and puts me at zero.  I believe he feels since I need to be on a BP med anyway;  it might as well be Spiro.

<No dosages>

[Doreen]

Hm spiro is given more as a diuretic, but if that's what your doc is recommending I'm not going to say anything against it.  I wish you luck with the T reduction It should eventually drop off to near nothing if not 0. 

[Donna]

My T is on its way down from an eligard injection. The doc took me off dutatriside three days after the injection due to the peak the shot causes. I'm on spiro everyday in the morning. It's not much of a BP med as I had to add diovan again but at half the dose.
In July I get my orchi date and then we will see what happens with the spiro, doc may just put me back on diovanHTC instead.
My daughter was on spiro until her bottom surgery and now she takes none.

[Ellement_of_Freedom]

Um, did you ever think to just ask him?

[PurplePelican]

I think my Endo wants to leave me on until my T hits zero.

And no one has picked up on this? Your doctor is being incredibly reckless with your health. Aiming for ZERO Testosterone is both pointless and bad for your health. Your T level should be somewhere in the normal female range and most people find their Adrenal T supply is barely enough to supply it - and what little actual T there is soon gets converted to a long list of other things.

It staggers me that people are taking meds they don't need, prescribed by doctors who should know better.

[Pisces228]

I just realized that dosages are being listed in this thread; have the rules changed on that?

[Donna]

Your right 8C doesn't allow dosages.

[Cindy]

Thank you, dosages removed. Please report to Moderator if you see issues.

To the OP. There is no one here who can give medical advice and the opinions expressed are just that; opinions.

Please consult a medical doctor and if you are unhappy with your treatment get another treatment protocol after a full medical history has been obtained and considered from a specialist.

[Donna]

Interesting observation by myself and my wife. I'm 4 weeks post injection and three weeks off dutatriside and that darn little pill was doing more than blocking T. I have started sprouting body hair again like crazy. My arms and stomach were good for 10 days before and now it's two day. Got to talk to the doc to go back on it I guess.
Maybe your doc has other reasons for leaving you on it. Just talk to him and ask

[Daisy Jane]

After getting my orchi, I chose to stay on half the max dose of Spiro.  I haven't seen my endo since getting my orchi, so this is just something I'm doing out of irrational fear that I'm still producing T. I'll be making an appointment soon so I can get better direction.

[KayXo]

Post-op and I had too little testosterone...so I actually am taking some T now and feel/look better. I can't imagine taking an anti-androgen post-op... But to each their own, I guess...Post-op, btw, we produce LESS T than ciswomen.

[PurplePelican]

Interesting observation by myself and my wife. I'm 4 weeks post injection and three weeks off dutatriside and that darn little pill was doing more than blocking T. I have started sprouting body hair again like crazy. My arms and stomach were good for 10 days before and now it's two day. Got to talk to the doc to go back on it I guess.
Maybe your doc has other reasons for leaving you on it. Just talk to him and ask

Dutasteride is a 5α-reductase inhibitor, it prevents conversion of T to DHT, it has no effect on T levels or other actions of T. It;s the reason your body hair rebounded when you stopped it. The easiest way to lower T is to have an adequate E level, no extras needed.

[ErinWDK]

I'm still on spiro after my orchi for hair growth.  I have still noticed increased feminization since the orchi so it's not like it was pointless.  A few cis women take spiro for hirsutism so it isn't that uncomment to take it for hair growth.

There are a lot of reasons to take spiro.  Some cis women use it because of PCOS.  Actually my Endocrinologist does NOT have me on spiro -- she is agreeing with the dosage my Cardiologist has me on.  My Cardiologist feels it works in conjunction with other medications to do more good than any one of them would do by itself.  So for me, spiro is for heart health.

As so many others have said, this is a discussion to have with YOUR doctor.