I just looked up T and Trileptal (the mood-stabilizer/anticonvulsant medication I'm on) and apparently Trileptal can make testosterone less effective? Now, I'm weighing the risks of going off Trileptal, and putting myself at risk of bipolar mania because I'm afraid it will make my T less effective. My psychiatrist knows NOTHING about testosterone or anything else to do with transgender people. What should I do?
Did you happen to come across the mechanism of action by which your med impacts T? Like if it decreases the activity of another enzyme or something? If you don't know, no worries, I can try and look it up. That would give you a good indicator of whether or not switching to anther moods stabler would solve the problem.
In general, I'd prioritize the Trileptal tbh. Especially if the T changes are slow but not nonexistent, just because switching psych meds is annoying as hell.
Quote from: captains on November 27, 2014, 10:48:00 PM
Did you happen to come across the mechanism of action by which your med impacts T? Like if it decreases the activity of another enzyme or something? If you don't know, no worries, I can try and look it up. That would give you a good indicator of whether or not switching to anther moods stabler would solve the problem.
In general, I'd prioritize the Trileptal tbh. Especially if the T changes are slow but not nonexistent, just because switching psych meds is annoying as hell.
On the interaction checker site it says: "Oxcarbazepine (trileptal) may reduce the blood levels and effects of testosterone. Contact your doctor if your symptoms worsen or your condition changes during treatment with these medications. You may need a dose adjustment or more frequent monitoring by your doctor to safely use both medications. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor."
I've also read from cismen online that it causes low T.
I can't really talk to my psych about this, as it takes about 6 months to get an appointment with him and even then he has no experience with FTMs.