Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hormone replacement therapy => Topic started by: andrejce45 on August 14, 2017, 09:42:11 AM

Title: Does Spironolactone immediately prevent testosterone from masculinizing me?
Post by: andrejce45 on August 14, 2017, 09:42:11 AM
I'm currently using Spironolactone and the dosage are pretty high. I'm just 15 years old and my endo told me that within 1-2 month my testosterone would me in female range so she'll introduce me to estradiol, but now what can I expect from Spironolactone alone to do with my body and testosterone levels?
Title: Re: Does Spironolactone immediately prevent testosterone from masculinizing me?
Post by: Deborah on August 14, 2017, 09:56:51 AM
By itself it will lower your testosterone production.  This will in effect put you in a pre-puberty state where you are neither masculinizing nor feminizing. 


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Title: Re: Does Spironolactone immediately prevent testosterone from masculinizing me?
Post by: Devlyn on August 14, 2017, 11:29:30 AM
In medical terms my T stayed in the same range on Spiro. It actually rose a couple of points. Voice your concerns directly to your doctor, it doesn't matter how medicines affect other people.  What it does to YOU is the only important factor.

Hugs, Devlyn
Title: Re: Does Spironolactone immediately prevent testosterone from masculinizing me?
Post by: KayXo on August 14, 2017, 03:24:45 PM
Studies have shown that even at high doses, spironolactone may not always lower T levels BUT may still produce gynecomasia and other symptoms like reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, etc, the reason being that spironolactone and its metabolites bind androgen receptors and prevent T from doing its job. Relying on levels alone may thus be misleading and just plain wrong.
Title: Re: Does Spironolactone immediately prevent testosterone from masculinizing me?
Post by: AshleyP on August 15, 2017, 01:57:08 AM
Quote from: KayXo on August 14, 2017, 03:24:45 PM
Studies have shown that even at high doses, spironolactone may not always lower T levels BUT may still produce gynecomasia and other symptoms like reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, etc, the reason being that spironolactone and its metabolites bind androgen receptors and prevent T from doing its job. Relying on levels alone may thus be misleading and just plain wrong.

What Kay reports has been exactly my experience while on spiro only. I experienced all the symptoms above on a low dosage over several years. Elevated dosages didn't reduce my T levels. I've come to believe that spiro is a lot better at blocking T absorption than suppressing T production. YMMV
Title: Re: Does Spironolactone immediately prevent testosterone from masculinizing me?
Post by: KayXo on August 16, 2017, 08:21:10 AM
My doctor confirmed yesterday that I was correct and that on Spiro,, checking T levels is useless and doesn't give the whole picture. Same goes for bicalutamide (obviously) and cyproterone acetate.