I have cleared all the hurdles so far and received my initial low-dose prescription of testosterone blocker today to ease me into my HRT regimen.  It is the normal spironolactone tablet and smells minty.  Taste I don't know yet because I just rather unceremoniously swallowed it with my mid-day coffee.  Celebration will wait for when I actually notice any effects.  The reference sheet that came with it says "Even though you may not feel the effects, this medication takes effect within a few hours."  It also says it is more effective when taken with food but my doctor said it didn't matter when I took it.  The dosage will be upped rather quickly over the next two to three months, barring any problems, and I will have to have bloodwork done at every major dosage change.

Possible side effects were listed as follows:

- occasionally, it may cause breast development in men (Yippie!)
- it may cause nausea or, rarely, vomiting
- it may cause your breasts to feel swollen and tender (This better not tease me!)
- it may cause headaches
- it may cause cramps
- it may alter your sense of taste ()

  Not mentioned is the likelihood of frequent need to urinate although as a diuretic I guess you're just supposed to assume this anyway.  (Right now my morning and mid-day coffees are ready to 'drain' but that isn't the meds kicking in yet.)  It also doesn't mention possible loss of spontaneous erections or dizziness, both of which my doctor noted.  She told me to avoid standing up quickly after sitting or lying down for a while to avoid potential lightheadedness.  She also said I might feel generally more tired.

  The real bonus was learning my employer's health coverage will likely pay 80% of the costs of the hormone prescriptions and a portion of the dispensing fee.  I also have a drug card from them so I don't have to file manual paper claims.  My first month's worth of Spiro cost $6.75 and I can't see how this would increase much with the phased increases in dosage.  They will even cover estrogen patches if I have to switch to them from pills later.

  The part that sucked was when the pharmacist called me "Sir" without any hesitation.  Really!?!  And I thought I was looking gorgeous today!

  I'd like to hear from any of you with experience on Spiro alone how it felt starting out and over the first couple months.  What happened and what didn't?  How quickly did you notice certain effects?  Did anything affect your ability to work?  Everyones' situations will be slightly different but there should be some consistent common ground.

Congratulations and I wish You safe journey there and never back again . Today was the first step, but we all know that it is how every journey starts

Quote from: Violet Bloom on September 18, 2013, 12:52:18 PM
She told me to avoid standing up quickly after sitting or lying down for a while to avoid potential lightheadedness.  She also said I might feel generally more tired.

Pay attention to this - it does really suck if You suddenly decide to take a rush upstairs, raise, start climbing and then everything goes black in Your eyes for 1-2 secs and You desperately hold unto something to keep standing. No more rushing and attacking The way girls approach life is being slow, gentle, tender and purposeful

Congratulations Violet!  Another important step for you. 
I am on spiro and it helps me to take it after a meal to reduce any nausea/cramps and to encourage good drug distribution.

We can only hope the teasing is a good stimulus for development?

Congrats! I just started on Monday.  Hooray for progress!

Congrats on starting your HRT. Oh i so remember the day. And i also for a very long time remember the diuretic part of the spiro.

The feeling tired or weakness on spiro comes when your T levels start to drop. This effects everyone differently but most i know have had issues with this.

You will learn real quick about the standing up quick part. For me it was a big problem and took sometime to get used to getting up slower..

Lots of luck on your path.

Hugs
Izzy

Thanks, gang!  As I put it to my doctor, one marathon ends and another begins.  I guess I'd better get out of the habit of taking the subway stairs two at a time going up so there's no momentary 'black-outs'.  But then I'd have to be on time everywhere I'm going of course.  One major change I've already been practicing in my life is staying better organized and planning ahead well.  I keep a calendar meticulously filled out at all times now and I'm getting much better at not being chronically late.  Transition keeps you BUSY!

Busy, oh yes indeed.  I carry around my appointment book/calendar and call it my "brain book" as I am lost without it.  With more visits to therapist and clinics than in my entire lifetime I do have a sense of this being a mission or yes, a marathon process.  We grab our breaks when we can eh?

Quote from: Tessa James on September 18, 2013, 02:38:02 PM
We grab our breaks when we can eh?

During which time I'm often hanging around on Susan's too anyway.  Dare I call it a passion?

Me too!  I laugh, cry and ya, feel passionate about so many very personal stories here.  And, despite what some tell me, we are sure it is not an obsession or addiction but an additional resource like no other....

I seem to be feeling some hint of an odd sensation about 2-2.5 hours after taking the pill.  It's very subtle and brief but now that it's happened the second day too I don't think I'm imagining it.  Tough to describe but there's a sorta 'rush' in my nerves and I feel a bit of pressure and warmth in my face.  Maybe it is related to the potential dizzy spells my doctor mentioned but it's just not up to that level yet.  At least I'm not feeling anything bad in my stomach which was my worst fear.  Anyone felt this sort of thing or similar while taking Spiro?  Did it magnify the longer you were on the medication or after dose increases?

Thanks for the detailed response.  What you said makes sense.  The only thing my doctor did on the day of my prescription was check my blood pressure, which was at a perfectly normal level as it has always been for me.  Well, that and asking another three times over if I was sure I wanted to start HRT!

One other thing I noticed today - it may be unrelated, but they did mention taste could change - right around the time I noticed the Spiro kick in I got a slight alkaline sensation in my mouth that is still present.

I believe peppermint is actually listed in the ingredients.  Generally anything flavored that is not meant to be chewed is a warning that it tastes like crap.  I've swallowed them right down quickly with hot coffee so far and barely tasted anything.  That also seems to start dissolving it faster.