ok so I am 21 have noticed slight recession of my right temple hair that seems to go back and has some thining hair where it should end as well and is a little wide on the top. my left temple has not really receded at all but is thinning. I have asked people profusely and no one seems to even think i have any recession in the right temple so it really isn't noticeable i suppose but I am still TERRRIFIED of it getting worse and spreading. Literally TERIFIED OUT OF MY MIND I literally CANNOT relax at all about it. so on October 14th I started avodart once every other day and lupron 3 month injection and elestrin. I was taking avodart once every other day but now I am taking it every day. My therapist has told me shes making me wait at least 9 more months until she will write a letter for a bilateral orchiectomy. I have found a urologist who will be doing it without a letter. I have to fly out of state for a couple of days with my boyfriend to get it done but it is worth it I beleive for january 11th. I have not told my endo yet or my therapist and plan on not saying anything until after i have it done and play stupid with my endo so he wont cease treatment, So here are my questions.

* My Lupron Depot injection was given on October 14th so it will be running out on January 14th. Will i have to have extra anti androgen meds because i heard that the adrenals will start producing more T which can convert to more DHT when the testes are removed to make up for the drop in T.

* Should I tell my endo before or after? I have a blood test on the 14th and an appointment on the 20th but I want to call and tell him what i'm doing so he may give me some spiro or another anti androgen to take until I see him? I am just scared that if i tell him what im doing he will refuse to treat me if i go through with it since he said he follows the gatekeeping... I mean standards of care. Can he legally do this? Do you think he might?

* I am getting an orchie now because of mostly my fear of spreading of the thinning of my hair and balding at any degree. I already know I want to be a woman and after taking Lupron and other meds there really is no turning back for me so its not "rushing". my therapist wont have to deal with the mental implications that hair loss brings for me, nor will she have to pay for hair transplants, or wigs, or live my life that with hair loss would i beleive lead to suicide. It may sound drastic but it really is not for me.
So my question is after my orchie i know i will be taking Avodart daily and maybe Fin in the future. What is your suggestion with post-op doses of meds to prevent further loss? Will it stop? I had read from another post from somone named "tracy" something who seems to know A LOT about hair loss that Fin or Dut are not enough post-op and spiro would also have to be taken.

* Does anyone know of Dr. Mark Arnkoff? or have any experience with him? I have seen posts about him but one girl named "ashley" who posted reviews about him posted this same generic "review" of him on every forum that had the name "trans" in it promoting him as a good doctor. Has anyone heard anything bad about him?

* What should I do pre and post op hormonally? i am aonly on 1mg transdermal elestrin daily and avodart daily, is it safe to take elestrin right before or right after or should I stop? and for how long? I dont have any health complications with clotting or anything and am 21 so will I be ok?

Thank you in advance I am going through A LOT right now and would really appreciate answers.

Edited for dosage.

Relax, talk to your Endo.

Dutasteride and Finasteride in combo can eliminate, virtually, all DHT.

I take finasteride but my T is less than 20 ng/dl ( low for woman is 50). I have some real hair regrowth and I am 51. Two guys said Friday. hey, it looks like you are growing hair. I am growing noticeable hair after almost 7 months.

I understand about the hair issue, fully.

I want an orch and GRS but not because of hair.  I feel like I have the wrong parts.

Quote from: Cynthia Michelle on December 22, 2013, 07:33:07 PM
Relax, talk to your Endo.

Dutasteride and Finasteride in combo can eliminate, virtually, all DHT.

I take finasteride but my T is less than 20 ng/dl ( low for woman is 50). I have some real hair regrowth and I am 51. Two guys said Friday. hey, it looks like you are growing hair. I am growing noticeable hair after almost 7 months.

I understand about the hair issue, fully.

I want an orch and GRS but not because of hair.  I feel like I have the wrong parts.

Your hair actually grew back? Just from blocking the DHT?

Quote from: FA on December 22, 2013, 08:09:42 PM
Your hair actually grew back? Just from blocking the DHT?

Mine did and it's still filling in. It took about 4 months before I noticed a difference, but now after a year I have gained back probably 80% of what I lost.

I won't say anything about doing the early orchi.  You have the right to determine your own care.  But I think it would be a mistake to do this without letting your therapist and endo know about it first.  If you go off to have this done and don't tell them until after the fact, you'll destroy any trust that they have in you. 

Yes they may try to talk you out of it... and they may threaten to drop you as a patient if you are unwilling to follow their medical advice... But you can be resolute in insisting that this is the best course for your treatment.  It's your body and your treatment. You don't need their permission.

If you do this behind their backs though... well... how would that look.  Would you want to be a therapist to someone who isn't honest and upfront with you?  If you were an endo would you trust someone to follow a prescription regime if you know they would make a major change like this without consulting them?

The relationship between you, your therapist and your endocrinologist is very important.  At least give them a heads up about your concerns and what you plan to do.

@SunKat
Yes you are right. I will at least let my Endo know, I hope he will be supportive of it. I never thought of how far trust can go in a relationship like this. I am also just terrified of him threatening to cease treatment. Like you said this decision is mine to make with my body. Wouldn't is be very unethical for my endo to stop treating me for doing something that increases the safety of his medical treatment of me?

I mean none of the anti-androgens are "safe", but Lupron is no joke. It has some long term and serious side effects. It is a Chemotherapy drug. I don't understand how it would seem ok to inject that into my body every 3 months but not be ok with me making an alteration to make everything we do together in our "relationship" to be safer.

@Jill & Cynthia
That's really encouraging to hear. What are you both using?
No offense here just trying to be thorough and understand as much as I can so I hope you don't get offended by this.
But when you say regrowth do you both mean actual hair that looks healthy and covers your scalp or are we talking about baby thin/fine hair that you can see through in bright light that no one would ever notice you having except yourself?

I too have had hair regrowth.  Being very bald (Norwood 7 or so), I thought I was condemned to a shiny smooth head.  This was from around age 45 (51 now).  My hair regrowth on Finasteride filled in to an extent about an inch around the edges.  After about a year on Fin, the fine, colourless hair started up.  it is now starting to show colour too.  I have been on HRT for about 2 months and I do not expect to see much improvement for a while yet if at all that is from HRT although the DHT hit from Fin may help.

Where hair loss is relatively recent and appears as thinning, then there is hope.  In my case, having a full head of hair would be a miracle.  Some coverage is all I can expect.  Fortunately, while I am on Fin for MPB, that isn't why I am on HRT and any upside hair-wise is most welcome.

To the OP, I suggest you take action on the hair loss.  If you are freaking out, good.  Get moving on it. As others have already posted, there are treatments available.

Being on Dutasteride for 9 months I see some regrowthon the temples. My hair transplants also start to growth.So I expect to have full coverage by end of next year. Minoxidil foam also helps alot together with Dutasterid.

There ist hope!

I have made very good experience in being honest and open to my therapist and endocrinologist. They care very much and helped me always. It is not easy to wait but sometimes it is good to take the time.

No offense and I am glad to share.

My T is less than 20 ng/dl ( the test does not go lower).  I am on spiro, finasteride and esterol.

The hair regrowth started as fine hair in the back and as time goes it is growing toward the front. The earlier back hair is thickening and starting to match my hair color. I would say my hair has regrown 30% fine and 10% medium size hair diameter for a total 40%. I will need transplants. However, I think the regrowth is still occurring and it is encouraging.  If I get 70% regrowth I will declare victory and off for transplants (covered by insurance).

I am waiting to maximize the amount of regrowth and optimize the transplants.

I agree, jump on the treatments ASAP. You are in control of your hair loss.

My comment about wanting an orch and GRS and why was meant as my reason. I hope you were not offended. I was expressing common desire and why.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3412238/

I was on propecia and rogaine for 9 months, hair loss at top was stopped and begin to filled back while little improvement at temple region. My doc added Oestrogel to my HRT regime, meant to be applied on the inner thighs and arms but i applied a tiny bit to the temple regions , now at 2 month mark, the regrowth at the temple is signifcant.


E2 treatment for hair loss for cis-girls and cis-guys are avoided by docs as E2 is a very strong sex hormone and can enter into blood stream easily but for us mtf, E2 are magical