Quote from: QuestioningEverything on August 20, 2014, 03:54:18 PM
arg my dr wont let me switch to the higher dose pill since its not actually meant to be split and isn't technically approved for hair loss. that leave me either paying $90 a month or ill probably just wait till october when i meet with in endocrinologist about transitioning and see what they say. 

Those are BS reasons.  Not meant to be split?  Isn't technically approved for hair loss?  Switch docs: he or she is either serving the insurance companies and not you, or just plain misinformed.  Splitting 5mg Finasteride tablets is commonly done, and the drug itself acts in the same manner whether it comes from a quarter of a 5mg tablet or an entire 1mg tablet (assuming there are no time-release characteristics that are being defeated by splitting the tablet, which is not the case for Finasteride.)

Your endo can prescribe Finasteride.  Hopefully he or she is not as stubborn.

Seriously, switch docs.  Any physician who would rather you couldn't afford a brand name and have no access to treatment as a result, instead of offering you a common, safe alternative, is a genuinely ->-bleeped-<-ty medic.  Their loyalty should be to you, not Merck.

I'll be asking this same question to my Dr next week. Im just starting to get a little concerned about what I have read about left over T can transform into little grimlins that feed on hair.  (I was looking up the side effects and how spiro works)

     t is such a bully!! 


...revenge will be a dish best served under anesthetics   c:

Get on dutasteride. You can take it twice a week and still suppress DHT more than fin daily. For me it was a headache cutting and actually taking it twice a day.

I don't think my current dr is really trying to screw me over as they have no idea that im thinking about transitioning and they are just trying to treat me like a typical guy who doen't want to loose their hair and by splitting the pill you might not get an equal dose every time so they would keep me on the lower dose to avoid the negative side effects. Even though i don't really care about a lot of the sexual side effects. Whatever I'll just wait, the endo im going to see deals with trans patients all the time and ill bring up finasteride/avodart. I'm just terrified that I wont be able to afford all the medication and if every pill is going to cost $100 a month I'm going to be running into some financial issues.

Quote from: QuestioningEverything on August 20, 2014, 07:20:53 PM
I don't think my current dr is really trying to screw me over as they have no idea that im thinking about transitioning and they are just trying to treat me like a typical guy who doen't want to loose their hair and by splitting the pill you might not get an equal dose every time so they would keep me on the lower dose to avoid the negative side effects. Even though i don't really care about a lot of the sexual side effects. Whatever I'll just wait, the endo im going to see deals with trans patients all the time and ill bring up finasteride/avodart. I'm just terrified that I wont be able to afford all the medication and if every pill is going to cost $100 a month I'm going to be running into some financial issues.

One reason your Dr doesn't want you to go to the higher dosage is that it will most definitely have a higher change of giving you ED (Erectile Dysfunction) than the smaller dosage.

As a side note, HRT prescriptions are much cheaper. Without insurance I pay $20/month for Spiro and about $22/month for Estrogen (injection). On the injectable Estrogen (Estradiol Valerate), it's a little cheaper than the pill form, but you pay more up front. A 5 month supply (I pay up front) costs about $108 and the pharmacy charges $2.50 for syringes and needles for the same 5 months.

Quote from: QuestioningEverything on August 20, 2014, 07:20:53 PM
I don't think my current dr is really trying to screw me over as they have no idea that im thinking about transitioning and they are just trying to treat me like a typical guy who doen't want to loose their hair

If you want to start circa October you should definitely let your doctor know. There is little to worry about.

Quote from: Sydney_NYC on August 20, 2014, 10:54:38 PM
One reason your Dr doesn't want you to go to the higher dosage is that it will most definitely have a higher change of giving you ED (Erectile Dysfunction) than the smaller dosage.

She wouldn't actually be taking the higher dosage. She would be cutting it to fit the smaller dosage. It would just be cheaper but do the same thing.

QuoteAs a side note, HRT prescriptions are much cheaper. Without insurance I pay $20/month for Spiro and about $22/month for Estrogen (injection). On the injectable Estrogen (Estradiol Valerate), it's a little cheaper than the pill form, but you pay more up front. A 5 month supply (I pay up front) costs about $108 and the pharmacy charges $2.50 for syringes and needles for the same 5 months.

Some have said in the thread that regular HRT alone doesn't always block DHT properly.

Dutasteride (Avodart) literally saved my hair. My genetics are somewhat unique, causing me to have very low T naturally, and having them most Doc's didn't think it was DHT causing my hair loss. I couldn't get my PC to even prescribe me Finasteride in low dose form. All he wanted to do is run test after test after test. However, upon beginning my hrt and finding my Endo, my hair loss stopped in it's tracks, and began reversing on the 3rd day in. Thus, it had to be DHT. Therefore I believe everything I've read about lingering low T levels causing DHT production and "feeding on hair," as someone else wrote.

Best wishes.

Ally