One month on spiro and finestaride - what should be happening?

[Charla]

I've hit the one month mark on a physician prescribed dosage of spiro and finestaride and am somewhat satisfied with the results. I've gotten over the constant dry mouth syndrome and feel calmer and more stable. My objective, as I told the good doc, was to moderate my gender dysphoria rather than to transition, or at least see if that was possible. It has helped...some. I have noticed a slight change in my complexion but no other physical changes, and I am OK with that. I go to see him again this Wednesday and am prepared to ask for a change in dosage.

Is it too soon to expect more favorable mental changes on a low dosage of these two meds? I cannot give our doses here of course, but it's low dosages on both.

[Joan_CD]

Hi Charla,

I'm not sure, but I don't think you would experience any mental or physical changes without estrogen. The two meds you are taking will lower your T and might make you feel more tired and lose strength as it drops, but without E there shouldn't be any changes towards the female side, either physically or emotionally. Hopefully your doctor will be able to explain what will and won't happen. Best of luck!

[Angela Campbell]

Not much, maybe going to the bathroom more. Even if you were taking hormones a month isn't very long to notice a lot.
those two are not hormones.

[whowhatwhen]

You might feel a mental effect along the lines of "finally I'm doing something!" but after a month or so on just spiro I didn't notice anything.
It took about 4 weeks of E and things started to happen.

[Charla]

Yes, I know these are not hormones, and my approach right now is to try to find a way to NOT resort to hormones. I was looking for others' experiences and I got good feedback - a month is not long enough and I may not be satisfied with the effects that these meds give by themselves. Thanks !

[Jolynn Harrison]

I have been on estrogen patches, spiro and progestrone 4 years now. I am a full B cup, I havent had any emotional breakdowns (some cry over a commercial) LOL. But I am happy with my rresults. BTW....my testostorone level is 9....Estrogen makes things change. Good luck, and get estrogen,

[LeaP]

If T is triggering issues, bringing it down will help, the question being how much and at what level. You're being monitored, so hopefully the doctor knows what s/he is doing, but be aware that taking T levels too low carries risks unless substituted with estrogen.

What you experience and when is a function of dosages, time, and personal factors. One month, however, is a very short period of time.

[Aprilrain]

After only one month I wouldn't expect to notice anything. Changes from antiandrogens and hormones are best measured in years.

[I Am Paula]

Yes, and no, Aprilrain. I notice profound changes, first mental, then physical, within weeks of starting HRT. Yes, the most noticeable changes take years.
On spiro and finesteride, you probably won't notice big changes, unless you found your sex drive to be an issue (mine was...goodbye morning wood!) The effects of T blockers can be comforting.

[Jannis]

I have been taking the two T-blockers for over 4 years. Indeed, there is no wood to be had! All my body hair except pubes and facial is gone. All I have is a small amount of soft white hair called vellus which does not really show, but I will shave that anyway. About once every two months. I feel a bit more emotional, tend to well up fairly often at sad movies, etc. my muscle tone is disappearing, but I am also getting older. There are possibly others, but these are the main things.

[Dianne S]

I'm about 8 weeks in on spiro and haven't noticed much in the way of physical changes. I think my nipples might be a bit more sensitive, but it could be psychosomatic. Also, I'm sleeping better, but I think that's because I feel like I'm finally really beginning my transition.

[Aprilrain]

Yes, and no, Aprilrain. I notice profound changes, first mental, then physical, within weeks of starting HRT. .

Perhaps you could elaborate and tell us what these "profound" changes were?

It really would be outside the norm to experience any real noticeable change HRT after only one month. Especially when you remove the H from HRT. Most likely anyone "feeling" anything from estradiol at this point is simply excited about starting HRT and is experiencing placebo effect. Now if the dose of Anti-androgen is sufficient one may start to lose ones ability to get and or maintain an erection relatively quickly.

[LeaP]

Maybe. This paper doesn't talk about cognitive changes per se, but non-genomic effects of estradiol in the brain are well-known.

"Estrogens are capable of modulating the physiology of nerve cells within seconds after application .... The rapid time course and the pharmacological profile of these effects with regard to the insensitivity to transcriptional and translational inhibitors lead to the assumption that genomic effects are not involved. It is now well established that estrogens act via interaction with specific receptors at the plasma membranes of neurons followed by the activation of intracellular signal transduction pathways.

Multiple Actions of Steroid Hormones—A Focus on Rapid, Nongenomic Effects
ELISABETH FALKENSTEIN, HANNS-CHRISTIAN TILLMANN, MICHAEL CHRIST, MARTIN FEURING, AND MARTIN WEHLING1
Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty for Clinical Medicine at Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany

[Charla]

I saw my doctor on Wednesday. I asked him how long would it take for the spiro and finestaride to have their plateau affect at this dosage. His answer was several months. He said, "come back and see me in February or March". I am okay with that. Whether it is a placebo effect or not, I feel better than I have in years.

[jennifer easton]

Charla I've been on the same meds as you for over 5 month's, sprio for B.P. and finestaride for prostrate they are small doses haven't noticed much change other than the absence of morning wood xoxoxo Jenni

[mbmeen12]

Miss Leap super and I love/need this site and super question Carla ....I have sent this link to my GID councilor for the research of were my goals are to be/want.

My objective, as I told the good doc, was to moderate my gender dysphoria rather than to transition, or at least see if that was possible.

[Charla]

Right now I am feeling like this has moderated my GID but it's not a complete fix. I was thinking as I went to the doctor, has the desire to become a woman fully gone away? The answer is NO. It's still there but it's just not out in the front of my thoughts as much as it used to be.