testosterone blockers

[KatieV]

If you've taken Spironolactone, please share your experiences with me. I'm not considering transitioning but would dearly like to further reduce my testosterone levels. As I'm older my level is already low. I'm presently not in counseling or seeking the advice of a physician. Just hoping to tip the scale to female without the use estrogen.
Is this reasonable or misguided? What expectations should I have for the results? What negative side affects have you experienced?
Thanks for your advice!

[Dorit]

Katie dear,

You should seriously consider involving professionals, especially a doctor. Hormones are critical to health and not to be lightly tampered with. I have been on testosterone blockers and estrogen for the past 10 months. During this time I have had four visits with my endocrinologist and four comprehensive blood tests and a bone marrow scan! Please be careful.

[Nadine Spirit]

Hiya - I used Finasteride for a few months and felt a bit better but then my Dr said he was going to take me off it. I had a panic attack, got a counselor, and a Dr familiar with hormone therapy, and began to deal with the real issue. Within a month I was on Spiro and E. Best decision I ever made. It has allowed me to truly see what has been happening in my life.

[Richelle]

Katie

Dorit is correct. You need to work with a doctor on this. Like her I have had three blood test and multiple visits to my Endo and have only been on Spiro and E for six months. Keeping the hormones at the correct level without adverse effects on the kidney and liver are critical for your long term health

Richi

[chelyann]

Katie
you might think about a little counseling with gender specialist, and then look into an endocrinologist , from what you wrote it sounds like you want to transition but don't want to accept it yet.
what ever you do don't self medicate .
good luck on your journey

[Ashley in Virginia]

What's your motivation for "tipping the scale to female"?... If you are thinking of transition you should see a professional.

With that said, Spiro is a diuretic, so expect to pee and be thirsty constantly. And it will lower your blood pressure, so be careful in the beginning about getting up too quickly. It's not something that's that serious to take. By if your t level is that low, Spiro is probably not what you need.

Not having sex hormones over time can create it's own series of issues, so if u kill your t, you probably should add e. But I'm sure you know what all comes along with adding estrogen. There isn't a safe way to do what you are thinking about doing long term.

It's your body tho, if you want to get on it without hassle, try planned parenthood.

[Lana Mae]

Just saying! Not quite there yet, but gender therapist and doctor just to be on the safe side! I have been spacing this out and gaining experience along the way as well as discussions with my therapist! Now have appointment with medical doctor to see if he will be supportive of an endocrinologist! Then to the endocrinologist and where ever the journey takes me from there! Safety is a major concern with T-blockers and E! Professional help to monitor everything and make proper adjustments! Best wishes! Hugs Lana Mae

[LeaP]

You need to see a doctor. Lowering testosterone on its own as well as taking Spironolactone can have serious medical consequences.

My own issues included initial dizziness for a few months, plus ongoing dehydration and high potassium levels (very dangerous).

There are no scales to tip between male and female.

In answer to your question, you are unguided, not misguided. You can answer this one yourself: is it reasonable to arbitrarily change one of your body’s most fundamental systems without expert attention and monitoring? Do you like to gamble?

[Megan G]

Honestly if this is something you need to do than it needs to me monitored by a health professional. As with any prescription medication there are lots of “what if’s” that need to be considered prior to the administration of a new drug. Things such as are you currently taking another medication that may have a Synergistic or Antagonistic reaction..

Spiro is used off label for testosterone reduction, it’s primary use is to treat high blood pressure/heart failure...

I have not even gotten into what LeaP mentioned about changing a very important part of your system. From your post mentioning you already have lowered T, i am going to guess your not young. What about bone density and osteoporosis? That is controlled by that hormone you want to kill and not replace it with h anything.

These are things a doctor will consider prior to prescribing....

My advice is go see a doctor and do it properly.

[Devi SM]

Katie I agree with all said for the sisters here (it sounds like nuns lol)
There is a lot wisdom on what they say and experience.
If I can add my own penny I'd been with spiro and estrogens for 4 and a half month.
If you want to just try a bit to achieve some feminization changes you will avhieve nothing.
We all can say that changes take long time and for some people body changes are mill or minimal, as has been said, but you CANNOT go in that way without medical supervision and tests.
For me changes have been huge, especially the sociological changes. My view of the life now is more from the perspective of a woman. Is I understand a lot better my wife in several areas and if I wouldn't achieve any physical change towards feminization it worths.
My skinflint is softer, I notice so.e new hair growing in my head, don't know if is the result of 2 years or cut it or the hormones but I have more hair it less in the body.
My breast has noticeable grown. I had some tissue as a 59 years old man and added the tissue from HRT now I have to wear a bra all the time.
Libido has drastically fallen and in that area I had experienced huge changes that are worth of a thread for later. I still having sex with wife and the little one down there works great once a week. Wife has found new spots for stimulate me and we are learning different kind of sex that's completely new for though very satisfying.

[Teresa]

While Katie has posed the question of T blockers and some have given useful answers can anyone suggest a full guide to the effects both good and bad that can be expected from T blockers . I know even at my age my T level is still high , I would like to reduce body hair growth and stabilise my highs and lows but some have pointed out diurtec problems . I suffered from hypercalceamia and still have two sizable stones in my left kidney which are being left alone , I do have to watch dehydration . Obviously I would go through the correct channels and not try and go it alone , last time I visited my GP he did ask if I was OK or wanted to look into hormones . The funny part was I had only made an appointment to have the arthritis in my toes checked but he appeared to be more concerned about my TG issues , at least I know help is there for the asking .

[Devi SM]

By my short experience and a lot of reading about T blockers, they are not the one that will feminize you, those are the estrogens that don't work on presence of testosterone, for that reason it need to be blocked.
Now the side effects of blockers are several, obviously they will block testosterone effects or diminish them, as the libido, the erection (this is not immediate, I'm 4 and a half months and still working but just when required, so no longer morning woods. Testicles are going to shrink a bit. Of course if the diuretic effect that in my case produces a huge craving for salt with lemon and with apples.
Other important effect is to lower the blood pressure, which could be good. In my case every morning before leaving out the bed my numbers are like 98-54 and 55 heart beats per minute.
Has been said that as you pee more you not necessarily are thirsty but you need to drink more water.
If I remember others I'll update this post.
Another is the baldness so in absence and with the estrogens hair can regrow again, that's my case.
So think on what testosterone does, they will disappear, some fast, others over the years.

[Rianna Humble]

Teresa, yes there is someone who can give you the answers to your questions - your doctor or an endocrinologist (following a face to face consultation).

[Rachel Mari]

I started HRT a little over 5 years ago at 56. As I ramped up the Spiro, I would on occasion experience some dizziness, especially if rising up from squatting. I also estimate I lost maybe 20-30% of my upper body strength, which changed how I do some things at work.

When I was at the highest dosage (for about a year), I would wake up twice a night to go to the bathroom. Once the doctor lowered it to half of what it was, I was waking up only once a night. I liked waking up in the middle of the night as it meant I could go back to bed and sleep.
I experienced changes very slowly. Breast growth began about six months, lasted for six months, stopped for a year, started again for another year and then stopped all together. I'm at about a "B".

Last March, my doctor took me completely off Spiro and the first week wasn't great, I felt.....off. We did monitor my T & E levels (3 times) and as of last month my T has gone up 1 (at the first test it actually dropped 1 point) and E has stayed the same. The reason for stopping was a concern about my kidney function.

Things seem to have stabilized and I feel okay.

[SarahBJackson]

Hello everyone. I want to start taking Spiro so that my body hair doesn't grow so much. I want to talk to my doctor and ask her to prescribe Spiro with a Informed Consent form.

[Maria in heels]

I have read over the years about many sisters using Spironolactone in combination with Estrogen on their journey towards transition or hormone treatments. I am one who has been in Spiro for about 7 years now for blood pressure issues, and the one side effect that the doctor informed my wife about was that I would probably grow boobs. Yes, I have small boobs now, and I take 50 mg twice a day, every day. I did get a yearly physical recently, and my regular doctor stated that my T level is fine, and not gone/missing as I thought it may be since I have a recent energy drain... For me, I guess you could say that it worked slightly in the breast growth department, but not in the T blocking section....

[Aprilrain]

For those of you who desire to reduce your T levels without the introduction of E, please educate yourselves about the negative consequences to mind and body of dangerously low or depleted sex hormones.
First and foremost, depleting the male body of T does NOT "feminize" ones body! Sex hormones, Unlike Humans, do not exist on a "spectrum" with T on one end and E on the other, just push the lever one way or the other to obtain a male or female or some ratio there of.
Females tend to exist in a pretty well established average range for each phase of her cycle.
The natural average range of T for males varies much more wildly than females with some mens being vary high and others not so much.
HRT exist because menopause SUCKS! Trust me, I know from personal experience. I had effectively been menopausal since, at least 3 years ago.
I just switched to injectables, I'm starting to feel better. Its still too soon to tell with Labs if my level is right yet.
This last year has been especially upsetting. Hot flashes got so bad! I was waking up on average 4 or 5 times a night completely drenched, swimming in my own sweat, FREEZING MY ASS OFF! Throw in mood swings, depression, vomiting, temperature regulation issues, etc.
I'm not thrilled about giving myself shots every 2 weeks but its a small price to pay for my health and sanity!