This blog post is under construction...
The basics [#]
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for MtFs consists of primarily:
- Androgen Blockers (to block testosterone)
- Estrogen (for feminization effects)
Other drugs include DHT blockers like finasteride and progesterone.
Estrogen in high enough doses can block testosterone too. This is discussed later.
Androgen Blockers [#]
The most popular androgen blockers are:
- Spironolactone
- Cyproterone Acetate
- Bicalutamide
- Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Agonists
Each have their own pros and cons, which is discussed below.
- Spironolactone (spiro) - Dosage is 100-200mg. 100mg costs about 19p. It's very unpopular. Most people on it don't block testosterone sufficiently. Not even the NHS gives it out any more. It gives you conular breasts. Its basically a drug used for other purposes that just happens to block testosterone. It makes you pee a lot. Use anything else if avaliable. Complain to your doctor if he gives you it. Just about the only advantage I can think of is that it's cheap (but 12.5mg cypro is cheaper than 200mg spiro...). It's half life (how long it stays in your system) is very low, so if you need to take it spread out taking your pills through the day.
- Cyproterone Acetate (cypro) - Dosage is 12.5mg. People used to take waaaay to much of this, the newest research tells us not to take more than 12.5 per day. Per dosage is ~17p. Its probably the most powerful androgen blocker, its very good at nuking your testosterone. It probably also has the worst side effects. Like all androgen blockers, it can fuck up your liver and kidneys so make sure to get their function tested occasionally. It can lead to high prolactin levels, which can cause brain tumours. Apparently it can make depression worse too.
- Bicalutamide (bica) - Dosage is 50mg. It costs ~80p per 50mg. Its the most popular anti-androgen, but also is quite a bit more expensive than the others.
- GnRH Agonists - Is taken as an injection every few months. It's very expensive, and out of reach of most DIYers. Lupron is a common brand name. Take it if it's avaliable. It seems to be popular with the NHS.