I should also add important information that someone else mentioned and I located the info in the book:
The doctor states that anti-androgens (i.e. spironolactone, flutamide, etc.) are not safe if there is a chance you could get pregnant. He says it might interfere with the formation of the genitalia of a male fetus. He goes on to say that he has not heard of any birth defects reported with spiro, but that it would be best to use caution.
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I also posted this on the old board:
In the book I am reading, "The Good News About Women's Hormones", by Geoffrey Redmond, M.D. the doctor mentions that if your hormone levels are normal, spiro should help if used alone. They did say that a possible side-effect from spiro could be that periods would come too close together, but most of the time it would correct itself in a few months. If not, then bcp pills were added to regulate the cycle.
The other treatments were for women who were producing extra testosterone from the ovaries or adrenal glands. Tests can be performed to find out where the problem is. An endocrinologist would be best to go to for this.
If your ovaries are producing too much testosterone, bcp pills were used (along with Spiro) to suppress the activity of the ovaries.
If the adrenal glands produce too much testosterone, a medicine called dexamethasone was used (along with spiro) to suppress the activity of the adrenal glands.
Also good info to know: The doctor's list of least androgenic bcp's is : "OrthoCyclen, OrthoTricyclen, OrthoCept, Modicon, Desogen, Demulen 35, or Ovcon 35" He mentions that the two newer progestins, norgestimate and desogestrel are "practically non-androgenic".<p>[This message has been edited by Loo (edited 11-11-2000).]
