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[Juniebjones]

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[atomic sagebrush]

1):agree: on the spiro - love that drug!!!
2)Keep us updated on the potassium.
3)If a pharmacist says it's ok, it's ok. I would never listen to a doctor or midwife but DO listen to a pharmacist, it's their business to know these things. That having been said, I looked it up and it does take some days to leave the body so I ~personally~ would discontinue it the day before ovulation to make sure it was gone by the time any bean could implant 7-10 days later.
4)It does raise estrogen by lowering testosterone. Just one of those things you ahve to accept. I think testosterone is much more proven to sway blue than estrogen is so I still think spiro is great if you have medical need for it.
5)could not find a whole lot on the effects of progesterone but I suspect prog. would go up along with estrogen. That may or may not be the case, don't quote me on that one.
6)I agree that if you have problems with excess testosterone you should not do a crash and burn style LE Diet and should focus more on whole grains, fruits, veg, and then up the protein SLIGHTLY to 50-60 g (that's as high as I can recommend going, if you want to eat more that's totally your call of course.) http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-girl-best-practices/1865-swaying-under-special-circumstances-part-1-blood-sugar-issues.html

That having been said, for all others reading this thread who are concerned, on 1500-1800 cals a day, for any normal person who does not have sky high testosterone that needs medical treatment or proven issues regulating blood sugar, you are simply not consuming enough calories via carbs to raise your testosterone levels any.

[Juniebjones]

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[littlemissnaughty7]

ooh where do you get this drug i want some !

[atomic sagebrush]

If you are not TTC it is fine to take vitex throughout your cycle.

Testosterone takes a long time to go up and a long time to go down. There is no way that in 14 days' time you will have any significant rise in testosterone.

I don't think calcium, magnesium, or potassium sway in the commonly accepted ways so I'll take a "no comment" on that! :)

I'm sorry, refresh my memory - why will vit. C keep you from getting sick? You mean colds or do you have a medical condition that requires Vit. C?? Vit. C preventing colds, been pretty well debunked - the average person, taking the average dose, sees no difference in amount of colds caught and only a slight difference in duration/severity of symptoms. Does Vitamin C Help Prevent Or Treat The Common Cold? (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/06/050628064753.htm)

Thoughts on cran are here - http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-girl-best-practices/7086-how-lower-ph-via-supps-cran-baby-aspirin-aspartame-other-techniques.html

:agree: with not testing pH and also limiting/eliminating aspartame. Remember, tons of baby girls were conceived prior to the invention of aspartame!!!

[atomic sagebrush]

ooh where do you get this drug i want some !

It is prescribed by doctors only for people who are known to have higher than normal levels of testosterone. The average person does not need it and in fact should not take it because it can have side effects.

[fresas]

You should not keep taking aldactone when trying to conceive. I think it is best to stop it once you are officially trying because if you happen to conceive a boy, this can affect the fetus' normal development. I don't know how far in advance you need to stop the aldactone, but I think it is generally advised that women TTC do not keep taking it when they start TTC.

If you have PCOS (assuming that's why you're on this medication), the PCOS often makes periods heavier, longer, etc. Those aren't normal, but if you have had PCOS for a long time, then those periods may seem normal to you. If the aldactone is helping balance your testosterone, then this gives estrogen and progesterone a chance to work as they normally should and this may be a reason for the lighter periods.

About your LE question: this is my major issue, too. Us PCOS girls are not supposed to be on a diet like the LE diet because it affects testosterone levels. The PCOS diet is totally boy friendly. You have to find other ways to keep your pH low, I think.

I just posted about this in my ongoing thread about the + OPKs because I don't know how to keep my body pH lower if I am eating a boy friendly diet. Any time I deviate from the PCOS diet, I can tell my testosterone is allowed to go out of check more (acne, weight gain, painful cyst bursts, etc). It is a conundrum for girl swayers with PCOS for sure.

[Juniebjones]

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[fresas]

We can definitely be diet buddies!

It sounds like you are doing the right things for controlling hormone imbalances, especially with the diet and exercise. I think PCOS girls that are TTC girl have a unique challenge. I'm just not sure what the right answers are. :)

It is nice to know that aldactone leaves the body pretty quickly.

[michaela]

No spironolactone does not leave your body quickly!! You need to be off of it a minimum of six weeks prior to TTC. This was told to me by my endocrinologist as well as 2 RE's. this stuff has horrible birth defects for the sex organs of the baby. I wouldn't risk only bring off of it for a week. We actually ovulate the eggs that started to develop 3-4 months prior to actually ovulating so you don't want to be even close to the follicular selection stage of your cycle while on this medication.


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[michaela]

I should say it does leave your body but the effects of the spironolactone stick around for much longer. Please whatever you do wait for at least 6-8 weeks before TTC!!!


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[Juniebjones]

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[michaela]

I personally wouldn't take the risk with this drug when it is known to cause birth defects but that is just me. It just isn't worth the risk to me. I absolutely loved the Spiro when I was on it though!!! There are plenty of links/sites/forum posts online where others were also told to wait the 6-8 weeks.

I am not sure about the saw palmetto. I don't think you would need it as the Spiro will do a much better job of lowering your T levels than SP will. Do you only take SP to lower testosterone levels or what else does it do?

[Juniebjones]

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[michaela]

I am sure you could ask someone at the drug company but be forewarned that they are there to sell drugs not really to help patients. LOL! I am not against pharm companies at all, I am just not sure they are the best to ask about it. For me it was an easy decision after so many people were told to wait the 6-8 weeks before TTC. I just couldn't move forward knowing a ton of other people had been told to wait that long when I was told the exact same thing. I may have felt differently had I been told to only wait a week but what I was told was the general feeling I also got from the internet.

Lowering your testosterone will also lower your estrogen levels. If you decrease your hormone levels too much there is a chance it could really throw things off. I am not sure that I would take both of them together but I don't know enough about SP to be certain.

[atomic sagebrush]

Actually sometimes lowering testosterone means your body takes the raw materials it was making into testosterone, and starts making them into estrogen, so estrogen can rise when T is lowered and vice versa.

[Juniebjones]

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[atomic sagebrush]

Yes and in fact we've had to drop some sway supps because of it. Does no good to raise your T if you have no CM (blue swayers, that is!!) :) Balding guys try to lower their T levels in order to stop their hairloss and end up growing boobs due to the increase in estrogen. Clomid also raises T but lowers E.

Now that may not be how spirolactone works, just that I do know it's not always so cut and dry with T and E - they interact in somewhat mysterious and unpredictable ways and there are def. times when lowering one can cause the other to rise.

Personally, I agree with Michaela and would stop the Spiro in ample time to ensure it is out of the system first. I do not think that you're going to see a mega-rise in T but I don't know of anyone who has gone off spiro so I can't totally say firsthand.

[Juniebjones]

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[michaela]

I was on it for about a year or a year and half before I went off of it. It did take some time but yes my testosterone levels went back up. It made my hormonal acne go away (that was on the base of my hairline when I got my period) as well as cleared up my oily skin. It did not take away the little blonde chin hairs I get though!

Are you on Metformin? That will do just as good of a job as the spiro in lowering your T levels and it will help with your insulin resistance. If you are not on it, is there a reason especially with the known insulin issues?

I say go off of it as far in advance as you can. There are other ways to lower your T levels that won't cause birth defects.

[atomic sagebrush]

Really Atomic? I think I am going to take the Saw Palmetto too. I am also taking the vitex too. I think you might be right because my boobs seem a littler fuller and bigger and I am currently losing weight. So maybe there is an estrogen effect to Spiro.

Now I am all confused when I should stop taking the Spiro now with what Michaela is saying. I am thinking 6 weeks before I try now, but I am going to call around again to make sure. If I am taking the Saw Palmetto, Vitex, and continue losing weight do think the possible increase of testosterone from stopping taking it would sway boy big time? I would have been on it for about 4 1/2 months when I stop.

I dont' think I caught this yesterday but I don't think I'd do both SP and spiro at the same time. What do you think about going off the spiro, switching to SP in the meantime for a few, and then TTC? SP leaves your body very quickly so it's safe to take up to the day before O.

[Juniebjones]

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[atomic sagebrush]

As far as I know you can, but doublecheck with your pharmacist just to be sure.

[michaela]

I am still curious about the Metformin. Have you tried it and not done well with it? That will lower your testosterone as well as help tremendously with your insulin issues and it will give you better egg quality so you can conceive faster.

[atomic sagebrush]

:agree: metformin!!!!

[daydrmbelievr]

Question for you ladies who took spiro- did your cm change? I should O really soon, and no ewcm in sight! I'm usually inundated with the stuff :)

[atomic sagebrush]

Biologically it is likely to dry up CM.

JJ did get a girl btw.