06-05-2016, 06:31 PM
I wasn't entirely sure where to put this since it involves both an herb and a synthetic drug, finally decided to put it here.
I came across this study earlier today when I became curious about the possibility of combining these two substances. The idea came to me that both spironolactone and the main active constituent of licorice have their primary actions on the same endocrine pathways. Both are powerful inhibitors of 17-beta-HSD and 17,20 lyase. However, whereas spironolactone is a upregulator of the 11-beta-HSD pathway, it is well known that licorice does the exact opposite and severely inhibits that same pathway... So I thought, hey, what happens if you combine them? The answer:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17113210
They cancel each other on their mineralocorticoid activities whilst maintaining their effect on crippling androgens!
Too bad we won't likely be seeing endo's prescribing licorice together with spiro for MtF's any time soon... This study is an amazing discovery if you ask me.
For people who are math challenged, this comes to being that the study participants who had the combination took a combined dose of 100mg spiro and 266mg glycyrrhetinic acid. Assuming an average weight of 68kg for the participants, they took approximately 1.5mg/kg spiro and 4mg/kg glycyrrhetinic acid and had synergy. We don't know if this precise balance is required, just optimal, or even optimal at all... There haven't been any further studies using different doses of spiro and licorice.
I came across this study earlier today when I became curious about the possibility of combining these two substances. The idea came to me that both spironolactone and the main active constituent of licorice have their primary actions on the same endocrine pathways. Both are powerful inhibitors of 17-beta-HSD and 17,20 lyase. However, whereas spironolactone is a upregulator of the 11-beta-HSD pathway, it is well known that licorice does the exact opposite and severely inhibits that same pathway... So I thought, hey, what happens if you combine them? The answer:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17113210
They cancel each other on their mineralocorticoid activities whilst maintaining their effect on crippling androgens!
Too bad we won't likely be seeing endo's prescribing licorice together with spiro for MtF's any time soon... This study is an amazing discovery if you ask me.
For people who are math challenged, this comes to being that the study participants who had the combination took a combined dose of 100mg spiro and 266mg glycyrrhetinic acid. Assuming an average weight of 68kg for the participants, they took approximately 1.5mg/kg spiro and 4mg/kg glycyrrhetinic acid and had synergy. We don't know if this precise balance is required, just optimal, or even optimal at all... There haven't been any further studies using different doses of spiro and licorice.