this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2026
25 points (96.3% liked)
askchapo
23303 readers
196 users here now
Ask Hexbear is the place to ask and answer ~~thought-provoking~~ questions.
Rules:
-
Posts must ask a question.
-
If the question asked is serious, answer seriously.
-
Questions where you want to learn more about socialism are allowed, but questions in bad faith are not.
-
Try !feedback@hexbear.net if you're having questions about regarding moderation, site policy, the site itself, development, volunteering or the mod team.
founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
TCM is studied scientifically there and anything with proven medical effects is often prescribed alongside typical western medications as it tends to be much cheaper in China. Theyre usually encouraged to try both to see how it goes. Sometimes the TCM is about counteracting the side effects of one drug or another to make it less of a pain to take.
(I have a chinese trans friend that was prescribed some sort of TCM anti-androgen once alongside a typical anti-androgen, I believe it was cypro? )
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1038039/full
The TCM in question was related to Cacumen Platycladi, it apparently acts similarly to finasteride but is possible to grow yourself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platycladus
IME, TCM 中药 (regardless of any proven medical effects or not) are usually prescribed alongside 'western' medicine 西药, but the TCM is often 5-10x more expensive than the 'western' medicine. and by western medicine here i mean generic drugs usually produced domestically (imported western brand name drugs are of course more expensive). paracetamol, antibiotics and other stuff is usually a lot cheaper than TCM. the cost of a clinic visit for a flu or cold is usually like 30% doctor's fee, 10% generic meds, 60% some flower extract (or worse, bear bile)
Maybe in the west my understanding in china you can buy it in bulk for pretty cheap, she said she could buy this in kilos cause it's made from nettles on a tree. Idk about the research on other TCM I'm mostly talking about this specific one that has alleged anti androgenic properties.
hey, both of us joined the same day six years ago? 🎂🎂
if you're talking about one specific herb, then sure, there's lots of stuff you can buy cheaply, and lost of stuff that is expensive.
most TCM that is prescribed to people at regular clinics, as well as TCM that you can get at pharmacies, are still things like pills and powders and syrups, not raw ingredients. at least in my experience from a dozen or so doctors visits and many more pharmacy visits, in several cities.
there are also clinics that specialize in TCM, and TCM drug stores (I'm not calling them pharmacies but i'm not sure what the best word to translate to is) and these places will have the whole ingredient type TCM (including whole dried seahorses) that they measure and grind to a powder for you. they're also generally expensive for what you get.