A treatment for brain fog? pregnenolone

Therapeutic Efforts Supplements & Lifestyle
#21

Adrenal and thyroid problems do not explain why some men are injecting BB doses of testosterone and feeling absolutely nothing, no muscle growth, no more energy never mind increased libido or feeling of well being.

Even JN, who the cortisol crowd have lumped on as proof that fixing thyroid/adrenal defeciencies will lead to recovery, virtually the only case I might add, experienced muscle growth and decreased anxiety/depression when on TRT only - so extrapolating his experience to others doesn’t work as others (myself included) have felt absolutely nothing increasing testosterone.

These are the facts we have assembled through case studies on this forum. To ignore them is to deny the unique nature of our problem. And yes, frankly it does seem unique in medical history however baffling that may seem to you. It doesn’t seem so strnge where I’m standing believe me.

#22

I believe it can, atleast in part.

I don’t see this as any different than how other on here have hypongondal symptoms despite high DHT/T. A messed up RT3 and T3 ratio alone can give you a host of metabolism problems.

I do see where you’re coming from but i also see very little expertise being exercised on this forum so you shouldn’t use it as a complete overview of your treatmenet options, either…

On Dr Crisler’s forum, people with a vast array of symptoms (some similar to PFS, some not so) take massively different approaches to their thyroids and adrenals. They look at a different array of bloods (DHEA sulfate, 24 hour cortisol levels, assay sensitive oestradiol levels, RT3 ratios etc), and seem to be very well clued in on the more cutting edge approach for adrenal and throid issues. You can’t blame me from taking a specific interest in this especially when most of these guys report success with the recommended treatments. Read some of hebs posts and articles that he posts up, you might agree with me that there’s plenty of room to explore.

#23

I think you do the forum a disservice. A lot of information is scattered around various threads old and new, people having been talking about treating adrenal fatigue, and reverse T3 and thyroid testing long before you arrived. I personally believe some level of adrenal insufficiency/subclinical hypothyroid symptoms (quite a lot in me) is a part of the problem for many. Hopefully, if I can treat this it may help a little with fog, sleep, energy. I highly doubt it will address the underlying issue.

This is a bit like when you say ‘androgen resistance is an excuse for guys to do nothing’, if you properly looked around you’d see that the vast majority of guys with severe symptoms have given hormonal replacement a go. And yet it has hardly helped anyone. That’s why guys on other forums don’t know what the hell is wrong with us, since TRT in most cases alleviates symptoms of low T. Thyroid and adrenals certainly don’t explain why your dick feels like a piece of skin and your whole junk changes colour. That likely points to some complex problem with 5-ar defeciency among other testosterone insensitive problems.

Anyway this is way off topic. I just wanted to finally try to get through to you that we are dealing with a hugely complex issue that requires SCIENTIFIC HELP, not telling guys it’s up to them to adopt ‘tailored protocols’ (as so many have done with PFS docs) and regular bloods and will definitely improve. This will be probably best be achieved getting off the computer and trying to get our cause the attention of scientists, media etc. Especially now we are getting some attention.

#24

This thread is about using pregnenolone to boost neurotransmitters, not to cure PFS. Let’s not start a theoreical discussion here.

Luckfax, I answer your points in the thread dedicated to the cortisol theory: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4784&p=35856#p35856

#25

Yep. I agree it’s extremely complex and there probably is underlying root causes. I’m desperate to see this get the level of medical attention it truly deserves, too.

All i’m saying is that we need to use the best of what’s out there to at very least enjoy some symptomatic relief and hopefully fo rmany - aid recovery. I honestly don’t think that’s unreasonable or unrealistic.

Dr Crisler said himself that “some of these guys are really screwed up”. So no, i don’t try to downplay things whatsoever. THe more extreme the symptoms the more likely one requires essential treatment to his adrenals and/or thyroids.

EDIT - Yeah, back on topic, sorry m_81.

#26

Brain fog seems to resolve itself for everyone with time. 1/2 way into my second year of PFS, it is almost completely gone.

#27

Not for everyone. Although I had some foggy days (once every 30 days in average) in my first months off, my brain fog got more and more present with time. Around the one year mark, I started to take pregnenolone.

#28

Just a note for people that tried to take pregnenolone to fight mental sides, but used too small doses.

Check out this radio program. Starting at 1:28:50, John Crisler says that he treated anxiety in many men by achieving supraphysiological levels of pregnenolone. So, it is possible that some people need more pregnenolone than others.
superhumanradio.com/components/com_podcast/media/mp3s/SHR_Show_801.mp3

#29

I dont suffer from anxiety.

#30

TY for another pointless response…

#31

What are you talking about, he said for allthose who didnt respond to preg(me) for “mental issuses” crislers got some radio show for preg to treat anxiety.

Im sorry if i offended a real contributor like you toadstool. cough cough. Any luck with finding out what serum is?

M81 when you talk about preg being the cure for brain fog do you mean depression and anxiety or do you mean the feeling of part of your brain is dead/ drunk all the time/ cant remember anything and genral slow thinking?

#32

Not sure. Crisler says pregnenolone cured anxiety and stuttering in some of his patients. In my personal experience, it cured depression, anxiety, “racing thoughts”, and drunk feeling. But I had to take a high quantity (definitely more than 300 mg of TD pregn/day)

#33

Just an annotation. It might seem unconventinal but instead of using the trandermal application-form why not just stick some pills
up the a**. This would circumvent the liver as well. I’ll give it a try. I’ve lost my self-respect a while ago, so what ^^

#34

I experienced that I am feeling better (more focused and concentrated, les brain fog) with DHEA pill a 25 mg/day.

Question: could it be comparable with pregnenolone since both supplemental prohormones are important for adrenal glands? Also, some says that DHEA probably turns to estrogen in mans body. Could it be same situation with pregnenolone?

Cheeers,

Desperado.

#35

DHEA is made from pregnenolone, so supplementing with DHEA may spare pregnenolone. That is probably why your brain fog got better.

I take 600 mg of transdermal pregnenolone per day and my E2 is 11.5 (10-42).

#36

600mg, how many pumps is that on the life flo bottle?

#37
  1. LOL

For such amounts you need to make your own. I made 15% preg but it wasn’t really helping.

#38

Wow. That is about two bottles. I wasted a good £100 on that stuff man :cry:

M81 - in regards to hormone modulation, your endo sounds excellent. Have you suggested other forum members make an appointment?

#39

You E2 actually looks low. 22-25 would be optimum. Low e2 can be problem of its own and can negatively affect libido and other things like joints and bone strength.

#40

Yeah I know, but my free T is in the low range, so a low E2 has to be expected.

Obviously, I don’t use life-flo products. They dispense 15 mg of TD pregnenolone, which are definitely not enough for most people.

Making your own pregnenolone is not expensive. You can buy 100 grams (i.e., 100,000 mg) of pregnenolone powder online for $100. You can mix it with a liter of aloe vera gel and that will last for quite a while. You need syringes to dispense it. Alternatively, a dr can order it through a compounding pharmacy. Although in the US you can make your own pregnenolone without a prescription, I would not play with such high dosages without my dr knowing it and agreeing with it.

My dr is obviously not an endo haha. (How many endos address non-life-threatening adrenal issues?? :wink: ) He’s an integrative medicine doctor. In the US, you can find lots of doctors like him near your place. In Europe, I’m not sure. He’s not very expert in hypogonadism. For example, he didn’t know that clomid can be used for hypogonadal males and he regularly prescribes saw palmetto to his male patients (not to me!). But he’s very open-minded and puts adrenal and thyroid issues at the center of the picture, and that is what I was looking for in a dr.

I encourage everybody who has adrenal/metabolic issues to contact a local integrative medicine doctor. You may want to call them and ask if they treat these issues. Although these may just be symptoms and not the root cause of pfs, addressing them can literally change the quality of your life.