If the issue was un-opposed estrogen, wouldn’t more people recover via aromatase inhibitors and testosterone?
“So, guys, if it can purportedly work for those afflicted by accutane, maybe it can work for us too.”
that was my thought, too. But I can´t get MJ. Have no connections.
It’s going to be legal to buy from dispensaries in Colorado and Washington state in 5 months
wow, this is pretty interesting. If there are some real science guys perhaps we can make some link here. As I have stated previously, while on finasteride and having no noticeable side effects attributed to it (took it for 9 years before crash) I was on a cruise ship and when I got off the cruise ship, I felt the rocking of the boat for several years (I am not joking, it was horrible). I often google this syndrome called Mal De Debarquement to see if I can make any link to finasteride and our own syndrome.
Well I found this study in 2012 that seems to indicate patients who have had Mal De Debarquement (Me) have undergone metabolic and functional connectivity changes in the brain.
Anyone out there can shed more light on this??
wow again, it seems that increased metabolism in the left entorhinal cortex can correlate to potential problems in dopamine metabolism!!!
Here’s an excellent study I posted elsewhere proving, via use of functional MRI, that functional brain connectivity and cognitive control are affected by loss of androgens.
Effects of androgen deprivation on brain function in prostate cancer patients – a prospective observational cohort analysis
Herta H Chao1,2,9*, Edward Uchio3, Sheng Zhang4, Sien Hu4, Sarah R Bednarski4, Xi Luo5, Michal Rose1,2, John Concato1,2,6 and Chiang-shan R Li
Abstract
Background
Despite a lack of consensus regarding effectiveness, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a common treatment for non-metastatic, low-risk prostate cancer. To examine a particular clinical concern regarding the possible impact of ADT on cognition, the current study combined neuropsychological testing with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess both brain activation during cognitive performance as well as the integrity of brain connectivity.
Methods
In a prospective observational cohort analysis of men with non-metastatic prostate cancer at a Veterans Affairs medical center, patients receiving ADT were compared with patients not receiving ADT at baseline and at 6 months. Assessments included fMRI, the N-back task (for working memory), the stop-signal task (for cognitive control), and a quality of life questionnaire.
Results
Among 36 patients enrolled (18 in each group), 30 completed study evaluations (15 in each group); 5 withdrew participation and 1 died. Results for the N-back task, stop-signal task, and quality of life were similar at 6 months vs. baseline in each group. In contrast, statistically significant associations were found between ADT use (vs. non use) and decreased medial prefrontal cortical activation during cognitive control, as well as decreased connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and other regions involved with cognitive control.
Conclusions
Although ADT for 6 months did not affect selected tests of cognitive function, brain activations during cognitive control and functional brain connectivity were impaired on fMRI. The long-term clinical implications of these changes are not known and warrant future study.
Keywords: Androgen deprivation; Prostate cancer; Brain function; Cognitive function
Full text here - biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/12/371
btw I second the notion that this isn’t ‘brain damage’ merely something that can be repaired if we are able to identify and treat the core problem of androgen resistance.
assuming all of this, why am I am getting better? Albeit very very slowly. Each time my body cycles, I have improved sexual thougts/fantasy ( in other words I am thinking about women a lot lately, 10 months ago I would think about a girl every 3 weeks). Also some improved sleep, sweating, less redness in my face, less dryness, better cognitive function with memory, ideas, word recall etc. Who knows I guess.
I’m getting better too. At least in some areas. Much better sleep, skin is better, energy is good, depression gone. I still am badly affected in other areas but it is not a fixed situation for most of us. We feel at our absolute worst (usually) coming off the drug but as the months and years progress we can improve in many areas. Again, same thing happens to guys on ADT a lot of the time. Their bodies become used to the new homeostasis and some of the mental and physical sides recede.
I once read a book about a man who had a stroke and was more or less a vegetable afterward. His son worked with him and after a while he was able to function to some degree. Move around, fix himself food, speak, basic stuff. After he died they did an autopsy or whatever and found out that the stroke had annihilated 95% of his brain. Don’t underestimate the power of the body to heal itself. I think most people with PFS would more or less recover on a long enough timeline, it’s just that such a timeline could be 40 years, which is obviously unacceptable.
Yeah, 40 years is definitely unacceptable.
Luckfax- I assume that also sexually you are recovering? High libido, stronger erections, more sexual thoughts and fantasy? It should all go hand and hand
I think we could have “brain damage” similar to stroke victims. Like I had to relearn spatial awareness to be able to drive my car without hitting the footpath.
My grandmother had a stroke which left her unable to speak she learned to speak again but was never the same.
I have not had any mental improvements since last year I believe I have recovered as much as I can mentally but I dont think Ill ever be 100% because I think my brain has been damaged.
Many men are not getting better, for myself its been over 3 years and no better. I know of others who have not improved after being off 5-10 years. Dont assume that just because someone is not coming here regularly or at all they have improved, because some havent.
I’m sorry you’re not getting better, Tim. 
So… who wants to try the cannabis oil thing? I’d totally do it, but I cant afford it right now.
I’ve been looking into it but I’m on another regimen at the moment. I’ll see how that pans out first.
This past March I tried it (i took accutane) and began noticing improvements about a month in however i had to come off after 6 weeks because i took too much and had a psychotic episode (my oil was made using some sativa cannabis which can cause psychosis. make sure it is made from Indica Cannabis)
Here are some of the improvements i had:
occasional nocturnal erections
spontaneous erections
repaired my thyroid (thyroid tests came back normal while on it. not sure if it is still normal)
grew hair on fingers
lost 10 pounds and looked more masculine after (starting to put weight back on 3 months later)
It’s a shame i had to come off it because I am unsure of how my improvements would have continued had i kept taking it. I am planning on trying a second round of oil made properly (100% indica) and hopefully can maintain taking it for a long period of time.
We need to wait for the results of the fMRI, but if it turns out to be brain damage of some sort, maybe we will have to look into neural stem cells. Neuralstem is currently conducting clinical trials for ALS and depression. Their depression clinical trial involves a drug that is supposed to increase brain stem cells.
Tim1911- you haven’t noticed more sweating; less dry skin, more sexual thoughts since crash?
collective-evolution.com/201 … rain-cells
The endocannabinoid system in normal and pathological brain aging
rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/ … 8be2e00226
The role of endocannabinoids as inhibitory retrograde transmitters is now widely known and intensively studied. However, endocannabinoids also influence neuronal activity by exerting neuroprotective effects and regulating glial responses. This review centres around this less-studied area, focusing on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effect of the cannabinoid system in brain ageing. The progression of ageing is largely determined by the balance between detrimental, pro-ageing, largely stochastic processes, and the activity of the homeostatic defence system. Experimental evidence suggests that the cannabinoid system is part of the latter system. Cannabinoids as regulators of mitochondrial activity, as anti-oxidants and as modulators of clearance processes protect neurons on the molecular level. On the cellular level, the cannabinoid system regulates the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurogenesis. Neuroinflammatory processes contributing to the progression of normal brain ageing and to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases are suppressed by cannabinoids, suggesting that they may also influence the ageing process on the system level. In good agreement with the hypothesized beneficial role of cannabinoid system activity against brain ageing, it was shown that animals lacking CB1 receptors show early onset of learning deficits associated with age-related histological and molecular changes. In preclinical models of neurodegenerative disorders, cannabinoids show beneficial effects, but the clinical evidence regarding their efficacy as therapeutic tools is either inconclusive or still missing.
Na never had any issues with skin and sweating, sexual thoughts have not returned. Im in a different boat from alot of you guys. Brain fog is all i can think about. It has been wire to wire since my pfs crash.
I think its a waste of time comparing Accutane to Finasteride. Three reasons.
1. Nowhere will you ever find any academic paper or text book describing Accutane as a 5-Alpha-Reductase inhibitor. That’s because it isn’t. Accutane reduces DHT and 5aR in the skin by inducing apoptosis of sebaceous glands.
2. Accutane (Isotretinoin or 13-cis-retinoic acid) has many different side effects than Fin, including permanent side effects. It is a different drug, with different mechanisms of action - its originally a chemotherapy treatment.
3. It is a waste of time for those with finasteride side effects and accutane side effects to assume they are related because they may have nothing to do with one another. This will confuse the search for real answers.
That is all.