Am I with PFS due to multivitamins?

Member Stories
#1

Welcome to our community. Please fill in the following template as a way of introducing yourself, and helping others to understand your background and situation.

Where are you from (country)?
Brazil

How did you find this forum (Google search – if so, what search terms? Via link from a forum or website – if so, what page? Other?)
Google Search

What is your current age, height, weight?
25yo, 1.83m, 72kg.

What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
GNC Mega Men Multivitaminc (contains a small dose of Saw Palmetto and Astaxanthin) - Here the complete composition
Astaxanthin itself - Studies demonstrates that Astaxanthin is a 5ar inhibitor, mainly when combined with Saw Palmetto

What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
GNC Mega Men - 1 pill/day - 3 months (I don’t know exactly the dosage of SP it has, but I guess it’s nearly 20mg/day);
Astaxanthin - 1pill/day - 6mg

What condition was being treated with the drug?
Just health improvements.

For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
GNC - 3 monthts
Astaxanthin - 3 weeks

How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
25yo
GNC - Started GNC at april 2019 and ended june 2019 (three months)
Astaxanthin - Started at june 2019 and ended august (three weeks)

How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
25 yo.
GNC - Started GNC at april 2019 and ended june 2019
Astaxanthin - Started at june 2019 and ended august

What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
ED and libido.

Check the boxes that apply. You can save your post first, then interactively check/uncheck the boxes by clicking on them. If your symptoms change, please update your list.

Sexual
[x] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[x] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[x] Loss of Morning Erections
[ ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[x] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts

Physical
[x] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes

Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[ ] Other (please explain)

I started using GNC multivitamin in April 2019 and stopped using it in June 2019. I started using Astaxanthin (6mg) in June 2019 and stopped in August 2019 (3 ​​weeks).

CNG contains a small dose of saw palmetto according to this information:

https://http2.mlstatic.com/mega-men-180-caps-gnc-multivitaminico-p-r-o-m-o-c-o--D_NQ_NP_893115-MLB25211407850_122016-F.webp

Other important information is that eventually I used Chlorpromazine 25g in recent months when I had incoercible hiccups (this has happened since December last year with 4 isolated episodes; the last episode was in early August).

I have been for two months with zero libido, ED and difficulty maintaining erection. I have no other intestinal or any other complaints. I feel like my penis is disconnected from my mind, and perhaps I feel a slight discomfort in my perineum, more on the left but extremely subtle.

I can sleep very well and everything. I just know that I’m pretty scared of these sexual problems that I never had.

Am I with SPF or some other condition that has nothing to do with SPF?

Below are my exams (09/07/2019):

TOTAL TESTOSTERONE, DOSAGE: 714.3

Collection: 09/07/2019 Material: Gel Serum
Method: Immunochemiluminescence, ADVIA Centauro - Siemens
Reference values(*):
Men:
Adults 21 to 49 years: 164.94 to 753.38 ng / dL
Adults 50 to 89 years old: 86.49 to 788.22 ng / dL

Free and bioavailable testosterone, DOSAGE:
Collection: 09/07/2019 Material: Gel Serum
Method: Calculation according to Vermeulen et al, J Clin End Met 84:10, 1999 calculator

RESULT Reference Values:
FREE TESTOSTERONE (cFT): 130.61 pg / mL 69 - 215 pg / mL
BIODESIBLE TESTOSTERONE (TBD): 346.97 ng / dL
FREE ANDROGEN INDEX (FAI): 60.609 35 - 92.6
FREE FRACTION (% TOTAL): 1.829% 1.53 - 2.88%
BIODAvailable FRACTION (% TOTAL): 48.57% 35 - 66.3%
SHBG: 40.86 17.3 at 65.8 nmol / L
ALBUMIN: 4.9 g / dL 3.2 - 4.8 g / dL
TOTAL TESTOSTERONE: 714.3 241 to 827 ng / dL

LH - LUTEINIZING HORMONE, DOSAGE: 4.6 mUI / mL
Collection: 09/07/2019 Material: Gel Serum
Method: Electrochemiluminescence, ADVIA Centauro - Siemens
D.U.M:
Reference values(*):
Men
20-70 years: 1.5 to 9.3 mIU / mL

FSH - STIMULATING FOLLICUM HORMONE, DOSAGE: 8.2 mIU / mL
Collection: 09/07/2019 Material: Gel Serum
Method: Chemiluminescence, ADVIA Centaur - Siemens
D.U.M:
Reference values:
Men:
13 - 70 years: 1.4 to 18.1 mIU / mL

ESTRADIOL (E-2), DOSAGE: 22.7 pg / mL
Collection: 09/07/2019 Material: Gel Serum
Method: Competitive Assay, ADVIA Centauro - Siemens
DUM …:
Reference values(*):
Men: IND – 39.8 pg / mL
IND: Undetectable.

DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE, DOSAGE: 517.14 pg / mL
Collection: 09/07/2019 Material: Gel Serum
Method: Enzyme Immunoassay
Reference values:
Men: 250 - 990 pg / ml

CORTISOL
2,72 mcg/dL (5,0mcg/dL - 25,0 mcg/dL)

PROLACTIN
9,1 ng/mL (3,28 ng/mL - 17,00 ng/mL)

DHEA-SO4 - SULFATO DEHIDROEPIANDROSTERONA: 174,96 μg/dL (34,5–568,9 μg/dL)

Cholesterol is ok (all of them) and Vitamind D is relatively high.

1 Like
#2

How can they call that shit “Mega Men” when the outcome is exactly the opposite of what the label states? Another proof these people are fucked in the brains! Bro, never take that shit again, the Saw Palmetto inside is know here for ruining many men’s lifes! Stop taking this poison, highly likely you will be fine, try some fasting, get healthy and don’t mess around with other supplements as they tend to make our condition worse. Get more sunshine, I see you are from Brazil, the sunshine there is not rare :slight_smile:
Try not to drink alcohol for a while or smoking. God bless you!

1 Like
#3

Thank you for the words!

I hope it doesn’t last long. It is very frustrating to think that my dick is no longer connected with my brain. It’s even scarier not to have an eration for more than 10 seconds.

At least all people who know anything about this syndrome also say that the chances of me recovering are very high.

Once again, thanks for calming me down.

1 Like
#4

The whole thing of the recovery is not to crash further, the so called crash is just worsening of the symptoms IMO. The longer you stay stable the better the chance to recover. It won’t take a week, you have to be prepared for that. If you haven’t got severe ED or something else severe, you will get fine!
Cheers.

#5

I think I have somehow a severe ED.

Anyway, should I use any supplements like Tribulus, or only time will repair me? And, of course, exercise and diet.

Also, I started bupropion 150mg 3 weeks ago and I feel 100% mentally. Besides that, in the past my best sexual experiences were while I used Bupropion.

But now, I don’t now what to do about bupropion, tribulus, etc.

#6

I would say wait a few months 2-3 before touching any supplements. If you notice your starting to slowly feel better then don’t touch anything.

#7

The parts that stand out to me are that ypu say your penis and mind are disconnected i actually felt a disconnect from my whole body but if this has been getting worse and not better or barely any better maybe consider some type of supplementation? Its hard to solve this because there is never a one solution fits all as the way anything will effect you will be individual. It seems these companies always include some type of “prostate support” and i think lycopene may have been setting me up for future failure but i’m not sure if it effects dht but am avoiding it anyways. in their multivitamins which is why i will be avoiding them for life, if am deficient in a vitamin i’m going to eat more foods with it or supplement the specific vitamin. I would avoid methyl donors as some peoples problem seems to be dna methylation and only should be considered if you start to recover because i believe people who recover dont seem to have the dna methylation issue, i think if they did they wouldnt have recovered, if you recover 90 percent you might be able to use methyl donors like i do but do your research on those beforehand for sure. Be very careful how you proceed but it seems i was worse off than you during my first month but started recovering around 3-4 weeks only once i took dht and t boosters maybe thats your answer but definitley listen to the older guys on here they know more than me.

#8

Which supplements and brands did you take? Are your erections and libido normal now?

#9

I took swanson butea superba, nutricost DAA, optimum nutrition tribulus those were what helped me most. DAA should probably only be used in the beginning and conservatively. The way i believe i recovered is using DAA to restart hpta axis function and tribulus to increase T and butea superba to increase DHT, some other supplements helped me in an indirect way for sure and sorghum and creatine might have helped me. I’m only going to be taking choline from now on because you also cant fully recover if you keep throwing hormones off balance with test boosters. I think because this has been going on for 2 months i think its worth a shot to try these. My theory is based on broscience that basically if you f up your sex drive after a steroid cycle people seem to fix there sex drive after another steroid cycle and a better pct. I think you have to do something to effect your hormones to fully recover from a shutdown this hard. I still seem to be only about 99.9 percent better but am getting rid of excess E2 symptoms with choline which seems to help. Read my posts and then if you decide you want to do something similar to what i did i can give you more info on exactly how to do what i did or help you if you have worsening of symptoms i know how to recover this way and let me know if you improve but then a specific symptom starts to worsen. (Dont be afraid to give me tmi) but i know some people arent helped by anything they do. Also since blood tests seem to do nothing i used my over all feeling of wellness, breast tissue growth/sensitivity or shrinkage,or testicular size semen volume etc erection quality can gauge how your doing or tell you to stop something or start doing something. Example if you were taking daa for 3 weeks and had already gotten “started up again” and were getting increased estrogenic effects i’d tell you to stop the daa etc. Also dont take daa for more than 2 weeks anyways. Also if you improve to about 90-99 percent in all symptoms you have to stop messing with hormones you cant get to 100 on this shit or without it. Again if i didnt already say let me know if you start to improve using a similar protocol to mine and i’ll let you know some stuff so you dont have to do the guesswork i did to what may have run out of usefulness so to speak. If you do not improve or get worse doing this then you either need to stop trying and wait for a cure like most of the people on here or change something and try again. Statistically most people recover from the sexual side effects of these drugs but i dont know how many people recover from complete loss of libido.

#10

Do you even know what his E2 level is to suggest that solution to him? He could have low E2 and imagine he start getting your supplements and then come back to us with the story “I crashed again”
You guys think you are doctors and people are listening to you and get further fucked for no reason! I am one of this case, some are already gone because of that! Fucking hell!

1 Like
#11

Low e2 is only caused by having low testosterone and low levels of all hormones due to tour testicles being less active? When you’re testicles are healthy your pituatary gland almost always takes low e2 as a signal to keep increasing testosterone and thats actually how most pct works after steroid use blocking estrogen and causing testosterone to rise back to normal, why would you think low e2 could be the problem in pfs please explain how someone could have this problem but have low e2 that literally makes no sense to me because we all have had symptoms of estrogen dominance, how could estrogen dominate our endocrine systems if it was truly low? Just look up the symptoms of low estrogen in men it doesnt sound quite like pfs to me.

#12

Guys who fuck up their aromatase enzyme can get ED but not a complete disconnection from their dick and most low E symptoms are actually caused by the lack of T the biggest thing low E causes is clicky joints and they usually recover unless the E blocker also blocked dht by acting as a suicide ai and cutting off dht pathways.

#13

I see you are quite a Doctor though, and you know how to treat PFS! I took stuff that lowered my E2 and my joints are completely fucked now, there are other guys that suffer from that shit, some are gone! If you don’t know QuantumFaith, he is gone because he got his E2 so low that he got more sides on top of PFS. I mean WTF? You know how to treat PFS? No you don’t! Messing around further with you endocrine system will most likely lead you to further troubles. His E2 is already low, 22pg/Ml, so what you are talkng about then? Are you doctor? You are not! So don’t give the wrong advices to the new guys here please!
Thank you.

2 Likes
#14

Yeah well this dude has no joint problems and if he had low e2 to the point his dick didnt work he’d have clicky joints dry skin or some other type of e2 related problem but he has none according to his post so unless he gives us new info it would be unwise to tell him to raise his e2 as that could make him worse. Also no doctors even understand this shit and are completley ignorant of this syndrome and tell guys to rub anti dick cream on their dick and give 19 year olds finasteride and i actually recovered so i dont think i’m giving anyone any wrong advice i told him specific things to be careful of and even that doing what i did may not work for him stop creating a strawman as if i’m trying to prescribe him some shit

#15

Just tell me one thing. Are you going to suggest him to lower his E2 further when his reading is only 22 pg/ml?

#16

No he probably should just raise dht and leave estrogen alone, also dht is very minimally suppressive on the hpta axis so its pretty damn safe to go that route unless theres a logical reason to think otherwise

#17

DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE, DOSAGE: 517.14 pg / mL
Collection: 09/07/2019 Material: Gel Serum
Method: Enzyme Immunoassay
Reference values:
Men: 250 - 990 pg / ml

As I see his DHT is fine, so what is the point of that then?

1 Like
#18

Thats not high enough to undo the changes at the receptor level and all his test probably gets converted to estrogen once its delivered to most parts of his body, the broscience is that if you get hit with this much estrogen at once you need to hit it back just as hard with anabolic steroids in order to actually recover and its what people have done before and its how the T and DHT boosting supps worked for me since the amount of estrogen in my body was obviously not impossible to counteract naturally but obviously with a lot of help. Broscience is ahead of the game on a lot of endocrinology because doctors are not usually allowed to study steroids since they are schedule 3 and have not learned much since they were banned in the 80s as a result. Nobody truly knows why these plans work for some people but we know its what we gotta do since no one has ever claimed to recover 100 percent from a full shutdown like this except people who took steroids or a shit ton of t boosters. I dont think its perfect by any means but its the only current viable option to recover other than just waiting and seeing if your body manages to come back itself.

#19

Not sure about that bupropion man. I wouldnt mess with any AD because they may result in PSSD. I guess bupropion has low sexual sides but, anyway, you are never sure with antidepressants. Dangerous poisons. Wish u good luck and fast recovery.

#20

I was getting better after doing tribulus and DHEA cycles, but one day I also took niacinamide and got worse again. My libido got bad again. I will try to stay for a few weeks without using anything, but I plan on doing TRT in the coming months if I don’t get better.

I feel a weakness in the area of ​​my pelvis and prostate (as if it is atrophied), and my erections when I’m standing are very weak and do not last.

At least my sleep is very good.

One thing I noticed is that I have “rings” inside the skin of my penis (most noticeable on the left side). Maybe 3 or 4. I didn’t notice them before, so I don’t know if they are part of the anatomy of my corpora cavernosa, or if they appeared like this when I crashed.

When I contract my perineum, only my right testicle “moves,” and the left does not. This is very strange as it is as if the left side of my pelvic floor was paralyzed.

I saw in the forum some people who got better from all these symptoms, as well as a Brazilian Finasterida group on Facebook, as well as SS.

I hope my erections come back as firm as before. What should I do?