“Gamma-aminobutyric acid (usually abbreviated to GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter found in the nervous systems of widely-divergent species. IT IS THE CHIEF INHIBITORY NEUROTRANSMITTER IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND ALSO IN THE RETINA. GABA is an amino acid, but is not found in proteins. Although some GABA can be found in PANCREATIC ISLET CELLS AND KIDNEY, there are no significant amounts of GABA in mammalian tissues other than the tissues of the nervous system”.
Onni can i ask what did you take to get your vision back to normal?
I starting to think depression may induce these symptoms. Depression can lead to pseudo cushings stressing the system and cortisol may affect the recovery. I’m considering taking an antidepressant Mirtazapine - has few potential side effects and may help the vision, sleep etc… You said you took cabergoline. For how long?
Took 0.25mg twice a week for a month. Could tell it was helping but the troubles were not over, so I upped the dosage to 0.5mg twice a week. Have been taking this for maybe three weeks. Will have to ask my doc if I can keep doing this for a while.
I am looking at some AD:s myself to get myself out of this mess mentally, was thinking about Lexapro. How does this differ from mirz.? Although I might get into an even bigger mess by doing so…tough choice.
I wouldn’t suggest a SSRI - sexual side effects are common. Mirtazapine acts on noradrenaline and serotonin inhibiting reuptake. It has fewer side effects and also has been noted to decrease the amount of cortisol and i think maybe even prolactin. The only potential problem we may have is if we in fact have too much serotonin. The visual problems are all in the brain as my eyes themselves are okay. I’ve tried zolpidem to help me sleep and it helped in getting to sleep but didn’t help anything else. I want to get my mind and eyes back because if i get those back i think the sexual issues will sort themselves out. If hormonally you are okay like i am then the problem most likely isn’t all hormonal.
Onni - has cabergoline helped you sexually in any way as dopamine agonists can make you hypersexual. Also it should reduce the refactory period after orgasm which we may all be in constantly i.e. High prolactin and lowered dopamine. This added on to the loss of negative feedback with cortisol + lowered testosterone could all interplay to where you are. It is important to sort out all those neurotransmitters. I’m thinking of pramiplexole as it seems less harmful than the ergot derivatives. Just think do you experience pleasure? I don’t really anymore. There’s a constant feeling of derealisation common in depression and for example music doesn’t stimulate me in the same way as pre propecia. This definately suggests neurotransmitters are involved. Although i have high DHT there are no real known problems related to high DHT. The three main neurotransmitters involved in depression are serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline. Noradrenaline is related to stress also.
Dick is working a bit better,although the physical problems are still present (narrow, rubbery and crooked), which worries me much.
I have the same feeling: being unable to experience joy…watching a film, music etc is not the same. Feeling extremely flat and emotionally dead. I feel like a spectator now.
My T and prolactin is now fine, but problems still present. Cabergoline has not made me hornier. Did a dexamethasone(?) test today to rule out excessive cortisol output and am scheduled for an LRH-test next week (They inject you with gnrh and see how your LH and T reacts…takes an hour). Will update.
Have also noticed that my feet and hands get tired easily, as if something neurological/cardiovascular was wrong…
I cannot even begin to describe the feeling of frustration as I was walking around the hospital to the lab and was thinking how I got into this incredible mess…
Onni - I would try to stay away from antidepressants for as long as you can. They are addictive and might not even work if your underling problems are hormonal. Plus the side effects can be horrific, especially the withdrawal. I’d read up on ADs before you go that route. I suffered for so long with depression and anxiety and all the time I wanted to take ADs but I resisted. Actually, I did take Zoloft for 1 week and it was terrible! Then about a month later the depression came back stronger so I tried Lexapro for a week and it made everything worse! So I decided to address my high estradiol/low T issues with exercise, sleep, and eating right. I don’t know what your situation is like but if you can, try to go to the gym and lift some weights and do cardio. Exercise can do wonders for your hormones. But make sure you have the green light from your doctor and don’t over do it at first.
Yes, treating drug sides with drugs seems like a bad idea in general. Will try not to mess me up more.
Have been out of the gym since this started, will try to return tomorrow.
Antidepressants are not addictive. Look it up - it is a common misconception. Withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants are only a really bad issue if you stop suddenly. You have to taper off it in a number of weeks. I’m not saying that antidepressants are the way forward just that they shouldn’t be ruled out as it could potentially normalise your neurotransmitter function. You say cabergoline helps. This can affect you just as badly. Yet you take it. Its a tricky area as this whole thing is multifactorial. One thing leads to another. Going down the AD route is a semi long term thing. It’ll take more than 2 weeks before any improvement and then this has to be continued for a while. It is not forever though. If your serotonin reserves are depleted over time it will help replenish them. It is very common to give ADs to patients with chronic pain just to lift them out of that bad zone.
19 - Antidepressants are not addictive? Look it up? Do you believe everything you look up? If you do then you wouldn’t be here and should still be taking Propecia.
“addiction”: physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.
Sounds like antidepressants fall into this definition. There are plenty of doctors who have come out against them and if you go to google news you can read up on the latest studies that show how they don’t work and how dangerous they are. The fact is, there are thousands of people who have become addicted to ADs. Go to the www.paxilprogress.org forums and read how addictive they are. I have first hand experience with them and can tell you why people try to commit suicide on them. It’s called Akathisia and when I took Lexapro I had to go to the hospital because of it. Anyway, ADs will not fix the problem, only mask the symptoms.
