DHT insensitivity (and sleep)

General Discussion
#4

That’s one of the things I want to discuss with this endo.

I’m a little confused, for example, about Adiol-G. If I’ve understood my reading properly, it is used as a measure of the metabolism of DHT. So when DHT is acting on receptors in the proper way, you get normal or high levels of Adiol-G. But what I read on this forum suggests that Adiol-G is a measure of 5AR activity. I don’t quite get that. I mean, 5AR converts T to DHT. Aren’t simple T and DHT blood tests enough to establish, then, that 5AR is working properly? Seeing as lots of guys here have normal or high DHT, can’t we dispense with the theory that 5AR has been inactivated? I’ll ask my endo about all this.

I’ve only seen one guy with an Adiol-G test on this site (can’t remember who offhand) and it was like 3 ref range 2-20 or something, so pretty low.

Quint, what’s your take on DHT insensitivity? One of the reasons I’m keen to try Tamox is for the chance to observe small changes that give further clues about what is going on. For example, if I get very oily skin on Tammox then that cd be a sign that I am not DHT insensitive, because
the sebacious glands are pretty much driven by DHT.

What have you observed when it comes to hairloss, skin oil, libido changes over time? And what did you observe on Tamox?

Also, what do we make of guys who seem to slowly improve and then get over this entirely? Does this point to the idea that DHT insensitivity is not at the heart of what is going on? Or maybe it is a type of insensitivity that slowly reverses with time?

3pm: I remember reading about that guy, too. I wonder how it was established that his DHT receptors had been reduced in number? I’ll talk to my endo.

Thanks everyone.

#5

I remember when I quit fin, there was this period of six weeks, maybe close to two months, where I felt completely great. Erections were probably 85% at least, and libido was through the roof. I also felt actually miles better than my old normal self in mood and mental clarity. Then total crashout.

When I first got blood tested six or seven months after that my DHT was through the roof. It’s possible, I think, that the DHT rebound was so intense that it wore out my receptors. That’s a totally unfounded guess, but I’ve heard or TRT guys says that they worry about high DHT levels for this very reason, but that there is not any safe alternative to fin in order to bring it down. If that’s the case, then I have no idea what can be done, or if they ever bounce back, etc. But it is something for all of us to consider, especially those like myself (and Mew, as I recall) who expericenced the initial rebound period after fin, or who have typically high DHT.

#6

I went through that recovery stage, too, around two weeks after coming off. Mine lasted about two weeks before I declined again.

But on Tammox, you had really good libido for around three weeks? “Horny like a dog” if I remember the post right.

Was that coupled by other DHT-related changes such as more oily skin, faster beard growth, even increased hairloss?

For that matter, how is your hairloss now at two years off? Are you losing at a decent rate, or much slower than before fin?

I used to look in the mirror and will my hair not to fall out. Now I’m looking in the mirror willing signs that loss has started again.

#7

As far as DHT receptor testing, a google search turned up this. I haven’t registerd to read the full article, but just to say that such tests appear to exist.

biomedexperts.com/Abstract.b … ibroblasts

From the abstract:
The receptor assay was carried out on the supernatant; the antibody-sepharose was used to remove both unbound and nonspecifically bound DHT. Experience showed that the antibody did not entirely remove the nonspecifically bound and free DHT. A blank (sample heated at 60 degrees C for 3 min) was therefore subtracted to obtain an accurate value of specifically bound DHT.

I know nothing about this, or whether it’s available by commercial testing, but it looks like it’s not out of the realm of possibility. What could be done from the results afterwards is another story I guess.

#8

Good find. That looks like a description of the penile skin fibroblast tests that are sometimes mentioned around here. I have a feeling that may be the only way to test whether DHT is binding with receptors properly.

And as you say, even if we find out is not what are we going to do about it?

If DHT insensitivity is the answer, I think the best we can do in terms of treatment is get total T as high as possible, and eliminate E dominance via Arimidex. I remember that you were feeling pretty good on Arimidex before you had to stop.

Anyway, I’m going to ask my endo about all this stuff. He’s one of the most eminent endos in the UK, so it will just be a case of persuading him to engage with me on all this stuff.

But Quint, keen to hear your answers to my questions above. Anything you can tell me?

This endo suggested Tamox for me, so I’m keen to be able to tell him as much as I can about the experience of other guys here who have tried Tamox. Including the DHT related stuff.

Thanks.

#9

Don’t recall any increased hairloss (nothing major, at least), no oily skin or more beardiness. I did develop a little grey patch in my goattee, which has since gone. Not a lot of hairloss since then, but definitely some. On Tamox, yeah, I felt quite normal as far as libido. Erection strength was pretty decent, though I think that, as a muscle, that type of thing would take a month or two on its own even after recovering. It wasn’t exactly a three week type of everything-is-great mini-recovery – there were some bad days in there here and there – but overall it was very promising at the time. The reast of the eight weeks on Tamox was a bit of a mixed bag – some bad, some good, as far as I remember it.

#10

Interesting, thanks very much.

I remember that you were on Arimidex on a really high dose: ever tempted to go for a lower dose and see if you can get benefit without hurting your eyes?

Two more boring questions that I’ll quit bugging you:

You didn’t notice an increase in skin oil on Tamox, but does your skin produce the amount of oil it did before fin? Or is it dry especially in the nose forehead T-zone (God I sound like some kind of advert for moisturiser)?

Does your facial hair grow slower and thinner than before fin?

It also ocurrs to me that, given that you saw some improvement on Tamox, you might try Quercetin. As you know, it also works by blocking E. Cdnuts and Italy have tried it and seem to have found small improvements that stayed with them after they came off. But maybe you’ve already given it a shot.

#11

I did take Arimidex again at a lower dose (like 1/3 what I was prescribed), but when I had to get labs I stopped it a few weeks before to get a better picture. My T levels were mid and so were E2. Not long after I was asked by Crisler to get the Rhein panel. I didn’t want to mess with Arimidex anymore at that point because of the labs but also becuse I seem to rebound poorly from stopping anti Estrogens. The Rhein panel showed low T levels.

I’m no more or less oily than before Fin or Tamox. Facial hair is the same also.

Don’t know anything about it, but I’ve heard the name mentioned in here. It’s a natural anti Estrogen?

#12

Yes I think so. A herbal anti-E that acts in the same way as Tamox, by binding to E receptors.

Check out the long thread started by a user called Cytochrome who says he recovered from post-fin sides twice using Quercetin.

Italy and Cdnuts decided to follow his protocol, which was basically high dose Quercetin and a couple of other herbals.

Both Italy and Cdnuts reported improvements, mainly related to ED and physical condition of the penis. What’s interesting is that both say the improvements were maintained once they got off Quercetin. I think they’re both now cycling back on it, in the hope of further improvements.

I’m def going to give it a shot if Tamox doesn’t help me.

#13

I may look into it, then, although I’ve sort of shied away from anti E’s since they seem to pound my T levels afterwards. And since the idea for me is never to be taking them for a long or indefinite term, I have to come off them eventually and then try and see how my Testosterone is doing, which is usually not great.

The frustrating thing is that, one year ago my T levels nearly doubled – went from lower third to top third of the range in a roughly six week period. Then I was prescribed Tamox for eight weeks, and my next test (in the summer) showed my lowest T levels yet. I wonder if I’d be better now if I’d never taken the Tamox, since it really wasn’t necessary, IMO. The main objective of a Tamox treatment is to raise T, but mine was already very good. Maybe if I’d have been patient and waited a few more months with good T numbers I would have come around. Who knows. Although, feeling better while on it at least gave me some encouragement, I guess. But that seems like so long ago now.

#14

Yeah, I’ve always wondered about that with your case. You took Tamox off the back of T numbers that were already very good. Then again, the T was good but you didn’t feel good, so what were you supposed to do? I’ve got bloodwork coming before I start Tamox, but to be honest I am inclined to try it pretty much whatever the blood work says.

It can’t have been increased T that made you feel better on Tamox, because you didn’t get a big increase in your already high T. That seems to suggest that it was lower E that made you feel better. That speaks to my theory about DHT insensitivity: lower E relieved the E dominance that we suffer from because DHT is not opposing our E as it should. Problem with that is, why did lower E make you feel better for only a few weeks, before the effect wore off? You were still on Tamox, still blocking E, T still has the upper hand thanks to blocked E, but benefits start to disappear. Weird. Didn’t Crisler ever try to puzzle that out, or discuss this stuff with you?

Quercetin has got to be a much more gentle anti-E than Tamox, so you might not have the same rebound problem.

#15

Well I was tapering off the dose over time, so that alone may account for why I felt better in the first few weeks than the last few. But then again, I still do remember having great days until the end, and then almost like clockwork, I crashed a few days after stopping it. That was like in June, and here we are.

#16

God knows. Maybe a longer cycle that tapers off really slowy might help to maintain improvements. Sounds like Crisler has Thissucks back on Tamox; maybe that is his plan.

I’m following Oneday’s progress. He seems to be reporting better erections, libido and even sleep. Be interesting to see if that is maintained: hope so for him.

#17

Yeah, but eight weeks, tapering down every two weeks seemed like long and slowly enough. I mean, I don’t think it’s desirable or reccommended to take a SERM for extended periods. Not sure why, but I’m sure we could all guess (i.e. the suppressive effects of any drug, or whatever).

At times I’ve been tempted to try the Tamox treatment one more time once I have been into the adrenal treatment, thinking that better adrenals might help maintain higher levels. That’s the reason I’m using Sustain Alpha again. It was after Sustain last year that I had good numbers, so maybe it’s just a better, safer route for me and something my body responds to versus the SERM. Fingers crossed. But after that, there’s still likely the issue that higher T levels alone have not resulted in any magical recovery.

#18

have very high E, Wow reading your posts this makes so much sense.
I recent did a saliva day test and my DHT registered very high, my Estraidol registered almost 3x above my reference “normal” range for my age group"

DHT was on the low range just about 6 months ago when i did the same test. Estraidol still very high.

Shortly after taking Propecia i had severe acne and oily skin (the acne was possibly caused b the oily skin) Ever since i recovered from the acne have been clear and have no oily skin at all. My hair has slowed down and not falling down that quickly. I am suffering from high estraidol and low test throughout the day.

Possibly adrenal fatigue also as my cortisol levels are very low throughout the day. Can we tie cortisol into this mix???

#19

Libido - no real improvement. Still pretty much absent unless I force myself to look at porn and “try” to turn myself on.

Skin oil - still dry, but slight improvement in forehead oil

Body hair - same, except for loss of scrotal hair and white pigmentation of some pubic hairs on scrotum (where 5AR2 and thus DHT was present before Fin and no longer seems to be active post-Fin)

Scalp hair - still losing, albeit not at as fast a rate as Pre-Fin.

Sebum production - before Fin, I had massive dandruff (seborrheic dermatitis) and a VERY itchy and oily scalp. While on Fin and since quitting, I no longer have massive sebum production there, and my scalp is never itchy or oily anymore. What do I think it means? Lowered androgen (T --> DHT) activity in 5AR2 tissues, or downregulated androgen receptor activity or impaired binding.

Energy - not as fatigued as I was while on drug or after coming off and T levels crashing and elevated TSH/E2, or compared to first 2 years off. Slowly improving with time.

Regarding rest of your theory, I recommend you have a read through the user Awor’s thread as something similar was already proposed…

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewt … sc&start=0

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1295

Also – Testosterone is primarily recognized as the androgen responsible for libido in males, although DHT certainly plays a role too, as we all found out.

#20

Was there a connection being made between DHT and sleep in this thread that I’m missing? Was curious about the title. I really want to get to the bottom of my sleeping issues. Tempted to even go the GHB route like others have, or at least getting the sleep study done that I guess is required and go from there. Maybe there are other less drastic alternatives. So far what I’m using ain’t cutting it.

#21

Yeah, I only ever began running into libido/ED problems six months into using fin, so obviously DHT had very little to do with it up until that point at least.

#22

Only connection between DHT and sleep I was thinking of is that, as Mew has mentioned, DHT mediates Nitric Oxide, which apparently plays a role in sleep. So the fact that we aren’t sleeping indicates an NO problem, with in turn indicates a DHT problem. And the problem is not that there isn’t enough DHT, because many guys here have high DHT. It is something to do with the way in which we are responding to DHT now.

If it is an insensitivity problem, it seems to me there is not much that can be done to help us.

I’m temped to try to pursue sensitivity testing: a penile skin fibroblast maybe. But even if it does show impaired androgen binding, what can anyone do about it?

Mew, the fact that you have seen small improvements in some areas gives a glimmer of hope. You have a little more energy, a little more skin oil, you’re sleeping better, etc. Perhaps sensitivity is returning very slowly, and libido will be one of the last things to come around.

Some guys seem to come around after a number of years, and that’s something.

#23

Did u SCARED go to the UK endo?did you ask him about dht insensitivity?