I just spoke with a visiting doctor at my health foods store and he confirmed many of my understandings and expectations concerning the endocrine system.
Let me first say I began my all out effort to bring my body back to normal this past May. Before that I had been on Propecia for a year ending in fall of 2006. But the thing was I was in college and in this environment took part in frequent and long term drinking. I drank and drank for four years all the way until May 2009. I realized that this drinking prolonged and stalled my recovery from propecia, the amount of estrogen build up in my body was sickening and obvious and gave me all the typical symptoms. Anyway I always figured if I gave my body a chance to recover first from the propecia then from the alcohol which exacerbated the propecia effects, I would return to normal.
Now to the DIM. this stuff works it seems to have cleared my systmem of a great deal of estrogen and many of my symtoms have lessened. I still odnt get excited about sex, but I do feel more in touch and masculine. The doc says it will prolly take a year for my system to reset and I truly believe that, I can feel it and I didn’t really feel it until about 3months in to the DIM regimen. DIM has really restored some kind of balance and I feel better than I have in years.
Ok, what is DIM?
propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679
propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36
DIM purportedly helps to metabolise excess Estrogen, and lower estrogen levels. However, there is some research stating it may also block DHT… do some research on Google Scholar… ie:
jbc.org/cgi/reprint/278/23/21136.pdf
“Results of receptor binding assays
indicated further that DIM is a strong competitive inhibitor
of DHT binding to the AR. Results of structural
modeling studies showed that DIM is remarkably similar
in conformational geometry and surface charge distribution
to an established synthetic AR antagonist, although
the atomic compositions of the two substances
are quite different. Taken together with our published
reports of the estrogen agonist activities of DIM, the
present results establish DIM as a unique bifunctional
hormone disrupter. To our knowledge, DIM is the first
example of a pure androgen receptor antagonist from
plants.”
“In conclusion, our study establishes DIM as a pure androgen
antagonist that blocks expression of androgen-responsive
genes and inhibits AR nuclear translocation and nuclear foci
formation. The discovery of DIM as the first pure androgen
receptor antagonist from plants establishes this substance as a
new class of hormonally active agents with potential both as
environmental androgen disrupters and as prostate tumor preventive
and therapeutic agents.”
Mew,
That is certainly disappointing news. Ive been trying to raise all testosterone levels including DHT while blocking estrogen. But, nonetheless I feel different than I did when I was at my lows, so I guesss this means that for me the excess estrogen was the main source of my problems not a low T or DHT count. Do you no of any proven and safe estrogen inhinbitors that dont block DHT?
No, I don’t… but if the DIM is working for you then stick with it. That study is specifically about how DIM works in the setting of prostate cancer, which is a good thing that it does what it does (shrinks tumors).
Nobody’s ever gotten sick from eating brocolli and I wouldn’t expect you’d have major side effects from DIM either… if it’s making a major difference in your symptoms without negative effects, then probably have nothing to worry about. But I’m not a doctor, of course, so make your own judgement call after doing your own research.
What about Arimidex? Isn’t it an estrogen aromatase inhibitor?
That’s a powerful DRUG.
I’m pretty sure he was looking for NATURAL supplements to lower E2.