Full hormonal profile before and after TRT. 8+ years with propecia; 3y off

[m_81]

@jairus

I am trying to handle brainfog with the meds. Currently keeping it 70% at bay, but been feeling sluggish probably due to the mirtazapine. I’ve stopped taking it and I’ll get back to buproprion + reboxetine.

mirtazapine, buproprion, reboxetine… why taking these dangerous drugs, when brain fog is most likely related to a hormonal imbalance (and not to brain damage), and easily treated with pregnenolone? Not asking this sarcastically, I’m genuinely curious to know the reason why one should take psychoactive drugs rather than pregnenolone…

Your most recent pregnenolone reading is 3.34 (3.90-13.50)*. If you bring it up to 13.50, you won’t have any brain fog. That is guaranteed, because pregnenolone “optimizes” all neurotransmitters (jneurosci.org/cgi/content/full/24/46/10318).

*Good job testing this one.

[jairus]

Who said these are dangerous drugs? As all medications, they have side effects, but they are quite manageable (no sides in my case) The drugs are not dangerous as you unwarrantedly claim.

Furthermore, an imbalance in neurotransmitters is not brain damage (destruction or degeneration of brain cells); give me a break.

I take these drugs because it’s the best treatment I have after many years of trial and error always supervised by qualified doctors, who are the ones approving, prescribing and following up on the treatment.

In fact, I have tried pregnenolone in the past and found no significant and sustained improvement, if any at all that be not related to a placebo effect. I will tell you more too: I have tried cabergoline to tackle the problem partially from an hormonal approach as you suggest, and it didn’t work at all for me.

You attack psychoactive medicines undeservedly: they help many people to cope and heal from many mental diseases.

[Mens_Rea]

@jairus

Who said these are dangerous drugs? As all medications, they have side effects, but they are quite manageable (no sides in my case) The drugs are not dangerous as you unwarrantedly claim.

Furthermore, an imbalance in neurotransmitters is not brain damage (destruction or degeneration of brain cells); give me a break.

I take these drugs because it’s the best treatment I have after many years of trial and error always supervised by qualified doctors, who are the ones approving, prescribing and following up on the treatment.

In fact, I have tried pregnenolone in the past and found no significant and sustained improvement, if any at all that be not related to a placebo effect. I will tell you more too: I have tried cabergoline to tackle the problem partially from an hormonal approach as you suggest, and it didn’t work at all for me.

You attack psychoactive medicines undeservedly: they help many people to cope and heal from many mental diseases.

AFAIK none of those drugs are SSRI’s. I’ve no doubt this isn’t a coincidence.

If they work for you, that’s great.

[m_81]

@jairus

Who said these are dangerous drugs?

Seizure, liver toxicity, allergic reaction, edema, fainting, bone marrow suppression, just to name only a small subset of side effects. But you are right, in that the concept of “dangerous” is very subjective. Therefore, these side effects may be considered not dangerous by you.

@jairus

You attack psychoactive medicines undeservedly: they help many people to cope and heal from many mental diseases.

I know they help people heal from many mental diseases, but I hope we agree this is not our case

@jairus

In fact, I have tried pregnenolone in the past and found no significant and sustained improvement, if any at all that be not related to a placebo effect.

Either you were taking oral (not transdermal) or you were taking too little. Some people are fine with 5 mg; but others require several hundreds mg per day. I have to take more than 250 mg per day to feel the good effect on neurotransmitters. How much were you taking?

@jairus

I will tell you more too: I have tried cabergoline to tackle the problem partially from an hormonal approach as you suggest, and it didn’t work at all for me.

I am talking about the hormonal problem that causes brainfog, ie low pregnenolone. That has nothing to do with cabergoline.

[jairus]

“Seizure, liver toxicity, allergic reaction, edema, fainting, bone marrow suppression, just to name only a small subset of side effects. But you are right, in that the concept of “dangerous” is very subjective. Therefore, these side effects may be considered not dangerous by you.”

You say it all. All drugs have side effects and you have to balance them with the benefits they bring. Some side-effects only affect to a small percentage of the population, and others in people with concomitant conditions / treatments. I trust my doctors. I have experienced no side-effects at all from reboxetine and buproprion. That’s one reason I keep on taking theme, in addition to help me not feel crap and totally energy-drained when I’m not on them.

“I know they help people heal from many mental diseases, but I hope we agree this is not our case.”

Some people here complain about depression, and that’s a mental disease. While someone gets to the root of the finasteride side-effects matter, some psychoactive medicines can help people cope with such mental side effects.

“Either you were taking oral (not transdermal) or you were taking too little. Some people are fine with 5 mg; but others require several hundreds mg per day. I have to take more than 250 mg per day to feel the good effect on neurotransmitters. How much were you taking?”

I don’t remember how much I took, should be in in this thread if I posted it.

“I am talking about the hormonal problem that causes brainfog, ie low pregnenolone. That has nothing to do with cabergoline.”

I was referring to general side effects, cabergoline lowers prolactine hormone, supposedly increasing libido and improving sexual ability; as a dopamine agonist it may also improve brainfog.