What differences do you notice when you eat those setback foods?
I’m always surprised by how people notice differences from certain foods. I never feel fluctuations in symptoms, it’s always just a flat baseline of anhedonia, zero libido and 0 emotions. I can eat whatever without feeling better or worse.
So as mentioned I have been doing very well now for like close to 2 months. I mean like 90% recovered, happy and enjoying life. I have light fluctuations up and down still, but overall doing very very good, especially in the afternoons/evenings. My sleep has been very stable (5 hours + 1-3 hours after broken). A week ago I ate the Mangosteen and then a few hours later I felt the anxiety hit and just knew I wasn’t getting any sleep that night and that’s exactly what happened. Felt terrible the next day, anhedonia, anxiety, depression but it got better and better each day afterwards until yesterday when I felt 90% recovered again, was laughing at some stupid videos was doing great. Ate the tofu and within an hour felt hot/cold sensations over my body, anxiety increase, anhedonia set in, libido gone, genitals shrank some and then only about 1 hour sleep last night. I got the same feeling from some chocolate recently as well to a smaller extent, but I checked the ingredients on it last night and it has soy lechetin in it as well, so it could’ve been the soy.
I know it sounds insane, I didn’t believe it myself obviously that I could be that sensitive to 3 oz. Of food, but now I very much believe it. I just hope it’s not too late for me to right the ship and recover again. If I can get back to where I was yesterday before the tofu again, I can live at that level the rest of my life and be happy even if it’s not a full recovery.
Still up and down and having bad days, but overall doing well. Just wanted to stop in and celebrate a little. I slept 7 hours straight last night for the first time in over a year!!! It was on the back of a mini crash and only 2-3 hours the night before, but I am still celebrating. From not sleeping for up to 4 days at a time to this, I never thought this would be possible again.
Are you still following the carnivore diet?
I am not. I am just eating a healthy balanced diet. Very light on sugar and very little if any processed foods. A lot of fresh meats, veggies and fruits.
Good to hear man. Do you recommend the carnivore diet?
Overall I would recommend it. I’m doubtful now that it actually did anything but with the severe anxiety I had (and I also suspect pretty severe paranoia), I could be pretty sure that I wasn’t eating anything that might crash me. At the start I read every post on the forum I could find and it seemed like everything might crash me. I was so up and down with severe swings of mania (I now think) and bone crushing depression. I would make correlations to the crashes that were most likely not there, and maybe I’m still doing it.
Regardless when I was on carnivore It took all of that anxiety and fear off my plate. It also made my diet super simple at a time when I could barely get out of bed and had to force myself to eat. And I did improve while on it, so maybe it helped. Who knows? For these reasons alone I would recommend.
However I hate eating like that, and now that I’m eating how I used to normally, I wouldn’t want to go back.
Also, would like to say that I’m still doing really well. I’m in a cycle now if 3-5 good days followed by 1-2 bad days. The good days are REALLY good like 90-100% recovered and the bad days are not so bad, with shitty sleep and return of some anxiety and anhedonia, but not even that badly. I have really taken a step forward since my Creatine crash, I’m just hoping it sticks and is not a false recovery.
Hey man, how is your appetite doing so far? Ever since my last dose of Fin on July 3rd my appetite has gone, can never feel hunger and always feel full when I try to grab a bite or two, after multiple visits to the ER etc, they found nothing and I’m stumped.
I had no appetite for a while and my wife was helping me to force myself to eat. I could’ve gone days without eating and sleeping back then. I would usually skip breakfast then but at least make myself eat something small for lunch and dinner. Mine felt linked to my anhedonia, I just had no drive to eat. I could still eat, I just didn’t want or feel the need to.
It’s still up and down and there is a direct correlation between how good or bad I feel mentally and my appetite. The swings are pretty low now. When I’m doing well my appetite is basically normal. For example, I’ll eat maybe one boiled egg for breakfast at my worst now, when I’m well I’ll eat like 3 plus a couple pieces of fruit and maybe more.
I don’t know if that’s helpful, but I did have a similar problem and have basically recovered from it.
So you don’t think it improved anything materially? Or did it? If it stopped you getting crashes that seems like a good thing.
Hard to say. Did I get better while on it? Yes. Would I have gotten better anyways? I don’t know.
It’s been a while since I’ve done a regular update and end of July seems like a good time for one. Don’t want to stay on too long, but want to document how I’m doing. Overall, doing great. My main problem is currently fear of a relapse. I still have times where I feel the anxiety coming on and it feels like I’m going to crash but I haven’t for some time now. I’ve been overall stable for pretty much two months and REALLY good for about one month.
My current protocol is minimal. I just avoid eating the few things that I feel might be triggering the crashes. I don’t really know if they are but it’s not worth testing. I still exercise daily and I take probiotic daily. I also take magnesium glycinate when I feel like I might need it, use a sleeping mask, and use a fan to cool myself and for white noise at night.
Current goal status is:
Sleep:
Current status - 6 hours broken minimum, 4 hours minimum main session. Now with days of up to 9 hours broken. Have hit 7 hours straight once. Almost always refreshed and can take short naps again now. Do not have to stick to very strict sleep
Schedule anymore. Overall happy where I’m at.
Sex:
Current Status: Can perform whenever I want up to twice a day now. Average now is about once every other day or every 3 days. I haven’t gone more than 5 days without an urge since February. Erection quality is not really a concern, but is up and down (See what I did there?) and overall not what it used to be most of the time. I’m happy where I’m at though.
Diet:
Current Status: I eat basically as pre-fin except I avoid a few things mentioned earlier in the chain. Mainly Chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and Tofu.
Emotions/Mood/Anxiety:
Current status: Have met almost all of these goals and I cannot tell you how wonderful it is. It’s still not normal and there are still times when my enjoyment and mood are much lower but NOTHING like before. I believe I will continue to improve also.
Overall goal:
Current status: If I stay stable like this for 3 more months (and hopefully even improve more), I will pretty much be on my way to meeting this one. Wish me luck.
Hey Henchman21,
thats wonderful, i am genuine happy for you and your (almost) recovery!
Some similarities between your and my case. I crashed several times in the last year with substances like stevia, sunscreen, topical melatonin and some massagel. My body seems to be so fragile to crash every little mistake. Unbelievebale.
Developed now constant anxiety and very bad sleep as new symptoms. Anxiety is the worst. Its like torture and just lets you wish for dying. I can relate to what you have been through.
I have questions to you excercise regimen:
When you run, do you still do sprints?
Do you excercise still several times a day?
You dont lift weights anymore?
How often and how long do you take walks?
Long walks might really be a good contemplary to intense sports. Isnt too draining on the body, but can make you tired/exhausted for the evenening.
Bonus question: Do you take cold showers?
Thanks Tonster, just hope it sticks. It seems too good to be true.
I no longer do sprints and haven’t for some time. Around the time of my Creatine crash I hurt my ankle and took about a month or more off running. I lifted light weights around this time with a lot of body weight exercises (pull ups and push ups). As soon as I could I resumed running but I wear a brace and cannot go as far any more. I run about 3-5 miles mostly now daily. Occasionally I will run more. For months before that though I was doing just long distance though, 6-8 miles, 5:30-9 minute mile pace was my range of speeds.
I’m still building up my running distance again. I just run once per day. I don’t lift weights currently. I take one long walk with my family every evening.
I did take cold showers before, but don’t really do that anymore unless I’m particularly in the mood for one.
I still have anxiety, it’s one of my remaining symptoms but it’s very manageable currently. I know how bad it can be, I hope you find relief soon.
Thanks Henchman!
There is no anxiety anymore since yesterday evening for me. Lets see if it comes back. Hope it resolves for you completely soon.
Hmm, interesting that you stopped sprinting for a while. I have got a feeling, that sprinting is important.
Do you remember, when you stopped it?
And how exactly did you do it before? Everyday? How many sprints per session? How long each sprint?
Hey man, sorry for being rushing but I’m out of time rn. May I ask you?
Early on I was sprinting 2-3 times per week. I was running 3 miles where I would sprint approximately 6 times per mile for 18 total. Each sprint would be about 10-15 seconds. I would increase the duration from 10-15 and once comfortable I would drop back to 10 and increase my jogging pace in between sprints. I stopped around February or March and that’s when I started feeling significant better in the evenings. I have a pretty thorough log since January 1 of this year, so ask away if you have more questions.
I started feeling better once I switched from sprinting and lifting to long distance and better again after the Creatine crash when I took a break from running.
What about the sexual problems?
I had complete ED and zero libido for a while, but I would’ve chopped off my dick to cure my mental issues. So I don’t want to say I never cared about the sexual issues, but they were never really my primary concern. Thankfully I made progress in this department too. When my mental issues became better, so did my libido. Erection quality and responsiveness has steadily improved over time.