Yes it does. Not much but it does. A week ago, i was fasting for 3 days. My skin looked so much better, my face didnt look much bloated anymore and my eyes were on the way back to normality (). But now it is worse again.
After two years i think that ive found out what causes my problems. I am pretty sure that i got high cortisol levels. It really fits with all my symptoms (bloated face, oily skin, thin skin, especially under the eyes, brain fog). The skin, bloated face etc. is not every day the same. The fasting showed me in a very impressive way that it ts possible for me to go back to normal.
Almost two years ago i already had the idea with the increased cortisol level. I did go to a doctor to make a blood sample. In fact my cortisol levels where a bit elevated. The main problem was that my doctor didnt believe that i have cushing-syndrome. I also dont think that ive got the cushing syndrome. For example because i am able to build muscle mass. That was the main reason why i gave the idea for the cortisol-theory up. But the symptoms ive got are very similar and fit right into the cushing-syndrome and in general to high cortisol levels.
And now i am damn sure that this is the cause for my problems. I am also pretty sure that high cortisol levels are not the main cause for all sunken eye victims of propecia.
So the last days i did much research and i am trying to find a way to reduce my cortisol levels. I really would like to do another fast (i did a green-smoothie-fast btw.) but i think i am phisically not in the condition to do so right now.
the thing is that i can really feel when my cortisol level increases: that is almost every single time after eating something. Also in stress situations, mostly after going to the gym (on cardio not that much, sometimes it feels even good for my stress level).
In all situations that stress me out, my face looks puffy pretty quickly. My skin turns reddish and my eyes look pretty smacked. Because of the short-term success I had with smoothie fasting, I am now very sure.
I already found a few threads to the connection of finasteride and high cortisol levels in this forum but until now nothing mind breaking.
See these papers:
- Nasiri et al (2015). 5α-Reductase Type 2 Regulates Glucocorticoid Action and Metabolic Phenotype in Human Hepatocytes
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25974403
pharmacological inhibition using the 5α-reductase inhibitors finasteride and dutasteride augmented cortisol action
- From some of the same authors:
Hazlehurst et al (2016). Dual-5α-Reductase Inhibition Promotes Hepatic Lipid Accumulation in Man.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26574953
5α-Reductase 1 and 2 (SRD5A1, SRD5A2) inactivate cortisol to 5α-dihydrocortisol in addition to their role in the generation of DHT
Thanks!
Any solution to This problem?
Are tou still positive that the cortisol was causing your sunken eyes?