Hi @Itookfinanddutast could I ask you a question in the name of science if you are still here? Did euphoric/hooked in feelings from music came back in your recovery(or perhaps they never left)?
I’m still here but as I said I intentionally don’t come on here often.
I still am having ups and downs. I was having high libido and now I’m in a downswing, but I’m sure it’s temporary.
Sleep is good
Mood is good for the most part
Mental symptoms are almost normal
Im sure libido will bounce back as it has been recently.
Overall still living a normal life!
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Hi Itookfina, great to hear that you are feeling healthier and seeing progress. It’s really great that you have come back to touch base every now and then, as it gives other faith. By the looks of your member story, we stopped Fin around the same time as each other. It’s also great that you posted photos of yourself and family. It shows others that we are all the same: just young normal guys, who got hurt by this drug, but we’ll get through this together. Love your attitude man, it’s strong and just what people need to get through this shit 
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I am just wondering, for you to experience the changes you say above, have you done anything differently? Or do you put it down to avoiding those foods, and getting plenty of sleep?
I can’t give you a definitive answer on what helped me in all honesty. I think time is a big one. The foods I was avoiding I can eat now with no reaction. I avoid eating them frequently still to be on the safe side.
And also, did you avoid Dairy during your recovery? (ie Milk and Cheese).
Thanks so much for answering. Really means a lot.
Do you feel like taking ALCAR also helped you or played a part in your improvement?
I have seen a few people on here say it helped them improve, and I’m thinking about taking it.
And did you get any Hormonal Blood Tests done, pre-recovery and after?
Sorry for bombarding you with questions, and thank you.
I’m not sure if ALCAR helped or if it was time but it can’t hurt to try. I think time is the biggest factor and not stressing. I don’t avoid dairy. I never took blood tests.
I’m not recovered just significantly improved, I still have ups and downs with an upward trend so I believe I will continue to get better with time.
What worked for me may not work for you. I don’t hold the key to recovery. Some people get better some don’t.
If you are seeing improvements there’s a good chance you will be living a normal life in a few years in my opinion.
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Just wanted to update you guys on where I am at presently! Been feeling great and super “masculine” lately if that makes sense.
It was a lot to type so I made a voice note for you guys if you want to listen lol. It’s the link below
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Quick summary for those who don’t want to listen to the voice note clip I posted:
Was already doing really well besides some lingering libido and facial wasting issues
Started going to the gym last month for the first time in 2 years.
Crashed immediately (lasted 4 days)
• no sleep
• depressed
• Felt horrible
Stopped gym until crash was over
Started gym again (4 days since initial crash)
Was able to tolerate it better an crash symptoms disappeared
Face started glowing and is looking like it did pre PFS… Super happy about this
Have been in the gym for a month now lifting heavy with personal trainer 4-5 days a week.
Feeling more masculine and test feels higher?
Feeling great overall.
Negatives:
Since starting gym libido and erection quality has taken a slight dip, but is improving to pre gym baseline.
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man, I appreciate u r feeling well. but honestly I think in your case it wasn’t exactly PFS, I mean it for the amount of time and quantity u used the drugs.
I used for less than 2 months and I’m going 3.5 years in and worsening, and I’ve tried every healthy change possible
How long have you been off the saw?
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Hi @Itookfinanddutast, how are you?
I’m sorry to hear that you crashed again.
Based off your advice nearly 10 months ago, and after reading @Livid171 recovery post, I started on Acetyl L Carnitine in August 2023 and I cycled it just like him (2 weeks on, 2 weeks off). By November 2023 I felt like I was fully recovered, so I stupidly stopped, because nearly all of symptoms, if not all of them, were gone. But within 1 month of stopping, a lot of my symptoms had come back, and I then crashed really hard.
I have recently started cycling it again within the last month, and I feel amazing again. Every On cycle I feel great, and during the Off cycle it feels great too. It’s almost as if you can feel yourself recovering.
The reason I am telling you this, is because I know that you took this supplement a while ago too. I remember when speaking to you, that you attributed some of your recovered symptoms to just time back then.
But if you search for Acetyl L Carnitine here on the forum, or just Carnitine, you will find loads of guys who started cycling, said they then recovered, and then never came back. A lot of them also attributed their recovery to “time”, but they all have the one thing in common: they all cycled Carnitine.
By searching, you will also find guys who just took it everyday and didn’t cycle it, or guys who stopped taking it. They’re the ones who would later start crashing again, and are still here today looking for different answers.
I believe the key is to stick to it for a few years. The guys that came back later and said they’re recovered also said that they were on it for years, whereas some of the guys who only tried it for a few months, always come back to crashing. I believe sticking to it for years won’t be hard to do either, because it feels amazing being on it. All symptoms nearly disappear, and it really gives you energy too.
The other key is to definitely cycle it, not just take it everyday. Based off other’s posts, if you take it everyday, the efficacy wears off. Where as the guys who cycled it were the ones who said they recovered.
Once they come back and say they recovered, they never come back again after that, and have been inactive for years. There has to be something in that.
If I was you, I would really recommend starting on it again, but this time cycling it. If you felt good on it last time, imagine what cycling it would do for you, like the other guys did.
I wish you good luck mate, and hopefully a good recovery soon.
(This is @Livid171’s Recovery post about all of this, for reference):
Livid171’s official post on his recovery
PS: I didn’t take the Rhodiola Rosea like Livid did, because it’s known as a 5ari. He eventually stopped taking that anyway 6 months in. I would recommend avoiding all supplements that are 5ari/or that make you crash. Luckily no one has reported crashing from taking Acetyl L Carnitine on here.
I recovered from that crash I have very mild crashes every few weeks and recover every time at this point feeling better after each one. I’m doing really well. My issue now is I recently tore my meniscus in MMA causing me to be unable to walk and have to deal with paying for surgery out of pocket 
. Welcome to America!
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My advice is stop the carnitine and go through the hell for a few months. I think the carnitine masks the symptoms temporarily I don’t genuinely think it is a cure. It wasn’t until I quit it and went through hell for a few months as my sides returned that I made it to the other side.
Stop all supplements, go to the gym and lift heavy 4 days a week, do cardio 3 times a week, eat healthy. It will suck and you will feel shitty for several months and then you will likely see improvements slowly.
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We have a ton of similarities in our cases, I seem to have had far more in the numbness department than you though. Interesting thing with me also is that I feel horrible every time I eat tomato and soy (last time I had it anyways, I’d have to go back to the old chinese place and get my lovely mapo tofu and try again soon). Dipped some fried seafood in a marinara sauce last weekend at a restaurant and felt a lot more blunted though temporarily after that so it wasn’t really a crash. No other food this far out I’ve tried has done anything like that though so I’m not sure what’s so special about tomato but luckily I never eat pizza or anything so tomato was never really in my life anyways. I eat a lot of peanuts though, make my own peanut butter with chia seeds for breakfats every morning. It’s never negatively impacted me and is one of the only foods I can have in the morning that actually keeps my energy levels up as efficiently. Can also side with you on rice, I am a rice fiend and I’m proud! High carb just works for me since my digestive system is a trainwreck anyways and I’m very active physically. I don’t lift but I walk daily at least 45 minutes back and forth in any direction for work and shopping. If I’m on the floor at work my job can get real physical too.
Another symptom you got that i don’t see too often is the ear pressure, mine was so bad during the first months that it felt like it was a balloon ready to pop. Absolutely madness inducing. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE! On top of that it would get even worse upon cold exposure and the tinnitus was so bad that that it sounded like there was a medium pitched mechanical electric drill in my ear for god knows how many months. That gradually faded out, still feel a slight something now and then there and the ringing in that ear is slightly higher than the other but it’s alright enough for where I am progress wise and doesn’t blare over everything anymore.
Also interesting thing with the Head and Shoulders, I’ve noticed even before all this went down certain shampoo’s would make me feel really dull and weird after using them. I try not to over use anything now and the one I have right now doesn’t seem to do anything and my body wash is also something I go very light on as it’s whatever I have sitting around I got for dirt cheap or was given to as a gift. what everyone uses on their skin is something really underestimated, it could be what is even setting some people back and they don’t even know it. I stay away from anything I don’t absolutely need when it comes to my skin. People always want to know how I keep it looking so good and it’s literally nothing. I just don’t put any toxic trash on it where I don’t absolutely need to. I would like to find cleaner natural body washes though.
Yea man we do sound very similar. I know I’ve already said this but I think something that can speed up recovery is heavy lifting in the gym and cardio
People crash from gym and quit thinking they are forever unable to workout. I don’t think that’s the case.
If you read my post from a few months ago I was crashing from the gym, and never stopped. My body slowly began to be able to tolerate it and I no longer have negative reactions to exercise. Im also strong af now lol. I’m at 145 body weight and was benching 215 the other day.
Just eat healthy, exercise and avoid foods and hygiene products that crash you. I don’t think it’s a cure but I feel it’s made a big difference along with TIME.
Here some before and after pics from my body in the span of 6-7 months. Still able to build muscle easily with pfs and feeling better than I ever have.
It’s so funny reading this thread and me thinking I was doing well when I still had a lot of symptoms and was having bad crashes. With this condition the more you recover the more you realize how fucked up you really were.
Crashes are a joke at this point meaning over time they have become more and more mild. What used to be weeks to months of crippling depression, sleep trouble, and boat loads of other symptoms is now just mild moodiness and irritability that last 1-3 days followed by reaching a new high even if it’s only an inch higher each time. I live a normal life now and a great one at that. I’m happy.
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if you are a new person dealing with this don’t fall into the trap of believing that this is a life sentence for everyone and that you are fucked for life. I almost killed myself early on into pfs by reading posts on here followed by searching for a cure that doesn’t exist.
I had no emotions other than depression, no joy, no excitement, no relationship with my wife. I had NOTHING. What’s crazy is i suffered in silence because no one understood or understands what I went through. My family try to sympathize when I talk about it but they had no clue what I went through. My wife who was my rock through all of this can’t even comprehend what was going through my head or what was physically happening to my body over the last 3 years.
I’m not going to continue coming on here frequently but Il check in every 3-4 months.
This affects everyone differently and I don’t have the answers. But I can promise I’ve been honest about everything I’ve said on this website. Love you guys and wish those who are suffering peace and strength.
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If it’s one thing I been doing consistently whether I wanted to or not it’s been intense physical activity and eating a lot of nutrient and protein dense food. I’m just happy to have things back at a baseline even though I’m still pretty messed up and navigating my way though this. In fact I only just in the past week just got back more reactionary libido to thoughts and visuals that wasn’t as quick in natural as before when I needed a lot more manual stimulation, don’t know what triggered it as it just seemed like a spontaneous gradual thing and I’m also going the neural retraining route and repeatedly activating those and other pathways I use often in hopes of getting my body to target repair in those areas specifically and new neural networks. I am going to try the 2 week on and off carnitine cycling though. I know as i get out further it’ll get easier though especially since Summer is right around the corner. The winter dealing with this has been quieter but the cold is painful and the amount of stress it adds to what I’m already dealing with this stupid condition has also been setting me back probably. If I start doing that next Sunday by September that’ll already be 4 months into the cycle. I can deal with daily life now but my body is still pretty unstable and I’m still trying to find proper footing again in a lot of areas.
Hi Except Alcar any tips on get rid of
- Unable to do workout due to Muscle pain
- Fatigue
- Muscle pain in legs arms and shoulder after walking for 30 min or so
Any tips help?