My acne ordeal and isotretinoin consequences

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#61

Thanks, mate!

Mifepristone seems like a dubious option, but I suppose I can even try if nothing else’s gonna work. It would be really interesting to compare our blood levels (maybe 3-alpha-diol-G too). What if we find some pattern? I discussed my results with two doctors (derm & endo), and they couldn’t explain that and don’t know about possible effects. I just found some info on the internet, so obviously I’m gonna look for some solid sources of information. And also looking forward to seeing a good urologist.

Meanwhile, I’m gonna try some tadalafil for the first time. I’ve noticed some recent libido improvement (literally last two days) and even return of some penile sensitivity (hard-flaccid is still present though). Could it be because of better mood and holiday athmosphere? Or because I started taking vitamine B complex & antibiotic a couple of days ago? I’m pretty sure antibiotic could be the case. I find it rather interesting, another question to think about.

Anyway, I wish you Happy new year man!
Take care

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#62

Yes mate, antibiotics may be responsible for that good effects just like i had last weeks while i was using Flagyl but you should enjoy it anyway.

Tadalafil makes sense before a sexual interaction for just to be safe.

I wish you a happy new year too mate, i hope next year will be much better for us and who suffers like we do. See you soon!

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#63

How are you now? Did that antibiotic make any lasting improvement for you?
I’m about to stop it and a bit afraid of returning back to my low.

//My short update
For me this year has started with a glimpse of hope. In December I experienced serious worsening of my sexual sides despite overall good mental condition(I guess a week or so of anxiety and depression doesn’t count). But later during the last week of December things started to get better(I connect it with my short antibiotic course). Also, I got my DHT level result. It could be higher, but still is in the normal range. So my male sexual hormones are more-or-less OK.

After I added tadalafil to my vitamines and antibiotic I see even more better changes. My libido is close to my normal level (Like it wasn’t disrupted during the last two years). I feel strong attraction to girls like I used to. It’s so good to feel that again, just like coming back to life from a zombie state. I still don’t experience urge to masturbate and almost no spontaneous erections but mentally I’m back.
There’s some improvement in my body too. Like I’ve got back some control and the connection between my brain and genitals is somewhat improved.
But it’s still weird: low(a bit fluctuating) sensitivity, some shrinkage and curvature, soft tip despite the really hard shaft(this make me worry).

Looking forward to seeing an urologist and having a proper ultrasound test.

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#64

Hey man, it’s nice to hear you are doing better!

As i thought, your hormone levels are normal just like mine. So that’s the reason why i think this issue takes a place in our brain.

At first, the specific antibiotic i have used Flagyl increased my erection strength (especially girth size) and that stayed the same after quitting. For now i don’t have any issues about keeping an erection or having a full erection especially when i stand up it gets stronger somehow. I believe if i regain my full libido, that would make my erections flawless. My libido was coming back and i was in a good mood again while i was on antibiotic but after finishing it, all libido and good mood has gone again. Right now; i don’t have ED, my sperm volume is great but no libido and orgasm while ejaculation. I just have some sensitivity on the tip of penis which is great.

Important note: 2 days before, i took some heavy alcohol which made me drunk enough to call a girl i like before. Next day for 7-8 hours i felt alive. Normally, brain-genitals connection gets weaker when i use alcohol but this time it even got stronger and i felt happy for no reason at all. But then when i sleep again it was all gone. That’s why i think now this can be a problem about dopamine-serotonine issue. It seems dopamine has a big impact of activation of androgenic hormones and neurostereoids in our body. But like most of the time, that can be a wrong guess too.

Whenever i used a component which works like viagra (i used lifta and panax ginseng) it always helped me about erection and ginseng even increased my libido but after quitting, crashed again.

Nowadays i am considering using Wellbutrin which is a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor not a ssri. If it’s a problem about dopamine or dopamine receptors that drug may help right? I still need more information before that.

I wait for your ultrasound test because that will be the main proof of our problems are not related to genital organ failures or some vascular issues but something else.

For now that’s all mate, enjoy your recent progress your condition gives me hope too!

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#65

I’m counting days before I could continue my medical check.
My recovery is still lasting(but I’m still taking my antibiotic, I decided to extend this period just a little bit longer). Although my libido seems somewhat lower than it used to be in my pre-PAS life. But it’s within normal range, especially for my age, I guess. I even notice something like spontaneous erections almost every single day which is definitely a good sign. But I still experience soft glans and lower sensitivity which worries me a lot. It’s also mind-boggling how it could be switched from almost complete zero to almost normal level of sexuality in less than a week. I don’t understand it and I’m afraid it won’t last long. But it’s so good to have even a fraction of my sexuality back. I could barely describe it. I even consider dating again, although it’s definitely more complicated than ever for me at this moment.

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#66

I feel you man, it’s insane. But these sudden libido changes give me hope that maybe this damage is not permanent. What is insanely scary is my genitals don’t feel “alive” anymore. Yes, i can get an erection but sensitivity is almost zero so what’s the point?

I want to ask you what is your antibiotic’s name you are using now? If your antibiotic has some antidepressant effects like mine, then that can give us more clue.

An interesting detail, i went to an orthopedic specialist last week for back pain (probably a little disc problem). We checked my whole back from neck to pelvic region with x-ray. He said bloodflow through my spine is weak. I mean maybe that can explain some of our symptoms like loss of controll on genitals or even on limbs. Our central nervous system can’t get enough blood or there is not enough blood circulation in this area i don’t know. I am gonna take a MR tomorrow to see if i have a disc problem but i think what doctor said about bloodflow is more interesting. After that i will go to a neurologist or psychiatrist because i can’t live like that anymore.

#67

Der Geist ist willig, aber das Fleisch ist schwach.
//Pretty accurate description of my current condition.

My sensitivity is currently fluctuating from “at least something” to “almost non-existent”. Sometimes it feels like something is blocking all the sexual feelings, orgasm etc despite of the level of my arousal. I can clearly see increased blood flow but it feels like nothing is happening.

I’m currently taking Ornidazole (I’d like to call it Hornidazole :slightly_smiling_face:). I never checked if it has any antidepressant properties. I guess, it’s not supposed to, but who knows.

You should definitely ask your neurologist those questions. My spine MRI showed some issues too, although my neurologist told me this should not lead to any serious health problems at present, it’s more like a warning against possible future problems. I don’t know your condition but it just might be similar situation.

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#68

If your mind is better and your libido gets higher that’s good news my friend.

Ornidazole and metronidazole (the antibiotic i used) seems to target same thing which is killing bad bacterias in human body. I couldn’t find any source which claims ornidazole has antidepressant effects but most of source compares these two antibiotics because they are so alike. Even their names are alike.

So should we assume that what makes us worse is some bacteria issue in our body? Does that mean our immune system doesn’t work properly? And with that way i think our gut flora is messed up and these drug kills that specific bacterias (bad ones) in our gut and maybe that has a bigger meaning about sexual activity and digestion. I remember my digestion got better and healthier while i was using the antibiotic.

We need to do further research about that for a certain idea i guess.

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#69

It’s interesting that we get better from similar antibiotics. They clearly must have some similar positive effects.
I’m pretty sure isotretinoin has some negative effect on immune system(I faced some not serious but annoying health issues that could be explained by weakening of my immune response). And I didn’t connect any of those small problems with Roaccutane sides, although now it all makes some sense.

But I really doubt our main problems have anything to do with some bacteria.

Tomorrow I’m going to see a good urologist, have a lot of questions to ask. I hope to get at least some answers.

#70

Metronidazole has antidepressant effects. I’d bet Ornidazole works in the same way, but maybe haven’t been as studied because it’s newer. Most antibiotics have off-target effects on the CNS.

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#71

Hey Cbrandel,

Yes, i have learned that metronidazole has some antidepressant effects after you said that. I made some researches too and that’s a fact. But we need to be sure that these good effects about libido both me and Ultra has experienced/experiencing is coming from this antidepressant effects of drug or coming from killing bacteria. It’s extremely important because i am going to use an antidepressant if that’s what helped us about libido and general good mood. We know that antidepressants are known as libido and erection killers and majority of this forum are suffering from pssd. Any further information or opinion is welcome.

#72

I’ve no idea how this would be done. I just think that if PFS was due to bacteria, it would have been found out by now. Can’t think of anyone who had lasting effects after quitting antibiotics.

Yeah it’s a gamble. I do think SSRI meds are worse than MAOI in this regard (but MAOI is not as “safe” in other regards). And also the antibiotics would probably be less potent than a real antidepressant.

Really hard to tell what to do. Personally I probably wouldn’t touch an antidepressant, especially not any SSRI (or any medicine who fucks with serotonin), but for someone else it might be worth it.

#73

I see your point. It can work really well while using but we don’t know what would happen afterwards. I got an insane good mood and good enough libido while i was using Panax Ginseng but after quitting it everything became even worse. As far as i know ginseng also has some antidepressant effects and that strengthens our current theory about antidepressants effected our libido in a good way.

I agree %100 with you that if i will take any antidepressant soon it will be MAOI but again that’s not completely safe.

Bad thing is, only numb part of my body was my genitals. But recently i experience some numbnes and lose control on my limbs too. It’s like i don’t sense the existence of my arms or legs when i don’t use them. Maybe it was always like that after accutane but i just realised it. Whatever it is i hope we can find a harmless way to deal with it.

#74

I’ve already read smth similar about limb numbness here on the forum. Looks like, it’s also kinda common. I don’t remember experience anything like that so far, could you tell more about your experience?

I’ve consulted an urologist and he’s made an ultrasound prostate check with blood flow evaluation right away. He told me I have some changes in the prostate associated with the lack of regular sex life(well, no surprise) but nothing critical. And my blood flow seems perfect so I’m not supposed to have any ED problems. For whatever reason he didn’t recommend penile doppler test and said that my hormone levels are all fine (he didn’t pay much attention to my progesterone level, told it should not have any effect). I was prescribed a scheme of sildenafil + tadalafil and regular sex life(easily said than done). Despite he knows about possible Roaccutane sides, he suspects psychological origin of my problems.
So, everything is almost as I expected :slightly_frowning_face:

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#75

Many thanks for bringing that table. It all makes sense now. I guess, it could be another clue.
Also, I agree with you, I see antidepressants llike a possibly harmful thing and would prefer to stay away from them as long as I can.
Although I’m really worried now that my recovery effect can disappear pretty soon as today is the last day I’m taking the antibiotic.

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#76

There’s a theory that symptoms could be caused by SIBO. More info on this Reddit thread. That could line up with the improvements after taking antibiotics. I am seeing a doctor next week and will ask for a SIBO test

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#77

Thanks for posting this,

It’s quite interesting that lastround360 also used Flagyl and got a progress. Recently Ultra has used a similar antibiotic and he says he gots better than usual. I don’t think it’s coincidence.

This post makes me think that the killing bacteria side of this drug’s have helped us more than it’s antidepressant effects. It’s hard to be sure tough.

#78

I’m pretty sure somebody has already come up with this idea on this forum. Tbh lastround360 seems to be overly optimistic by connecting so many diseases with this condition. Generally speaking, treating acne with isotretinoin seems to me now like treating syphilis with mercury in the past, if not worse.

From what I read about SIBO I have an impression that the test is unreliable. And even if this theory is true, our most embarassing problems come from the lack of serotonin due to decreased production in the guts, right? Shouldn’t we test our serotonin level in that case?
What is a good test for leaky gut? Intestinal MRI?
lastround360 speculates a lot about general inflammation and auto-immune disorder from SIBO. Blood tests should show that, right? I’ve never got any signs of inflammation. In fact my biochemistry results now are better than ever. So I find it kinda dubious.

#79

Neither do I think it’s a coincidence. I’m sure there’s some pattern behind this. But it’s complicated.
I have been through a lot of stress recently and my sleep’s gone to shit again(still working on improving it). But that didn’t affect that part of sexuality I managed to recover(maybe apart from a little decrease in libido). I find it weird.
lastround360 mentions some sort of pelvic floor dysregulation in his post. I need to read more about it as it may explain my current symptoms.

#80

Exactly, i have done so many tests when i went to gastroenterologist and everything was perfectly fine. If that was the main issue i think it had to be obvius on these tests. It’s just incredibly weird man. It’s like we are trying to convince people we have these problems but there is no evidence.

I agree with you that there is a pattern behind all of these but we haven’t detected the main thing yet. I am sorry to hear that you had a stressful time recently. But it’s good to hear your libido is still good. I want to ask to you, have you experienced a significant increase of especially on girth size and erection strength while using your antibiotic?

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