Hi everyone,
I thought I’d post an update of what I’m doing to tackle PFS. I’ve really got my act and mental state together and I am fighting this with a structured regime that I’m committed too for 6 months minimum. I thought it would be helpful for everyone, and for my own motivation, to report my progress.
Basically, what I’ve done, after years of looking at posts on this board, is to take the consistent elements of the stories where people have improved or recovered, and combined them into a protocol. I have also had a lot of tests done to determine my own problems and, based on these and my symptoms, I feel sure that my biggest problems lie in an underactive thyroid, and in poor liver function. Here’s what I’m doing:
- I’m following a strict ant-candida diet. And I mean strict; literally no sugar at all for 6 months and a diet consisting mainly of lightly steamed vegetables and occasionally some meat and fish. I also have eggs for breakfast. Most food is organic.
- I’m combining this by taking anti-fungals and strong probiotics to kill the candida (if it exists, which I believe it does), and drinking kefir milk (a strong probiotic drink) in the morning and just before bed.
My rationale for this approach is that I have definitely developed digestive issues since taking finasteride, and I have always had certain symptoms of a yeast infection (e.g. rosacea, dandruff). Whether I am correct, and whether there is a definitive link between candida and PFS I do not know, but I feel certain that my gut is not healthy, and this is a good way of ensuring that it is.
In addition, I will be treating the only key problem that all my blood tests have thrown up, which is reduced T3 and T4, and high levels of Reverse T3. I’ll be doing this by following a bespoke minerals and vitamins programme based on the various levels of vitamins and minerals in my body, and by supplementing with thyroid hormones. Key supplements will include vitamin D3, selenium and iron. I have not yet phased these in, but will do so soon.
This is an holistic approach which encompasses a lot of what people have found helpful (supplementing to balance out mineral deficiencies, treating the thyroid, treating candida). Whether it will help I do not yet know, but I will update over the coming months to let you all know. I emphasise that this protocol is based on what has been proven to work for many people on this forum. I’m by no means suggesting that this could be a PFS cure, or that it is backed up by science. It does, however, address many of my symptoms, so I hope it will be in some way successful. Either way it might further inform what works and what doesn’t.
I will keep you all posted. Keep up the fight.