TX pm me. I’m down in Texas as well as a few others here I know. And like you my career has been totally fucked by this disease. 29 years old federal agent making $100k+ a year got.demoted due to the intense depression I had experienced from propecia and now I have a “law enforcement death sentence” known as being declared unfit for duty… Which even if this all gets sorted out in the near future with science I don’t know if.I’ll ever be able to.crack back into it. Sucks man… Took me 17 months to get through the intense panic attacks, depression and insomnia that finasteride gave me… I come out of my mental cave after all that stress and my job says nope can’t have your job back your demoted… Basically saying eat our shit. Goddamn shrinks who don’t know anything about PFS screwed me. Anyway if you wanna meet up sometime to.hang out I’d be up for it. I still try to date because I am luckily not totally impotent from this crap… Thou its different day to day.
I’m happy to report, after some changes to my protocol, I’m feeling better. I started a mineral/b-vitamin supplement and taking zinc. I put on 4-5 lbs of muscle in the last two weeks. I’m attributing it to the minerals, at this point, as I didn’t do anything else differently (kept workouts the same). Also: I upped my antidepressant a bit. In the past this hasn’t helped (the sides would become bothersome). But this time, something’s different. My gut’s calmed down, and my energy levels are up. I’ve been dealing with IBS-like issues on and off. I suspect the progress has to do with some vitamin-mineral-medicine synergy. My working theory is my body didn’t have all the building-blocks it needed to make the right neurotransmitters. We’ll see how this goes.
I highly recommend the book Primal Body, Primal Mind. It’s chock-full of good diet and supplement ideas. I’d been doing many of the recommendations, but it helped me address some roadblocks.
Also helpful: I’ve been using different breathing techniques. I’ve been breathing from my diaphragm and also into my chest cavity. It’s reduced a lot of inner tension.
Great news you are feeling better, well done. Can you advise dosages of supplements you are taking? Have you had any improvements on libido and sexual sides?
Current supplements: Acetyl-l-carnitine, green tea extract, fish oil, co-enzymated B-vitamins, minerals + extra mg and zinc, garlic + plant stanols (for cholesterol), whey protein, MRI Black Powder (workout NO booster)
Past supplements that have been useful: cordyceps, vinpocetine, DLPA (dopamine precursor), 5-HTP (effective but unclear about long-term safety), glucosamine
Do not take 5-htp everyday in can cause serotonin Syndrome no more than 2-3 a week.
i am wondering, arent things like green tea and zinc 5ar inhibitors? i would be careful, i remember reading they were not good long term for our condition … still, it is great to hear you are feeling better man, good for you
Yeah green tea is not good for PFS imo/ime…
Lately, I’ve been thinking about where I fit in the world. This used to be a no-brainer, until fin hit, and suddenly the usual venues (bars, clubs, dates, parties, high-stress offices) didn’t pan out. So for awhile I just stood back, watching the world–not being a full participant. So here’s what I’ve realized. Most of our lives, we try to figure out what we want to be. But I think it’s better to ask: where do I want to be? As in a real, physical place. What I’ve thought most about is what environment is best for me right now. Maybe it’s our animal nature, but each of us functions better in certain environments than others.
The thing is, most of us don’t fully enjoy the things we used to. We’re tired. Withdrawn. Isolated. Yet there are still many places where I do feel comfortable, shine, and stand out. While I don’t always feel passion like I did, there’s still a spark.
To see my future, I’ve had to look hard at my past. Before fin, what things did you excel at? Who did you enjoy being around? What did people see in you? As I look back, what I enjoyed most, I still do. Writing. Conversation. Traveling. Working out. Religious services. Yes, a number of things have dropped off the list: dating (sadly), parties, concerts where I have to stand for a long time, bars, etc. But when I look at my goals, I don’t think they’ve shifted much from 10 years ago. And when friends and co-workers describe me, I hear the same things I’ve heard all my life. So I haven’t changed that much.
What I keep going back to is this: our minds, memories, and spirit are what will keep us going. A lot of us feel like echoes of our former selves. Pay attention to that echo. Listen to it. It’s still you. The more I stay anchored in that identity, the more I’m able to forge ahead with my plans. I know it’s incredibly hard to go out when you feel tired, disconnected, like a blank, empty vessel. I get stuck too. I don’t follow my advice every day. For me, it’s mind over matter. I have to reason myself to do things even if I don’t feel like doing them.
The year I see ahead has me in a lot of same places I imagined I would be. I hate cliches, but the Woody Allen trope that 90% of life is showing up is kinda true.
I’m glad that you find some satifaction in life still Txop. I don’t feel the same way, mentally I am not the same person I was before. I have enormous anxiety, 1/10 the sense of humor I had before, and an extremely negative outlook on things.
TXOptimist- We definitely see eye to eye in a number of things.
Sensational ideology.
Tx, I’ve said it before… the service you do to this forum with posts like that is invaluable. It’s sad to say, but your posts consistently make me cry (I feel awfully womanly admitting something like that, but you write some powerful stuff). If writing is one of your crafts, know that you are very good at that craft.