I am 75% recovered after stopping finasteride for c18M. I am on TRT, Nebido injection every 10-12 weeks, hcg 250ui x 3 per week, DHEA 25mg per day, pregnenalone 50mg per day.
The thing that I cant get back is libido, even when I used testosterone gel before the Nebido and my DHT was 5 on a lab range of 1.5-3.
Libido does come back somewhat the day after a heavy night drinking and I get a euphoric feeling as well.
What drugs / supplements can be tried to mimic whatever effect the alcohol is having, GABA, L DOPA, increase the pregnenalone dose?
man something is blocking the positive effects of testosterone in your body. I would assume oxidative stress and unbalanced neurosteroids. Try incorporating methylation supplements into your regime and also pregnenolone, and possibly l-dopa.
[i]So, how is it that we want sex so badly after a night of heavy drinking? Well, to understand this we need to dip into the workings of the male endocrine system. Testosterone production is part of a negative feedback system (a self-correcting mechanism), centered in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. In short, the hypothalamus produces a hormone that stimulates the pituitary gland to produce a second hormone called luteinizing hormone (LH), which travels in the bloodstream to stimulate production of yet a third hormone, testosterone. When testosterone levels are low, receptors in the brain and pituitary gland signal these organs to secrete more testosterone stimulating hormones. By the time you wake up on Sunday morning, this corrective mechanism is in full flight.
Because LH is thought to play a role in sexual arousal in itself, its excess explains at least in part your overriding horniness when you awake. It also explains why in spite of this intense desire, you sometimes can’t get a full erection - serum testosterone is not yet up to normal levels. It’s a passing phenomenon and by midday you’ll have less LH circulating and less overt desire. You’ll likely be able to achieve a full erection but chances are you won’t want to because you’ll feel like crap.
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If this is the case, perhaps the problem is luteinizing hormone production?
LH is just the pitutiary signal to produce more testosterone, it has nothing to do with arousal. Anyone on TRT will have zero LH, since the body switches off the signal to produce testosterone as you’re already supplying it externally it’s no longer needed.
Hm, do you have any other theories on what causes hangover horn dannyfc? Maybe if we get to the bottom of that we can figure a way to treat people with pfs.
I’d say it probably has more to do with it affecting GABA or some such. My most massive changes in PFS have all come from playing the brain damage angle, manipulating GABA and whatnot. Just my theory, though.
Cap, what GABA did you use? I’ve had it recommended to me for chronic pain in my groin, but it would be a miracle if it helped with libido and such too. Please tell me more!
I’m including a relevant segment of an email I received below from the moderator of a Propecia forum who recommended me try benzos.
“Finasteride blocks the conversion of progesterone into Allopregnanolone (ALLO). Allo is a substance very necessary for the nervous system, for its correct ability to withstand stress. So, for the period you were taking finasteride, the medication caused a lack of ALLO in your nervous system, but you kept having a normal life, going through the usual stress situations we all go (not to mention the normal metabolism activities that cause stress to the body and require allo).
This lack of ALLO combined with the ongoing stress situations caused a surcharge on your nervous system. This is understood by the body as an aggression. When any aggression happens, the natural response from the body is inflammation, because inflammation helps preserve the tissues. Basically, your body is reacting to the fact that you are low in allo and probably GABA too. By correcting the cause, there is a great possibility that the inflammation ends without you having to take corticosteroids. You will be correcting the cause, so the immune system has no reason to keep reacting.
So what you need to do is to replace GABA and allo. The best course to do this is through medications called benzodiazepines. They replace GABA and help increase ALLO in the nervous system. In my experience, the benzodiazepine you should take sould be Bromazepam or if it is not sold in your country, Alprazolam is efficient in treating PFS patients. You should avoid Clonazepam if it is indicated to you. It will not give you the same results regarding PFS, plus it is much more difficult to taper off when discontinuing.”
It completely cured me mentally, but only for about a week. Unfortunately you develop a tolerance to it pretty quick so it’s not a cure. Do some google research there’s plenty of info on how it works, pheni withdrawels, etc.
Yeah it’s definitely not a permanent solution unfortunately because of the tolerance buildup. It also downregulates your gaba receptors with continued use so it may make things even worse potentially in the long run. Though the PROFOUND effect it had during that week should be a huge clue into what’s causing at least the mental issues with PFS, and that in turn may help us figure out a treatment. GABA seems to play a huge part.
Hm, do you think it’s not worth trying it then? Or because I’m trying to treat groin pain, maybe my symptoms require a different approach and this might actually work long term for me?
I doubt it would do anything for your groin pain, but who knows? If you have any kind of mental symptoms I’d definitely recommend it. Even if it only lasts for a week, feeling normal again for a week brought me out of a really shitty period where I had given up hope of ever being normal again. If I can feel normal again for a week from some random supplement surely I can cure myself somehow. And speaking of which, I took one today and actually feel pretty good. Not as good as that week, but not totally retarded like usual. So I dunno man. Maybe give it a shot. Just keep the dose under a gram or you’re going to fuck yourself up. Don’t take more than like 700mg at the absolute max a day.
edit: Oh, and for those of you with sleeping issues, pheni makes me sleep like a baby, and that’s one effect that never wore off.
Careful with Phenibut, that will fuck you up good and proper. I went through withdrawals from it about 5 years ago, was worse than coming off benzodiazepines. Really screws up your adrenals and liver.
I think Gabapentin is a safer option.
edit; after reading the wikipedia entry I wouldn’t even mess with that either. Basically, stray way from any drug that messes with neurotransmitter receptors.
