Hi CDsnuts. I've followed you for some time now and I appreciate that you are way behind the finasteride stuff and it's all documented well. I've read a lot into your regime.
I'm a little crappy with these forums too and not quite sure how to private message you so hope you don't mind me hijacking this.
A brief story of myself. A couple of years ago now I began to get very fatigued and tired. I had a physical job so put it down to this at the time. I'd always had a strong libido and ravenous drive. I began taking these male vitamins for a boost. I ran out of the 20 odd pills. I then looked at the active ingredients. One was saw palmetto? I had never heard of this so googled. Instantly as you read it mentions increasing sex drive and male impotence... And at the same time helps hair loss? I thought great. I'll buy some of this stuff.
After one pill of swansons saw palmetto I woke the next day with hell. Cold shrunken dick, no life, ed. it's like a switch had been turned off over night. I managed to recover when on holiday to Mexico a few weeks later. Maybe the vit d helped?
Coming back I began to feel worse, I began to get ravaged with aches and pains, diarrhoea, no libido again, ed. blood flow began to return to my dick but had prostate pain. Urologist said it was prostatits. I took some antibiotics which seemed to help.
I was then in hospital for a week with pericarditis which is an inflammatory condition of the heart, basically I was crippled with inflammation.
My bloods have always been okay. 3 adiol g etc fine. I suffered with low cortisol for a while, maybe from all the inflammation, e2 never been an issue. Testosterone has been good, free and total. The only thing I've suffered with for two years has been raised prolactin. I tried cabergoline a few times and it helped immensely but prolactin would always come back. I have no tumor.
I then did much research into prolactin burnout and autoimmune. I kept begging for tests for autoimmune disorders butnthendocs wouldn't have it despite my gut issues. Eventually I managed to get checked for celiacs disease. It came back positive! Great, I thought this would be the answer. I began a gluten free diet, I managed to rid myself of a little brain fog, cold hands and feet weren't a constant issue anymore, body temperature rose... Blood test for prolactin 2 months later was in a normal range. For once!!
Doing reading into celiac and hormones i came across this.
Infertility, obstetric and gynaecological problems in coeliac sprue. - PubMed - NCBI
Abstract
There is now substantial evidence that coeliac sprue is associated with infertility both in men and women. In women it can also lead to delayed menarche, amenorrhoea, early menopause, recurrent abortions, and a reduced pregnancy rate. In men it can cause hypogonadism, immature secondary sex characteristics and reduce semen quality. The real mechanism by which coeliac sprue produces these changes is unclear, but factors such as malnutrition, iron, folate and zinc deficiencies have all been implicated. In addition in men gonadal dysfunction is believed to be due to reduced conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone caused by low levels of 5 alpha-reductase in coeliac sprue. This leads to derangement of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Hyperprolactinaemia is seen in 25% of coeliac patients, which causes impotence and loss of libido. Gluten withdrawal and correction of deficient dietary elements can lead to a return of fertility both in men and women.
I could not believe what I was seeing. I now think I've suffered with gluten and celiac sensitivity for years without knowing, but it never seemed to effect me sexually that much. It mentions androgen insensitivity! When I first got really sick, my testosterone levels where high at 26. Looking at this study I would presume my dht levels were low. Drs fobbed me off saying it was all in my head.
Prolactin has an effect on 5 alpha reductase, I've read studies that it enhances the 5 alpha reductive enzyme in the testes, and others that show it blocks the enzyme in other areas.
Anyway, being gluten free, my prolactin is down but my testosterone has slumped. My dht sits at a good level though.
I'm still so so fatigued, my sleep is better, but libidos and erections are crap. I get nocturnal and morning wood but they aren't as strong as they should be. I still suffer with my mind and drive. I'm hoping being of gluten will repair me. Maybe when this first happened had I gone strict gluten this wouldn't have happened.
Anyway, I hope you are well and I respect you for your diligence. I can't stand the PH website, all moaning and gloom, yet no one is prepared to stop going out drinking, they keep eating shit. It's like you said, how badly do you want it. I've changed every aspect of my life for this. I just need to recover my sexual sides.
One question, do you need to keep cycling the herbs to function sexually? Or are you recovered even when off them?
For me I'm wondering what came first? What caused this? The celiacs or saw palmetto? Did saw palmetto set this off? I know one of the factors that got you better was diet. I just wanted to share this with people in case it helps. I think lowering 5 alpha to low levels changes something in our guts. Whether you have celiacs or not, I think gluten should be cut out for anyone suffering from propecia etc.