5a-DHP

[DrivenToRecover]

I would say like 85% recovered. My cortisol levels fully haven't returned to normal yet (lowish side) so they fluctuate a lot day to day depending on stress etc. which can present some symptoms. My stress tolerance and also being able to go longer without eating isn't fully recovered yet though which has a lot to do with proper cortisol response. It is because of my thyroid though -once it's fully back in order my cortisol levels should balance back out. My TSH was elevated (around 3.2) last test I'm trying to get it under 1 which is ideal hence why I decided to add T3 in the mix for a bit a noticed a significant improvement which made me confirm it's definitely the thyroid.

Other than that I feel really good sexually and 5a-DHP helped a lot mentally. Pregnenolone and 5a-DHP both raise metabolism so they help with thyroid (and lowering TSH) indirectly.

Do you have specific things you do to raise cortisol back up that isn't a part of the normal routine?

I finally was able to completely quit taking my prednisone and I've felt pretty tired for the last day or two.
Prednisone lowers your cortisol production & I was on since early September.

[TubZy]

Do you have specific things you do to raise cortisol back up that isn't a part of the normal routine?

I finally was able to completely quit taking my prednisone and I've felt pretty tired for the last day or two.
Prednisone lowers your cortisol production & I was on since early September.

Yeah, thyroid (T3) and preg taken together. Thyroid taken alone potentially lower cortisol in some cases due how it accelerate it's excretion out of the body quicker. Add preg with the T3 dose (or NDT) will ensure proper cortisol metabolism (without letting it drop too low). In the 1940's, preg was actually the primary treatment for rheumatoid arthritis until hydrocortisone was discovered.

Caffeine/coffee can help bring up low cortisol too. Just take it with food and sugar so you avoid a bad stress response. Also, take it in the morning so help promote the body's proper circadian rhythm too.

Also just be careful the other supps you are taking aren't strong cortisol antagonist which could make you feel worse.

Avoid DHEA, though that will make matters worse in pretty much any dose since DHEA has strong cortisol antagonism.

Yeah, prednisone is crap. Stuff is like 10x more potent than the body's natural cortisol which can lead to the bad side effects.

[Cdsnuts]

Driven...I think because of your situation you should have full disclosure here so that the advice given can be processed more effectively. I'm not sure if you've gotten into the full details of your situation nor do you have the desire to? I'm just saying that maybe putting all the cards on the table would be the best for you in regards to getting the best information you can possibly get?

[DrivenToRecover]

Driven...I think because of your situation you should have full disclosure here so that the advice given can be processed more effectively. I'm not sure if you've gotten into the full details of your situation nor do you have the desire to? I'm just saying that maybe putting all the cards on the table would be the best for you in regards to getting the best information you can possibly get?

Absolutely man. My first post here disclosed everything for that very reason.

Hi

That's why at every turn I have to ask extra questions and haven't been able to follow everything in the protocol 100%

[Cdsnuts]

Absolutely man. My first post here disclosed everything for that very reason.

Hi

That's why at every turn I have to ask extra questions and haven't been able to follow everything in the protocol 100%

Ok....cool. I think that was the best thing you could have done.

Edit: I must say, after reading that, you're a trooper man. It's gonna take alot more balls then just getting over fin, and that's saying something!

[DrivenToRecover]

Ok....cool. I think that was the best thing you could have done.

Yeah for sure...Nobody really knows though how the other issues I have relate to pfs though.

This whole thing has been a ton of insight to how fucked the medical system is. I have a different doctor for each of those issues, and none of them treats the body as a whole

[DrivenToRecover]

Ok....cool. I think that was the best thing you could have done.

Edit: I must say, after reading that, you're a trooper man. It's gonna take alot more balls then just getting over fin, and that's saying something!

I appreciate it man.

[TubZy]

Just to add, the stuff I suggest is not only for PFS but just as a general healthy lifestyle (anti aging, pro T, pro DHT, pro thyroid etc.) Just like how CD's herbs are good regardless which condition you are treating and whether or not you recover from PFS or not still beneficial to take for the rest of your life anyways.

[TubZy]

Since I keep getting PM's about 5a-DHP and neurosteroids check out this chart it explains everything. Other two areas would be to check out 5a-DHDOC and 5a-DHP which are also the two other that are 5 alpha reduced (besides 5a-DHP). Why niacinamide is suggested is because if you notice the conversion ratios of the steroids it requires (NAD) niacinamide increases raises NAD and consequently the NAD/NADH ratio.

A New Look at the 5Reductase Inhibitor Finasteride - Finn - 2006 - CNS Drug Reviews - Wiley Online Library




Pregnenolone/progesterone and metabolism

Activation of Pregnane X Receptor by Pregnenolone 16 α-carbonitrile Prevents High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in AKR/J Mice



Preg/progesterone are both agonists of the AR receptor (which could also be why ppl get sides from RU)

DEFINE_ME_WA



Allopreg and neurosteroids

Sex-dependent effect of a low neurosteroid environment and intrauterine growth restriction on foetal guinea pig brain development

In this study, the chronic administration of finasteride during late gestation was successful in markedly reducing allopregnanolone concentrations in the foetal guinea pig brain. It has been proposed that this late gestation reduction in foetal brain allopregnanolone may mimic the change in brain neurosteroid concentration that occurs when a foetus is born preterm and the placenta, as a major source of progesterone, an important precursor of allopregnanolone, is prematurely removed (Hirst et al. 2006). The ability of the preterm infant to synthesise important neurosteroids independently of placentally derived precursors may be limited and the effect of this decline in endogenous steroids on preterm ex utero brain development may influence the vulnerability of the preterm neonatal brain to injury.



The Dark Side of 5α-Reductase Inhibitors' Therapy: Sexual Dysfunction, High Gleason Grade Prostate Cancer and Depression

It has recently been shown that patients who had been treated with finasteride have reduced or undetectable levels of neuroactive steroids in their cerebro-spinal fluid and plasma, and exhibited higher levels of precursor steroids [75]. This observation strongly suggests that 5α-RIs have a deleterious effect on the biosynthesis and function of neurosteroids in the central nervous system. Finasteride treatment resulted in decreased levels of 5α-DHT and 3α, 5α-tetrahydroprogesterone (AP) and increased levels of testosterone supporting the hypothesis that deleterious effects of finasteride may be persistent or irreversible. This may explain some of the noted symptoms such as anxiety, depression and suicide in patients who have been treated with finasteride [76].

Neurosteroid synthesis in the hippocampus is suggested to be critical for neuroplasticity in the brain [84]. Inhibition of 5α-R by finasteride is thought to contribute to reduced neuroplasticity due to structural changes resulting from inhibition of neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Finasteride treatment in mice showed decreased cell proliferation in the hippocampus, suggesting that inhibitors of 5α-R blocks neurogenesis

The neuroprotective effect of AP was further illustrated during injury to the rat hippocampus slices induced by tributyltin treatment, which resulted in significant cell death. Administration of progesterone (P) with finasteride showed similar cell death to that induced by tributyltin treatment, in the various regions of the hippocampus. In contrast, P treatment without finasteride provided a protective effect. This is attributed to the conversion of P to 5α-DHP by 5α-Rs and to AP by 3α-HSD. To confirm that this is due to the neuroprotective effect of AP, the latter was administered with or without finasteride. While the tributyltin induced cell death was significant, administration of AP with and without finasteride produced a markedly protective effect as assessed by the reduced cell death [83]. These findings suggest that 5α-Rs play a pivotal role in neuroprotection.

5α-R reaction is the rate limiting step in the conversion of testosterone, progesterone, cortisol, corticosterone, and DOC into their respective 5α-dihydro-deratitves, which serve as precursors for 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase which transforms such precursors into their respective neurosteroids (androstanediol, allopregnanolone [AP], tetrahydrocortisol, tetrahdyrocorticosterone, and tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone) (Fig. 1) [1,2]. All three isoforms of 5α-R are expressed in the various regions of brain and are thought to be critical for brain development since fetal brain express high concentrations of 5α-R [1,2].

It has been reported that AP levels were significantly decreased in postmortem human brains of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients [86]. An inverse correlation was noted between AP levels and the degree of neurological degeneration in pathological section of AD patient [86]. One of the interesting findings was that pregnenolone levels were greater in the temporal cortex of AD patients suggesting that this may be a compensating mechanism for reduced 5α-R activity. We speculate that 5α-RIs may contribute to reduced levels of neurosteroids in the CNS and this may enhance the progression of neurodegenerative disease, such as AD.

[TubZy]

And the worst study of them all...look at allopreg..holy shit

http://www.lf1.cuni.cz/Data/Files/Pr...r2009a0025.pdf