Quote Originally Posted by 5 alpha victim View Post
If you have celiacs disease than your digestive issues go beyond mine. How is that diagnosed anyway , with a lower endoscopy I'm assuming ? My digestive issues consisted of severe constipation that started after my second round of Saw P. When I say severe I mean I had a barium swallow Cat scan done that showed severe constipation. It took almost two years of eating a mostly paleo only diet to see improvments. If I get off of my diet than the problem returns really fast.

To answere your question I took Avodart (duel 5 alpha reductase inhibitor) when I was twenty two years old and had no problems what so ever.

I took my first round of Saw P when I was twenty six and got messed up. I took my second round of Saw P when I was twenty nine and got even more messed up lol

I'm thirty one and I am a little better off than where I was before my second round of Saw P. But that's coming far considering after my second round of Saw P I had severe insomnia, digestive issues and ED. My sleep is now pretty dam good and digestion is pretty good as long as I stick to paleo. My ED is more to the bad side of moderate and I am in better shape that I was in before my first round of Saw P. I can thank Cd's protocol that I discovered of PH shortly after my second round of Saw P (when I was at my worst) for all of my improvments.

As far as the pine pollen goes, I have found studies that show the some of the same fatty acids and plant sterols found in saw P are also found in Pine Pollen . I have expressed that concern on this website and got responses indicating that the fatty acid and plant sterol content in pine pollen is simply not high enough to inhibit 5AR.

Personally I believe this to be true but because I was actually messed up by Saw P twice and because I am still recovering I avoid pine pollen. This is just my opnion seeing that I don't think the potential reward out weighs the potential risk when it comes to my case. However I should also point out Pine pollen made me feel pretty dam good for the month I took it. I just don't feel like I need to take pine pollen because my diet and testosterone levels have already been addressed.

The one part of this protocol that I am guilty of not following is the fasting. The only fast I did was one seven day juice fast. I could totally handle going another seven days but I went from 195-179 pounds in only seven days of juice fasting ...I'm 6 foot 5 and looked really really unhealthy at 179 So I had to stop. Eventually (unless I recover first) I'll be saving up enough money to take about a month off from work/life so I can go to CA and just do a two week water fast with two weeks to recover so I can at least get back up to a somewhat normal weight before being seen by friends and family ect ...I'm curruntly 206 with almost no body fat. I went from 200-206 during a recent 6 week run on a DHT prohormone which I have been off of now for five weeks and I have kept all of my gains. I figure after another six week run in mid June and continuing to work out I can get up go 215. Once I'm at that weight I'll feel comfortable going into a 2 week water fast.

I never had an endoscopy but I have had blood tests which were high positives. I would have to go on a diet of eating pasta and bread for 6 weeks before he endoscopy then to be told I have it? It wasn't worth the damage. I have also had genetic testing for possible risks and a massive red flag for me was celiacs and over autoimmune gut issues. My father has crohns.
I decided to go gluten free and this is definitely what has aided my sleep and brain fog. I also posted further back in this post about a study with men with celiacs disease. They found they had raised prolactin levels and low 5 alpha reductase activity, going gluten free within a year the enzyme activity recovered. This with the way I felt was enough to know that gluten was no good for me.

Interestingly enough my prolactin levels are still high. I've had success with dopamine agonists before which have returned me to a near normal state but after a couple of weeks tapered off. Something happens hormone wise but I've delt with shitty Drs who would not test me again during the medications. They would just have me on cabergoline forever. I want to balance my hormones.. I don't have a tumor with regards to the prolactin. I have strange blood sugar issues, almost like a diabetic but from research I understand that prolactin can be implemented in diabetes too.

Do you have any blood sugar type issues? Feeling strange when not eating or after eating? Tingling in feet? Restless legs?

I've done everything health wise to get me there. Excercise and diet is tuned in perfectly as well as sleep. Need a little nudge in the right direction. If I really don't get anywhere with the endocrinologist next week I will be thinking about ordering the t boosting herbs.

My situation differs slightly from everyone on here. 5 years ago I had head trauma. It's hard to know if it's the saw palmetto or that which is fucking me now. I have no doubt it contributed to it. My dick looks normal, it's not cold, my nuts are big. I have more body hair per day and lose it off my head per night. It's hard to believe that I'm still suffering with 5 alpha reductase issues!...anyways, whatever it is I'll beat it.

I'm also tall. 6ft 4. Used to weigh around 216 pounds but since I've stopped working in my physical job and gone healtny diet wise I'm around 198. This is what also puts me off doing another fast as I will look so fucking ill.

Thanks for getting back to me.