User Tag List

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 14
  1. #1
    New Member Feedback Score 0
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Posts
    6
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Road to Recovery and Total Male Optimization

    Hey Everyone,

    Background: I was insecure about my hair loss and took finasteride for around 3.5 weeks back in Nov 2020. I crashed back in mid December 2020. The first few weeks post crash I was feeling totally depressed and at times suicidal because I was reading was PH and thinking pfs was permanent. Thankfully, I found this forum at the end of December, and reading the guidance of CD and everyone else has turned everything around for me. Now I have a ton of motivation to not only recover, but also develop a healthy routine that I can continue for the rest of my life. There aren't enough words to describe how appreciative I am of all your work and energy that you put into supporting the pfs community CD. Thank you and also thanks to everyone else in this community for guiding me in the right direction and keeping me on track.

    Symptoms: One of the first symptoms I noticed was tenderness in my left breast and mild gynecomastia. I also had no more morning wood at this point. That's when I decided to stop taking fin, and a week after I stopped, I developed tinnitus and also my digestive system got totally messed up. A few days after that I had a full on crash and woke up with 0 libido, total erectile dysfunction, insomnia, brain fog started to develop, etc.
    To list out all of my symptoms more clearly for reference:
    • Gynecomastia
    • Tinnitus
    • Severe Digestion Issues
    • Lack of libido
    • Erectile Dysfunction
    • Frequent urination
    • Anhedonia, this was one of my worst symptoms at first, but has improved a good amount over time
    • Brain-fog, lost my ability to do major critical thinking, terrible memory, concentration. This has been pretty tough as I have to work 50-60 hours a week in a job that requires a lot of mental energy
    • The brain fog also led to social anxiety, lack of confidence, I started stuttering at times
    • Insomnia, wake up 3-4 times a night, poor sleep quality, always have dark circles under eyes, felt like I was only getting a few hours of sleep
    • Dry mouth, especially at night
    • Extremely dry, itchy, bloodshot eyes
    • No oil production on face
    • New wrinkles on face
    • Inability to sweat
    • Extremely dry skin
    • Penile shrinkage, lack of blood flow when flaccid
    • My nuts are like half the normal size
    • Probably some I'm missing, but generally similar symptoms as everyone else


    Current Update: I've been on the paleo diet, working out 5-6 times a week, cold showers twice a day since start of Jan 2021. In the last 2-3 weeks I've been able to take up everything in TMO, except I don't have time to get sun most days, and I wasn't able to do a fast or juice feast. I know that a cleanse would be extremely beneficial, especially with my gut issues, but I cant take any time off work and I didn't want to deal with a cleanse on top of work given how tired I am from work normally.

    A lot of my symptoms have improved a good amount since really getting into the TMO routine, and going through the process of figuring out which herbs I respond well to. My digestion has made huge improvements compared to where it was before. I think part of this can be attributed to brone broth which I drink a bowl of twice a day. For the past week, I no longer wake up multiple times a night, my sleep quality still seems poor as I always have dark circles, but I have been feeling much better rested this past week, less brain fog, improvements in erection quality, my face no longer has dry patches, and I have started to sweat more.

    The reason I'm posting is because today was the second time I tried Tongkat Ali in my herb rotation. The first time I took the recommended dose by LEH, or perhaps a bit less, and I had much worse sleep compared to usual that night. I don't know why I didn't take the first time as a lesson, but I took the same recommended dose for the second time today, and as a result my gynecomastia and breast tenderness has flared up again, and there's been an increase in brain-fog, as well as penile shrinkage/ED. Gyno had previously went away around 1-2 weeks after crashing and I haven't had any more issues with it until today. Moving forward, I'm going to avoid taking Tongkat Ali and stick with the rest of my herb rotation. I know this is just a temporary downswing, but I was curious if anyone had insight perhaps if this indicates anything about my hormonal profile, and if those indications should translate to anything I should keep in mind to avoid future gyno flare ups? Any input would be welcome, but no worries if not.

    I have no doubts I'll make a full recovery as long as I keep up my routine and follow the protocol. I'll try to update my progress as best I can as I go along!

  2. #2
    Moderator Feedback Score 0 Cdsnuts's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    5,405
    Mentioned
    85 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by jbone View Post
    Hey Everyone,

    Background: I was insecure about my hair loss and took finasteride for around 3.5 weeks back in Nov 2020. I crashed back in mid December 2020. The first few weeks post crash I was feeling totally depressed and at times suicidal because I was reading was PH and thinking pfs was permanent. Thankfully, I found this forum at the end of December, and reading the guidance of CD and everyone else has turned everything around for me. Now I have a ton of motivation to not only recover, but also develop a healthy routine that I can continue for the rest of my life. There aren't enough words to describe how appreciative I am of all your work and energy that you put into supporting the pfs community CD. Thank you and also thanks to everyone else in this community for guiding me in the right direction and keeping me on track.

    Symptoms: One of the first symptoms I noticed was tenderness in my left breast and mild gynecomastia. I also had no more morning wood at this point. That's when I decided to stop taking fin, and a week after I stopped, I developed tinnitus and also my digestive system got totally messed up. A few days after that I had a full on crash and woke up with 0 libido, total erectile dysfunction, insomnia, brain fog started to develop, etc.
    To list out all of my symptoms more clearly for reference:
    • Gynecomastia
    • Tinnitus
    • Severe Digestion Issues
    • Lack of libido
    • Erectile Dysfunction
    • Frequent urination
    • Anhedonia, this was one of my worst symptoms at first, but has improved a good amount over time
    • Brain-fog, lost my ability to do major critical thinking, terrible memory, concentration. This has been pretty tough as I have to work 50-60 hours a week in a job that requires a lot of mental energy
    • The brain fog also led to social anxiety, lack of confidence, I started stuttering at times
    • Insomnia, wake up 3-4 times a night, poor sleep quality, always have dark circles under eyes, felt like I was only getting a few hours of sleep
    • Dry mouth, especially at night
    • Extremely dry, itchy, bloodshot eyes
    • No oil production on face
    • New wrinkles on face
    • Inability to sweat
    • Extremely dry skin
    • Penile shrinkage, lack of blood flow when flaccid
    • My nuts are like half the normal size
    • Probably some I'm missing, but generally similar symptoms as everyone else


    Current Update: I've been on the paleo diet, working out 5-6 times a week, cold showers twice a day since start of Jan 2021. In the last 2-3 weeks I've been able to take up everything in TMO, except I don't have time to get sun most days, and I wasn't able to do a fast or juice feast. I know that a cleanse would be extremely beneficial, especially with my gut issues, but I cant take any time off work and I didn't want to deal with a cleanse on top of work given how tired I am from work normally.

    A lot of my symptoms have improved a good amount since really getting into the TMO routine, and going through the process of figuring out which herbs I respond well to. My digestion has made huge improvements compared to where it was before. I think part of this can be attributed to brone broth which I drink a bowl of twice a day. For the past week, I no longer wake up multiple times a night, my sleep quality still seems poor as I always have dark circles, but I have been feeling much better rested this past week, less brain fog, improvements in erection quality, my face no longer has dry patches, and I have started to sweat more.

    The reason I'm posting is because today was the second time I tried Tongkat Ali in my herb rotation. The first time I took the recommended dose by LEH, or perhaps a bit less, and I had much worse sleep compared to usual that night. I don't know why I didn't take the first time as a lesson, but I took the same recommended dose for the second time today, and as a result my gynecomastia and breast tenderness has flared up again, and there's been an increase in brain-fog, as well as penile shrinkage/ED. Gyno had previously went away around 1-2 weeks after crashing and I haven't had any more issues with it until today. Moving forward, I'm going to avoid taking Tongkat Ali and stick with the rest of my herb rotation. I know this is just a temporary downswing, but I was curious if anyone had insight perhaps if this indicates anything about my hormonal profile, and if those indications should translate to anything I should keep in mind to avoid future gyno flare ups? Any input would be welcome, but no worries if not.

    I have no doubts I'll make a full recovery as long as I keep up my routine and follow the protocol. I'll try to update my progress as best I can as I go along!
    Welcome, and thank you for the kind words. It means alot.

    Regarding the tonkat....it raises test alot compared to some of the other herbs, but it also has anti-aromatase enzymes in it, so it shouldn't give you problems, but your estrogen is high enough that it is. Bin it for a month or so and then add it back in to try.

    And you are correct. If you go all in 100%, you will make a full recovery.
    Total Male Optimization "People who say it can't be done shouldn't interrupt those that are doing it"

  3. #3
    New Member Feedback Score 0
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Posts
    6
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Thanks for the welcome and the advice CD. I'll wait a month or two and then try reintroducing at a lower dose.
    I took the Tongkat Ali on friday and my gyno is still acting up today on Sunday. I'm worried now since it's getting to the point where the growth is noticeable and I'm not sure if it's going to go away even after it stops.
    This past week I've been taking ashwagandha daily and then I took two days off, friday and saturday. I've also been taking spirulina, chlorella, bacopa, and royal jelly daily. I'm wondering if I should start taking ashwagandha again, in addition to the other supplements to help w the gyno, or if I should just take a break from the herbs/supplements altogether. I'm just paranoid I'm going to make things worse, any advice would be appreciated
    Last edited by jbone; 02-07-2021 at 07:50 AM.

  4. #4
    Moderator Feedback Score 0 Cdsnuts's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    5,405
    Mentioned
    85 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by jbone View Post
    Thanks for the welcome and the advice CD. I'll wait a month or two and then try reintroducing at a lower dose.
    I took the Tongkat Ali on friday and my gyno is still acting up today on Sunday. I'm worried now since it's getting to the point where the growth is noticeable and I'm not sure if it's going to go away even after it stops.
    This past week I've been taking ashwagandha daily and then I took two days off, friday and saturday. I've also been taking spirulina, chlorella, bacopa, and royal jelly daily. I'm wondering if I should start taking ashwagandha again, in addition to the other supplements to help w the gyno, or if I should just take a break from the herbs/supplements altogether. I'm just paranoid I'm going to make things worse, any advice would be appreciated
    Any advice? My man....the whole protocol is your advice. Everything on TMO.
    Total Male Optimization "People who say it can't be done shouldn't interrupt those that are doing it"

  5. #5
    New Member Feedback Score 0
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Posts
    6
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Thanks for keeping me on track CD. I've still been following the protocol, but for the herbs I've only been taking adaptogens the past few days. My gyno still hasn't gone away so I'm worried the more potent T boosting herbs might make it worse. After taking the Tongkat Ali last Friday, my sleep, brainfog, and erectile function have all been set back a lot as well. For some reason it seems like it caused a mini crash for me.

    Since I skipped it at the start, and given my current state, I'm planning to start a bone broth cleanse within the next few days. It's a lot more feasible for me to do bone broth instead of juice since I can make large batches ahead of time.
    My bad I'm sure this is already outlined somewhere, but can I keep working out during the cleanse? I assume not, but I'm currently on a PPL routine with the dumbells I have at home and do sprints twice a week. Should I stop exercising altogether or just reduce the intensity?

  6. #6
    Moderator Feedback Score 0 Cdsnuts's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    5,405
    Mentioned
    85 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by jbone View Post
    Thanks for keeping me on track CD. I've still been following the protocol, but for the herbs I've only been taking adaptogens the past few days. My gyno still hasn't gone away so I'm worried the more potent T boosting herbs might make it worse. After taking the Tongkat Ali last Friday, my sleep, brainfog, and erectile function have all been set back a lot as well. For some reason it seems like it caused a mini crash for me.

    Since I skipped it at the start, and given my current state, I'm planning to start a bone broth cleanse within the next few days. It's a lot more feasible for me to do bone broth instead of juice since I can make large batches ahead of time.
    My bad I'm sure this is already outlined somewhere, but can I keep working out during the cleanse? I assume not, but I'm currently on a PPL routine with the dumbells I have at home and do sprints twice a week. Should I stop exercising altogether or just reduce the intensity?
    No....when you cleanse, you cleanse. READ THE SITE. You stop all activities except rest.

    A bone broth cleanse is NOT the same as a water fast or juice feast.

    Okay....when are you guys going to get it? You don't pick and choose which aspects of the protocol your want to do and which ones you don't. Well.....you can, but your results will reflect that.

    Get out of it what you put into it. Period.
    Total Male Optimization "People who say it can't be done shouldn't interrupt those that are doing it"

  7. #7
    SwoleSource Member Feedback Score 0
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    88
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Cdsnuts View Post
    No....when you cleanse, you cleanse. READ THE SITE. You stop all activities except rest.

    A bone broth cleanse is NOT the same as a water fast or juice feast.

    Okay....when are you guys going to get it? You don't pick and choose which aspects of the protocol your want to do and which ones you don't. Well.....you can, but your results will reflect that.

    Get out of it what you put into it. Period.
    You have too stay on the protocol. I was feeling great. Stopped doing most of the protocol. I just found out I got COVID and man have I crashed. It’s been over 10 freaking years since I touched that poison. Unreal. If it wasn’t for CD and my Daughters I would not be here. Thanks CD for all you do.

  8. #8
    Moderator Feedback Score 0 Cdsnuts's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    5,405
    Mentioned
    85 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Queens1984 View Post
    You have too stay on the protocol. I was feeling great. Stopped doing most of the protocol. I just found out I got COVID and man have I crashed. It’s been over 10 freaking years since I touched that poison. Unreal. If it wasn’t for CD and my Daughters I would not be here. Thanks CD for all you do.
    Shit man, sorry to hear it. And thank you for the kind words.

    To clarify, you don't have to stay on the protocol for ever, but I do say, that even after you consider yourself recovered, wait a sold six months before declaring victory. If you fall into bad habits too quickly once coming off, you get sucked back down.

    At least you know you will be feeling great again, AND you know what to NOT do this go around.

    Could always be worse man.
    Total Male Optimization "People who say it can't be done shouldn't interrupt those that are doing it"

  9. #9
    New Member Feedback Score 0
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Posts
    6
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Cdsnuts View Post
    No....when you cleanse, you cleanse. READ THE SITE. You stop all activities except rest.

    A bone broth cleanse is NOT the same as a water fast or juice feast.

    Okay....when are you guys going to get it? You don't pick and choose which aspects of the protocol your want to do and which ones you don't. Well.....you can, but your results will reflect that.

    Get out of it what you put into it. Period.
    Understood.
    I'm going to stop being an idiot and do this shit right and fully commit. Hopefully with some planning I can start my juice cleanse this weekend.

  10. #10
    New Member Feedback Score 0
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Posts
    6
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Queens1984 View Post
    You have too stay on the protocol. I was feeling great. Stopped doing most of the protocol. I just found out I got COVID and man have I crashed. It’s been over 10 freaking years since I touched that poison. Unreal. If it wasn’t for CD and my Daughters I would not be here. Thanks CD for all you do.
    That's so unfortunate man. If you got yourself to a great state before then I'm sure you can do it again. Wishing the best for you, you got this
    Thanks for the encouragement and motivation

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •