PROPECIAHELP: Persistent Finasteride Propecia Proscar side effects info & discussion forum

Im from the UK so private labs are that big more inaccessible

I don't know for sure where my cortisol is at: my fasting serum levels are okay but i would expect salivary levels to be low. I'm taking dexa for other reasons, too. If PFS, in my case anyway, is autoimmune and/or inflammationary based then dexa should help and i suspect this is why it's helped people in the past.

I believe its the latter. The same as these... http://www.unitedpharmacies.co.uk/product.php?productid=378&cat=&page=1

That's interesting about the hairloss, i am aware of this, though. Was your HL aggressive though? Do you just use the 1% life-flo stuff?

Ultimately i think most of my preg travels down the DHEA route to T/E/DHT. I think there is a clear imbalance on both sides.



I'm absolutely aware of this and this is why i've experimented with TD prog and the tablets. I'll continue my experimentation.

Either way be careful. Gucocorticocoids are not be to taken lightly. Be on the look out for puffy face, retention of water, darkening of scars or stretch marks, increased adipose tissue in abdomen, etc

It was aggressive and with some dandruff. Taking progesterone stopped the dandruff within 48 hours. Hair loss took a little longer to stop. So, by monitoring dandruff or itching (which can quickly improve), you will immediately know if progesterone is working. Obviously, a blood test would be better.

Yes, I'm using the life-flo progesterone.

I'm in the opposite situation. My pregn goes down to cortisol (interestingly, without raising progesterone), and none to DHEA. So, unlike you, I have to supplement with DHEA too.

Looking forward to hear about your improvements. Although, since you are taking dexa, I guess you won't notice the improvements of raised cortisol levels.

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My story: viewtopic.php?t=3556
My blood tests: viewtopic.php?p=19897#19897

I think i might continue the 100mg oral and then begin 60mg TD. What do you think of that?


I just sent my bloods away today to get my Reverse T3 tested. I had it drawn at my GP's and sent it off to Genova Diagnostics. I had my usual bloods take at my GP's also.

Here's something crazy. My last bloods showed testosterone levels of 40 nmol/L (10-30) and estrogen levels of 245 pmol/L (<156). Crazy. That was several weeks after having stopped arimidex. I anticipate they have normalised since that point.

Scheduled date to get my Reverse T3 back is 21st August. Better than expected.

As for my bloods from Monday:

Oestradiol 127 pmol/L (<156)
FSH 2.8
LH 7.6


Not bad. Going by that LH my testosterone is very high, id imagine it's around 35 nmol/L (10-30). Basically i should have a close to perfect T/E ratio if this is true. My FSH is at an all time high, no doubt this was due to prior usage of the clomid/aromasin several weeks ago. Ultimately, those key sex hormones are good which is excellent news given my concentration on the others. Who knows, maybe i've fixed my estrogen problem, although it may alot be attributable to the continued oral progesterone i take. I might test that hypothisis and take 200mg for a month before my next test, if my e2 is down further then we know Hertoghe was really on the ball about oral progesterone controlling e2. We'll see.

For now....wait until 21st August and then go from there.

Ok so i received my Reverse T3 results this morning:

Reverse T3 (rT3) 0.29pmol/mL (0.14 - 0.54 pmol/mL)

Well, there you go folks i have literally a perfect thyroid despite low blood temperatures.

Good news i guess, less things to straighten out. I have model thyroid numbers and close to optimum sex hormone levels. It's only my adrenal numbers that are somewhat imperfect by comparison. This might be proof that it's not all about hormones, though. It's strange that hormones alone would do this to me.


Plans now? Finish off my bactrim, continue progesterone @ 100mg and consider taking some TD prog. When i finish the bactrim i'll run a course of dexa.

Also, i think i might avail of a saliva cortisol test now.

Did you have high rt3 before?

That's the first rT3 reading i've ever had. I've never had a bad thyroid reading in any bloods.

What about FT3 and FT4 (I scrolled back on the thread but couldn't find them)? What about cortisol?

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My story: viewtopic.php?t=3556
My blood tests: viewtopic.php?p=19897#19897

Most recent readings:

TSH: 0.765
Free T3 1.7 (0.9 - 2.5)
Free T4 15.9 (12-22)



TSH is usually around the 1 mark though (perfect). The numbers have been consistently fine with regards to thryoid.

As for morning serum cortisol. 530pmol (range was around 150-540). Clearly fine.

BUT my ACTH has been 11 and 18 in the two readings ive had before. That's quite low imo. I'm sure my adrenals are nowhere near as "optimal" as my thyroids but from the readings thus far they aren't disasterously bad, either. Clearly id benefit from a salivary profile and i will avail of one soon after dexa.

No. Serum cortisol may suggest exactly the opposite of saliva cortisol. It's a very misleading test. Check out my bloods (on musclechatroom). One day I took a saliva test and a blood test: the serum cortisol was low, while the saliva cortisol was several times above the range. You HAVE to test cortisol with a saliva test.


There you go.

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My story: viewtopic.php?t=3556
My blood tests: viewtopic.php?p=19897#19897

And do we believe the saliva test is more important then or what? This is obviously a critical question here....what makes the saliva reading more important than the serum?

A saliva test measures free cortisol; a serum test measures total cortisol. Taking only a serum cortisol test is like taking a Total Testosterone without testing Free Testosterone.

_________________
My story: viewtopic.php?t=3556
My blood tests: viewtopic.php?p=19897#19897

Ok that's three weeks on the bactrim. Limited to no results, i dont think there's any benefit in taking another week. So i'll stop.

I'll keep taking the progesterone as im convinced it's helping normalise my e2 levels if nothing else.

It's pretty much time for dexa.

But i want to do it right. I've got a concert next Wednesday and a wedding on the Saturday (27th) which means i'll be consuming alcohol on those dates. I can't be doing such things when im on dexa for 10/14 days - no way.


So it's looking like dexa around the start of September. I may or may not get the salivary cortisol testing done prior - we'll see.

Not sure why you took bactrim... A relatively weak sulfa-drug.... I didnt expect any benefits when I took it.. Its too weak.. If you did have infection/bacteria/inflammation you probably made it 10x stronger..

It was "DS" version (double-strength). It's used for inflammation so i thought it was worth a shot. It definately hasn't exacerbated anything.

I've got some HC (hydrocortisone).

I took a 5mg tablet yesterday afternoon. Zero effect. I then tried a 10mg that evening, no effect.

Is there any point trying higher dosages? I believe up to 30mg daily is safe and non-suppressing.

This is just a small experiment really.

what are your cortisol numbers?

Morning serum readings are top range. I have no salivas. Hence "experiment".