On 16 April 2016 at 1:50 AM, sanadai said:

Anyways, have anyone else here ever had successes with fermented foods (kefir and kombucha specifically)? What were your experiences with it and how did you prepare it? Also, why are we just ignoring that guy's awesome testimonial?

I'm on my 3rd batch of sauerkraut (single batch made from a medium cabbage lasts me about 2 weeks), and also drinking home made kefir milk. Introducing each I got a die-off effect resulting in headaches for a couple of days, but fine after that, I felt the milk kefir resulted in a marked improvement in mental clarify, however I decided to try coconut kefir instead after a couple of weeks, and haven't got much from that, so I've switched back to milk kefir this week (each use a different sort of 'starter culture' grain).

Sauerkraut is obviously an excellent source of probiotics, but in addition is a good source of vitamin C, K, B6 and folate. It also has a decent amount of iron and manganese.

Kefir is also an excellent source of probiotics as well as a good source of B vitamins, especially B12 and also folate, as well as vitamin D and magnesium.

Interestingly the folate in kefir is approx 20%tetrahydrofolate ( http://kefir.ilbello.com/articoli/k2.pdf ), and I've just got my 23andme results back which show I have the MTHFR gene mutation (heterozygous, i.e. only from one parent). This means I will have trouble converting5-methylfolateinto tetrahydrofolate, so supplementingtetrahydrofolate directly from the kefir may be why I've noticed some benefit, but the B12 could be a factor as well. From my Genetic Genie 23andme results analysis (I have all these mutations heterozygously);

Hi all!

I finished roaccutane 8 months ago. My problem is skin based. It has become very wrinkled (with very visible pores) since the end of roaccutane. Pic included of my forehead.

Hoping it can recover. My old skin wasnt perfect but way better than this and fairly flat/smooth. I am still shocked and I did tell the nurse that it was getting 'rough' halfway during treatment but i was told it would go away.  Now i am always stressed night and morning. Had mixed opinions from doctors, with several saying it should improve but requires patience as its a rare problem that happens to people? My skin is quite dry and tight feeling often but also more acne prone now than before treatment...

Whole thing is a nightmare.

Best wishes to all!

Has anyone attempted to understand the relationship of Accutane with dopamine and its receptors?

Iunderstand there have been some studies conducted in the way of its affects on dopamine receptors but they seem to be inconclusive.

Adding on here, and with reference to @tryingtohelp2014's recent study of vitamin D, there have been a few posts on multiple forums discussing the relation to brain fog - vitamin D and Accutane.

______________________________________________________

Im all for Tryingtohelp looking into whatever he thinks may be of interest. Thats literally the premise of any good research.

Ive got the day off tomorrow so will go have a VIt D test taken.

On 4/20/2016 at 2:34 PM, Iamme. said:

Has anyone attempted to understand the relationship of Accutane with dopamine and its receptors?

Iunderstand there have been some studies conducted in the way of its affects on dopamine receptors but they seem to be inconclusive.

Adding on here, and with reference to @tryingtohelp2014's recent study of vitamin D, there have been a few posts on multiple forums discussing the relation to brain fog - vitamin D and Accutane.

______________________________________________________

Earlier in the thread I also mentioned the importance of vitamin D levels as accutane is shown to permanently damage VitD receptors.

 

VitD is levels are linked to dopamine release (higher vitD results in higher dopamine release)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17105922
[Edited link out]
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924933809705528
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2950608/

 

VitD directly related to androgen levels:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20050857

 

So we can see that VitD affects dopamine and also androgen levels. So the tane effects of lowerVitD and Lower DHT are linked to lower dopamine:

 

Low vitD = Low dopamine

 

Low vitD = Low androgen = Low dopamine

 

Low DHT = Low androgen = Low dopamine

 

Low DHT = High Prolactin = Low dopamine

 

Low DHT = High T binding to albumin and SHBG = lower freeT = Low dopamine

Im all for Tryingtohelp looking into whatever he thinks may be of interest. Thats literally the premise of any good research.

Ive got the day off tomorrow so will go have a VIt D test taken.

Good post about Vit D. Sounds like you can supplement all you want with D, if the receptors are stuffed though how are we to see any benefit??

The bigger question is, how do we fix the receptors??

1 hour ago, TrueJustice said:

Good post about Vit D. Sounds like you can supplement all you want with D, if the receptors are stuffed though how are we to see any benefit??

The bigger question is, how do we fix the receptors??

Natural Ways to Increase Calcitrol and Vitamin D Receptor Gene Expression

• Exercise(R)- increases calcitriol, but not aerobic exercise (R).
• RXR(andretinol) is needed to produce proteins with the VDR (R). 1,25D3 binds to the VDR, which then combines with RXR to activate gene expression. (Not all VDR dependent genes need RXR.)
• Parathyroid hormone (PTH) increases Calcitriol/1,25D3 (R),
• PTH-related peptide(R),
• SIRT1-potentiates VDR (R,R2) acetylation of VDR lessens1,25D/VDR signaling.SIRT1 increased the ability of VDR to associate with RXR.
• PGC-1a(R) potentiates VDR. It is a coactivator of the VDR, but it still needs 1,25D3.
• Dopamine(R) Mucuna(AMZN) orMucuna(IHERB)
• Bile specificallyLithocholic acid orLCA(R),
  The VDR evolved from its ancient role asa detoxification nuclear receptor.LCA is produced from the gut bacteria (metabolizing liverderived chenodeoxycholic acid).LCA travelsto the colon, wheretheVDR binds to LCA or 1,25Dand activates the CYP3A4 and SULT2A genes facilitatesdisposalfromthe cell via the ABC efflux transporter (R).
• Omega-3:DHA, EPA(R), Fish oil/DHA(AMZN) orFish Oil/DHA(IHERB)
• Omega-6:Linolenic acid, Arachidonic acid(R),
• Curcumin(R) Curcumin is more active than LCA/Bile in driving VDR-mediated
  transcription and that it binds to VDR with approximatelythe same affinity as LCA.
• Resveratrol(R) Potentiates VDR by: (1) potentiating 1,25D binding to VDR; (2) activating RXR; (3) stimulating SIRT1.
• Forskolin(AMZN) (95%)orForskolin(IHERB) (R), increases 1,25D3 from 25D3 in-vitro.
• Gamma Tocotrienol(R)-TocotrienolsorTocopherols(IHERB)
• Vitamin E/alpha-tocopherol (R)- doesnt compete with calcitriol for the VDR.
• Dexamethasone(R) doesnt compete with 1,25
• Interferon gamma-IFN- treatment inhibited 1,25D3 induction of 24-hydroxylase, the enzyme that breaks down 1,25 D3. This means 1,25D3 increased. (Technical: IFNydid not change the base level activity of the promoter, or change1,25D binding to the VDRor nuclear VDR levels. IFN- impairs VDR-RXR binding to VDRE through a Stat1-mediated mechanism) (R),
• Estradiol increases VDR expression(R,R2),
• Phytoestrogens(R),
• Testosterone(R),
• Prostaglandins(R),
• Bisphosphonates(R),

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Not so much a fan of boom, copy pasta but there it is. At least if there is a movement towards Vitamin D it can be hopefully grounded with academic research.

androgen receptor

is the key

1 hour ago, Ruvik said:

androgen receptor

is the key

This connection between testosterone levels and vitamin D is not only clear, as apparently a connection with thesex hormone binding globulin(SHBG) also exists.¹⁰As it is generally recognized, approximately 98% of testosterone is not available for interacting with target cells since it is mostly inactivated by binding to serum albumin and SHBG.It is believed that optimum levels of vitamin D, may reduce the amount of SHBG, thus enabling higher free testosterone.¹⁰This may explain the anabolic properties of vitamin D.

Since vitamin D depends mostly from exposure to solar radiation, it was showed that there is a strong relationship between the season of the year and levels of vitamin D and testosterone.¹⁰In the summer, there are obviously higher levels of Vitamin D and testosterone, by increased exposure to solar radiation. In the winter the situation is the opposite, leading us to a situation in which our body depends much more on dietary vitamin D.¹⁰

If we want to go a bit deeper into this subject, in apressreleaseof the year 2011, one of the leading companies in the research of sarcopenia (decrease of muscle mass) claimed that vitamin D increases the expression of the androgen receptor in myocytes (muscle cells).¹¹Apparently vitamin D increased the conversion of satellite cells into new muscle fibers and also raised the possibility of administering nandrolone decanoate together with vitamin D to enhance its activity.¹¹According to thispress release, nandrolone decanoate also acts on the VDR.¹¹

To resume everything that has been said, vitamin D can:

a) Increase the activity of the androgen receptor and VDR.

b) Reduce the levels of SHBG.

c) Reduce the androgenic activity of testosterone and similar hormones.

We know that both the activity of the androgen receptor and free testosterone levels, are critical in protein synthesis and muscle hypertrophy.¹³

vitamin D has no effect on me

In desperate times, desperate measures

I want to try a super cocktails , for libido, erections and muscles
I want to feel Iike a male, another one time in life

tribulus
ginseng
ginko biloba
maca
dhea
taurine

some other idea?

1 hour ago, Ruvik said:

vitamin D has no effect on me

In desperate times, desperate measures

I want to try a super cocktails , for libido, erections and muscles
I want to feel Iike a male, another one time in life

tribulus
ginseng
ginko biloba
maca
dhea
taurine

some other idea?

Some PFS suffers have recovered from cycling testosterone boosting herbs. I've found pine pollen was very effective. Taking 3 tea spoons of it per day for 3-4 weeks made me feel great, really 'alpha male' feeling, like really confident and assertive, but I got symptoms of high e after about 4 weeks. Taking it alongside an aromatase inhibitor like erase pro might help, or reservatrol, broccoli and celery if you want to go down the more natural route. This is something I'll probably try if I get somewhere with the current gut health protocol I'm trying.@tryingtohelp2014Great to see you've now a mod - I hope you can use this position to maybe try and get a 'side effects' sub-forum setup where we can have a thread per topic, rather than this single on-going thread! Would be a huge step forward.

1 hour ago, Ruvik said:

vitamin D has no effect on me

In desperate times, desperate measures

I want to try a super cocktails , for libido, erections and muscles
I want to feel Iike a male, another one time in life

tribulus
ginseng
ginko biloba
maca
dhea
taurine

some other idea?

Have you ever checked your neurotransmitters ? (sertonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine)
Especially DOPAMINE is very important for ED issues!!

2 hours ago, Ruvik said:

vitamin D has no effect on me

In desperate times, desperate measures

I want to try a super cocktails , for libido, erections and muscles
I want to feel Iike a male, another one time in life

tribulus
ginseng
ginko biloba
maca
dhea
taurine

some other idea?

this doesnt help anyone!!! it just adds more questions

were you tested for vitamin D?
how much did you take?
for how long?
what else did you take with it?
were you retested??

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/308708-when-can-i-use-tanning-bed-after-accutane-course/

Here is what has helped me with the problems from accutane damage. I took Bromelain 2,000GDU/tab or 3,000GDU/tab for the pain,inflammation, and spasms of bowel and joint. Took 2 tabs three times a day on empty stomach until symptoms subsides (usually took 2 or 3 days) and then decrease dose to 1 or 2 tabs nightly at bedtime as maintenance. Also take DHEA 25mg time-release (got it from GNC) once a day and L-arginine 1.5gms twice a day. Now my libido is back to normal. Also flaxseed oil 1 tablespoon twice a day and coconut 1 tablespoon in morning in smoothie/shake and 1 tablespoon olive oil or an avocado with dinner helps with dry eyes and dry skin. Aloe vera juice to soothe stomach whenever. Ginseng w/Royal jelly for energy and helps with brain fog. Not 100% but alot better than before

Just had a vitamin D test taken. Will post results in about 3 or 4 days when they are ready

1 hour ago, tilex99 said:

Here is what has helped me with the problems from accutane damage. I took Bromelain 2,000GDU/tab or 3,000GDU/tab for the pain,inflammation, and spasms of bowel and joint. Took 2 tabs three times a day on empty stomach until symptoms subsides (usually took 2 or 3 days) and then decrease dose to 1 or 2 tabs nightly at bedtime as maintenance. Also take DHEA 25mg time-release (got it from GNC) once a day and L-arginine 1.5gms twice a day. Now my libido is back to normal. Also flaxseed oil 1 tablespoon twice a day and coconut 1 tablespoon in morning in smoothie/shake and 1 tablespoon olive oil or an avocado with dinner helps with dry eyes and dry skin. Aloe vera juice to soothe stomach whenever. Ginseng w/Royal jelly for energy and helps with brain fog. Not 100% but alot better than before

I am very interested in DHEA , have you noticed any side effects? how long it takes to work and what symptoms ?

[Edited link out]

On 4/21/2016 at 4:12 PM, Accustained said:

[Edited link out]

sourced article that gives further argument for getting vitamin D from direct sunlight, not from supplementation.

photosensitive people, start slow with sunbathing, build up more over time. Since we have less sebum/oils in our skin after accutane it may require some patience to reach adequate levels of vit D. I started yesterday, will update in some time. Also don't use soap on parts of skin exposed to sunlight because it washes away the essential oils for vit D conversion. I think that was mentioned in another article posted recently, but needs repeating.

And keep eating that spinach!! (beta carotene, vitamin C & K2, calcium, iron, magnesium, folate, copper, iodine, potassium)

if we dont have the oils in the skin (squalene) its hard for us to make Vitamin D. could be part of the endless loop.

On 4/19/2016 at 2:45 AM, TrueJustice said:

Are we needing to supplement with K2 because of accutane or just because it works well when taking Vit D & magnesium??

I think I might benefit from K2 but don't want to add to current regime if it's not going to do much!?

Ive felt a little less stiff in recent days after hitting the Vit D/Magnesium in last week or so. My back feels better!

A while ago I've read on this forum about people being almost 20 years off accutane who have undergone a surgery for their tendons/soft tissue calcification. Without Vitamin K2, the body cannot direct calcium to the bones where it's needed; instead, the calcium resides in soft tissue (eg. arteries) leading to a combination of osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. I'm not sure whether the soft tissue calcification is caused by accutane though, but it sounds like it in the 2 cases I've read about here.

I have lots of right abdominal pain at the moment, front, side and back, and my blood work shows high levels of potassium. I worry it's the kidney not removing the potassium from the blood properly (seeing a doctor soon).High levels of phosphorus and/or potassium can cause unhealthy nerve function, heart disease and calcium to be pulled from bones and go into circulation. This can lead to calcification of coronary arteries and other soft tissues, and is associated with serious heart problems. Again, K2...

Check your potassium levels.

Hey guys,

Quick questions for all who have ED.

1) Can you masturbate with an erect penis? 2) Is ED experienced only when with other women? 3) Has it gotten worse over the years?.. Or has it been consistent since ending Accutane?

I have been making progress but I need some more time; just wanna see if I am fixing the same problems as everyone else.

How Vitamin D3 works:

Almost everyone accutane victim has a vitamin D3 deficiency.
I'm going to check my blood tomorrow....i will post my results soon.

I hope I can also check my DHEA.

8 hours ago, HaniaD said:

A while ago I've read on this forum about people being almost 20 years off accutane who have undergone a surgery for their tendons/soft tissue calcification. Without Vitamin K2, the body cannot direct calcium to the bones where it's needed; instead, the calcium resides in soft tissue (eg. arteries) leading to a combination of osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. I'm not sure whether the soft tissue calcification is caused by accutane though, but it sounds like it in the 2 cases I've read about here.

I have lots of right abdominal pain at the moment, front, side and back, and my blood work shows high levels of potassium. I worry it's the kidney not removing the potassium from the blood properly (seeing a doctor soon).High levels of phosphorus and/or potassium can cause unhealthy nerve function, heart disease and calcium to be pulled from bones and go into circulation. This can lead to calcification of coronary arteries and other soft tissues, and is associated with serious heart problems. Again, K2...

Check your potassium levels.

there was a guy on here chung pao.... and i found him on a reddit board. he solved a vitamin A toxicity problem with Vitamin D , vitamin K2 MK4 version, and Magnesium. he specifically took the Mk4 version to remove calcium deposits while taking the Vitamin D

accutane causes an induction of the CYP3A4 enzyme. this by itself depletes the body of Vitamin D. Vitamin D and vitamin K2 also stimulate the CYP3A4 enzyme, and his theory was this could speed the detoxifcation process.

my theory also would include copper... because accutane upregulates three different pathways to remove copper from your cells and liver. copper and vitamin A have an inverse relationship with liver storage.

so once path could be to have copper induce vitamin A to be removed from the liver to the bloodstream....and then have Taurine conjugate with it for removal. would be an a.m. /p.m. dosage. copper and taurine are antagonistic with each other.

and the second path could include a vitamin D / K2 / Mag . CYP3A4 induction. D is obviously antagositc with A. and so is K2. D and K2 stimulate CYP3A4

it will never be just one thing.

@yetanotheraccutanevictim all you can do is get tested.

another anecdote... day 5 of 5000iu D3 with K2 and mag. ive had serious muscle cramps from working out for years. mainly in my toes and calves. if i would flex my calves or curl my toes, i would get just painful cramps. if i turn to the side too much, i would get a stitch there as well. well, after 5 days my cramps are TOTALLY GONE. its unbelievable.
it almost 100% has to do with the D helping regulate the calcium to the muscles.

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/2923/amid-the-murk-of-gut-flora-vitamin-d-receptor-emerges-as-a-key-player.aspx

http://paleoleap.com/you-and-your-gut-flora/
the first three things mentioned are D K2 and Mag

@HaniaD
@tryingtohelp2014

Hania, if you ever discover these stories, be sure to send them to me. I'd appreciate it.

I have what appears to be hypercalcemia throughout my entire body. I have extreme pain. I don't think it's from calcium leaching from bones & teeth into the soft tissues, though. I think it has something to do with oxalates depositing in my tissues. Still haven't figured out if they're from my diet or infection but I'm working on it. I excrete these via my stool daily. Looks like sharp white crystals.

Btw, for those of you who do not know, oxalates are the same thing that kidney stones & tonsil stones are comprised of: calcium oxalate or oxalic acid. This may be something to look into if you have systemic pain or cracking, creaking joints. Low oxalate diet & attacking certain microbes will alleviate this issue most of the time. Parasites are well known to produce oxalates as protective biofilm. Most autistic kids have parasites and thus have very high oxalate levels. Taking an herb known as stone breaker or chanca piedra can help with this as well.

I'd steer clear of taking any single compound in high doses like vitamin D as that can majorly calcify the tissues.

Some useful studies I pulled together regarding hypercalcemia:
[Edited link out]

Some good posts about Vit D & K2. I'm going to continue to take them and see what happens.

I may get my levels checked, I worry though that our situation is unique, we produce NO OILanymore and the body just doesn't take up Vit D like it should. Once I see some oil return maybe then I'll know something is working.

I'm also still concerned with gut health - my instincts tell me that there is some infection going on that I need to address - good thing that I'm seeing an endocrinologist next month, maybe he'll shed some light on things and do some real tests!?

I may start taking copper again....the guessing game continues....

PS - Why are people posting about accutane problems from taking it just 8 months ago!? It's offensive to me that you'd take it given what's been said about this hideous drug. If I had the knowledge back in 1998 like we do now when I was introduced to it, do you really think I'd of taken it.
I'm sure long-term sufferers would agree.

Unless you've had your head in the sand or you just want to ignore shit, taking accutane in this day and age is nothing short of mental!!!

sucks prince died. great artist.

every summer i stay under the sun every day, mountain excursion, lake, sea...

In 6 yearsI have not improved anything of my sexual problems