1 hour ago, ehohel said:

Nothing was better than high dose prednisone.right now On those "good days" I'm assuming where inflammation is down I feel amazing, probably from high dose testosterone.

Im convinced this is something to do with DHT and or somewhere in the autoimmune disease catogory.

when starting proviron after about 5 days my libido absolutely exploded. (High dose 100mg/day) I'm talking like i HAD to cum 4-6 times a day. My dick was getting so sore, mentally I felt good, nothing too noticeable. I'm now approching week 2, and a day ago everything just crashed. No libido, kept going soft during sex, didn't even cum after 3 hours. (This could be because I'm so sore from touching too much) but libido definitely took a major crash out of nowhere.

i am currently taking a fuckload of drugs/hormones I'll compile a list later for those who care.

I'm definitely interested in having more data on all the trials you've put yourself through. What do you think has been worth trying? What should be avoided?

Guys, please buckle up. This post is going to be a big one.

First about me:
I have been an avid reader of this thread now for 8 months but didn't take up the courage to sign up and contribute, since I felt I had nothing to contribute yet, but now I just want to help you guys.
I'm 29m and took accutane in the beginning of 2016 for abount 3 months. I started with 20mg per day and later raised it to 80mg for 2 weeks before I felt the side effects kick in. Stupid as I was, I even took antibiotics for one week at the same time. When I started getting the sides I lowered the dose to 20mg again (I still felt the sides would discontinue after the course of accutane) and took it for about 3 weeks more. Needless to say, I had the sides ever since.

My sides:

1. ED: first and foremost!!! it is seriously jeopardizing my relationship and hast come to the point where a hot woman looks to me the same way a table or a chair does. I don't get an erection from mental stimulation AT ALL. This includes shrinking and changed skin color down there. I remember @MrErdem once described exactly the way I feel.
2. Brainfog:  I have always been known to have incredible memory and could name half of my kindergarten class and even people my parents couldn't remember. Last year at work I forgot the name (first name) of my co-worker sitting next to me and I couldn't have remembered it if my life depended on it. I was scared as hell.
3. IBS: my last solid stool was 2016 and everytime I eat something a little little spicy I have to spend days in the bathroom.
4. low mood/depression
5. dry skin and eyes
6. headaches
7. allergic reactions
8. always a stuffy nose, but never really sick
9. extremely fatigued and low energy
10. feeling dizzy sometimes after eating
11. gained weight, but not in the gym

Now my story:
Of course I started with the supps. Vitamin D, E, B, K2, Zink, Magnesium, Choline, Iodine, Methionine, Folic Acid, Omega3, Taurine, Hydrocortisone cream, Adrenal Glandular, Tadalafil (Cialis), Anastrozole (Arimidex)...you name it, I've taken it. Nothing did more than maybe2% of short relief if it did anything at all.
This spring I tried "Mr. Happy's Uridine Stack" which eradicated my depression and gave me hope again to fight for a cure (Google it if you're curious, it repairs dead Dopamine receptors and restores your Dopamine sensitivity. Would def recommend!!!). It helped me a lot mentally, but it's still a small patch on a gunshot wound.
Then by going through older posts I learnt abount Rick Simpson Oil and got my hopes up when I read, that it cured 3 people. I got myself about 7-8g of it but it didn't do much except masking some symptoms and a little occasional horniness. It was kinda fun to experiment with it tho.

The good news:
A few weeks ago I was watching a youtube video by one of my favorite fitness guys and he explained a little bit about his dealing with Candida albicans, a kind of yeast fungus. About 50-75% of all western population carry it as part of their natural gut flora but usually don't experience any negative effects from it, because it is kept in check by our natural gut bacteria. Some might even argue it is kinda useful in absorbing toxic metals from our food. 

But on rare occasions it can grow to a big infection, aided by destroyed gut flora of a compromised immune system (to give an example it can get serious in AIDS or cancer patients or in case of this youtube vid: steroid users )
He went on to name a few symptoms when I got this huge epiphany. Symptoms are: 

• cronic fatigue,
• dizziness,
• brain fog,
• poor memory,
• indigestion,
• low libido,
• joint pain,
• depression and mood swings,
• allergies,
• sugar cravings
• and literally hundreds more

BOOM I started watching my body closely and drawing connections.

Remember I not only took accutane but even antibiotics at the same time, which wipe your gut factory clean of all bacteria. I never took probiotics afterwards to build them up again.
Some people (including me) got small relief from Vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 can only be produced by bacteria, the biggest part of course in our gut. Same goes vor Vitamin B12. But what if there is no bacteria left?

Remember when I said Candida absorbs toxic metals from our food? Not only toxic metals, it also absorbs trace elements such as Zink, Iron, Iodine...everything we feel a little deficiency of.
I remember someone talking abount Colostrum giving him relief. Colostrum is nothing else then a big chunk of gut bacteria, immunoglobuline and vitamins/trace elements. All the gut bacteria I am missing that could have kept Candida in check. If candida is all flared up it will never go away without treatment (so much about accutane being stored in our bodies for years). No wonder our immune systems are in overdrive. It is fighting Candida 24/7 which feels like an autoimmune response.

So I specifically searched this thread about candida and what do you know..it has already been discussed. @guitarman01 you should remember.
The funny part is: all users who tried getting rid of their candida have left this thread...kinda makes me think they have lost interest..or lost symptoms? One user (@eph95) even came back to tell you guys that he has gotten rid of all his sides when he fought Candida and this thread is going in the wrong direction. Now there are so many connections and so much evidence about this, but I don't want to further stress this post over 10 pages, but everything completely adds up.

The bad part is, many doctors don't know about Candida or don't believe its effect. It has gotten kinda overhyped in the 1970s and doctors now don't want to touch this subject unfortunately.
Yes, Candida can be part of the natural gut flora without harming us (if the gut flora is intact)
Yes, Candida can even be helpful in binding toxic metals
BUT: which one of you has had a healthy gut flora after taking accutane?

My doctor told me all I have is a little food intolerance. Yes, this is true, I'm intolerant to anything containing sugar, but this is just the f*****g symptom. Two weeks ago I started experimenting and cut out all the sugar and starches for 2 days while eating kinda low carb and guess what: I felt even worse. You know why? Because if candida is starved and parts of it die, it releases its mykotoxins and all the toxic waste it has absorbed over time directly into your gut. This is why most peaople don't believe it and abandon their Candida diet before they really started.

What I did now about 10 days ago is I bought some psyllium and bentonite to clean the colon. Bentonite itself is a powerful toxin absorber. I started dieting and cutting all sugars and starches and many carbs, while doing a colon cleanse with bentonite 2-3x a day, so I don't get these awful die-off symptoms. I started using Nystatin and oregano oil as antifungal and after 1 week I started using probiotics. i already started feeling better by then. 2 days ago I found a fermented drink at the supermarked, non-pasteurized and full of Lactobacillus and started drinking a glass in the morgning and one in the evening and guess what happened...today I got my first morning erection in months!
I'm feeling extremely happy now for about 5 days and I have already lost many other sides. If I go to harsh against Candida I still get those die-off symptoms and have worse brainfog then ever before, but this is totally common and can be avoided by going slow and using detoxifiers like bentonite regularly. It is a long journey, minimum 6 weeks, probably longer, but I'm so happy I can walk it.

This is the whole reason I signed up to this site today and got the courage to tell you my complete story which I couldn't work up to since december. I'm begging ALL of you guys: Do your research, google Candida, google its symptoms, its mechanisms, what drives it and what kills it.
I have to admit, dry skin might probably be Accutane, but 90% of our side effects might be Candida. This is why some people don't get side effects at all and some people who are prone to Candida get shattered like us. Do yourselves a favor and believe me, I'm not selling anything.

tl;dr: IT'S CANDIDA!
If you don't believe me, bring arguments and I'm confident I can debunk them!

Whish you all a great weekend and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm trying to stick around and keep you updated on my healing.

Chris

A while ago people were interested in compiling blood tests. Just got mine back.
 

I have a few takeaways: Given the recent focus on the liver in this thread, I found it interesting that "ALT (SGPT)" was one of the few out-of-range readings I had. Does anyone have feedback on this?

When my symptoms were at their worst, my testosterone levels were in the mid 300s, and my cholesterol was undetectable. Now a days, I eat copious amounts of red meat and eggs, and supplement Ashwagandha and Pregnenolone. That seems to be reflected in these results. When I was tested, it was mid-day and I had little sleep. So likely, my T levels are actually higher than (the not worrisome level of) 680. Glad to know I probably do not need expensive TRT treatment. SHBG seems a bit high though. I am actually surprised to see my T3 levels so high. I was almost convinced that was the root of my brain fog issues, since I read a study suggesting that often this goes overlooked when T4 and TSH are in range. On top of that, I have a gene that makes it difficult for my body to convert T4 to T3. Well, I do not think focusing on hormones should be a priority for me anymore. That's the main conclusion I am getting from this. But maybe I will do a phone consultation with an interventional/anti-aging endocrinologist for an expert opinion.
 

High liver enzymes can indicate liver damage, fatty liver, cirrhosis so it's probably worth following this up, but usually these figures can be reversed by supplementing with things like TUDCA which is supposed to be very effective at lowering liver enzymes, and that appears to be one of the main factors in Mario's recovery. Did you get bilirubin tested as well? This is usually done alongside ALT and AST.

Recent studies have shown that a molecule in licorice root called 'glycyrrhizin' has show to be extremely effective against liver damage, so this might be worth bearing in mind (especially since a PFS guy who recently recovered fully was cycling this);

Quote

Glycyrrhizin had a protective effect on immunosuppression, a strong non-specific anti-inflammatory effect, and an effect of reducing the incidence of sodium and water retention[29]. These results suggest that glycyrrhizin alleviates CCl4-induced liver injury

http://www.naturalnews.com/052877_glycyrrhizin_licorice_root_extract_liver_protection.html

As it happens I've recently had a load of tests done on my liver and my figures surprisingly all came back in range (as they have done previously). I also had an ultrasound on the upper right quadrant (3rd one I've had over the years in response to pains in that area), and again this showed up nothing. I'm scheduled to see a hepetology specialist soon however.

On another note, who else has an elevated heart rate/strongly beating heart? I've had this as a side effect (resting heart rate consistently very high, and I can always feel my heartbeat in my head when resting on my pillow), but after supplementing with progesterone cream my heart rate seems to calm down completely? I've tried this twice just to make sure it wasn't co-incidence. Not really sure what this might indicate, but thought it was worth mentioning!

2 hours ago, ACCUiTy_drANE said:

I have a few takeaways: Given the recent focus on the liver in this thread, I found it interesting that "ALT (SGPT)" was one of the few out-of-range readings I had. Does anyone have feedback on this?

Have you been taking anything that could be hard on the liver?

http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/elevated-liver-enzymes/basics/definition/sym-20050830
Elevated liver enzymes may be discovered during routine blood testing. In most cases, liver enzyme levels are only mildly and temporarily elevated. Most of the time, elevated liver enzymes don't signal a chronic, serious liver problem.

Thinking of fibroscan and fibrosis. I would think this doesnt happen overnight.

If you're curious you could always look into getting a fibroscan. Based on your location there might be some testing nearby.
Find a FibroScan - Echosens

Just something else to rule out. (or in)
with the majority of us not showing signs of liver injury, the only thing left to check would be a fibroscan.

But you rule this out in a few people, then you narrow this process down even more.
The most logical thing would be to retest your liver enzymes after a period of time.

So, update on my vocal issues

went to my local ENT yesterday and he believes I have some sort of muscle atrophy caused by an unknown inflammation. He didn't know entirely what to do because he doesn't specialize in singers/professional voice users as much, so I was referred to a really high end laryngologist with raving reviews. I believe this muscle weakness from the inflammation has caused this form of atrophy. Good news is hopefully once we find the root of the inflammation, my voice can definitely get better. 

I think he used the term "glottic insufficiency" so I did some research and bingo 

On 7/14/2017 at 11:37 PM, C1328 said:

tl;dr: IT'S CANDIDA!
If you don't believe me, bring arguments and I'm confident I can debunk them!

Theres antibody testing for this. It looks to be up to 70 to 80 percent accurate. Even walkin lab tests all the antibodies for 199. This could be a worthwhile test. if you can find it, I thought someone did say on here they tested positive for candida antibodies. Dont remember the details.

Ehohel said he felt 100 percent on prednisone. If there was a candida infection that was causing systemic effects ( obviously it's not in the blood, would have to be coming from the gi tract) he should have felt worse theoretically on prednisone.

Alot of people have had endoscopies and have shown no signs of Candida( maybe its possible to miss) if its in the lower bowels people have also had colonoscopies. if this was going on out of control you would think some people would develop thrush.

What eph95 was taking might have been beneficial in helping reset the gut, regardless of a Candida infection or not.

Not discrediting this though. Keep us updated and give it more time.

[Edited link out]
Detection of Candida albicans antigen in serum is highly suggestive of systemic or disseminated candidiasis.

Systemic candidiasis is often characterized by markedly elevated levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM recognizing Candida. However, interpretation of Candida antibody levels is complicated by detection of antibodies in 20-30% of healthy individuals, and blunted antibody responses in immuno-compromised patients at risk for systemic candidiasis. Candida antibody results should be considered within the context of clinical findings and results from other relevant laboratory tests, such as Candida antigen detection and/or culture.

Actually looking at this again real quick, this testing might be for more life threatening type Candida. Which obviously isnt the case. Testing for Gut Candida? Fecal test? This would also maybe show up on stomach biopsy though, which people have had, or show white patches. Idk really atm.

20 hours ago, mikez said:

I am also at the bottom of the range for zinc.

Something isnt right with zinc. I wouldnt supplement it. I know ive talked about it positively recently, but like just mentioned this might be feeding or strengthening some pathogen. The body is not handling it correctly or over reacting to it.

The thing about supplements is your just as likely to find something that's harmful.

I was fairly convinced it all came down to candida or some other bacterial/fungal infection a few years ago. I had some telltale symptoms such as recurrent thrush and angular chelitis. I had decided to rid myself of it and then come here to share the good news of what I hoped to be a full recovery(at least for those with the same/similar symptoms to me). Alas after a year of a wide array of anti-fungals, bio-film disruptors, restrictive diets, leaky gut supplements, probiotics and fermented foods the only things that were resolved were the recurrent thrush and chelitis.

It is my understanding that accutane has a strong antibiotic effect and if you have a poor diet following use you give a large chance for candida or something similar to grow out of control(some of the beasties re-populate much faster than others so it is not uncommon), for those of you who haven't looked at re-balancing your guts it is probably something that would be beneficial to be able to cross off your list.

Very positive post C1328 ,especially for those who haven't looked at that route with E.D. (given your great progress). Hope it resolves everything for you :).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

So this is concerning, especially if allowed to go on for a period of time not knowing.

Vitamin K Deficiency Linked to Osteoporosis, Cancer, and Heart Disease

Operating under the triage theory for micronutrientsa theory that suggests the body prioritizes the use of scarce micronutrients like vitamin K in favor of short-term survival at the expense of long-term healththe researchers looked at the consequences of vitamin K restriction amongst vitamin K-dependent proteins.

What they found was truly frightening. When the supply of vitamin K was limited, as it is in the typical American diet, the body utilizes it to protect critical metabolic functions in the liver. Unfortunately, that leaves other vitamin K-dependent proteins, the ones associated with bone building, cancer prevention, and protecting the heart from atherosclerosis, without sufficient vitamin K to function properly.

The result of this deficiency leaves the body at risk for developing age-related disease like cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis.

I found a test to maybe catch this. Even a simple k1 blood test might as well.
https://www.walkinlab.com/vitamin-k-assay-serum-blood-test-genova-kit.html

The Genova Diagnostics Vitamin K Assay

(Direct vs. functional measurement of vitamin K)

The Genova Diagnostics Vitamin K Assay measures a functional marker, undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC).

Symptoms & conditions related to vitamin K deficiency

• Bruising
• Epistaxis
• Fractures
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Menorrhagia
• Hematuria
• Nosebleeds
• Anemia
• Osteopenia/Osteoporosis
• Calcification of soft tissue, especially heart valves
• Digestive problems, especially malabsorption
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Cancer
• Malabsorption syndromes

4 hours ago, guitarman01 said:

Something isnt right with zinc. I wouldnt supplement it. I know ive talked about it positively recently, but like just mentioned this might be feeding or strengthening some pathogen. The body is not handling it correctly or over reacting to it.

The thing about supplements is your just as likely to find something that's harmful.

I agree, what is your take on my below range manganese ?

Its CANDIDA.....

you could be on to something that might have merit BUT I'll say this again, we all know Accutane effects people differently so to say it's candida to someone who got bowel cancer from Accutane and there have been cases, do you really think zapping the candida is all they had to do?

Same applies to those showing signs of brain damage - just zap the candida?

i don't know....

19 hours ago, ACCUiTy_drANE said:

A while ago people were interested in compiling blood tests. Just got mine back.
 

Triiodothyronine,Free,Serum (T3): 4.3 pg/ml (2.0 - 4.4)
T4,Free(Direct): 1.56 ng/dL (0.82-1.77)
TSH: 2.090 uIU/mL (0.450-4.500)
Sex Horm Binding Glob, Serum: 52.8 nmol/L (16.5-55.9)
DHEA-Sulfate: 437.5 ug/dL (164.3-530.5)
LH: 4.6 mIU/mL (1.7-8.6)
Estradiol, Sensitive: 24.6 pg/mL (8.0-35.0)
Testosterone, Serum: 680 ng/dL (348-1197)
Free Testosterone(Direct): 17.9 pg/mL (9.3-26.5)
Hematocrit: 47.5 (37.5-51.0)
Hemoglobin: 16.5 (12.6-17.7)
Cholesterol, Total: 159 mg/dL (100-199)
Triglycerides: 39 mg/dL (0-149)
HDL Cholesterol: 70 mg/dL (>39)
 VLDL Cholesterol Cal: 8 mg/dl (5-40)
LDL Cholesterol Calc: 81 mg/dl (0-99)
T. Chol/HDL Ratio: 2.3 ratio units (0.0 -5.0)
ALT (SGPT): 67 IU/L (0-44) - OUT OF RANGE
AST (SGOT): 50 IU/L (0-40) - OUT OF RANGE
Alkaline Phosphatase, S: 72 IU/L (39-117)

Everything in the "CBC With Differential/Platelet" category was normal, and there were most tests in the "Comp. Metabolic Panel" category, which I can post if anyone is interested.
 

I have a few takeaways: Given the recent focus on the liver in this thread, I found it interesting that "ALT (SGPT)" was one of the few out-of-range readings I had. Does anyone have feedback on this?

When my symptoms were at their worst, my testosterone levels were in the mid 300s, and my cholesterol was undetectable. Now a days, I eat copious amounts of red meat and eggs, and supplement Ashwagandha and Pregnenolone. That seems to be reflected in these results. When I was tested, it was mid-day and I had little sleep. So likely, my T levels are actually higher than (the not worrisome level of) 680. Glad to know I probably do not need expensive TRT treatment. SHBG seems a bit high though. I am actually surprised to see my T3 levels so high. I was almost convinced that was the root of my brain fog issues, since I read a study suggesting that often this goes overlooked when T4 and TSH are in range. On top of that, I have a gene that makes it difficult for my body to convert T4 to T3. Well, I do not think focusing on hormones should be a priority for me anymore. That's the main conclusion I am getting from this. But maybe I will do a phone consultation with an interventional/anti-aging endocrinologist for an expert opinion.
 

When people share their results they often state that everything is within range and ok( according to their doctors) but yours actually do look ok?
Definitely good to see you T has improved - low 300's not good. what has you bilirubin and albumin level been like in the past?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_function_tests

Any improvements with your anhedonia?

Have you had your dopamine tested?

A test for catecholamines measures the amount of the hormones epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the blood. These catecholamines are made by nerve tissue , the brain, and the adrenal glands. Catecholamines help the body respond to stress or fright and prepare the body for "fight-or-flight" reactions.
 

^ Catecholamine serum tests are useless to determine anything going on in the brain...they don't reflect levels in braintissue or CSF.

Candida, bacteria pathogens, and auto immune diseases. I swear people are just coming on to throw this thread off and confuse people.

The people who see real relief on both the Finasteride and Accutane forums address their hormones and brain. Clomid, EEG therapy, TRT...and now I have found a scientific study suggesting mifepristone: [Edited link out]
A GR antagonist. Also, in the paper it suggests excess cortisol levels as "mediating depression". Which would explain why myself and another user "felt normal" briefly the day after binge drinking alcohol.

Personally, My side effects came about from taking Accutane for a month while smoking pot. The toxicity was increased and I suffered a transient ischemic attack one day after a joint. I damaged my brain plain and simple. Most likely the hypothalamus. Guess what the hypothalamus controls? A lot...including the digestive system.

Now, I'm not saying your gut hasn't been affected, there is evidence Accutane can mess updigestive organs. it's very likely some of us have gastritis to some degree (we have every other -itis in the book). But it's not the cause of everything. You can address these "bacterial gut issues" and then what, my night vision will come back? Depression relieved? Tendonitis in my shoulders relief? Synovial fluid replenished? Gingivitis in gums relief? I can go back to smoking pot without worrying about aphasia and paresthesia? The chemistry in my brain goes back to normal?

You saturated your body/brain witha retinoid.Your body has been affected in multiple ways. Yes, Accutane can kill gut flora. It has the capacity to do a lot of things. I have tinnitus + several other symptoms of Lyme disease, Guess what, I don't have fucking Lyme.I took Accutane and damaged my brain.

Not saying you shouldn't get tested, by all means, knock yourself out. Or address affected areas (gut), but enough wit the "I found the cause" or "it's this, this, this, and this x1000"

What do you propose the antigen is that is creating this immune disease? Candida? What is the body responding to? Isotretinoin has an establishedrate. It hasleft the blood. It isgone.

Are you a proponent of "Accutaneis stored in our bodies." Do you have any evidence to support your claims? Are there any papers at all suggesting this?

12 hours ago, mikez said:

I agree, what is your take on my below range manganese ?

Was this a standard blood test?
A bunch of people were supplementing this awhile back. Some started to say they felt worse. So might be best to leave it alone. Or supplement cautiously. Probably not a big factor idk.

1 hour ago, Mike San said:

^ Catecholamine serum tests are useless to determine anything going on in the brain...they don't reflect levels in braintissue or CSF.

Have you had this test? I havent looked into this too extensively myself.
These blood levels could be related to autonomic nervous system dysfunction.
This still might still be worth looking into, its not top on my list atm though.

Peripheral and central effects of circulating catecholamines.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25589262
While these rapid responses may be necessary for survival, sustained elevation of circulating catecholamines for prolonged periods of time can also produce pathological conditions, such as cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure, hypertension, and posttraumatic stress disorder. In this review, we discuss the present knowledge of the effects of circulating catecholamines on peripheral organs and tissues, as well as on memory in the brain.

39 minutes ago, guitarman01 said:

Was this a standard blood test?
A bunch of people were supplementing this awhile back. Some started to say they felt worse. So might be best to leave it alone. Or supplement cautiously. Probably not a big factor idk.

Yes, standard serum test by the major pathology company in the state.

I found this interesting..

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16697554

I'm not sure how those rat dosages relate to human consumption.

That said, there are many vitamins and minerals that can increase pituitary hormone production in studies including zinc, copper, some of the Bs, magnesium, Vit D, A and much more, however I feel unless one is actually deficient , taking these won't produce results, and if high enough doses, may make you worse.

The manganese caught my eye as I actually did test low , unlike the others.

Result: P Manganese < 7L (Ref range 10-45 pmol/L)

@macleodWhat time is it over there? Can I join you for a beer?
This is some misdirected hostility and you insult and disrespect alot of people on this thread. This is where it gets derailed.
Why should people respect what you are saying?
No One's ever gotten anywhere on this forum because, people need to check their egos at the door.
Also some of the things you are saying are being passed as fact when they are assumptions.
Antibodies can mediate some of what you mentioned. I have a few of them to prove it.

We need stats for accutane, Has anyone got any?

3 hours ago, guitarman01 said:

@macleodWhat time is it over there? Can I join you for a beer?
This is some misdirected hostility and you insult and disrespect alot of people on this thread. This is where it gets derailed.
Why should people respect what you are saying?
No One's ever gotten anywhere on this forum because, people need to check their egos at the door.
Also some of the things you are saying are being passed as fact when they are assumptions.
Antibodies can mediate some of what you mentioned. I have a few of them to prove it.

Unfortunately, I cannot and should not drink alcohol anymore. It is possibly one of the worst chemicals to put in a living organism. Even in small amounts, in vitro, it kills living cells. It contributes to gastritis and digestive diseases.

Really? Because it sounds to me a lot of what is being proposed is some form of gut fungal pathogen disease that at its core is a proponent of Alternative Medicine.

Say I've done H. pylori and Candida tests and they came back within range? What do you propose now is causing my autoimmune disease?

I know that Accutane is Pandoras box.

But you cannot practically cure every disease and ailment known to man, nor do we have every disease and ailment. I can see that the similarities in symptoms are there. It's rather convenient. But, I'll bite. I'll get the tests done (if you can convince a doctor).

You are just taking up so many pages and none of it is practical. That's just the truth.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/candida-cleanse/faq-20058174

On 7/14/2017 at 1:30 PM, tanedout said:

High liver enzymes can indicate liver damage, fatty liver, cirrhosis so it's probably worth following this up, but usually these figures can be reversed by supplementing with things like TUDCA which is supposed to be very effective at lowering liver enzymes, and that appears to be one of the main factors in Mario's recovery. Did you get bilirubin tested as well? This is usually done alongside ALT and AST.

Yes my "Bilirubin, Total" was 1.0 at a reference range of 0.0-1.2. After doing some more reading, I realize my numbers really aren't outrageous. But I will mention it to my doctor. I will look into TUDCA too.

On 7/14/2017 at 2:45 PM, guitarman01 said:

Have you been taking anything that could be hard on the liver

Thanks for the information! Yeah, the Tianeptine I have been taking for a while could play a role. Hard to say though. That's a very rare side effect.

21 hours ago, guitarman01 said:

 

@ACCUiTy_drANEWhat was that post you posted about someone developing cancer (brain?) post tane. Did they find that to be related? any studies on this?
I mean Accutane is used to treat cancer.

It is a well-documented phenomenon that chemotherapy agents can cause cancer in and of themselves. The term usually used is "secondary cancers." The medical community seems dead set on turning a blind eye to the fact Accutane shares the same characteristics as any other chemo agent out there, so I doubt any studies have looked at exposure to Accutane and subsequent cancer rates! However, we know chemo exposure in general is associated with increased risk for chronic health conditions. Furthermore, there is an association between vitamin A supplementation and early death.

Personally, I had melanoma before Accutane. And after Accutane, I continued to develop cancerous moles for a while. So taken all of this together, I certainly do not believe prior Accutane exposure has any silver lining in terms of protection from cancer. In the case I was talking about, doctors never mentioned anything about what caused the cancer. This individual was young (late teens) and in-shape. Of course, being an anecdote, we cannot know the significance of the event.
 

13 hours ago, hatetane said:

When people share their results they often state that everything is within range and ok( according to their doctors) but yours actually do look ok?
Definitely good to see you T has improved - low 300's not good. what has you bilirubin and albumin level been like in the past?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_function_tests
Any improvements with your anhedonia?
Have you had your dopamine tested?

 

Yes, I am pleasantly surprised with the results, but also wondering what I should focus on next.  The goal is obviously to find something to treat. I am undoubtedly doing better than I was two years ago. Anhedonia has its periods of remission (much more often than in the past), but it still plays a big influence on my life. I haven't spent much time focusing on dopamine, as it is hard to find something that reliably boosts it without developing tolerance. Further, I am skeptical that my issues come down to one neurotransmitter. Lately, I've been taking an assortment of antioxidants, and they really do help. No, I haven't got to glutathione yet!

In terms of my liver, yeah, I think I have had slight elevations in the past, but nothing out or range.

17 minutes ago, ACCUiTy_drANE said:

Yes my "Bilirubin, Total" was 1.0 at a reference range of 0.0-1.2. After doing some more reading, I realize my numbers really aren't outrageous. But I will mention it to my doctor. I will look into TUDCA too. Thanks for the information! Yeah, the Tianeptine I have been taking for a while could play a role. Hard to say though. That's a very rare side effect. It is a well-documented phenomenon that chemotherapy agents can cause cancer in and of themselves. The term usually used is "secondary cancers." The medical community seems dead set on turning a blind eye to the fact Accutane shares the same characteristics as any other chemo agent out there, so I doubt any studies have looked at exposure to Accutane and subsequent cancer rates! However, we know chemo exposure in general is associated with increased risk for chronic health conditions. Furthermore, there is an association between vitamin A supplementation and early death.

Personally, I had melanoma before Accutane. And after Accutane, I continued to develop cancerous moles for a while. So taken all of this together, I certainly do not believe prior Accutane exposure has any silver lining in terms of protection from cancer. In the case I was talking about, doctors never mentioned anything about what caused the cancer. This individual was young (late teens) and in-shape. Of course, being an anecdote, we cannot know the significance of the event.
  Yes, I am pleasantly surprised with the results, but also wondering what I should focus on next.  The goal is obviously to find something to treat. I am undoubtedly doing better than I was two years ago. Anhedonia has its periods of remission (much more often than in the past), but it still plays a big influence on my life. I haven't spent much time focusing on dopamine, as it is hard to find something that reliably boosts it without developing tolerance. Further, I am skeptical that my issues come down to one neurotransmitter. Lately, I've been taking an assortment of antioxidants, and they really do help. No, I haven't got to glutathione yet!

In terms of my liver, yeah, I think I have had slight elevations in the past, but nothing out or range.

Glad you got some positive results with recent blood work!!

Perhaps an area we need to further investigate is cardiovascular disease? It comes up quite often as a side effect or a condition but what does it really mean and how can it be treated?

It could definitely explain many of our problems, everything from fatigue to erectile dysfunction, headaches to poor sleep..... the list goes on.

After we exhaust all the blood work looking at Vit, Min and Hormone levels we should also look at Oxygen levels and blood flow - these things also need to be working well to minimise all the problems we seem to have!!

23 hours ago, Warrah said:

It is my understanding that accutane has a strong antibiotic effect and if you have a poor diet following use you give a large chance for candida or something similar to grow out of control(some of the beasties re-populate much faster than others so it is not uncommon), for those of you who haven't looked at re-balancing your guts it is probably something that would be beneficial to be able to cross off your list.
Removed as after much searching I can't find a good source for the 'antibiotic effect', the information is likely incorrect. As I came across the info years ago I am unsure what my original source was, only that it appeared reputable at the time. My apologies.

saw you scratched this. Here is the study. They're saying it was more potent than antibiotics.

The effects of systemic isotretinoin and antibiotic therapy on the microbial floras in patients with acne vulgaris

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-3083.2011.04397.x/abstract
systemic isotretinoin and antibiotic treatments in acne patients precisely caused variations in the microbial floras of several sites of the body, while isotretinoin was commonly more responsible than antibiotics.

My main concern isnt trying to repopulate the gut with probiotics or fight some candida or bacterial infection, its if this could have had a long term deleterious effect on menaquinones.
They are biologically similar to P. Acnes bacteria.

I have an entire jar of kefir that has been growing for almost a year. I started with just a teaspoon. I drink it couple times a week. It helps... ( I think ).

Ok, I just bought some Vitamin K2. I'll let you know if I feel anything or just another bottle to add to the collection.