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Hello everyone, catching up on the forum and was wondering what has been working for you guys! I will say some of the things I've been doing, whats been working for me and what hasn't been working for me:
Supplements
Multivitamin: Took very consistently... Didn't notice much difference tbh. I would still recommend it early on because your body might have deficiencies at that stage
Zinc: Recommend. Good for liver health and immune system, as well as mental health.
Virgin Olive Oil: I was having ~10ml a day for 2 months... I was likely havingbenefits, seeing they're proven by studies, but too gross
Magnesium: I personally find benefit with this as well.
Creatine: 50/50. If it was easier to take I'd take it, but its kinda gross to take.
Fish Oil: best supplement for mental health imho. Make sure its murcury tested and you store it is a cool environment to prevent oxidation. I put mine in the fridge
Ashwagandha: Certainly good for anxiety. Plan to continue as well
Diet
I did keto for 3 months, felt sharper, and mental benefits mostly continued after I stopped. Less joint pain and good muscle recovery. While on this diet got Testosterone measured and was in top 1%.
Fasting, gone up to 5 days but usually OMAD. for extended fasts took sodium/potassium 1/2 tsp per day. Felt fine, got rid of eczema that had been bothering me for years, and stopped getting the pimples entirely, though I would get a few every other week. Personally I would recommend. I am planning to do a 14 day fast by the end of this year, will say how that goes then.
Recently I have been tryong the carnivore diet, not super strict because carbs don't make me feel like hell, but certainly eating a lot more meat/eggs. Gym has improved, currently squatting 120kg and Deadlifting 150kg for reps easy, and recovering well. This is about the strongest I've ever been, and my body feels the best its felt post-accutane. I feel like I could train almost every day, and have so much more trust in my body
Lifestyle
Meditation makes me feel great mentally, but I have ADHD and suck at doing boring stuff, so don't do it every day. A bad habit of mine is doing it when I feel shit mentally, then I can get by and start thriving and stop doing it until I feel shit again
Where I am at now
I would say Physically 99%, mentally 80%. I was dating earlier this year, and sexually was OK for the first time, sometimes had ED but I think it was mostly anxiety and stress, and I would say I still dont deal with stress as well as I would like, but maybe thats because I'm in my final semester of Uni.
Physically I feel great, the best I've felt since I took Accutane. I think having more meat and eggs, and less sugars and carbs has been a big part of that.
Anyway, if any big successes have been had in the last 9 months let me know, or even if you yourself have tried something and you believe its worked
Hmm. @fchawk, do you have any idea why your topic was closed/locked/archived?
It would be terrible if the mods here were going around locking topics where post-Accutane sexual dysfunction is discussed.
10 hours ago, fchawk said:Isotretinoin is different from vitamin A. My personal opinion is that symptoms are exacerbated by having no vitamin A. Isotretinoin is usually 1-2% of the retinoids in your body, and is obtained from the body deriving it from vitamin A,but during treatment you in ingest up to 100x more isotretinoin then the RDA for vit A. Thus in some organs, such as the skin, there are signs of vit a toxicity, as in those organs Isotretinoin acts as a subsitute correctlybut in others, such as the eyes, where it does not function like vitamin A, there are signs of vitamin A deficiency, because they compete for retinoid receptors and other forms of vitamin A are drowned out.
your eyes need different vitamin A, and they usually get the right type, but when your body is flooded with isotretinoin they are more likely to grab the wrong the type. Thus its a good thing your son had Multivitaminsimho, because I also believe this happens in the brain and different organs as well as the eyes, and so different forms of vitamin A were circulating so the isotretinoin poisoning wont be as bad.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4533586/ Study with Isotretinoin-induced vitamin A deficiency> Night blindness
Thanks for responding!
He had only had the multi a few days of the last few days of the stupid high dose of the Isotretinoin and a few days of the detox days. His diet in general is pretty good, esp for a teen. It is an interesting theory about not wanting the body to grab the wrong thing and it makes sense. 🙁 This entire thread is so scary I can't really read it. I will say that he is 2 1/2weeks off of the fking poison. His temperature fluxuations seems to have mostly leveled out (he gets hotter in the evening, but allergies/thirst is kicking in), his eyes are not dry, his sexual functioning is reportedlyfine, his depression is totally gone.
ALTHOUGH he states his balls are tighter than before, which makes me greatly fear that Pituitary damage has/isoccurring and that his T is about to crash.
I am hesitant to have him eat much dairy right now. His blood work a week before he got off of it was fine, but it was not a mega comprehensive thing. Gonna follow-up with a new GP (as the other one blew us off..as expected). He is taking Magnesium-Potassium, Vit C, Vit D (he was decificent) and MSM powder (inflammation). Good on you for the keto and fasting. It works wonders for me too! My favorite trick is to take all the things, feel better, take nothing and start all over..especially magnesium 🙂 My meditation is to listen to the same. song. over. and. over. again. 🙂
As I promised I am posting here my recent blood test results. I haven't received the CORTISOL results that measured my saliva at 8 am, 4 pm and 8 pm, they will be delivered in the next days. My issue is described in this video:
[removed]
Last results:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1d12KQvyx2sVJamOCl-XaUq-4J8QWyK9o
Previous results, from total/free testosterone, and prolactin, only:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QzMtddxSJFVHCGEMTIc0TUjJH0fRq_g6
The total testosterone change from 240.5 to 380ng/DL (+ 58%) is not surprising at all. Free T also increased from 5.28to 8.76 ng/DL. Prolactin remained the same, from 19.3 to 26.3.
And why is that? Because when I did the first test a few weeks or a week before I was indulging in other foods outside my current diet prescribed by a nutritionist (pizza among them) that we all know to be detrimental to testosterone. And I was also not getting enough sleep. Bad diet and bad sleep are two things that can have a huge impact in these results.
Still, 380 is very low and prolactin has always measured in the 20's. I think I measured prolactin 5 times by now in the last 2 years, and it has never, NEVER MEASURED BELOW 20s. For a man ideal levels are half that number, or perhaps less.
The max total testosterone I measured was 409 I think (1-2 years ago), and only after supplementing with vitamin D-3 (2000 UI a day) for 3 months. This increased T by 35%. And vitamin D for 40's.
These two blood tests were done after more than a year without any vitamin D-3 being taken as supplement, and without proper exposure to the Sun (since I only go out there covering my body). The 380 ng/DL and 8.76 for free T are not impressive because when I did my first blood test in 2017 the results were:
3.09 for total T and 6.15for free T. 26 for vitamin D;
Link for the 1st blood test: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dK7ePx-ekFksI8HGkHh7dysuSuZRiMBW
If we add 240 to 380 and divide by 2 then the end result is 310. That means I am back to square one.
Vitamin D measured 31 now. It's close to the first measure of 26.
*****
So what is interesting and revealing about these blood results? Besides all that?
Zinc: like the first time I measured, it is normal. Many say zinc is responsible for increasing T. Labrange is 60 to 120 for adults and I measured 114.3.
Magnesium: lab range is 1.60 to 2.50 mg/DL and I measured 2.4. Also normal.
Vitamin B-12: labrange is210 to 980 pg/ML and my result was 599 pg/ML
>>>>>>>>>>
SHBG: lab range for men is10-57 nmol/L. My result: 26.1. If this is low or simply normal I can't tell.
Luteinizing hormone (LH): labrange fornormal men is 0.57 to 12.07 and my blood test showed 1.88 mIU/mL;
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): labrangefor men is 0.95 to 11.95 and I got 5.09 mIU/mL
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
LH: this is the first sign(I believe) of something abnormal.
It's odd, because I measured LUTENIZING HORMONE before and the result was 4.61 and the lab range was 1.24 to 8.62, but this was January 15, 2018. However this was already under the effect of months of vitamin D-3 supplement, and vit-D in this day measured in the 40's.
Searching the internet I found comments such as these:
"In men, high levels of LH in the blood are a sign of a problem with the testicles. Low levels of LH mean the issue is with the pituitary gland or hypothalmus. Your LH level, by itself, isnt enough to make a diagnosis. So you may get other tests, too."
"If you're a man, abnormally high LH levels along with low levels of testosterone may mean that your testicles aren't responding to LH's signal to make more testosterone. Low levels of LH may mean that your pituitary gland isn't making enough LH. That can lead to too little testosterone production. The normal ranges for men is 1.24 to 7.8 IU/L"
>>>>>>>>>
Then there's estradiol (E2). The lab range for men is11 - 144 pg/mL and I got9,00 pg/mL.
At first I thought itwas a good thing because I expected this to be high.
Then I found this:
Quick explanation to what low estradiol means for men: https://mantalityhealth.com/dude-estrogen-low/
>>>>>>>>>>
Testosterone deficiency in men accounts for decreases in lean mass, muscle size, and strength, whereas estrogen deficiency primarily accounts for increases in body fat, according to a new study. Deficiency of both hormones contributes to a decrease in sexual function.
Our findings support changes in the approach to evaluation and management of hypogonadism in men, investigators concluded in the New England Journal of Medicine (2013;369:1011-1022).
https://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/generalendocrinology/41551
Low E Not Low T May Be the Problem
Some symptoms traditionally attributed to low testosterone may actually be due to estrogen deficiency, researchers found.
In a small study of men whose hormone levels were altered to mimic low testosterone -- and in some cases, to completely inhibit estrogen production -- it appeared that androgen deficiency accounted for decreases in lean mass, muscle size, and strength, while a lack of estrogen was responsible for increases in body fat, according to Joel Finkelstein, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues.
(...)
Among men who were blocked from producing estrogen, the researchers saw increases in body fat at all levels of testosterone supplementation -- but there was no effect on lean muscle mass, muscle size, or leg strength, the researchers reported.
They also noted that the adverse effects on sexual function became more obvious when estrogen was suppressed.
Finkelstein and colleagues concluded that the results imply testosterone levels regulate lean body mass, muscle size and strength, while estrogen levels regulate fat accumulation -- and that sexual function appears to be regulated by both hormones.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
More:
Men Low Sex Drive: Low Estrogen May Be The Cause, Study Says
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/09/12/men-low-sex-drive_n_3914690.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/healthmain/men-need-female-hormone-sex-drive-fat-control-study-8C11132419
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/11/estrogen-aging-men/2794243/
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1206168
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Well, well, well! Very interesting.
Does that explain the abdominal fat I have for years and that has never vanished?
Who would have thought? So this is also another confirmation, besides high prolactin, that I have low libido?
LET'S CONTINUE...
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) - lab range between 135 and 1365 pg/mL \r for men, and old ranges were between 250 to 1600 pg/mL. My result? 183 pg/mL
Low DHT? Is this another side effect of... Accutane?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9298137
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Abstract
Isotretinoin, used to treat severe acne, has been shown to induce hormonal changes, especially to reduce 5 alpha-reductase in the production of the tissue-derived dihydrotestosterone (DHT) metabolite 3 alpha-Adiol G.
However, the effects of isotretinoin on other pituitary, adrenal or gonadal hormones have not been thoroughly elucidated. In the present study, isotretinoin administered at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks caused no marked changes in the serum levels of pituitary, adrenal or gonadal hormones or 3 alpha-Adiol G in patients with severe papulopustulotic acne (n = 19).
After 12 weeks of therapy, there was a decrease in the levels of the precursor androgens androstenedione, testosterone and 3 alpha-Adiol G in 6/9 patients. Acne improved after 4.5 months in all but 2 male patients, who had very low serum hormone binding globulins (SHBG) and a high free androgen index (FAI). Isotretinoin did not affect the elevated LH/FSH ratio in a patient with the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS); nor did it change the high FAI or low SHBG in the male patients.
For comparison, tetracycline had no effects on the serum hormonal levels of patients with mild acne (n = 19) after 7 days of treatment. This study confirms that the effects of isotretinoin on the serum hormone levels are small and unlikely to be of relevance for the resolution of acne or the suppression of sebum excretion.
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5-Reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs), also known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT) blockers, are a class of medications with antiandrogenic effects which are used primarily in the treatment of enlarged prostate and scalp hair loss. They are also sometimes used to treat excess hair growth in women and as a component of hormone therapy for transgender women.
These agents inhibit the enzyme 5-reductase, which is involved in the metabolic transformations of a variety of endogenous steroids. 5-ARIs are most known for preventing conversion of testosterone, the major androgen sex hormone, to the more potent androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT), in certain androgen-associated disorders.
5-ARIs are generally well-tolerated in both men and women and produce few side effects. However, they have been found to have some risks in studies with men, including slightly increased risks of decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, infertility, breast tenderness, gynecomastia, depression, anxiety, self-harm, and dementia.
In addition, while 5-ARIs decrease the overall risk of developing prostate cancer, they have been found to increase the risk of developing certain rare but high-grade forms of prostate cancer.As a result, the FDA has notified healthcare professionals that the Warnings and Precautions section of the labels for the 5-ARI class of drugs has been revised to include new safety information about the increased risk of being diagnosed with these rare but more serious forms of prostate cancer. Finasteride has also been associated with intraoperative floppy iris syndrome and cataract formation. Depressive symptoms and suicidality has been reported.
Sexual dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, and reduced ejaculate, may occur in 3.4 to 15.8% of men treated with finasteride or dutasteride. This is linked to lower quality of life and can cause stress in relationships. There is also an association with lowered sexual desire. It has been reported that in a subset of men, these adverse sexual side effects may persist even after discontinuation of finasteride or dutasteride.
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Mine is clearly low, otherwise it would be at least in the middle of that lab range.
Homocysteine was also measured. Lab ranges between 5.46 to 16.20 umol/L for men, and mine was 7.3.
Insulin blood test lab ranges: 1,90 to 23,00 MICRO UI/mL, mine: 5.19.
TGO, TGP, TSH and T4 and others = all within the lab ranges
To increase DHT all the recomendations I am already following, which is modify the diet and a new workout routine instead of the not demanding one I always had:
https://average2alpha.com/5-ways-to-increase-dht-levels/
What I am interested to know is if my results are somehow helpful in discovering what Accutane did in the first place.
And here's a report fromsomeone that took FINASTERIDE:
[Edited link out]
What fills me with hope is that I was wise enough to measure all these things during the Vitamin D-3 treatment (2000 UI each a day) and now, in 2019, more than a year after stopping with it.
Because I wanted to find out if taking for a few months was enough. These results answer this question: once you stop with the supplement and don't expose (properly, of course) yourself to the Sun, you'll reduce your D-3 levels and also others at the same time.
There were no drastic changes in my lifestyle and diet/routine between 2017 and 2019.
If the old results were not promising, they were at least better than now.
So now that I am back with this and more I hope things will improve even further.
Look at these results:
*******
BEFORE taking D-3:
August 28, 2017 (first blood test ever)
>>>>>>>>>
Total testosterone: 3,09 ng/mL
Free T: 6,15
Vitamin D-3: 26
Prolactin: 25
**
Already taking D-3 (2000 UI a day) for 3 months:
November 27 and 30, 2017
>>>>>>>>>>>
Total testosterone: 4,19 ng/mL (35% increase)
Free T: 6,91
Vitamin D-3: 40
Prolactin: 25 (again)
*********
Reduced Vitamin D-3 to 1000 UI a day:
January 15, 2018
>>>>>>>>>>
Total testosterone: 357 ng/dL (small decrease, but still higher than what I had in August 2017)
Free T: 7.21 (even higher)
Vitamin D-3: 42 (still high)
Prolactin: 28
LH: 4,61 mUI/mL (lab range: 1,24 to 8,62 MUI/ML) - better than today
FSH: 6,54 mUI/mL (lab range: 1,27 to 19,26 MUI/ML)
SHBG: 32,6 nmol/L (lab range 13,2 to 89,5 nmol/L)
January 31, 2018
>>>>>>>>>>
Prolactin: 20 (lower?)
ESTRADIOL (E2) - 18,00 pg/mL (lab range 11 - 144 pg/mL) - twice what I have today
Vitamin D: 44 (70% more than what I had in August 2017)
February 2, 2018
>>>>>>>>>>
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT): Result: 360 pg/mL
Lab range from men between 31-40 years old: 17,7 to 775,0 pg/mL
THEN I STOPPED TAKING VITAMIN D...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
September 2, 2019
>>>>>>>>>
Total testosterone: 240 ng/dL
Free T: 5,28 ng/dL
Prolactin: 19
NEW RESULT UNDER BETTER CONDITIONS (better sleep and resuming current diet):
September 23, 2019
>>>>>>>>>
Total testosterone: 380 ng/dL
Free T: 8,76 ng/dL
Prolactin: 26
Vitamin D: 31 (30% decrease from last result)
SHBG: 26,1 nmol/L (lab range 10 to 57 nmol/L)
LH: 1,88 mIU/mL (normal men lab range: 0,57 to 12,07)
FSH: 5,09 mIU/mL (lab range 0,95 to 11,95)
ESTRADIOL (E2) - 9,00 pg/mL (lab range 11 - 144 pg/mL) - half what I had when vit-D-3 was being taken
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT): Result: 183 pg/mL (lab range 135 to 1365 pg/mL, old range was 250 to 1600 pg/mL)
@Perene so are you saying vitamin D increased your testosterone levels?
15 hours ago, Calcified said:@Perene so are you saying vitamin D increased your testosterone levels?
It's widely known that a vitamin D deficiency means lower testosteroneand my blood tests also proved that. Yetthere was no sensible change in the prolactin levels all this time, and a 35% increase is not enough for someone that needs at least 100-150%.
The optimal testosterone level for my age (35 years) is way above 300s or 400s. From 0 to 400 ng/dL I think you can consider yourself as having low T. Most men that have symptoms fall into this range. There are even few that have had symptoms close to 500 ng/DL.
500-700 ng/dL is the range of normal testosterone. It's where there's normally no symptoms or signs of anything wrong.
By modern standards 700-1000 ng/DL is high. Our ancestors probably had this amount of 2-3 times more. Building muscle is easier, for example, for these men.
I am sure my diet played a huge role in these low levels, too, not just my workout routine and not using certain supplements. I've been adopting a diet that lacks FAT, and good fats, eatingavocados, drinking coconut oil, etc. is a recent change for me. I have opted for skimmed milk and other foods that never help with higher T. Even BACON, despite all the controversies surrounding, helps with this goal.
I am following what this article says:
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-increase-testosterone-naturally/
To see if things will improve I'll not restrict myself to simply changing a few things here and there, I'll do radical changes to my lifestyle, and record them for at least a 2-4 month experience. Because I want to make sure with tons of changes this side effect from Accutane will be greatly impacted, perhaps things will never return to what they were before my 2011treatment, but they will change a lot, that's for sure.
And if these doses for vitamin B-6, Ashwagandha and vitamins D-3/E don't work, then I'll see if they can be increased as well. For example: I was told to use Ashwagandha twice a day, still I only opted for taking 1 pill at breakfast. I don't want to overdose on anything, especially on vitamin B-6 to lower prolactin, because higher doses pose a risk and there are some bad side effects from them, too.
You should even take them at a proper time of the day, some of these are stimulants.
Ashwagandhamay have a minor impact on testosterone levels, however it is known to decrease cortisol. I don't think my cortisol test will reveal anything wrong, though.
What is missing from all sexual dysfunction reports are detailedanalysis of what was tried to change this condition. Without this I can only assume it's not just Accutane's fault, these people have otherdeficiencies they have not tried to fix. Once I try all of this and make sure it'snot achievingthe expected results then I'll know another approach will need to be considered.
1 hour ago, Perene said:It's widely known that a vitamin D deficiency means lower testosteroneand my blood tests also proved that. Yetthere was no sensible change in the prolactin levels all this time, and a 35% increase is not enough for someone that needs at least 100-150%.
The optimal testosterone level for my age (35 years) is way above 300s or 400s. From 0 to 400 ng/dL I think you can consider yourself as having low T. Most men that have symptoms fall into this range. There are even few that have had symptoms close to 500 ng/DL.
500-700 ng/dL is the range of normal testosterone. It's where there's normally no symptoms or signs of anything wrong.
By modern standards 700-1000 ng/DL is high. Our ancestors probably had this amount of 2-3 times more. Building muscle is easier, for example, for these men.
I am sure my diet played a huge role in these low levels, too, not just my workout routine and not using certain supplements. I've been adopting a diet that lacks FAT, and good fats, eatingavocados, drinking coconut oil, etc. is a recent change for me. I have opted for skimmed milk and other foods that never help with higher T. Even BACON, despite all the controversies surrounding, helps with this goal.
I am following what this article says:
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-increase-testosterone-naturally/To see if things will improve I'll not restrict myself to simply changing a few things here and there, I'll do radical changes to my lifestyle, and record them for at least a 2-4 month experience. Because I want to make sure with tons of changes this side effect from Accutane will be greatly impacted, perhaps things will never return to what they were before my 2011treatment, but they will change a lot, that's for sure.
And if these doses for vitamin B-6, Ashwagandha and vitamins D-3/E don't work, then I'll see if they can be increased as well. For example: I was told to use Ashwagandha twice a day, still I only opted for taking 1 pill at breakfast. I don't want to overdose on anything, especially on vitamin B-6 to lower prolactin, because higher doses pose a risk and there are some bad side effects from them, too.
You should even take them at a proper time of the day, some of these are stimulants.
Ashwagandhamay have a minor impact on testosterone levels, however it is known to decrease cortisol. I don't think my cortisol test will reveal anything wrong, though.
What is missing from all sexual dysfunction reports are detailedanalysis of what was tried to change this condition. Without this I can only assume it's not just Accutane's fault, these people have otherdeficiencies they have not tried to fix. Once I try all of this and make sure it'snot achievingthe expected results then I'll know another approach will need to be considered.
I think it is all Actuane's fault. For example, it changes gut health and that is why Vitamin D is simply not getting absorbed.. Such a damn mess. I am about to give my son daily Ginseng tea. My father has been taking this ONE brand since the 80's and he is a randy old man. Basically, this stuff comes out like tar and he makes a cup of hot tea with a small spoon of it. ILHWA Pure Concentrated Ginseng Tea. YOu can get it off Amazon. It will give ya a headrush in the beginning, but build up to a full 'spoon'. I'd try it for 6 weeks, hell for life..
I mentioned a link a while ago about a guy that had the issue you are describing:
https://inews.co.uk/news/health/roaccutane-acne-drug-poisoned-fitness-fan-187197
- The dose he was given was 80 mg a day, for four months. I was prescribed40 mg a day. I still have the records from my 2011 treatment, which apparently lasted from May to December: Link 1: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TFCpd1B9uLD6SUPfXjBAPSM7dy2GCMkL and Link 2: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1N6ylgNjnd7WAF6EXqyojsLTsMLEPwI8G
The links only register the doses given and the months. Unfortunately no blood tests.
Note: I followed all precautionsto the letter. One of them I remember to this day: "don't expose your skin to the Sun", and avoid going to the gym and exerting yourself too much".
I was planning on going into one for the first time and delayed that until 2012. Also I always spentmost of my days at home (back then - after 2012 I changed that and startedgoing out),so it wasn't a problem to strictly followall the precautions.
What the guy felt after taking Accutane (his words):
********
- "My skin and eyes were really dry, my lips were extremely chapped and I had stiff joints, constipation and mild depression too," remembers Tom. "After about a month I began feeling quite unwell and was extremely fatigued and suffering from bouts of anxiety and dizziness too."
The good news was Tom's skin did begin to improve. The bad news was that after his course of treatment ended, his symptoms not only continued but got worse.
"As time went by my acne did clear up for a while which was great," he said, "but I began feeling worse and worse. Even when I came off it the side effects wouldn't go away.
"I was so exhausted most days I could barely function. I felt like a weak old man, retiring to bed at 8 pm every night and was dead on my feet all day."
*****
I haven't felt anything wrong during or after the treatment. Except for dry lips, and depression that hit me hard in 2012 (I never felt so bad before and since) and probably lasted a few years. Oddly enough I had very high libido during this depression. But over the years my libido and testosterone sure plummeted.
More about Tom's symptoms:
*
Tom's anxiety worsened too and he began experiencing panic attacks and sensitivity to caffeine and alcohol.
"I used to drink lots of tea and coffee at work but now, even after just one cup of coffee, my heart would start racing and I'd feel dizzy and sick. And it only took a couple of beers to make me feel extremely drunk.
"I worked as a DJ part-time too and one night, I had four small bottles of beer and woke up the next day to find myself on the floor at home having been sick. I didn't even remember how I'd got there."
Frightened and worried that the Roaccutane, also known as Accutane or Isotretinoin, may have left him "permanently damaged", Tom went back to his GP who ran some tests to check his liver function and told him everything was fine.
"I felt it was the after effects of taking the drug that was causing all of my health problems, but whenever I said that to my GP, he just dismissed it as nonsense. It felt like I wasn't being taken seriously at all."
Two weeks later Tom received a call from the practice asking him to come in. His blood tests had shown dangerously low levels of vitamin D.
"Apparently I hadn't been getting enough sunlight which made no sense at all," said Tom. "As a fire and security systems engineer, I was spending a lot of my working hours outdoors, and I certainly didnt shy away from the sun. Still, I took the vitamin D supplements and hoped they would help me feel better."
But any initial positive effects Tom felt were placebo and didnt take long to wear off.
"While on this holiday I had no bowel movements at all. I was totally constipated and nothing I did seemed to help. I was eating a ton of dried fruit and cereal at hotel breakfast times, but nothing was shifting. I also noticed a huge decline in my sex drive around this time," he recalled.
****
Clearly the higher dose affected himmore than predicted, and that fits with what you say about his liver or whatever not being able to absorb it properly.
Or perhaps he is totally different frompeople like me, since I was able to increase vitamin D levels simply by taking once a week 2 pills with 7000 UI each ( = 2000 UI a day).
One thing that must be said is that vitamin D-3 should not be taken simply because we are too lazy to spend 15 minutes outside, to expose ourselves to the Sun. Some locations around the world (and in specific moments of the year) don't receive enough vit-D at any moment of the day, so if you don't take the pill then you'll continue to be deficient!
For example, let's say you live in LONDON (England). For more than 8 months of the year Vitamin D production is not possible: from the middle of August until late April.
Or perhaps Seattle, Washington (U.S.): Its not possible to produce Vitamin D outdoors from the beginning of September to the second week of April.
What about Miami, Florida?Also cant make Vitamin D from the end of October to the middle of February.
In North America (and anywhere in the northern hemisphere) during the winter, the farther north you are, the lower in the sky the Sun is during the day. In fact, in much of North America it isnt even possible to produce Vitamin D in the winter - even in the middle of the day when the Sun is at its highest point.
This can be verifiedwith this iOS app or a similar website: https://apps.apple.com/br/app/sun-surveyor-lite/id552754407
In my city at midday the Sun was at 76.4 degrees TODAY.To get Vitamin D from sunlightthe angle of Sun rays should be at least 50 degrees (preferably between 10 am and 1 pm). If it's lower than that at any moment of the day then taking the D-3 pill it's your only choice. I plan to continue taking vitamin D forever.
I am back, and my acne is worse than ever. I think sometimes people have a relapse, but you don't hear their story because they are maybe too proud to admit that this drug wasn't a cure.
In my case, I was diagnosed with infertility this year. I was initially diagnosed with PCOS, but additional tests discounted it. As I thought more and more about this, I thought I had a duty to warn others on this potential long term effect. Keep in mind I said potential, because like with all side effects it may not happen to you.
From an earlier post I stated my period had stopped for 3 months. My doctor at the time told me sometimes that could happen but they didn't know why. Well he wasn't bothered so I wasn't bothered.
Fast forward and 2 years later I developed menopausal type symptoms. No one was taking me seriously about my concern. I found out early menopause can occur due to genetics or chemotherapy. So I knew it wasn't genetics since my mom and grandma and great-grandmother were super fertile.
I knew, or rather thought, I never did chemo. Then I remembered that Accutane was mentioned as a chemo drug before, albeit weaker. After I did my course a study came out on its significant impact to ovarian reserve. Most recently the researchers tried to recant their results by saying AMH levels bounced back.
The reality is that the drug behaves like any chemo drug. For chemo patients, they experience irregular cycles and absence of periods during treatment. After treatment, many go into early menopause but some regain some of their ovarian function but have a shorter window for conception. It really depends on age and how fertile one is before treatment.
So my advice is to check your AMH pre-treatment. If it is less than 3 and you still want a family in the future, you may want to freezeyour eggs. The women from the study had AMH over 4, so they were really fertile to begin with. In your mid-20s and after, AMH starts dropping significantly. Birth control may help since it suppresses ovulation, so shutting down your ovaries during treatment may preserve some fertility. I didn't take birth control pills during treatment.
Well even if my skin was still clear today, it is hardly worth it. I feel like an old lady. I am in my 30s dealing with stuff women go through in their 40s and 50s. I guess the acne I have now is menopausal acne. Thanks accutan
2 hours ago, TrueJustice said:Regardless of gut issues or testosterone issues
Does anyone have any idea on how to combat the incessant systemic inflammation??
Fixing that seems deeper than anything else I can think ofright now....it just never goes away....what is that all about??
Is this what you mean by systemic inflammation?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4492688/Woman-pancreatitis-warns-risks-acne-drug.html
Hey!
Quite the thread you guys got here. Thought Id share my experience with Accutane, maybe some of you have similar experiences and can offer some advice. I have not read this thread, but I have read the "Post Accutane/Mino Facial Flushing".
I took Accutane about ten years ago. Normal doses for six months. My acne disappeared and never returned, which was fantastic. I did however get very sensitive facial skin, and although i do think it has improved with time, it is still an issue to this day. I do not have any permanent redness (at least nothing that is bothersome), but I do experience flushing and blushing. In recent years I have also developed a pretty bad facial sweat, but this is mainly an issue in high temperatures (above 23 degrees celcius). I do get botox injections on my forehead and nose every six months and this completely eliminates the sweating issue for the first four months. It is also quite effective in month five and six. Note: botox is injected in a different skin layer for sweat versus when its used for wrinkles.
My flushing is not very bad. I get this tingling sensation around my nose every now and then, but it only lasts for a few seconds. I actually do feel like the botox injections help somewhat with the flushing.
I dont get very red in my face when working out. When tanning I might get a little burnt if Im sloppy with the sun lotion, but nothing more than other people, and I have no problems getting a nice tan.
The main issue is blushing. Before Accutane, I had never blushed in my life. Today, almost everything makes me blush. Or at least it did. I feel like the issue isnt as bad as it was ten years ago, but it is still affecting my daily life. It makes me partake in less social activities than what I would like to. I also dread meetings at work. Although it is originally a physical issue, it has naturally developed into anxiety, affecting me psychologically as well.
I shouldnt really have any psychological issues though. I love people. I love meeting new people. I love (or at least somewhat enjoy) giving presentations. I love speaking up in meetings. If tomorrow, all my blushing and sweating went away, my anxiety would go with it. No doubt.
What I have tried over the years:
- Candela V-Beam Perfecta. 5 treatments over several months. Hard to say if it had any effect, maybe a little. Expensive.
- Melanotan 2. Gave me a nice tan, but hard to say if it had any long term effect. Left me with a lot of moles, but luckily most of them faded. Not something I would use again or recommend.
- Botox. For facial sweating (nose and forehead). Really quite incredible. Great results, not side-effects. Somewhat painful and expensive.
- Different creams. I currently use a serum and moisturizer, morning and night. Necessary, but not any drastic effects.
Last week I got prescribed Propranolol after read several positive reviews. Both from people with performance anxiety and blushing. If I could have 4 hours with a no blushing/ increased heart rate/ sweating guarantee, 2-3 times a week, that would make a tremendous difference in my life. It would allow me to enjoy meetings and be more social. I also feel like a few positive experiences could reduce my anxiety and thereby the need of medication.
Does anyone here have experience with propranolol or any other remedies that could be beneficial in my situation? 
Another thing - have anyone with post Accutane blushing tried ETS? I would probably change career before trying ETS, so its not really an option for me, but it would be interesting to hear about.
On 10/4/2019 at 6:56 PM, Perene said:It's widely known that a vitamin D deficiency means lower testosteroneand my blood tests also proved that. Yetthere was no sensible change in the prolactin levels all this time, and a 35% increase is not enough for someone that needs at least 100-150%.
The optimal testosterone level for my age (35 years) is way above 300s or 400s. From 0 to 400 ng/dL I think you can consider yourself as having low T. Most men that have symptoms fall into this range. There are even few that have had symptoms close to 500 ng/DL.
500-700 ng/dL is the range of normal testosterone. It's where there's normally no symptoms or signs of anything wrong.
By modern standards 700-1000 ng/DL is high. Our ancestors probably had this amount of 2-3 times more. Building muscle is easier, for example, for these men.
I am sure my diet played a huge role in these low levels, too, not just my workout routine and not using certain supplements. I've been adopting a diet that lacks FAT, and good fats, eatingavocados, drinking coconut oil, etc. is a recent change for me. I have opted for skimmed milk and other foods that never help with higher T. Even BACON, despite all the controversies surrounding, helps with this goal.
I am following what this article says:
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-increase-testosterone-naturally/To see if things will improve I'll not restrict myself to simply changing a few things here and there, I'll do radical changes to my lifestyle, and record them for at least a 2-4 month experience. Because I want to make sure with tons of changes this side effect from Accutane will be greatly impacted, perhaps things will never return to what they were before my 2011treatment, but they will change a lot, that's for sure.
And if these doses for vitamin B-6, Ashwagandha and vitamins D-3/E don't work, then I'll see if they can be increased as well. For example: I was told to use Ashwagandha twice a day, still I only opted for taking 1 pill at breakfast. I don't want to overdose on anything, especially on vitamin B-6 to lower prolactin, because higher doses pose a risk and there are some bad side effects from them, too.
You should even take them at a proper time of the day, some of these are stimulants.
Ashwagandhamay have a minor impact on testosterone levels, however it is known to decrease cortisol. I don't think my cortisol test will reveal anything wrong, though.
What is missing from all sexual dysfunction reports are detailedanalysis of what was tried to change this condition. Without this I can only assume it's not just Accutane's fault, these people have otherdeficiencies they have not tried to fix. Once I try all of this and make sure it'snot achievingthe expected results then I'll know another approach will need to be considered.
Please, include NoFap in your experiment.
On 10/5/2019 at 12:56 AM, Perene said:It's widely known that a vitamin D deficiency means lower testosteroneand my blood tests also proved that. Yetthere was no sensible change in the prolactin levels all this time, and a 35% increase is not enough for someone that needs at least 100-150%.
The optimal testosterone level for my age (35 years) is way above 300s or 400s. From 0 to 400 ng/dL I think you can consider yourself as having low T. Most men that have symptoms fall into this range. There are even few that have had symptoms close to 500 ng/DL.
500-700 ng/dL is the range of normal testosterone. It's where there's normally no symptoms or signs of anything wrong.
By modern standards 700-1000 ng/DL is high. Our ancestors probably had this amount of 2-3 times more. Building muscle is easier, for example, for these men.
I am sure my diet played a huge role in these low levels, too, not just my workout routine and not using certain supplements. I've been adopting a diet that lacks FAT, and good fats, eatingavocados, drinking coconut oil, etc. is a recent change for me. I have opted for skimmed milk and other foods that never help with higher T. Even BACON, despite all the controversies surrounding, helps with this goal.
I am following what this article says:
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-increase-testosterone-naturally/To see if things will improve I'll not restrict myself to simply changing a few things here and there, I'll do radical changes to my lifestyle, and record them for at least a 2-4 month experience. Because I want to make sure with tons of changes this side effect from Accutane will be greatly impacted, perhaps things will never return to what they were before my 2011treatment, but they will change a lot, that's for sure.
And if these doses for vitamin B-6, Ashwagandha and vitamins D-3/E don't work, then I'll see if they can be increased as well. For example: I was told to use Ashwagandha twice a day, still I only opted for taking 1 pill at breakfast. I don't want to overdose on anything, especially on vitamin B-6 to lower prolactin, because higher doses pose a risk and there are some bad side effects from them, too.
You should even take them at a proper time of the day, some of these are stimulants.
Ashwagandhamay have a minor impact on testosterone levels, however it is known to decrease cortisol. I don't think my cortisol test will reveal anything wrong, though.
What is missing from all sexual dysfunction reports are detailedanalysis of what was tried to change this condition. Without this I can only assume it's not just Accutane's fault, these people have otherdeficiencies they have not tried to fix. Once I try all of this and make sure it'snot achievingthe expected results then I'll know another approach will need to be considered.
Please, include NoFap in your experiment
7 hours ago, Perene said:Is this what you mean by systemic inflammation?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4492688/Woman-pancreatitis-warns-risks-acne-drug.html
Its not necessarily pancreatitis. I got tested for that before
In a nutshell, it might be the case that whilever there is systemic dryness, theres going to be systemic inflammation....
Just cant lose the brain inflammation, I grind my teeth almost every night, got no solution
1 hour ago, Doctorcolumbus said:Please, include NoFap in your experiment
Nofap doesnt need to be included, its a natural consequence of having low or no libido. You cant feelabout sex/women as you used to, so its natural to spend days, weeks or even years without overthinking about it.
Sure theres also some tiredness with how women and society are these days, but make no mistake that low T, high prolactin and other deficiencies will not only impact your libido, it will also affectyour ability to lose fat, gain muscle or a simple thing like studying, since these men also suffer from cognitive issues. Saying its a mere sexual dysfunction doesnt tell the whole story, the consequences are more serious than simply becoming asexual.
Besides all the supplements I suggested theres also BORON, which initially I thought about including yet decided not to at this time. More about it can be read here: https://crazybulk.com/blog/boron-testosterone/
Right now I am only relying on foods that have it, even though they combined on a daily basis dont add much. I think the most important change for me is to get a lot more serious at the gym with a new workout routine, and of course including healthy fats in the diet. A low fat diet is practically imposed by everyone these days and this is exactly why many have low testosterone.
Heres another story explaining what needs to be done to increase these levels:
For years I had to restrict to a diet of white rice, lowfat shrimp and beef, and plain homemade wheat bread. Otherwise I had terrible cramps and couldn't be productive. Here's what allowed me to expand my diet to approximate a normal person's, with some unremarkable IBS from stuff like spicy food:
Low-dose Naltrexone (LDN)
Nortriptyline
UDCA 1 pill per meal
That's how I escaped the malnutrition trap. Now that I'm no longer hypersensitive, I can try lots of medications without getting wrecked. So I'm sure I'll make further gains as I continue to tinker.
Mainstream doctors were worthless for me. The supposed experts suggested I was crazy, lazy and self-harming. I suggested they were incompetent and stupid. A holistic doctor who quit her mainstream practice in order to deliver a higher standard of care did a broader battery of tests that found one biomarker off the charts, an IBD inflammation marker.
UDCA was the last piece of the puzzle. The first two medications only reduced the severity of my symptoms. Only UDCA allowed me to expand my diet while remaining productive. Its dramatic instant effect indicates that the cause was indeed bile-system damage from Accutane.
Yes, I tried UDCA before, but discontinued when its effects were maybe mixed. Data was noisy. This was a reintroduction, with a different dosage pattern - light and only with food, which is contrary to instructions. Also it was together with Nortriptyline and LDN, which I hadn't done before.
As soon as I noticed I wasn't getting punished for dietary infractions, I ate like a starving man, to nauseating excess in fact, and found my new, gentler, more reasonable limits. I've never cared much about food except to try to eat a reasonably healthy ancestral diet. The mainstream doctors were quacks as wrong about butts as brains.
I don't have the infrastructure for quantitative self-analysis yet, so I just look for big qualitative results like the above. For that reason, I don't want to get into specifics. We're likely all different. However the above three medications are anti-inflammatory. Do your diligence if you think they might help your case. My dosages are low to standard.
Repeating - I'm busy working on a tool generally useful for the chronically ill and don't have time to answer queries specific to my case, which probably aren't generalizable anyway. Maybe I'll write it later.
Remember that just because someone's here doesn't mean Accutane caused his problems. Causation is not zero sum, noisy data kills, and everybody dies of something. Survival is a fitness test and your brain is on trial.
Oh yeah, my sig reports on the effects of LDN. It was a big improvement, but I couldn't keep the expanded diet and be productive. Each of the three meds was a big step forward. The first two were almost enough to expand diet and keep productivity, but not quite. UDCA put it way over that threshold.
I went from spending a lot of the day in enforced greyout horizontality to being an unremarkable IBS case, so that's a lot of subjective space to announce multiple tiers of curedness. As I said I'm sure I'll improve further from here; the deadlock is broken.
Interesting you got your hands on Udca.
I did try Tudca on and off with no real sign of change, actually my body kinda rejected it when I took in to kinesiologist.
You got me thinking I should introduce Taurine again - it is good for bile flow and Ive tested favourably with it at kinesiologist.
Thx for the info inregard to inflammation
On 10/6/2019 at 8:33 PM, TrueJustice said:Regardless of gut issues or testosterone issues
Does anyone have any idea on how to combat the incessant systemic inflammation??
Fixing that seems deeper than anything else I can think of right now....it just never goes away....what is that all about??
What symptoms do you notice from the inflammation?
On 10/7/2019 at 2:15 AM, BenGL said:Hey!
Quite the thread you guys got here. Thought Id share my experience with Accutane, maybe some of you have similar experiences and can offer some advice. I have not read this thread, but I have read the "Post Accutane/Mino Facial Flushing".
I took Accutane about ten years ago. Normal doses for six months. My acne disappeared and never returned, which was fantastic. I did however get very sensitive facial skin, and although i do think it has improved with time, it is still an issue to this day. I do not have any permanent redness (at least nothing that is bothersome), but I do experience flushing and blushing. In recent years I have also developed a pretty bad facial sweat, but this is mainly an issue in high temperatures (above 23 degrees celcius). I do get botox injections on my forehead and nose every six months and this completely eliminates the sweating issue for the first four months. It is also quite effective in month five and six. Note: botox is injected in a different skin layer for sweat versus when its used for wrinkles.
My flushing is not very bad. I get this tingling sensation around my nose every now and then, but it only lasts for a few seconds. I actually do feel like the botox injections help somewhat with the flushing.
I dont get very red in my face when working out. When tanning I might get a little burnt if Im sloppy with the sun lotion, but nothing more than other people, and I have no problems getting a nice tan.
The main issue is blushing. Before Accutane, I had never blushed in my life. Today, almost everything makes me blush. Or at least it did. I feel like the issue isnt as bad as it was ten years ago, but it is still affecting my daily life. It makes me partake in less social activities than what I would like to. I also dread meetings at work. Although it is originally a physical issue, it has naturally developed into anxiety, affecting me psychologically as well.
I shouldnt really have any psychological issues though. I love people. I love meeting new people. I love (or at least somewhat enjoy) giving presentations. I love speaking up in meetings. If tomorrow, all my blushing and sweating went away, my anxiety would go with it. No doubt.
What I have tried over the years:
- Candela V-Beam Perfecta. 5 treatments over several months. Hard to say if it had any effect, maybe a little. Expensive.
- Melanotan 2. Gave me a nice tan, but hard to say if it had any long term effect. Left me with a lot of moles, but luckily most of them faded. Not something I would use again or recommend.
- Botox. For facial sweating (nose and forehead). Really quite incredible. Great results, not side-effects. Somewhat painful and expensive.
- Different creams. I currently use a serum and moisturizer, morning and night. Necessary, but not any drastic effects.
Last week I got prescribed Propranolol after read several positive reviews. Both from people with performance anxiety and blushing. If I could have 4 hours with a no blushing/ increased heart rate/ sweating guarantee, 2-3 times a week, that would make a tremendous difference in my life. It would allow me to enjoy meetings and be more social. I also feel like a few positive experiences could reduce my anxiety and thereby the need of medication.
Does anyone here have experience with propranolol or any other remedies that could be beneficial in my situation?
Another thing - have anyone with post Accutane blushing tried ETS? I would probably change career before trying ETS, so its not really an option for me, but it would be interesting to hear about.
i used to get this and what helped me the most was a cream from GUINOT called hydra sensitive face cream, made a big difference though its not cheap.
13 hours ago, JosephBuchignani said:For years I had to restrict to a diet of white rice, lowfat shrimp and beef, and plain homemade wheat bread. Otherwise I had terrible cramps and couldn't be productive. Here's what allowed me to expand my diet to approximate a normal person's, with some unremarkable IBS from stuff like spicy food:
Low-dose Naltrexone (LDN)
Nortriptyline
UDCA 1 pill per mealThat's how I escaped the malnutrition trap. Now that I'm no longer hypersensitive, I can try lots of medications without getting wrecked. So I'm sure I'll make further gains as I continue to tinker.
Mainstream doctors were worthless for me. The supposed experts suggested I was crazy, lazy and self-harming. I suggested they were incompetent and stupid. A holistic doctor who quit her mainstream practice in order to deliver a higher standard of care did a broader battery of tests that found one biomarker off the charts, an IBD inflammation marker.
UDCA was the last piece of the puzzle. The first two medications only reduced the severity of my symptoms. Only UDCA allowed me to expand my diet while remaining productive. Its dramatic instant effect indicates that the cause was indeed bile-system damage from Accutane.
Yes, I tried UDCA before, but discontinued when its effects were maybe mixed. Data was noisy. This was a reintroduction, with a different dosage pattern - light and only with food, which is contrary to instructions. Also it was together with Nortriptyline and LDN, which I hadn't done before.
As soon as I noticed I wasn't getting punished for dietary infractions, I ate like a starving man, to nauseating excess in fact, and found my new, gentler, more reasonable limits. I've never cared much about food except to try to eat a reasonably healthy ancestral diet. The mainstream doctors were quacks as wrong about butts as brains.
I don't have the infrastructure for quantitative self-analysis yet, so I just look for big qualitative results like the above. For that reason, I don't want to get into specifics. We're likely all different. However the above three medications are anti-inflammatory. Do your diligence if you think they might help your case. My dosages are low to standard.
Repeating - I'm busy working on a tool generally useful for the chronically ill and don't have time to answer queries specific to my case, which probably aren't generalizable anyway. Maybe I'll write it later.
Remember that just because someone's here doesn't mean Accutane caused his problems. Causation is not zero sum, noisy data kills, and everybody dies of something. Survival is a fitness test and your brain is on trial.
Oh yeah, my sig reports on the effects of LDN. It was a big improvement, but I couldn't keep the expanded diet and be productive. Each of the three meds was a big step forward. The first two were almost enough to expand diet and keep productivity, but not quite. UDCA put it way over that threshold.
I went from spending a lot of the day in enforced greyout horizontality to being an unremarkable IBS case, so that's a lot of subjective space to announce multiple tiers of curedness. As I said I'm sure I'll improve further from here; the deadlock is broken.
Ok, where to buy UDCA?
Ronnie - inflammation in muscles and joints all around the body along with muscle fatigue at various times.
The most noticeable inflammation though would still be in Gut and in the head. Gut is in better shape but disappointed I cant fully get rid of inflammation after a year of working on it.
On 10/6/2019 at 10:15 AM, BenGL said:Hey!
Quite the thread you guys got here. Thought Id share my experience with Accutane, maybe some of you have similar experiences and can offer some advice. I have not read this thread, but I have read the "Post Accutane/Mino Facial Flushing".
I took Accutane about ten years ago. Normal doses for six months. My acne disappeared and never returned, which was fantastic. I did however get very sensitive facial skin, and although i do think it has improved with time, it is still an issue to this day. I do not have any permanent redness (at least nothing that is bothersome), but I do experience flushing and blushing. In recent years I have also developed a pretty bad facial sweat, but this is mainly an issue in high temperatures (above 23 degrees celcius). I do get botox injections on my forehead and nose every six months and this completely eliminates the sweating issue for the first four months. It is also quite effective in month five and six. Note: botox is injected in a different skin layer for sweat versus when its used for wrinkles.
My flushing is not very bad. I get this tingling sensation around my nose every now and then, but it only lasts for a few seconds. I actually do feel like the botox injections help somewhat with the flushing.
I dont get very red in my face when working out. When tanning I might get a little burnt if Im sloppy with the sun lotion, but nothing more than other people, and I have no problems getting a nice tan.
The main issue is blushing. Before Accutane, I had never blushed in my life. Today, almost everything makes me blush. Or at least it did. I feel like the issue isnt as bad as it was ten years ago, but it is still affecting my daily life. It makes me partake in less social activities than what I would like to. I also dread meetings at work. Although it is originally a physical issue, it has naturally developed into anxiety, affecting me psychologically as well.
I shouldnt really have any psychological issues though. I love people. I love meeting new people. I love (or at least somewhat enjoy) giving presentations. I love speaking up in meetings. If tomorrow, all my blushing and sweating went away, my anxiety would go with it. No doubt.
What I have tried over the years:
- Candela V-Beam Perfecta. 5 treatments over several months. Hard to say if it had any effect, maybe a little. Expensive.
- Melanotan 2. Gave me a nice tan, but hard to say if it had any long term effect. Left me with a lot of moles, but luckily most of them faded. Not something I would use again or recommend.
- Botox. For facial sweating (nose and forehead). Really quite incredible. Great results, not side-effects. Somewhat painful and expensive.
- Different creams. I currently use a serum and moisturizer, morning and night. Necessary, but not any drastic effects.
Last week I got prescribed Propranolol after read several positive reviews. Both from people with performance anxiety and blushing. If I could have 4 hours with a no blushing/ increased heart rate/ sweating guarantee, 2-3 times a week, that would make a tremendous difference in my life. It would allow me to enjoy meetings and be more social. I also feel like a few positive experiences could reduce my anxiety and thereby the need of medication.
Does anyone here have experience with propranolol or any other remedies that could be beneficial in my situation?
Another thing - have anyone with post Accutane blushing tried ETS? I would probably change career before trying ETS, so its not really an option for me, but it would be interesting to hear about.
I got nothing on your blushing, but I wonder if announcing it to your group/person before/as would it make it less. Then you don't have to wait for the blush to come on and the anxiety to come to. I am a teacher and we are always announcing to each other our ADHD, hearing issues, anxiety, etc to each other pretty early in conversation. (to group/social person).."Hey, when I get worked up/excited/nervous/talk fast, my skin blushes/reddens/sweats all on it's own..I am fine, just tossing it out here..and go on with the conversation. Maybe then your brain will get the connection that it matters not. You will still flush, but maybe it might not socially effect you so much. I dunno.