Interesting wishclean! that might explain why I broke out over all the herbs that I took.... But is it true that DIM increases testosterone and lowers estrogen? I just read very conflicting stories over the internet. I can't understand how a testosterone booster could help some people's acne

Interesting wishclean! that might explain why I broke out over all the herbs that I took.... But is it true that DIM increases testosterone and lowers estrogen? I just read very conflicting stories over the internet. I can't understand how a testosterone booster could help some people's acne

Yes, it's not good to mix herbs and birth control or other meds. And it shouldn't even be necessary...either one or the other should work, otherwise you need to figure out what the problem is in the first place.

On wikipedia, DIM is listed as the strongest herbal anti-androgen. On bodybuilding sites, men take DIM to increase free testosterone, but they take much higher doses than women should take. High estrogen converts to MORE testosterone, so if you lower bad estrogens, you could potentially lower overall testosterone, even if your free testosterone increases a little bit. I think that's what is happening when I take it, I have no other explanation for it based on what I read, unless DIM also works on other hormones (e.g. cortisol and prolactin) that haven't been studied. I was hesitant to take it because of the testosterone boost, but I think that's misleading information. And I am very sensitive to changes in testosterone, so I would have noticed some bad side effects by now.

The other thing that we don't know enough about is how estrogen (esp. xenoestrogens) can cause acne. Some people's acne could be due to estrogen/ low progesterone, NOT testosterone or other androgens. In these cases, DIM works really well.

Another good thing about DIM is that it is an antioxidant, and antioxidants help acne. I once took acai berry supplements for 1-2 years and my skin texture looked really good.

Update! So I've been taking Inositol for almost two months now, along with Yaz birth control, which I have taken for almost 5 months. Last month the amount of breakouts I got reduced by half, and this time if i don't break out anymore this month, it's looking like it reduced by half again - im past the middle of cycle and only had 3 big papules this month so far, compared to 6 last month and 12 the month before. Definitely progress! I knew I shouldn't be touching spiro just yet. I don't know if its yaz, inositol, or combination of the two, but i'm seeing results.

Also I have anxiety issues and I think Inositol actually helped me with that, and it doesn't make me feel that drowsy anymore so i still take it morning and night

Thanks for the reply WishClean. I wonder if the negative herb/medication interactions you explained is why I can't tolerate natural supplements like fish oil and multivitamins? Also, as you said, high levels of estrogen can convert to testosterone, so perhaps some people experience breakouts as a result of taking a high dose of DIM? As I recall, your skin was doing well on inositol alone, may I ask what inspired you to add DIM.

I know my breakouts are a result of androgens, as I was clear on spiro and metformin and then spiro and inositol for years. Also, when my skin starts to get bad, I notice more stray facial hairs. As I mentioned, I'm on metformin and spiro, I also take zinc and vitamin D, however, I still breakout on my period. Should I add inositol, even if it's just during my period? Do you have any recommendations for a supplement that, most likely, shouldn't interact with spiro and met to reduce inflammation? When I get a bad nodule, if I take Advil within the first hour or two, half the time it will go down or away.

Hi WishClean,

Hey all! Question to those taking inositol have any of you gained weight taking it? I just finished my second bottle of inositol (I've taken 200 pills total, about one a day so that makes about 6 months, right?) and have gained around 10lbs (a big deal for my size.) I haven't changed much else except stopping DIM (though I noticed weight gain before that), my diet is pretty good and I am quite active. I can't seem to drop a pound no matter how much I try. Now that my bottle is finished, I am going to stop taking it and see if I can lose the weight.

I didn't think that Inositol could cause weight gain until I did a quick search... and apparently I'm not alone. There are a few on the Soul Cysters forum who have said they have experienced the same thing. I also read that some stopped inositol and lost the weight.

Inositol did stop my hair shedding almost immediately, but other than that I haven't noticed any significant benefits from taking it. There has been no increase in hair growth or anything. And, now that I am taking B complex and some other vitamins, I bet my hair will continue to grow and won't abnormally shed again anyway.

Hey all!™¥ Question to those taking inositol ” have any of you gained weight taking it? I just finished my second bottle of inositol (I've taken 200 pills total, about one a day so that makes about 6 months, right?) and have gained around 10lbs (a big deal for my size.) I haven't changed much else except stopping DIM (though I noticed weight gain before that), my diet is pretty good and I am quite active. I can't seem to drop a pound no matter how much I try. Now that my bottle is finished, I am going to stop taking it and see if I can lose the weight.

I didn't think that Inositol could cause weight gain until I did a quick search... and apparently I'm not alone. There are a few on the Soul Cysters forum who have said they have experienced the same thing. I also read that some stopped inositol and lost the weight.

Inositol did stop my hair shedding almost immediately, but other than that I haven't noticed any significant benefits from taking it. There has been no increase in hair growth or anything. And, now that I am taking B complex and some other vitamins, I bet my hair will continue to grow and won't abnormally shed again anyway.

Wow, I didn't even think of that. And there I was wondering how I could have gained 5 pounds in just a week hitting my brand new high. So it could be inositol? Crazy. I have taken it for 2 months now. Though I don't think I'm gonna stop, I don't have problems with weight, if anything this is motivating me to exercise more which is great

Update! So I've been taking Inositol for almost two months now, along with Yaz birth control, which I have taken for almost 5 months. Last month the amount of breakouts I got reduced by half, and this time if i don't break out anymore this month, it's looking like it reduced by half again - im past the middle of cycle and only had 3 big papules this month so far, compared to 6 last month and 12 the month before. Definitely progress! I knew I shouldn't be touching spiro just yet. I don't know if its yaz, inositol, or combination of the two, but i'm seeing results.

 

 

Also I have anxiety issues and I think Inositol actually helped me with that, and it doesn't make me feel that drowsy anymore so i still take it morning and night

Yay! Glad it's working for you I'm all about trying something natural first because sometimes there's not even need for stronger drugs if a supplement works just as well if not better. Keep me updated.

Thanks for the reply WishClean. I wonder if the negative herb/medication interactions you explained is why I can't tolerate natural supplements like fish oil and multivitamins? Also, as you said, high levels of estrogen can convert to testosterone, so perhaps some people experience breakouts as a result of taking a high dose of DIM? As I recall, your skin was doing well on inositol alone, may I ask what inspired you to add DIM.

I know my breakouts are a result of androgens, as I was clear on spiro and metformin and then spiro and inositol for years. Also, when my skin starts to get bad, I notice more stray facial hairs. As I mentioned, I'm on metformin and spiro, I also take zinc and vitamin D, however, I still breakout on my period. Should I add inositol, even if it's just during my period? Do you have any recommendations for a supplement that, most likely, shouldn't interact with spiro and met to reduce inflammation? When I get a bad nodule, if I take Advil within the first hour or two, half the time it will go down or away.

I can't tolerate fish oil either....but I think it's because of the oil. I started DIM to help with estrogen dominance symptoms like melasma, and although it also helped minimize allergic reactions to foods & environmental triggers, it hasn't helped melasma :/ I needed something for excess estrogen because my issue wasn't just testosterone and progesterone. I don't think inositol interacts with anything because it's a vitamin technically.

Btw, taking advill for breakouts can lead to other issues if you take it frequently, so I wouldn't recommend that esp. since Advill is not for acne.

 

Hi WishClean,

Thank you very much for this very helpful thread. Please help me if any one understands the lab results or guide me what should i start with.

I am also suffering from hormonal imbalance, hirsutism, acne, fatigue, aggression, PMS, mood swings, brest pain after ovulation, headaches (sometimes).

I have autoimmune hypothyroidism currently on 100¼g levothyrox.

I'm glad inositol helped you with anxiety, it really calms me down when I'm stressed. I don't know where the "normal" range is for your lab results...it should be included in your chart, and from there you can see where your results fall.

If you have an autoimmune disease, then a nutrient-rich, low histamine diet can really help you more than any medication. Also, look into things that can help your thyroid besides levothyrox, such as vitamins.

Hey all!™¥ Question to those taking inositol ” have any of you gained weight taking it? I just finished my second bottle of inositol (I've taken 200 pills total, about one a day so that makes about 6 months, right?) and have gained around 10lbs (a big deal for my size.) I haven't changed much else except stopping DIM (though I noticed weight gain before that), my diet is pretty good and I am quite active. I can't seem to drop a pound no matter how much I try. Now that my bottle is finished, I am going to stop taking it and see if I can lose the weight.

I didn't think that Inositol could cause weight gain until I did a quick search... and apparently I'm not alone. There are a few on the Soul Cysters forum who have said they have experienced the same thing. I also read that some stopped inositol and lost the weight.

Inositol did stop my hair shedding almost immediately, but other than that I haven't noticed any significant benefits from taking it. There has been no increase in hair growth or anything. And, now that I am taking B complex and some other vitamins, I bet my hair will continue to grow and won't abnormally shed again anyway.

Hey hearts! As I mentioned a while ago, I was noticing some bloating with inositol but only during certain times of the month. Now that I added DIM, I think I gained some weight and am retaining more water, but I guess that's the risk to take with any antiandrogen because many women also gain weight on spiro and birth control. Did you gain any weight on DIM, and are you still on it?

Have you tried decreasing your inositol dosage? Perhaps it would work better for you in a b-complex. I read that it helps with weight loss, but my guess is that it only helps with that IF you need to lose weight in the first place. I think on thin women it can have the opposite effect if taken in higher doses.

hearts, I don't think I gained weight on inositol but it was nearly impossible for me to lose weight on it. I did every boot camp and workout regimen possible and still couldnt drop any weight. However, clear skin was more important to me so I stuck with it (until it stopped working last summer).

WishClean, I didnt know Advil was bad for you. I probably only take it once, maybe twice, per month (as I said, to reduce inflamed nodules). What is bad about Advil? Do you know a natural supplement that helps to reduce inflammation quickly as an alternative?

It definitely seems like a tough balance to achieve, lowering testosterone without increasing estrogen (or estrogen symptoms). Its super confusing as well. In another post, I wrote about the correlation of spotting and acne, which is apparently a result of low estrogen; however, I have other symptoms of high estrogen, like weight around the waist and lowered sex drive.

I thought you and others on this thread might be interested in this article I found about the correlation between birth control and insulin resistance. This may partly explain the prevalence of PCOS in women of our generation. I would venture to hypothesize that taking birth control early in life may contribute to long-term disruption of the complex relationship between sex hormones and insulin. http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/17/7/1729.long (Re: third paragraph down in the Introduction.

Wow, I didn't even think of that. And there I was wondering how I could have gained 5 pounds in just a week hitting my brand new high. So it could be inositol? Crazy. I have taken it for 2 months now. Though I don't think I'm gonna stop, I don't have problems with weight, if anything this is motivating me to exercise more which is great

Thanks for the reply, lifelong confusion. It's good to know even more firmly that I'm not alone. However, I'm glad it's working for you! I know that the weight wouldn't be as critical for everyone, so if you like it you should stick with it! (:

Hey hearts! As I mentioned a while ago, I was noticing some bloating with inositol but only during certain times of the month. Now that I added DIM, I think I gained some weight and am retaining more water, but I guess that's the risk to take with any antiandrogen because many women also gain weight on spiro and birth control. Did you gain any weight on DIM, and are you still on it?

Have you tried decreasing your inositol dosage? Perhaps it would work better for you in a b-complex. I read that it helps with weight loss, but my guess is that it only helps with that IF you need to lose weight in the first place. I think on thin women it can have the opposite effect if taken in higher doses.

Hey WishClean! How is everything going for you? Is the DIM, etc. still working for your skin? I am not taking DIM anymore, I stopped around the end of February. My skin is still really good, though! I didn't notice any side effects on DIM, I just felt that I didn't need it anymore after getting back in balance.

Unfortunately it was more than bloating on inositol for me... during PMS I woujld gain even more but that water retention would drop off and I would be back to the high weight. Rinse, repeat. If I felt more benefit from taking the inositol I would try lowering the dose but there just aren't any reasons to. I took it directly alongside my B-complex so I doubt that had anything to do with it either. Your ideas are great though, hopefully they can help someone else reading this that's going through the same thing! I think you're right about it helping with those who need to lose weight and taking the opposite effect for those who don't. I'm pretty sure that the soul cysters who said they gained weight on inositol were thin or thinner to begin with. It seems like that is the same for spiro and other antiandrogens when I looked into it.

hearts, I don't think I gained weight on inositol but it was nearly impossible for me to lose weight on it. I did every boot camp and workout regimen possible and still couldnt drop any weight. However, clear skin was more important to me so I stuck with it (until it stopped working last summer).

WishClean, I didnt know Advil was bad for you. I probably only take it once, maybe twice, per month (as I said, to reduce inflamed nodules). What is bad about Advil? Do you know a natural supplement that helps to reduce inflammation quickly as an alternative?

It definitely seems like a tough balance to achieve, lowering testosterone without increasing estrogen (or estrogen symptoms). Its super confusing as well. In another post, I wrote about the correlation of spotting and acne, which is apparently a result of low estrogen; however, I have other symptoms of high estrogen, like weight around the waist and lowered sex drive.

I thought you and others on this thread might be interested in this article I found about the correlation between birth control and insulin resistance. This may partly explain the prevalence of PCOS in women of our generation. I would venture to hypothesize that taking birth control early in life may contribute to long-term disruption of the complex relationship between sex hormones and insulin. http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/17/7/1729.long (Re: third paragraph down in the Introduction.

Thanks for the input, brenmc! I feel you on the not being able to lose the weight thing while taking it... it was weird to be gaining weight as the weather warmed up because my activity level goes up quite a bit with hiking, swimming, etc. It's too bad inositol stopped working for your skin... what is your regimen now?

I'm not an advocate of pharmaceuticals or even OTC drugs, but I did do the same thing as you, brenmc I took Advil (ibuprofen) a few times a month when I was still breaking out and it helped with the inflammation significantly. I have been told by others that stuff like that is really bad for you and even carcinogenic but I have never bothered to look into it. I figured if I only took it occasionally that it would be fine and I don't like to add more paranoia to my life! (: The only negative thing that I know can happen is stomach bleeding when taken excessively or consistently with alcohol. When I was younger, my mom always told me to make sure to have food in my stomach when taking it, which I'm sure helps. As far as natural anti-inflammatory remedies go, I know chamomile, ginger, and turmeric all help, but I haven't tried them topically. Here's some more info on the subject.

Thanks for the link! It's very interesting. I don't think I have PCOS or IR (I do have hypoglycemia) but I know taking BCP early in life really messed up my hormones. If I could go back and not ever take it, I would!

Update on quitting inositol: I have already dropped about 1-2lbs. Let's hope this keeps up! (:

Thanks for the link, brenmc, that's a very interesting article. I actually didn't have any issues with insulin before going on birth control...after that, my metabolism changed and also my blood sugar and blood pressure would drop very abruptly. For me, vitex was what helped my body get back on track but sadly, I can't seem to tolerate it anymore. I blame my stomach problems, which are probably due to all the antibiotics I took for acne. Vicious cycle.

Have you tried turmeric for inflammation? I mix it with yogurt as a mark, but there are people who take it internally. Cinnamon pills also work for IR, but I can't take those due to histamine issues.

@ hearts, glad you are losing weight! Yes, I think thin women tend to gain weight on anti-androgens, that's just one of those things we have to put up with for clear skin. The only time I actually lost weight was on vitex and then on multivitamins....DIM seems to be making me a bit bloated, especially if I take more :/ Not sure why, though....can you think of any reasons? My only guess would be that, along with lowering the bad estrogens, it's increasing the good ones...could that be why?

@ hearts, glad you are losing weight! Yes, I think thin women tend to gain weight on anti-androgens, that's just one of those things we have to put up with for clear skin. The only time I actually lost weight was on vitex and then on multivitamins....DIM seems to be making me a bit bloated, especially if I take more :/ Not sure why, though....can you think of any reasons? My only guess would be that, along with lowering the bad estrogens, it's increasing the good ones...could that be why?

Yeah, something like that could be a possiblity. The common misconception is that DIM reduces estrogen overall; when it actually just helps with healthy and efficient estrogen metabolism. It increases the chance that estrogen will be broken down into the good metabolites (2-hydroxy) instead of the "bad" estrogen metabolites (16-hydroxy). Also, when you have issues metabolizing estrogen, it leaves extra in your body that can cause negative symptoms... DIM can help with that. I don't think DIM is raising your estrogen, though.

DIM could be causing you some weight gain and water retention because it's an anti-androgen. It's another one of those that when people take it that need to lose weight, they have great results. My other hypothesis is perhaps that even though DIM is helping you with estrogen metabolism and androgens, your estrogen levels still might be a little high. I used progesterone cream pretty much the entire time taking DIM so that may have helped me. Anytime my estrogen is too high, I just don't feel right and have lots of symptoms. Everyone is different though, so it's hard to say in your case. How much DIM are you taking?

However, with all that being said, apparently inositol lowers testosterone AND estrogen over time... which makes me think in your case that it's more of the anti-androgen effect rather than too much estrogen. If inositol lowers testosterone overall, it would probably explain why I gained some weight and feel generally less toned. I didn't think that taking such a small dose (250mg) of an "unofficial B vitamin" could affect me so much.

Another weird thing about stopping inositol is that I started spotting... I am not due for AF for another week or so. I'm sure it will level out though, I am still using NPC.

Hey ladies,

hearts, my regimen now consists of spiro, metformin, zinc and vitamin D. I really didnt want to go back to metformin and be stuck taking two pharmaceuticals but, sadly, nothing I tried since last summer worked. I kept thinking (and writing on this forum) that the spiro had stopped working, but I now believe it was the inositol that lost effectiveness over time. Its possible that this had something to do with the brand I was taking or some other factor(s), but Ill never know. Since being back on metformin my skin has improved (although not to pre-last summer/inositol resistance state).

Previous to any acne treatment, (although after starting and quitting birth control as a teenager, which I started at 15 or 16 to control my heavy period not to address acne because I did not have nodular acne until post-birth control) I would get approximately two nodules a month. After starting and quitting Diane 35 (to address the nodules), I had the worse acne and year of my life as a result of a horrendous rebound effect from quitting Diane (new nodules almost daily). I took spiro and metformin to great success for a couple of years and then inositol and spiro to great effect for a couple more (until last summer). Now back on the spiro and met combo, I still get nodules around my period, which I never did during the successful years of these meds. Im not sure whats going on here, any ideas (I dont mean to highjack this post but you ladies are so helpful and its related to hearts query about my regimen)?

WishClean, so do you think vitex sort of resets your hormones post birth control? This is the major question Ive been thinking about since reading that article, if birth control essentially screws up your insulin and other hormones and you stop taking it, how come they dont sort of reset over time? I was off of birth control off and on for several years and my acne always came back (even though, as Ive said, I never had nodular acne until after I started birth control, even though I had my first period at twelve and was already well into puberty at 15 or 16 when I started birth control). I know this is sort of a convoluted and crazy question and I guess if we could answer it all of our problems would be solved, I still really want to figure out this hormonal dysfunction trigger for many women. May I ask why you couldnt tolerate vitex? Ive heard very mixed reviews about it, whats up with that?

Hey ladies,

hearts, my regimen now consists of spiro, metformin, zinc and vitamin D. I really didnt want to go back to metformin and be stuck taking two pharmaceuticals but, sadly, nothing I tried since last summer worked. I kept thinking (and writing on this forum) that the spiro had stopped working, but I now believe it was the inositol that lost effectiveness over time. Its possible that this had something to do with the brand I was taking or some other factor(s), but Ill never know. Since being back on metformin my skin has improved (although not to pre-last summer/inositol resistance state).

Previous to any acne treatment, (although after starting and quitting birth control as a teenager, which I started at 15 or 16 to control my heavy period not to address acne because I did not have nodular acne until post-birth control) I would get approximately two nodules a month. After starting and quitting Diane 35 (to address the nodules), I had the worse acne and year of my life as a result of a horrendous rebound effect from quitting Diane (new nodules almost daily). I took spiro and metformin to great success for a couple of years and then inositol and spiro to great effect for a couple more (until last summer). Now back on the spiro and met combo, I still get nodules around my period, which I never did during the successful years of these meds. Im not sure whats going on here, any ideas (I dont mean to highjack this post but you ladies are so helpful and its related to hearts query about my regimen)?

brenmc, I'm sorry to hear that you are still breaking out around AF, but at least it's an improvement from what it sounds like! I'm unfamiliar with Metformin other than it helps control blood sugar. Seeing as that benefits you so much, it's clear that both you and I had different causes for acne. It also explains why NPC didn't help you when you tried it, so I'm sorry that you bothered with that route at all. ): Again, I'm not that knowledgable on the subject but from what I understand, until insulin resistance is fixed it is very difficult to balance the other hormones.

I'm glad that you seem to have figured out that it wasn't spiro that lost effectiveness, but inositol. Did you ever try D-Chiro inositol or just Myo? Do you think spiro is still helping you? Do you take a multi-vitamin or minerals? There are some other nutrients that help with stabilizing blood sugar including Chromium, Glutamine, B Vitamins (specifically Thiamine), Biotin, and Zinc (which you are already taking.) I'm not saying taking one of these would be a cure all, but they could help. Since taking adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids I have felt much better overall (less dependent on hormonal treatments) and I think without them I wouldn't have been able to wean off of DIM without breaking out.

I'm sorry I'm not more helpful with your situation... my only thought from what you've said is to focus on the blood sugar issues and perhaps the other hormones will start balancing or at least reacting better as well.

Thanks so much for your input and your advise. I will keep you posted! I ran out of dong quai this week and noticing Im breaking out a little more so maybe its helping. Im thinking of dropping the saw palmetto and doing licorice + peony mixture instead since it helps lower t levels. Ive read on soulcysters some women had success with licorice + peony aswell. I am also waiting on inositol to come in the mail. Btw I read on soulcycsters somewhere that studies have shown even thin pcos women who don't display ir actually are ir to a certain degree. So I am very excited to try out inositol now. If I find the link again I will post it!

And yes in regards to DIM Ive read so many mixed reviews about it raising/lowering free t, lowering/raising estrogen. Its listed as a strong anti androgen though on wiki like you said so its difficult to decipher how it reacts in the body. I wish I understood how this all worked out and how it affected acne.

Thanks for the reply hearts. I was taking chiro-inositol. I'll do some research into the other supplements you mentioned for controlling IR.

Hey WishClean,

I have been re-reading your post and I appreciate your research and, even more importantly, your ability to synthesize all the conflicting information into a coherent explanation. I find it very challenging to wade through all of the conflicting and inflammatory information on the web. I hope you don't mind me asking you for more help.

You say in your posts that you have both high androgens and high estrogen. I believe I might have the same issue. Could this be why I breakout around my period and have stubborn weight around the waist despite a healthy lifestyle?

I'm also wondering if you have any insight into why inositol might have stopped working for me last summer? Have you found much information on long term inositol use or potential imbalances caused by long term use? Now that I'm on met things have improved but not completely.

I'm also trying to understand why I breakout when I take any supplement or vitamin (C, B, fish oil, multi, etc...)? I know these might help my overall health but within days of trying anyone of these I always get a reactionary inflamed breakout.

My final question is about a comment you made in regard to your aunt's PCOS going away when she got pregnant. Could you tell me more about that?

 

Update! So I've been taking Inositol for almost two months now, along with Yaz birth control, which I have taken for almost 5 months. Last month the amount of breakouts I got reduced by half, and this time if i don't break out anymore this month, it's looking like it reduced by half again - im past the middle of cycle and only had 3 big papules this month so far, compared to 6 last month and 12 the month before. Definitely progress! I knew I shouldn't be touching spiro just yet. I don't know if its yaz, inositol, or combination of the two, but i'm seeing results.

Also I have anxiety issues and I think Inositol actually helped me with that, and it doesn't make me feel that drowsy anymore so i still take it morning and night

Yay! Glad it's working for you I'm all about trying something natural first because sometimes there's not even need for stronger drugs if a supplement works just as well if not better. Keep me updated.

Thanks for the reply WishClean. I wonder if the negative herb/medication interactions you explained is why I can't tolerate natural supplements like fish oil and multivitamins? Also, as you said, high levels of estrogen can convert to testosterone, so perhaps some people experience breakouts as a result of taking a high dose of DIM? As I recall, your skin was doing well on inositol alone, may I ask what inspired you to add DIM.

I know my breakouts are a result of androgens, as I was clear on spiro and metformin and then spiro and inositol for years. Also, when my skin starts to get bad, I notice more stray facial hairs. As I mentioned, I'm on metformin and spiro, I also take zinc and vitamin D, however, I still breakout on my period. Should I add inositol, even if it's just during my period? Do you have any recommendations for a supplement that, most likely, shouldn't interact with spiro and met to reduce inflammation? When I get a bad nodule, if I take Advil within the first hour or two, half the time it will go down or away.

I can't tolerate fish oil either....but I think it's because of the oil. I started DIM to help with estrogen dominance symptoms like melasma, and although it also helped minimize allergic reactions to foods & environmental triggers, it hasn't helped melasma :/ I needed something for excess estrogen because my issue wasn't just testosterone and progesterone. I don't think inositol interacts with anything because it's a vitamin technically.

Btw, taking advill for breakouts can lead to other issues if you take it frequently, so I wouldn't recommend that esp. since Advill is not for acne.

Hi WishClean,

Thank you very much for this very helpful thread. Please help me if any one understands the lab results or guide me what should i start with.

I am also suffering from hormonal imbalance, hirsutism, acne, fatigue, aggression, PMS, mood swings, brest pain after ovulation, headaches (sometimes).

I have autoimmune hypothyroidism currently on 100¼g levothyrox.

I'm glad inositol helped you with anxiety, it really calms me down when I'm stressed. I don't know where the "normal" range is for your lab results...it should be included in your chart, and from there you can see where your results fall.

If you have an autoimmune disease, then a nutrient-rich, low histamine diet can really help you more than any medication. Also, look into things that can help your thyroid besides levothyrox, such as vitamins.

Hey all!™¥ Question to those taking inositol ” have any of you gained weight taking it? I just finished my second bottle of inositol (I've taken 200 pills total, about one a day so that makes about 6 months, right?) and have gained around 10lbs (a big deal for my size.) I haven't changed much else except stopping DIM (though I noticed weight gain before that), my diet is pretty good and I am quite active. I can't seem to drop a pound no matter how much I try. Now that my bottle is finished, I am going to stop taking it and see if I can lose the weight.

I didn't think that Inositol could cause weight gain until I did a quick search... and apparently I'm not alone. There are a few on the Soul Cysters forum who have said they have experienced the same thing. I also read that some stopped inositol and lost the weight.

Inositol did stop my hair shedding almost immediately, but other than that I haven't noticed any significant benefits from taking it. There has been no increase in hair growth or anything. And, now that I am taking B complex and some other vitamins, I bet my hair will continue to grow and won't abnormally shed again anyway.

Hey hearts! As I mentioned a while ago, I was noticing some bloating with inositol but only during certain times of the month. Now that I added DIM, I think I gained some weight and am retaining more water, but I guess that's the risk to take with any antiandrogen because many women also gain weight on spiro and birth control. Did you gain any weight on DIM, and are you still on it?

Have you tried decreasing your inositol dosage? Perhaps it would work better for you in a b-complex. I read that it helps with weight loss, but my guess is that it only helps with that IF you need to lose weight in the first place. I think on thin women it can have the opposite effect if taken in higher doses.

Hey,

As many of you may know, I was on inositol until last year when my skin started breaking out again. I've been off of it for several months and I think I might start it up again. Here is a link to a video that explains very clearly why inositol helps acne and other PCOS symptoms: http://www.chiralbalance.com/d-chiro-inositol/

Hey brenmc,

Have you ever had your histamines checked during a general blood test?

No. I don't know much about the relationship between histamines and acne but I have seen you mention that you follow a low histamine diet. Can you tell me about that?

Hey brenmc,

Have you ever had your histamines checked during a general blood test?

 

No. I don't know much about the relationship between histamines and acne but I have seen you mention that you follow a low histamine diet. Can you tell me about that?

Hey brenmc,

Have you ever had your histamines checked during a general blood test?

hey brenmc,

were you able to find my posts on histamines? I found The Low Histamine Chef's website particularly insightful. There are long lists of things to avoid, but I posted a thread with the things I typically eat on the Diet forum a few months ago, which is a more realistic approach to a low histamine lifestyle (along with avoiding sulfates in products like shampoo and cleanser). It's a restrictive diet but now I'm able to tolerate more and more things, which is great. I think DIM helped because high estrogen leads to more histamine issues.

Hey WishClean,

No, couldn't find it, could you please provide me with a link or search criteria to find your post? I saw others' posts on histamines but not yours.

 

No. I don't know much about the relationship between histamines and acne but I have seen you mention that you follow a low histamine diet. Can you tell me about that?

 

 

Hey brenmc,

Have you ever had your histamines checked during a general blood test?

 

hey brenmc,

were you able to find my posts on histamines? I found The Low Histamine Chef's website particularly insightful. There are long lists of things to avoid, but I posted a thread with the things I typically eat on the Diet forum a few months ago, which is a more realistic approach to a low histamine lifestyle (along with avoiding sulfates in products like shampoo and cleanser). It's a restrictive diet but now I'm able to tolerate more and more things, which is great. I think DIM helped because high estrogen leads to more histamine issues.

This is basically a breakdown of an easy low histamine diet...

Thanks for the link WishClean. I responded in the other thread so as to not clog up your inositol/DIM thread.

I'm not sure if you saw one of my previous questions on this topic but I was asking about whether or not you found any new information on long term inositol use or potential inositol resistance? I'm considering going back on it now that six months have passed and also because I came across a video (I posted in this thread) about how important inositol is for PCOS.

Finally, do you think DIM is a long term supplement or just a temporary one for detoxing your body of excess estrogen? Do you know of any potential rebound effects or side effects from long term use? Just curious.

I'm joining the inositol experiment. I've long suspected I might have PCOS, or at least a hormonal imbalance, which has become apparent since going off BC two years ago.

My acne issue is hormonal cysts that appear on my chin each and every month. I have very clear skin on the rest of my face, but if anything plays with my hormones I will face an eruption (or three or four). My most recent situation was drinking a whey protein shake which, I didn't realize, promotes testosterone. The next morning I had two cysts on my chin, more coming up on my cheeks... In the following weeks ELEVEN total popped up in succession, all below the cheekbones. Luckily they didn't scar, and once extracted they stayed away. Currently, one month later, the breakout has slowed down, and there's only one left on my chin. (Fingers crossed.) I also had the worst period of my life that month, with initial cramps so horrific I ended up vomiting from the pain. I attribute all of this to one glass of a testosterone-friendly powder blended into a seemingly-healthy shake with spinach.

Other PCOS symptoms I've noticed include - hair everywhere after going off the pill (sides of face, jawline, upper lip, most of my body, etc.), fibrocystic breasts, cycles which are not wildly irregular but are very heavy and last at least a full week; insomnia and terrible PMS depression that lasts two weeks before my period. As stated, I went off BC two years ago as the generic I'd used - the only one that hadn't given me intense side effects - was discontinued, and I have not ovulated since.

I have digestive issues as well - diagnosed Celiac, problems digesting dairy (cheese is OK, generally), and VERY intense reactions to sugar I don't eat it too often, but if I have any amount larger than a few teaspoons I will be out of commission for at least a day, with extreme fatigue, full-body bloating, and migraines. I've begun to realize this is probably an insulin issue. It also tends to break me out (of course), and make my PMS intense.

Getting checked for PCOS isn't an option right now, since my husband quit his job to join a start-up, and we're between insurance providers. So, in the meantime, I've started taking evening primrose three times daily, as it's helped my hormonal acne in the past, a multi with folic acid, calcium with D, and zinc twice a day. I also drink apple cider vinegar in water. And after reading this thread and many articles on PCOS websites, I bought a bottle of Twinlab myo-inositol and have begun taking 1500 MGs. (Is this too much? Too little?)

Four days in - I haven't had any new breakouts, which is a good sign as my period should come sometime in the next week, and the cysts usually show up early. I'm not noticing any appetite loss; I'm actually hungrier, though that's not a bad thing, as I'm underweight. I have a headache for about a half hour after I take one. I'll be updating as things progress!