Hey hearts,

Thanks for the update. Sorry to hear you still haven't lost the weight...but at least the hair shedding stopped and inositol helped you with that. As I said before, thin women seem to experience some weight gain on inositol, whereas overweight women (Esp. with PCOS) use it for weight loss. My guess is that, in lowering your testosterone, inositol has tipped the balance towards estrogen. Since you had estrogen dominance before, DIM might be the way to go once again until you lose the weight. For me personally, DIM seems to make me a bit bloated on certain days of the month, but maybe for you it can help with weight loss.

I recently re-added evening primrose to my regime, which for some women it can help with weight loss. Evening primrose & vitex helped me lose weight the first time I took them coming off of birth control.

Thanks for the reply, WishClean! I think you are probably right, that estrogen is dominant again this time causing extra weight in the typical female areas instead of causing acne. Grr! I am so sensitive to estrogen. Even though I am using progesterone every night, it still hasn't helped with the weight. Inositol also messed up my cycle so maybe it'll just take more time to level out.

Those are good suggestions. I've never tried evening primrose or vitex before... taking something else hormonal scares me a little at this point because I don't want to screw anything else up, if that makes sense. However, I have read EPO can help with weight so I might try that or take DIM again if I can't get this under control soon. Is EPO a long-term thing or is it more like vitex? This has gotta be a hormonal issue because I gained the EXACT same amount of weight on spironolactone and wasn't able to drop it until I completely quit taking it. Probably because spiro lowers testosterone and is a little estrogenic.

Anyway, how is Europe treating you? Is your skin still doing well? It's good to hear from you again! (:

I'm curious about this because of all the studies that show inositol works to lower androgens. With herbs there isn't a lot (if any) proof that they will help.

I don't have PCOS personally so no insulin resistance. I've actually always been thin if not underweight. Would inositol still help me? I have high DHEA which I believe is the root cause of my problems.

Another thing I was wondering is will myo-inositol help at all or is DCI the only thing that works? All reweaves I could find were for DCI.. I don't live in the US and can't find DCI anywhere in my country. It's illegal to order it from abroad too as it's classified as a drug!?

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?

Hi Wishclean,

I've been reading this thread for the last 2 days trying ti get some understanding of how inositol might work with acne and hirsutism. I'm still really comfused so I thought you might be able to shed some light ! I'v always struggled with acne since I was 13 ( I am now 35) . I've had clear years and not so clear ones but the problem's always been there. I've been pregnant 2 times and both pregnancies( and while I was nursing) I was completely clear - not even a small pimple. Now that I've weaned my daughter off a little over a year ago, I've started to break out in cysts on my chin again around ovulation time. My hair is thin, I also have more facial and body hair than the average girl, get extremely crazy around my period times and crave sweets . I feel like it is an emotional up and down. I know there has to be something up with my hormones, but I'm not exactly sure what it could be. I took vitex for a while (maybe 8 months) and it worked perfectly, but then suddenly i started getting the chin breakouts again. I used to get hot flashes before my pd, but I am also taking DIM for what i though might be estrogen dominance and thats helped with the flashes too. If I am completely clear in pregnancy, does that mean that I don't have an estrogen dominance and I have a testosterone issue instead? would i have broken out during pregnancy if I had estrogen dominance to begin with? I'm not sure which hormone to target anymore , it's all so confusing and they overlap so much! It seems like you really know what you're talking about , so I hoped you could help! Any and all advice or insight would be appreciated

Hi Wishclean,

I've been reading this thread for the last 2 days trying ti get some understanding of how inositol might work with acne and hirsutism. I'm still really comfused so I thought you might be able to shed some light ! I'v always struggled with acne since I was 13 ( I am now 35) . I've had clear years and not so clear ones but the problem's always been there. I've been pregnant 2 times and both pregnancies( and while I was nursing) I was completely clear - not even a small pimple. Now that I've weaned my daughter off a little over a year ago, I've started to break out in cysts on my chin again around ovulation time. My hair is thin, I also have more facial and body hair than the average girl, get extremely crazy around my period times and crave sweets . I feel like it is an emotional up and down. I know there has to be something up with my hormones, but I'm not exactly sure what it could be. I took vitex for a while (maybe 8 months) and it worked perfectly, but then suddenly i started getting the chin breakouts again. I used to get hot flashes before my pd, but I am also taking DIM for what i though might be estrogen dominance and thats helped with the flashes too. If I am completely clear in pregnancy, does that mean that I don't have an estrogen dominance and I have a testosterone issue instead? would i have broken out during pregnancy if I had estrogen dominance to begin with? I'm not sure which hormone to target anymore , it's all so confusing and they overlap so much! It seems like you really know what you're talking about , so I hoped you could help! Any and all advice or insight would be appreciated

Hey girl1777, another thing to consider if you were totally clear during pregnancy is low progesterone... progesterone levels skyrocket during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. The fact that vitex helped you (raises progesterone) and you have had positive results with DIM (improves estrogen to progesterone ratio) makes me think that it could be a solution for you. You can get natural progesterone cream over the counter, usually at health/natural food stores. If after a few months of using it nothing has improved, at least you can eliminate that target. NPC helped my anxiety/moodiness around my period as well so it could prove useful for multiple symptoms. Good luck and best wishes! (:

 

Hi Wishclean,

I've been reading this thread for the last 2 days trying ti get some understanding of how inositol might work with acne and hirsutism. I'm still really comfused so I thought you might be able to shed some light ! I'v always struggled with acne since I was 13 ( I am now 35) . I've had clear years and not so clear ones but the problem's always been there. I've been pregnant 2 times and both pregnancies( and while I was nursing) I was completely clear - not even a small pimple. Now that I've weaned my daughter off a little over a year ago, I've started to break out in cysts on my chin again around ovulation time. My hair is thin, I also have more facial and body hair than the average girl, get extremely crazy around my period times and crave sweets . I feel like it is an emotional up and down. I know there has to be something up with my hormones, but I'm not exactly sure what it could be. I took vitex for a while (maybe 8 months) and it worked perfectly, but then suddenly i started getting the chin breakouts again. I used to get hot flashes before my pd, but I am also taking DIM for what i though might be estrogen dominance and thats helped with the flashes too. If I am completely clear in pregnancy, does that mean that I don't have an estrogen dominance and I have a testosterone issue instead? would i have broken out during pregnancy if I had estrogen dominance to begin with? I'm not sure which hormone to target anymore , it's all so confusing and they overlap so much! It seems like you really know what you're talking about , so I hoped you could help! Any and all advice or insight would be appreciated

Hey girl1777, another thing to consider if you were totally clear during pregnancy is low progesterone... progesterone levels skyrocket during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. The fact that vitex helped you (raises progesterone) and you have had positive results with DIM (improves estrogen to progesterone ratio) makes me think that it could be a solution for you. You can get natural progesterone cream over the counter, usually at health/natural food stores. If after a few months of using it nothing has improved, at least you can eliminate that target. NPC helped my anxiety/moodiness around my period as well so it could prove useful for multiple symptoms. Good luck and best wishes! (:

Hi hearts

Thanks so much for your post . I actually have tried progesterone cream but I'm not sure if I'm taking the right amount or taking at the right time . Can I ask what brand you're taking ? Also how much and when do you take it ? Morning and night ? I think progesterone deficiency is definitely an issue for me because i was also taking progesterone shots during my pregnancies and they didn't give me breakouts - but would that cause acne only around ovulation time ? I have facial hair and get the breakout right at ovulation time so I thought that pointed more to testosterone but being that all the emotions of each deficiency are so similar it's really confusing me . Thank you so much for answering me in all my confusion

 

Hi hearts

Thanks so much for your post . I actually have tried progesterone cream but I'm not sure if I'm taking the right amount or taking at the right time . Can I ask what brand you're taking ? Also how much and when do you take it ? Morning and night ? I think progesterone deficiency is definitely an issue for me because i was also taking progesterone shots during my pregnancies and they didn't give me breakouts - but would that cause acne only around ovulation time ? I have facial hair and get the breakout right at ovulation time so I thought that pointed more to testosterone but being that all the emotions of each deficiency are so similar it's really confusing me . Thank you so much for answering me in all my confusion

I'll answer your questions in a PM shortly I don't want to hijack more of WishCleans topic on inositol! An important thing to remember is not one hormone is the "bad guy", usually it's multiple factors causing the imbalance so it may take a little trial and error to get things back on track.

DIM has helped me lose weight for sure. You had a good experience on it, so it's worth a try.

 

Hey hearts,

Thanks for the update. Sorry to hear you still haven't lost the weight...but at least the hair shedding stopped and inositol helped you with that. As I said before, thin women seem to experience some weight gain on inositol, whereas overweight women (Esp. with PCOS) use it for weight loss. My guess is that, in lowering your testosterone, inositol has tipped the balance towards estrogen. Since you had estrogen dominance before, DIM might be the way to go once again until you lose the weight. For me personally, DIM seems to make me a bit bloated on certain days of the month, but maybe for you it can help with weight loss.

I recently re-added evening primrose to my regime, which for some women it can help with weight loss. Evening primrose & vitex helped me lose weight the first time I took them coming off of birth control.

Thanks for the reply, WishClean! I think you are probably right, that estrogen is dominant again ” this time causing extra weight in the typical female areas instead of causing acne. Grr! I am so sensitive to estrogen. Even though I am using progesterone every night, it still hasn't helped with the weight. Inositol also messed up my cycle so maybe it'll just take more time to level out.

Those are good suggestions. I've never tried evening primrose or vitex before... taking something else hormonal scares me a little at this point because I don't want to screw anything else up, if that makes sense. However, I have read EPO can help with weight so I might try that or take DIM again if I can't get this under control soon. Is EPO a long-term thing or is it more like vitex? This has gotta be a hormonal issue because I gained the EXACT same amount of weight on spironolactone and wasn't able to drop it until I completely quit taking it. Probably because spiro lowers testosterone and is a little estrogenic.

Anyway, how is Europe treating you? Is your skin still doing well? It's good to hear from you again! (:

DIM has helped me lose weight for sure. You had a good experience on it, so it's worth a try.

Yeah, I think you're right. I will probably try taking it again after a little more time and see if that helps. If DIM doesn't help, I'll give EPO a shot... I just feel like my balance is a little out of whack since the inositol! It's good to hear DIM helped you lose weight, if it's what you wanted. Thanks, brenmc!

I think I gained 5 pounds since I started taking it, and now being at 120 I try to watch what I eat, though even dieting now doesn't seem to really knock off the pounds (I'm 5'5). Its not a big deal though, I can live with it. Drowsiness is a bigger issue, though. Months into taking regular dose I was always tired and could sleep for up to 13!!! hours a day if I wasn't disturbed. I decided to cut my daily dose by half, and this month I got more acne than normal, so I can't help but feel like that's what caused it. Im back on my full daily dose now, but geez its like yaz isn't doing anything if not making things worse. To think that 1 year into taking BC I would still be so dependant on inositol makes me wonder if I should go off the pill altogether...

Thanks for the reply, WishClean! I think you are probably right, that estrogen is dominant again ” this time causing extra weight in the typical female areas instead of causing acne. Grr! I am so sensitive to estrogen. Even though I am using progesterone every night, it still hasn't helped with the weight. Inositol also messed up my cycle so maybe it'll just take more time to level out.

Those are good suggestions. I've never tried evening primrose or vitex before... taking something else hormonal scares me a little at this point because I don't want to screw anything else up, if that makes sense. However, I have read EPO can help with weight so I might try that or take DIM again if I can't get this under control soon. Is EPO a long-term thing or is it more like vitex? This has gotta be a hormonal issue because I gained the EXACT same amount of weight on spironolactone and wasn't able to drop it until I completely quit taking it. Probably because spiro lowers testosterone and is a little estrogenic.

Anyway, how is Europe treating you? Is your skin still doing well? It's good to hear from you again! (:

Hey hearts! Sorry for the really slow response. Europe is going reasonably well, but I went back to the US briefly for an interview so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

My skin is doing well now...I updated on my other thread. How is your skin & life these days??? Did you drop the weight? I have had some weight gain too recently, but I'm not sure if it's due to too much holiday food, or hormonal.

I'm curious about this because of all the studies that show inositol works to lower androgens. With herbs there isn't a lot (if any) proof that they will help.

I don't have PCOS personally so no insulin resistance. I've actually always been thin if not underweight. Would inositol still help me? I have high DHEA which I believe is the root cause of my problems.

Another thing I was wondering is will myo-inositol help at all or is DCI the only thing that works? All reweaves I could find were for DCI.. I don't live in the US and can't find DCI anywhere in my country. It's illegal to order it from abroad too as it's classified as a drug!?

Both myo and chiro can help. Some prefer DCI, others prefer myo...I personally had more luck on myo inositol. DCI seemed a bit too much for me, and I think it may have made me a bit too emotional.

Is it classified as a drug??? How so? If you live in Canada, they have all sorts of restrictions, that might be why. But it's definitely not a drug, it's a supplement. Big difference. Due to certain shipping/ export-import regulations, though, some supplements are classified as drugs in order to prevent people from importing them and thus harm the pharmaceutical economy.

I think I gained 5 pounds since I started taking it, and now being at 120 I try to watch what I eat, though even dieting now doesn't seem to really knock off the pounds (I'm 5'5). Its not a big deal though, I can live with it. Drowsiness is a bigger issue, though. Months into taking regular dose I was always tired and could sleep for up to 13!!! hours a day if I wasn't disturbed. I decided to cut my daily dose by half, and this month I got more acne than normal, so I can't help but feel like that's what caused it. Im back on my full daily dose now, but geez its like yaz isn't doing anything if not making things worse. To think that 1 year into taking BC I would still be so dependant on inositol makes me wonder if I should go off the pill altogether...

Hey! How are you doing ? Any progress?

DIM has helped me lose weight for sure. You had a good experience on it, so it's worth a try.

 

Hey bren! How are you doing? Any news?

 

>I think I gained 5 pounds since I started taking it, and now being at 120 I try to watch what I eat, though even dieting now doesn't seem to really knock off the pounds (I'm 5'5). Its not a big deal though, I can live with it. Drowsiness is a bigger issue, though. Months into taking regular dose I was always tired and could sleep for up to 13!!! hours a day if I wasn't disturbed. I decided to cut my daily dose by half, and this month I got more acne than normal, so I can't help but feel like that's what caused it. Im back on my full daily dose now, but geez its like yaz isn't doing anything if not making things worse. To think that 1 year into taking BC I would still be so dependant on inositol makes me wonder if I should go off the pill altogether...

Hey! How are you doing ? Any progress?

Hey! I did get a lot less acne when I went back on full dose. I also bumped it up to 900mg from 600mg in the middle of last cycle. I got about half the amount of deep acne, and most of those also were either smaller, less inflamed, or shrunk within a day! So yeah I think I'll def call that progress. I think the drowsiness doesn't bother me anymore, either it's gone now or I've gotten used to it. This cycle (today is day 2) I already have a deep painful breakout on my chin, though it's smaller in size than what they usually are. I'm hoping it will stay this way or get better. However, I did notice a big jump in anxiety/OCD levels I have. Not sure if it's related to Inositol. Either way, honestly I would much much rather endure that than terrible giant acne all over my face and shoulders every week.

Hi everyone, how are you doing?

Just a quick update: I no longer take DIM or inositol unless needed, i.e. if a rare flare-up occurs. I occasionally take inositol but more for back/neck pain nowadays as it helps my muscles relax. Inositol was helping me have less painful ovulation, but guess what. It turns out, I had a dermoid cyst in my left ovary, and all this time doctors were trying to put me on birth control without even bothering to do an ultrasound to see if anything is wrong internally.

I went with my gut and finally got an ultrasound, and now I'm in recovery from the dermoid removal...

I urge you to get regular check-ups, especially if you are in your mid-20s-40s, and especially if you have PCOS. Sometimes PCOS can cause more serious issues, and you shouldn't allow doctors to mask those issues by simply prescribing more hormones.

I'm still waiting to see if the melasma I developed 2 years ago will fade now that the dermoid has been removed. So far, my skin has been smooth and looks healthier *knock wood*.

Quick update: European gynos have started recommending inositol to PCOS patients as a healthier alternative to prescription drugs.

Hello everyone,

I hope I am posting on the right forum/thread.

I have read your posts and was very impressed by your knowledge, and thank you for all you have shared.

I have many symptoms of a hormonal imbalance - a lot of shedding hair (since I was about 13, and now I am 30), acne (small whiteheads and blackheads), hirsutism (I have epilated my arms since I was young, and when I was 19, I noticed a few black hairs on my chin! Not to mention the upper lip). I have a slim build and am not overweight, but I do have family history of diabetes, so likely I have insulin resistance as well. I began plucking the facial hairs, in the beginning I believe there were only a few, and then almost every day, there was another hair to pluck. It seems there are more than when I first noticed them.

I started taking Yaz birth control when I was 19, and stopped just last year. While on birth control, I have only a little acne, but as described above, the number of chin hairs steadily increased, I am not sure if this was incidental.

When I decided to stop birth control last year, I researched a lot and decided to drink two cups of spearmint tea a day. Within a few months, all the facial hairs which I plucked were soft and fine, although still black, hair shedding was reduced a little bit and, although I had more acne than when I was on the pill, it was not so bad.

About six months into the spearmint, I noticed coarse black hairs returning to my chin. I have been shedding a lot of hair as well. Is it possible I developed resistance to it and now it will not work at a normal dose?

I have also been taking b vitamins and drinking a lot of kombucha.

I would like to mention that I also have dandruff, which also could be a sign of excess androgens. Dandruff shampoos did not help with dandruff or shedding.

I am interested in taking myo-inositol, starting at a low dose. I wanted to ask if you think it might work if I took lecithin, as this is a very high source, and would offer a complete vitamin profile, so I would not have to worry about side effects, such as a high level of inositol blocking other nutrients.

Could lecithin be helpful as an intake of myo-inositol? If taking myo-inositol supplements, must it be taken together with choline? I cannot find any myo-inositol and choline supplements that do not contain magnesium stearate, which is said to be unhealthy.

I would love to hear any comments or advice you might have!

Hello everyone,

 

I hope I am posting on the right forum/thread.

 

I have read your posts and was very impressed by your knowledge, and thank you for all you have shared.

 

I have many symptoms of a hormonal imbalance - a lot of shedding hair (since I was about 13, and now I am 30), acne (small whiteheads and blackheads), hirsutism (I have epilated my arms since I was young, and when I was 19, I noticed a few black hairs on my chin! Not to mention the upper lip). I have a slim build and am not overweight, but I do have family history of diabetes, so likely I have insulin resistance as well. I began plucking the facial hairs, in the beginning I believe there were only a few, and then almost every day, there was another hair to pluck. It seems there are more than when I first noticed them.

 

I started taking Yaz birth control when I was 19, and stopped just last year. While on birth control, I have only a little acne, but as described above, the number of chin hairs steadily increased, I am not sure if this was incidental.

 

When I decided to stop birth control last year, I researched a lot and decided to drink two cups of spearmint tea a day. Within a few months, all the facial hairs which I plucked were soft and fine, although still black, hair shedding was reduced a little bit and, although I had more acne than when I was on the pill, it was not so bad.

 

About six months into the spearmint, I noticed coarse black hairs returning to my chin. I have been shedding a lot of hair as well. Is it possible I developed resistance to it and now it will not work at a normal dose?

 

I have also been taking b vitamins and drinking a lot of kombucha.

 

I would like to mention that I also have dandruff, which also could be a sign of excess androgens. Dandruff shampoos did not help with dandruff or shedding.

 

I am interested in taking myo-inositol, starting at a low dose. I wanted to ask if you think it might work if I took lecithin, as this is a very high source, and would offer a complete vitamin profile, so I would not have to worry about side effects, such as a high level of inositol blocking other nutrients.

 

Could lecithin be helpful as an intake of myo-inositol? If taking myo-inositol supplements, must it be taken together with choline? I cannot find any myo-inositol and choline supplements that do not contain magnesium stearate, which is said to be unhealthy.

 

I would love to hear any comments or advice you might have!

 

Hey!

I have no experience with lecithin, but I do know that buckwheat, carob, and chickpeas are good natural sources of inositol. There's even a muffin recipe for PCOS with buckwheat, if you don't' want to take supplements.

Inositol can be taken on its own, not necessarily with choline. Powder is the most absorbable and pure form of inositol.

Thanks so much for your reply!

In the meantime, I did order Myo-inositol powder by Now, and started on a low dose of 1/4 teaspoon a day, as I preferred to start lower and increase if needed.

I have now been taking it for about two weeks once a day, usually at night at the same time as a multi-vitamin. Within just a few days, I noticed my facial hair was immediately reduced. However, I have still seen no reduction at all in hair shedding, I am still losing a lot of hair every day, every time I touch my hair, at least one comes out!

I have often read that myo-inositol reduced hair loss, but for me it has not helped at all. Is this normal after two weeks? I might also add choline or try taking it in the morning on an empty stomach...

Thanks so much for your reply!

 

In the meantime, I did order Myo-inositol powder by Now, and started on a low dose of 1/4 teaspoon a day, as I preferred to start lower and increase if needed.

 

I have now been taking it for about two weeks once a day, usually at night at the same time as a multi-vitamin. Within just a few days, I noticed my facial hair was immediately reduced. However, I have still seen no reduction at all in hair shedding, I am still losing a lot of hair every day, every time I touch my hair, at least one comes out!

 

I have often read that myo-inositol reduced hair loss, but for me it has not helped at all. Is this normal after two weeks? I might also add choline or try taking it in the morning on an empty stomach...

Good, it's wise to start with a lower dose. You could even do 1/8 and see if that's enough for you.

Well, a reduction in facial hair is encouraging. Hair shedding takes much longer to notice a difference, though, since hair follicles on your head grow at a slower pace & the cycle is much longer. 2 weeks is too little time to reduce hair loss.

How about adding some hair vitamins as well? Or perhaps vitamin C? Also, a healthy diet & try to reduce stress (I know, easier said than done!)

What do you think caused the hair loss to begin with? Spearmint tea personally made me bloated and PMS-y, so for me it didn't work..

For hair loss, inositol helped more with facial hair reduction, and DIM helped the hair on my head more. I also switched to sulphate-free shampoo & conditioner but still had some dandruff, and I realized it was because sulphate-free shampoos do not make as much "soap", so it's harder to rinse them off. I now use Rahua shampoo, which is pricey, but sooo worth it. I haven't had any issues with dandruff since I started using it. Shea Organics are also good and less pricey, although still more expensive than other brands. I also spray some Kerastase Stimuliste, but it's too soon to tell if it's working yet. My hair feels healthier and a bit thicker, though. It sucks that more "natural" hair products are more expensive than others, but what to do...

Wow, great recommendations I will definitely try these. I have been using Khadi Neem shampoo, which volumizes my hair, but did not stop the shedding at all on me.

I had very, very thick hair, but at puberty I started shedding so much that my parents took me to the doctor, who told me to eat meat I did not like or eat a lot of meat, but I think the problem was likely hormonal rather than lack of iron or vitamins. So, since puberty, I have been losing a lot of hair every day, much more than everyone else I know. My hair is always everywhere, all over the house, on my clothes, and when I go out, sometimes I notice some of my hairs on the floor! Now, years later, my hair is much thinner and it is starting to be very concerning (before it was not the case, because I still had so much).

I began taking Yasmin birth control in my late teens, and it totally cleared up the acne I had, but did nothing to stop the shedding and I had more facial hair when I was taking it than now that I stopped. I stopped drinking coffee and started drinking some mint tea, and the facial hair is softer (it was very coarse while on Yasmin!) I think I was shedding a little less after stopping coffee and BC and drinking mint tea.

Then, I had a very bad reaction to amla with water instead of oil, which I was using as a treatment for premature grey hair. I believe it was my mistake - using it with water alone and leaving it on for four hours - as many had goods results using it mixed with oil. I left the alma with water on for four hours, then washed it out. My hair was beautiful and felt thicker for days. Until, exactly five days later, my scalp became extremely itchy, just a terrible reaction, and I went to the doctor who told my to use Nizoral shampoo. At that point, I was losing so much hair, even small, new hairs that were only two centimetres long! When I used the Nizoral shampoo a few times, my scalp felt clean, but it did not stop the shedding, I felt the organic shampoos were better. I hope I am recovering from this bad reaction, but I am still losing some short hairs, whereas before, only very long hairs shed. Losing short hairs is much more worrying, it seems their cycle is ending early and I will not be able to grow long hair.

I am hoping to see some results with the inositol, I will try this for a while before increasing the dose. Especially as the results on excess facial hair were so good and quick, and maybe this is related to hair shedding, but takes longer to see a difference as the cycle is longer, as you mentioned.

I am awaiting the results of inositol in a few months, will update, and I am excited to try these new products.

Wow, great recommendations I will definitely try these. I have been using Khadi Neem shampoo, which volumizes my hair, but did not stop the shedding at all on me.

 

I had very, very thick hair, but at puberty I started shedding so much that my parents took me to the doctor, who told me to eat meat I did not like or eat a lot of meat, but I think the problem was likely hormonal rather than lack of iron or vitamins. So, since puberty, I have been losing a lot of hair every day, much more than everyone else I know. My hair is always everywhere, all over the house, on my clothes, and when I go out, sometimes I notice some of my hairs on the floor! Now, years later, my hair is much thinner and it is starting to be very concerning (before it was not the case, because I still had so much).

 

I began taking Yasmin birth control in my late teens, and it totally cleared up the acne I had, but did nothing to stop the shedding and I had more facial hair when I was taking it than now that I stopped. I stopped drinking coffee and started drinking some mint tea, and the facial hair is softer (it was very coarse while on Yasmin!) I think I was shedding a little less after stopping coffee and BC and drinking mint tea.

 

Then, I had a very bad reaction to amla with water instead of oil, which I was using as a treatment for premature grey hair. I believe it was my mistake - using it with water alone and leaving it on for four hours - as many had goods results using it mixed with oil. I left the alma with water on for four hours, then washed it out. My hair was beautiful and felt thicker for days. Until, exactly five days later, my scalp became extremely itchy, just a terrible reaction, and I went to the doctor who told my to use Nizoral shampoo. At that point, I was losing so much hair, even small, new hairs that were only two centimetres long! When I used the Nizoral shampoo a few times, my scalp felt clean, but it did not stop the shedding, I felt the organic shampoos were better. I hope I am recovering from this bad reaction, but I am still losing some short hairs, whereas before, only very long hairs shed. Losing short hairs is much more worrying, it seems their cycle is ending early and I will not be able to grow long hair.

 

I am hoping to see some results with the inositol, I will try this for a while before increasing the dose. Especially as the results on excess facial hair were so good and quick, and maybe this is related to hair shedding, but takes longer to see a difference as the cycle is longer, as you mentioned.

 

I am awaiting the results of inositol in a few months, will update, and I am excited to try these new products.

Once the hair shedding begins, it takes a while to reverse/ prevent it, so be patient. I can recommend a few products/ shampoos if you like - I use them and they seem to be good so far. When I started inositol, and then DIM (Especially), I noticed new hair growth on my head, and less coarse facial hair. I also used electrolysis to reduce facial hair, which takes a while to work but it works.

Keep me updated on how inositol works for you, and be patient with it!

UPDATE: I think this is the brand a gynecologist in Europe recommended to me. Has anyone heard of Ovasitol? Sounds like pharmaceutical companies are trying to find ways to capitalize on supplements, so we can expect more commercial versions of inositol cropping up soon.

Ovasitol is backed by the PCOS nutrition center, and they have certainly done their research. Check it out here: http://www.pcosnutrition.com/index.php?fuseAction=catalogs.viewItem&catalogID=1&catalogLevelID=1&catalogItemID=17

The dosage seems too high, though. Let me know if you tried this version! It doesn't have many reviews online.

Hi WishClean,

I'm a long time lurker, first time member. I have been following your posts for some time now. I've been struggling with acne since I was 19 and am now 23. My acne is the painful cystic type that takes forever to heal and leaves dreadful hyper-pigmentation. I know my acne is hormonal based on its location on my face but also because have slight chin hairs/fuzz. The imbalance is probably not too major because everything else works like a clock, my periods are regular, I'm in good shape, no pcos or cysts -- I don't have any other hormonal issues other than the acne and (a little) hair.

I tried Spironolactone 2 years ago and it did nothing for my acne -- only made my periods turn to spotting and come twice a month. After that I tried Vitex which absolutely annihilated my acne -- I combined it with DIM (from Estrosense) and WOW, I had not had such clear skin since high school. It was clear to me at this point that my imbalance was progesterone:estrogen based and not androgenic (which explains why the spiro never worked!) After about 4 months into this treatment, I fell into horrible depression/anxiety. I've had issues with anxiety in the past but never depression. I knew it had something to do with my hormones, it took one quick search to discover that Vitex is contraindicated for those with history of depression (or anxiety in my case). I know that it has actually helped many women who suffer from these conditions but for me it did the opposite and worsened my anxiety ten-fold. It was quite sudden too... one day I was fine and all of a sudden I 'crashed.' I immediately stopped the Vitex and everything else. I wanted to let my body recalibrate itself, I didn't care about acne at this point just wanted to get back to a place of ease of well-being. I told myself I would just change my diet and try to get everything I needed from food.

It's been 2 years since then and my acne has improved but I still have bouts (sometimes for several weeks) of eruptions. I am at my wits end with this acne, WishClean. I read your posts and decided to look into Inositol -- I was relieved to discover that it has anti-depressant properties and that studies showed it lead to significant reduction of ocd/panic/depression -- so this eliminated my fear of it potentially affecting me the same way Vitex did. I've been taking 1/4 teaspoon of the NOW brand for about 2.5 weeks and I'm not sure if it's working, could be too soon to tell. I did however notice I feel "fatter" ... almost like I'm gaining weight, maybe retaining water -- not sure. Did you experience this?

I'm also considering giving DIM another shot as well. I know that it has a stronger hormonal impact than inositol and I worry that it could trigger my anxiety, but I am so desperate, my chin at the moment is covered in little red pimples and I have a big one at the angle of my jaw. I have a bottle of Estrosense at home as well as Estroblock PRO (600-something mg per capsule). Perhaps I should combine these with Inositol?

Can you recommend a regiment for me? Should I stick with the inositol? Should I combine DIM? How long did it take for you to see results with inositol and at what point did you add DIM to your regiment? I remember that with Vitex I saw results almost immediately.

Thank you in advance for reading this message and for your invaluable contribution to the website!

Emma

 

Hi WishClean,

 

I'm a long time lurker, first time member. I have been following your posts for some time now. I've been struggling with acne since I was 19 and am now 23. My acne is the painful cystic type that takes forever to heal and leaves dreadful hyper-pigmentation. I know my acne is hormonal based on its location on my face but also because have slight chin hairs/fuzz. The imbalance is probably not too major because everything else works like a clock, my periods are regular, I'm in good shape, no pcos or cysts -- I don't have any other hormonal issues other than the acne and (a little) hair.

 

I tried Spironolactone 2 years ago and it did nothing for my acne -- only made my periods turn to spotting and come twice a month. After that I tried Vitex which absolutely annihilated my acne -- I combined it with DIM (from Estrosense) and WOW, I had not had such clear skin since high school. It was clear to me at this point that my imbalance was progesterone:estrogen based and not androgenic (which explains why the spiro never worked!) After about 4 months into this treatment, I fell into horrible depression/anxiety. I've had issues with anxiety in the past but never depression. I knew it had something to do with my hormones, it took one quick search to discover that Vitex is contraindicated for those with history of depression (or anxiety in my case). I know that it has actually helped many women who suffer from these conditions but for me it did the opposite and worsened my anxiety ten-fold. It was quite sudden too... one day I was fine and all of a sudden I 'crashed.' I immediately stopped the Vitex and everything else. I wanted to let my body recalibrate itself, I didn't care about acne at this point just wanted to get back to a place of ease of well-being. I told myself I would just change my diet and try to get everything I needed from food.

 

It's been 2 years since then and my acne has improved but I still have bouts (sometimes for several weeks) of eruptions. I am at my wits end with this acne, WishClean. I read your posts and decided to look into Inositol -- I was relieved to discover that it has anti-depressant properties and that studies showed it lead to significant reduction of ocd/panic/depression -- so this eliminated my fear of it potentially affecting me the same way Vitex did. I've been taking 1/4 teaspoon of the NOW brand for about 2.5 weeks and I'm not sure if it's working, could be too soon to tell. I did however notice I feel "fatter" ... almost like I'm gaining weight, maybe retaining water -- not sure. Did you experience this?

 

I'm also considering giving DIM another shot as well. I know that it has a stronger hormonal impact than inositol and I worry that it could trigger my anxiety, but I am so desperate, my chin at the moment is covered in little red pimples and I have a big one at the angle of my jaw. I have a bottle of Estrosense at home as well as Estroblock PRO (600-something mg per capsule). Perhaps I should combine these with Inositol?

 

Can you recommend a regiment for me? Should I stick with the inositol? Should I combine DIM? How long did it take for you to see results with inositol and at what point did you add DIM to your regiment? I remember that with Vitex I saw results almost immediately.

 

Thank you in advance for reading this message and for your invaluable contribution to the website!

 

Emma

 

Hi Emma,

Thank you for sharing here, and hopefully your story can help others struggling with similar issues (as I get messages like yours every month). Ok, to address your points:

1. I did a quick search for vitex & depression, and it seems that others have the same issue. In my case, when I was on vitex my dosage was not high compared to what most of these women are taking (I don't believe in megadosing) and I was taking it in tincture form without the additives of the capsule. I remember, especially the first time I was on it (along with evening primrose & acidophilus & a multivitamin) I was very happy and my skin was glowing. The depression side effect might have something to do with the way vitex influences prolactin, and if taken at a rather high dose (or higher than that person's body requires - it could vary according to each person's body) then it can mess with hormone levels including prolactin.

2. I don't think vitex should be used long term - you need to take breaks from it. It slowly balances some hormones, and if you are lucky it's the right ones (esp. progesterone, prolactin, and for some estrogen & testosterone) BUT if taken for too long at the same dosage, then it could either LOWER or INCREASE specific hormones too much. Unfortunately, it's hard to know when to slowly wean off unless you are getting your hormones tested regularly, and even that might not be an accurate indication. I was given vitex by a qualified holistic pharmacist & homeopathic doctor, I didn't just take it on my own as I knew nothing about herbs at the time...he specifically told me (along with another co-worker of his) not to take it too long...he said around 6 months.

3. DIM might also be similar in that it can actually start to increase the GOOD estrogens along with reducing the bad estrogens...that's not a bad thing in the short term, but if your estrogen levels are already in the "normal to high" range, then you would need to take a break from it for a while.

4. Inositol is known to do wonders for anxiety...it's actually used as an anti-anxiety supplement and also for people with OCD and other compulsive disorders. BUT, again, if taken at higher dosages than your body can tolerate, it can backfire. Try to take 1/8 teaspoon TWICE a day (which is the same dosage as you are taking now, but split into 2) on an empty stomach (1st one in the AM when you wake up, 2nd one can be early afternoon if you find it keeps you awake at night) to see if the bloating improves. Yes, I had some water retention on inositol, and also some days on DIM (depending on my cycle), while other times I woke up with a completely flat stomach. I think it's because the dosage needs to be adjusted (i.e. reduced/ stopped) on certain days of your cycle, but I haven't done that...it takes too much patience, tracking, and precision.

5. You know which herbs work for you...DIM & vitex. So, you need to keep targeting those hormones, but leave prolactin intact. I would either stay away from vitex or take a very low dose of it to prevent messing with your prolactin since you are so prone to depression. I think there's a brand of DIM that has a bit of vitex in it, maybe you can start with that. I personally have the Olympian Labs DIM, which is just DIM, and that's the only brand I have used because I don't like brands that mix DIM with other stuff. Inositol does not balance the same hormones, though....it sounds like your main issues are estrogen & progesterone.

Inositol will probably do nothing for balancing your estrogen levels so you will need to combine it with something else. Have you checked the SoulCysters website? Women on that site usually combine inositol with other supplements. Of course, some are taking way too many things because they want to conceive, but you might find more ideas on how to combine inositol there.

6. Inositol is definitely milder than DIM and vitex. Even with vitex, I saw results gradually. With DIM, I got the fastest results but it could be because my acne was already under control with inositol. Inositol took a few weeks to really kick in, but I somehow knew it was working within the first few days since I stopped getting bad flare ups and, a few days later, my period's flow was more "healthy" if that makes sense (red blood as opposed to the brownish black blood I used to get the first couple of days).

7. For depression, have you thought about getting your vitamin D levels measured? Vitamin D can be a very powerful anti-depressant. Also, vitamin C (low acid for me) can help in the absorption of other supplements and with boosting your immune system. That's definitely a good supplement to start with.

8. I know it sounds cliched, but as someone who has also suffered with depression, I can tell you how I got over it. Last year, I used vitamin D short-term (doctor prescribed D2 because I couldn't take D3, but D3 would be the best if you can take it) and it really helped me a lot. Also, yoga, walking outside, keeping busy, relaxing, and doing things for myself really help me not get depressed. Having goals and working towards them can also help a lot because a depressed mind is usually an idle mind.

I hope this helps!

Long-overdue update:

Used inositol for at least 80 days (didn't record when I stopped). Dosage was correlated to body weight. Can't remember what website I got the equation from. Didn't notice any improvements.

Took DIM (built up to 200 mg) for 4 months and stopped because acne wasn't getting better or worse.

Looking into integrative doctors and food sensitives per the recommendation of WishClean. Hoping I won't have to eliminate carbs and sugar from my diet because I'll be going on an extended trip in the fall and a big part of the trip is experiencing local cuisine. Italy without pizza, pasta, and gelato makes me cry a little on the inside.

Did the math & realized I've had acne for 14 years.

Ovasitol was recommended to me and I used it for several months. I tried to ramp up to the full dose of 2 packets per day (2000 mg Myo-Inositol and 50 mg D-Chiro-Inositol x 2). This was much too strong for me. Even at half a dose, or 1 packet per day, I experienced digestive distress, headaches, and low energy in the morning. I then tried to scale back to 1/2 packet per day. That worked out better, but I still had mild side effects. Finally after 8 months or so, I figured this supplement is probably not a good one for me. I was using it to stabilize my hormones (I thought) and get rid of the monthly breakouts. I'm not sure it helped, but it certainly did no harm for my skin issues. I wish I had taken a better scientific approach to identify what eventually did work to completely clear my skin, but I suspect it was a change in my diet: no sugar, no refined carbs, no milk / reduced dairy, almost no wheat / gluten excepting whole grains. Lots of water. Typical low carb + low GI because I have blood sugar issues. I think the high blood sugar was the root cause of my acne, and once I got that under control through diet and evening walking, voila, acne gone.

Thanks for the updates, quackinggrass and emme*li. Inositol, like any herb/ supplement/ treatment, will not work for everyone. If you can get away with no supplements, and simply make some lifestyle changes, then even better!

A low GI diet is ideal anyways, not just for hormonal acne but for a healthier lifestyle, so everyone should try to limit their consumption of processed sugar, as well as preservatives, trans. fats, etc. Lower fat & a healthy body weight also help lower excess estrogen.

The one thing that inositol will not do is cause severe breakouts. Herbs can do that, especially if they don't agree with you. But with inositol, at least you give it a go and if there's no change you just stop taking it gradually with no negative impact on your skin.