I've researched Saw Palmetto, and I actually attempted to buy it today, but the problem is I'm currently on a course of antibiotics called Oxytetracycline, so I was wondering if anyone had any information on if the antibiotics would react/not work with the Saw Palmetto?

Thank you

Antibiotics can be safely used with antiandrogen drugs or herbs.

Saw Palmetto is a good one, however, I always recommend combining saw palmetto with another type of antiandrogen herb, simply because saw palmetto by itself can be very dehydrating.

Try one day on saw palmetto, the next day on a different herb such as stinging nettle or pumpkin seed oil.

Antibiotics can be safely used with antiandrogen drugs or herbs.

Saw Palmetto is a good one, however, I always recommend combining saw palmetto with another type of antiandrogen herb, simply because saw palmetto by itself can be very dehydrating.

Try one day on saw palmetto, the next day on a different herb such as stinging nettle or pumpkin seed oil.

Thank you so much for replying!

I asked my mum to go and buy me some, but she went into a pharmacy and apparently this girl told her that I shouldn't take my antibiotics and the antiandrogen. I really don't want to be oily for when I go to china in a months time, so I need to persuade her..

Any suggestions?

Go buy it yourself.

Antibiotics can be safely used with antiandrogen drugs or herbs.

Saw Palmetto is a good one, however, I always recommend combining saw palmetto with another type of antiandrogen herb, simply because saw palmetto by itself can be very dehydrating.

Try one day on saw palmetto, the next day on a different herb such as stinging nettle or pumpkin seed oil.

Thank you so much for replying!

I asked my mum to go and buy me some, but she went into a pharmacy and apparently this girl told her that I shouldn't take my antibiotics and the antiandrogen. I really don't want to be oily for when I go to china in a months time, so I need to persuade her..

Any suggestions?

Not sure where you live, but here in the U.S. you can get saw palmetto and such without talking to anyone at the pharmacy. You just grab it off the shelf and buy it. It is located with the vitamins.

All I can tell you is that my dermatologist prescribes antibiotics along with antiandrogens all the time. Mine actually pushed me to take an antibiotic along with my spironolactone!

You can also find women all over these boards who are taking spironolactone (a prescription antiandrogen) with antibiotics at the same time.

No offense to pharmacy staff, but most of them don't know squat about herbs. Their speciality is prescription medications. To them herbs are an unknown that they didn't study in pharmacy school. I've had pharmacists tell me all sorts of weird crap about herbs or vitamins that wasn't even true.

You can buy saw palmetto off amazon.com or amazon.co.uk as well.

Go buy it yourself.

I live in the UK, is it allowed for me to go and buy multivitamins here?

Antibiotics can be safely used with antiandrogen drugs or herbs.

Saw Palmetto is a good one, however, I always recommend combining saw palmetto with another type of antiandrogen herb, simply because saw palmetto by itself can be very dehydrating.

Try one day on saw palmetto, the next day on a different herb such as stinging nettle or pumpkin seed oil.

Thank you so much for replying!

I asked my mum to go and buy me some, but she went into a pharmacy and apparently this girl told her that I shouldn't take my antibiotics and the antiandrogen. I really don't want to be oily for when I go to china in a months time, so I need to persuade her..

Any suggestions?

Not sure where you live, but here in the U.S. you can get saw palmetto and such without talking to anyone at the pharmacy. You just grab it off the shelf and buy it. It is located with the vitamins.

All I can tell you is that my dermatologist prescribes antibiotics along with antiandrogens all the time. Mine actually pushed me to take an antibiotic along with my spironolactone!

You can also find women all over these boards who are taking spironolactone (a prescription antiandrogen) with antibiotics at the same time.

No offense to pharmacy staff, but most of them don't know squat about herbs. Their speciality is prescription medications. To them herbs are an unknown that they didn't study in pharmacy school. I've had pharmacists tell me all sorts of weird crap about herbs or vitamins that wasn't even true.

You can buy saw palmetto off amazon.com or amazon.co.uk as well.

Haha, exactly what I was thinking when my mum was speaking about it. I don't know whether to takers herbs behind my mums back or not though

When I was a teenager, I would try really hard to convince my parents of something like this. But if that didn't work, I would eventually end up doing what I wanted, whether or not I had their permission.

 

Go buy it yourself.

I live in the UK, is it allowed for me to go and buy multivitamins here?

>>

 

Antibiotics can be safely used with antiandrogen drugs or herbs.

 

Saw Palmetto is a good one, however, I always recommend combining saw palmetto with another type of antiandrogen herb, simply because saw palmetto by itself can be very dehydrating.

 

Try one day on saw palmetto, the next day on a different herb such as stinging nettle or pumpkin seed oil.

Thank you so much for replying!

I asked my mum to go and buy me some, but she went into a pharmacy and apparently this girl told her that I shouldn't take my antibiotics and the antiandrogen. I really don't want to be oily for when I go to china in a months time, so I need to persuade her..

Any suggestions?

When I was a teenager, I would try really hard to convince my parents of something like this. But if that didn't work, I would eventually end up doing what I wanted, whether or not I had their permission.

Go buy it yourself.

I live in the UK, is it allowed for me to go and buy multivitamins here?

>>

Antibiotics can be safely used with antiandrogen drugs or herbs.

Saw Palmetto is a good one, however, I always recommend combining saw palmetto with another type of antiandrogen herb, simply because saw palmetto by itself can be very dehydrating.

Try one day on saw palmetto, the next day on a different herb such as stinging nettle or pumpkin seed oil.

Thank you so much for replying!

I asked my mum to go and buy me some, but she went into a pharmacy and apparently this girl told her that I shouldn't take my antibiotics and the antiandrogen. I really don't want to be oily for when I go to china in a months time, so I need to persuade her..

Any suggestions?

Not sure where you live, but here in the U.S. you can get saw palmetto and such without talking to anyone at the pharmacy. You just grab it off the shelf and buy it. It is located with the vitamins.

All I can tell you is that my dermatologist prescribes antibiotics along with antiandrogens all the time. Mine actually pushed me to take an antibiotic along with my spironolactone!

You can also find women all over these boards who are taking spironolactone (a prescription antiandrogen) with antibiotics at the same time.

No offense to pharmacy staff, but most of them don't know squat about herbs. Their speciality is prescription medications. To them herbs are an unknown that they didn't study in pharmacy school. I've had pharmacists tell me all sorts of weird crap about herbs or vitamins that wasn't even true.

You can buy saw palmetto off amazon.com or amazon.co.uk as well.

Haha, exactly what I was thinking when my mum was speaking about it. I don't know whether to takers herbs behind my mums back or not though

 

If you're trying to convince your mom, here is a clinical study specifically using antibiotics with spironolactone (which is a much stronger anti-androgen than saw palmetto):

"AV" stands for Acne Vulgaris, which just a scientific way of saying acne.

Spironolactone can also be used in combination with oral antibiotic therapy for AV. One report included patients that failed on previous systemic acne treatment with antibiotics, oral isotretinoin, or OCs, and who presented clinically with hormonal pattern AV (N=85). Patients in this analysis were treated with 50 to 100mg of spironolactone daily as monotherapy in combination with an oral antibiotic or in combination with an OC, specifically EE 35ug and NET 1mg (Estrostrep[/size]®[/size]).[/size]25 The patients were monitored monthly or bimonthly and were treated over a duration of 2 to 24 months. Ultimately, 73 patients had data complete enough for evaluation in this retrospective evaluation. Complete clearing or marked improvement of AV were observed in 48 women (66%) who received a low daily dose of spironolactone (50 to 100mg).[/size]25 Also, statistical analysis of the data on length of treatment demonstrated a significant trend toward increased benefit with a longer duration of therapy (2-24 months, mean=10 months) (p=0.032).[/size]25 There were marked improvements noted with spironolactone alone (20.8%), spironolactone plus an oral antibiotic (58.3%), and spironolactone plus the OC (8.3%).[/size]25 Oral antibiotics used in this patient collection were minocycline, erythromycin, or tetracycline. The majority of patients (57.5%) experienced no adverse effects.[/size]25 Menstrual irregularities were present in 14 patients (18%), 10 of whom were not receiving the OC (which would have decreased these menstrual-related side effects).[/size]25 Clinically relevant hyperkalemia was not noted, and was not anticipated with use of spironolactone in this study population, as patients were relatively young and were not on any concomitant medications that predisposed them to an increase in serum potassium levels. The response rates were similar to previous studies with 150 to 200mg daily of spironolactone for women with AV, showing improve-ments ranging from 56- to 80-percent reduction of acne lesions after 3 to 6 months of treatment.[/size]23,[/size]42

As you can see, they specifically use anti-androgens with antibiotics, and they used a variety of antibiotics, including tetracyclines, which you are on.

Full study is here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3315877/

Seeing as thought I'm 15 and male, and still going through puberty, I'm slightly worried that if I start taking the SP itll effect my boy to man aesthetics. I've read that testerone is essential for growth in the penis and surely the SP will be getting rid of all of that?

Vitamin C supplements have decreased my oil production way more than saw palmetto ever did.

Vitamin C supplements have decreased my oil production way more than saw palmetto ever did.

How much are you taking?

Vitamin C supplements have decreased my oil production way more than saw palmetto ever did.

How much are you taking?

3g a day in the form of 6 500mg chewable tablets. The difference it makes is amazing. My skin used to get oily within an hour, and now because of changing my diet and taking vitamin C I can go about 8 hours or more and only get slightly oily.

Anyone got any answers to my question above?

Anyone got any answers to my question above?

I would advise against taking saw palmetto if you're male, especially if you're still going through puberty. I'm well past puberty and even I'm afraid to try it due to the estrogenic effects I've heard about in other males.

If you don't want to take herb capsules, there are

Vitamin C supplements have decreased my oil production way more than saw palmetto ever did.

How?

Vitamin C supplements have decreased my oil production way more than saw palmetto ever did.

How?

I honestly have no idea. I've tried to look up why vitamin c would cause a decrease in oil production but I keep coming up empty handed. I have seen a few other people on here report the same thing, though.

Anyone got any answers to my question above?

I would advise against taking saw palmetto if you're male, especially if you're still going through puberty. I'm well past puberty and even I'm afraid to try it due to the estrogenic effects I've heard about in other males.

Hang on a minute? If acne-free/oily skin free people don't have oily skin, surely that'd mean they don't have high testerone like me? And I'm sure their penises are growing? Maybe the capsules are okay? So confused!

Hang on a minute? If acne-free/oily skin free people don't have oily skin, surely that'd mean they don't have high testerone like me? And I'm sure their penises are growing? Maybe the capsules are okay? So confused!

Having oily skin doesn't necessarily mean your body is producing more testosterone/androgens than people without oily skin. It means, more likely, that the sebaceous glands in your skin are simply more sensitive to the androgens in your body, which might very well be at normal levels.

You can do a Google search and find guys who have reported experiencing gynecomastia (manboobs) as a result of taking saw palmetto. There are also transsexual males who take anti-androgens like saw palmetto to supplement their hormone replacement therapy. Given those two things, I prefer to stay away from oral saw palmetto and explore alternative methods of reducing oil.

There are also thousands if not millions of mens who take prescription anti-DHT medications such as Propecia and Finasteride (to treat balding), and are no worse for the wear.

Propecia is waaaay more potent than saw palmetto.

There was a saw palmetto study using 320mg of saw palmetto daily in MALES and it improved their acne. "Man boobs" was not a reported side effect. You have to be taking a hell of a lot of saw palmetto, which isn't really that strong, to get anything close to that side effect.

There are also thousands if not millions of mens who take prescription anti-DHT medications such as Propecia and Finasteride (to treat balding), and are no worse for the wear.

Propecia is waaaay more potent than saw palmetto.

There was a saw palmetto study using 320mg of saw palmetto daily in MALES and it improved their acne. "Man boobs" was not a reported side effect. You have to be taking a hell of a lot of saw palmetto, which isn't really that strong, to get anything close to that side effect.

Plenty of men experience sexual side effects from Propecia and Finasteride. Even if it's not always gynecomastia, they may experience loss of libido or erectile dysfunction. The men who encounter those side effects are probably in the minority, but it's still something to consider. I would warn someone about the potentially harsh side effects of Accutane too, even though the people who experience those really bad side effects are probably in the minority.

There are also thousands if not millions of mens who take prescription anti-DHT medications such as Propecia and Finasteride (to treat balding), and are no worse for the wear.

Propecia is waaaay more potent than saw palmetto.

There was a saw palmetto study using 320mg of saw palmetto daily in MALES and it improved their acne. "Man boobs" was not a reported side effect. You have to be taking a hell of a lot of saw palmetto, which isn't really that strong, to get anything close to that side effect.

Plenty of men experience sexual side effects from Propecia and Finasteride. Even if it's not always gynecomastia, they may experience loss of libido or erectile dysfunction. The men who encounter those side effects are probably in the minority, but it's still something to consider. I would warn someone about the potentially harsh side effects of Accutane too, even though the people who experience those really bad side effects are probably in the minority.

Sure, but where are you getting this info that men are experiencing sexual side effects at low doses (e.g. 320mg) of saw palmetto, when saw palmetto's potency is nowhere near Propecia?

The anecdotal reports I've heard of side effects of saw palmetto are men taking 1000mg or more a day.

Sure, but where are you getting this info that men are experiencing sexual side effects at low doses (e.g. 320mg) of saw palmetto, when saw palmetto's potency is nowhere near Propecia?

The anecdotal reports I've heard of side effects of saw palmetto are men taking 1000mg or more a day.

I don't think there's a problem with taking a regular dose, but I'm not aware of anyone who has reduced oily skin by taking just 320mg of saw palmetto.

And for what it's worth, I started taking 640mg of saw palmetto and 250mg of nettle root extract about a week ago (yeah I'm a hypocrite). My plan was to take it for only one or two weeks just to see if it had an impact on my oil production. Without getting too graphic, I experienced one of the sexual side effects tonight (for the first time in my life, by the way). Needless to say I've stopped taking both supplements immediately.

.

Sure, but where are you getting this info that men are experiencing sexual side effects at low doses (e.g. 320mg) of saw palmetto, when saw palmetto's potency is nowhere near Propecia?

The anecdotal reports I've heard of side effects of saw palmetto are men taking 1000mg or more a day.

I don't think there's a problem with taking a regular dose, but I'm not aware of anyone who has reduced oily skin by taking just 320mg of saw palmetto.

And for what it's worth, I started taking 640mg of saw palmetto and 250mg of nettle root extract about a week ago (yeah I'm a hypocrite). My plan was to take it for only one or two weeks just to see if it had an impact on my oil production. Without getting too graphic, I experienced one of the sexual side effects tonight (for the first time in my life, by the way). Needless to say I've stopped taking both supplements immediately.

.

I'm sorry to hear that, but the original study for acne using saw palmetto just used 320mg a day. You might want to at least try that same dose. 890mg of anti-androgens as a starting dose is pretty high for a man. The body also does not respond well to dramatic hormonal changes, but can often acclimate to gradual ones. I always recommend people start at the minimum dose and ramp up gradually if needed.

Just to compare and contrast, I have lost count of the number of women who do very poorly when they jump on the "clearing" dose of 100mg spironolactone right away. They ask their doctor for it, because that's what nearly everybody clears on, and then complain that they feel lethargic, bloated, light-headed...and they quit. Those who avoided side effects on spiro...most started at 25mg - 50mg, and took a few months to ramp up to 100mg.

^^ I agree with greengables. 320mg of saw palmetto might be all you need at first. You should stay at that dose for a few weeks at least, to ease into it. Whenever I took more than that, I got some serious brain fog and dryness in my hands.

Since you are male, though, I wonder if saw palmetto could indirectly boost your estrogen along with lowering your testosterone. I'm female and it seemed to have boosted my estrogen while I was taking it, and I read posts from men who are worried about this too.

The best antiandrogen I have taken so far is myo-inositol. It's primarily for women with hormonal issues, but you may want to try it (it's vitamin B8) at a low dose to see if it helps you. It can be a bit estrogenic for some (if you have estrogen dominance already, which you probably don't), though, but if you take it as a vitamin supplement at a lose dose it shouldn't affect your estrogen levels.