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Saw Palmetto

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42
(@leadingforce)

Posted : 11/27/2013 2:37 pm

so how effective is this for hormonal acne ? i have been taking DIM and i3c for a month and it clear my hormonal acne but im running low on them and wonder if saw palmetto is really good and how does it work

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(@graciemeow)

Posted : 11/27/2013 5:37 pm

what is DIM? why can't you get more if it's working...y'know the old if it aint broke don't fix it? x

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(@ripon10)

Posted : 11/27/2013 6:55 pm

How old are you and are you male? I started my son on DIM. He is taking 2 tablets. It did not clear him at all but there was minor improvement. He's now also taking saw palmetto as well, 320 mg one per day.

I am curious what dose DIM are you taking that cleared you? My son is 13 so I don't want him overdoing it.

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(@green-gables)

Posted : 11/27/2013 9:30 pm

 

How old are you and are you male? I started my son on DIM. He is taking 2 tablets. It did not clear him at all but there was minor improvement. He's now also taking saw palmetto as well, 320 mg one per day.

I am curious what dose DIM are you taking that cleared you? My son is 13 so I don't want him overdoing it.

You should get your son off that stuff if you want him to develop properly.

On the flip side, you want to help control DHT now, unless your son wants to be bald at 16.

Please, if you have nothing more to add than the "oh my gosh don't mess with testosterone even if it's causing problems", just don't say anything at all. It is a very shallow and uninformed comment to make. 320mg of saw palmetto is not going to inhibit proper male development in the slightest.

DrBellz and Ripon10 liked
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(@wishclean)

Posted : 11/27/2013 10:25 pm

Why add saw palmetto if your current supplements are working for you? Maybe what you need is to target estrogen and progesterone, as you are doing, not androgens. I say stick with what's working and only switch it up if you plateau or get worse.

@ Ripon10: Both males and females can take DIM, but there are some DIM supplements that are specifically marketed to bodybuilders. You may want to get those marketed towards men for your son.

Based on my experience with saw palmetto for 3 months, I would say that DHT blockers can raise estrogen levels indirectly, because they lower testosterone. I developed melasma, and I think it's related to saw palmetto & estrogen dominance at least partially. Any time I tried to increase my saw palmetto dosage to 600mg, I would get brain fog. It just didn't sit well with me after a while, but I tend to react this way to DHT blockers.

I don't want to repeat this in threads about SP, but if you are worried about it consider myo or chiro inositol, especially for females. Far safer than saw palmetto for females in my opinion and experience so far because it not only lowers testosterone, but it also boosts progesterone which in turn can help regulate other imbalances. Not sure how it would affect males since it boosts progesterone, I couldn't find studies using specifically men.

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(@danthenewworld)

Posted : 11/28/2013 4:28 am

not only i noticed but others too, that guys with acne don't have balding issues, but their beards are underdeveloped.

btw i'm on saw palmetto for a week now.. 20% improvement on my face, 35% improvement on my back ! (my back has moderate to severe acne from age 15-16).

but also i try to help SP with other anti androgens/dht. it's a shame i couldn't find pygeum, but i may get it soon.

also, i'm eating cabbage almost daily and other DIM related stuff i guess.

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(@leadingforce)

Posted : 12/05/2013 5:36 pm

im 18 and im a male taking 1g a day for past 3 months is that bad ?

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(@green-gables)

Posted : 12/07/2013 2:54 am

1g, by which I assume you mean 1000mg, is a high dose for a male IF you are using standardized extract capsules. If you are just using whole herb capsules, it's hard to really say how much active ingredient you are getting, and whether it is too high or low.

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(@danthenewworld)

Posted : 12/07/2013 3:21 am

1g, by which I assume you mean 1000mg, is a high dose for a male IF you are using standardized extract capsules. If you are just using whole herb capsules, it's hard to really say how much active ingredient you are getting, and whether it is too high or low.

25% fatty acids in most cases for non-standardized, so 1000mg is not much

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(@leadingforce)

Posted : 12/07/2013 10:21 am

i been taking that for awhile after so i can eat meat so it can neutralize the effect lol

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(@leadingforce)

Posted : 12/12/2013 9:16 pm

so is saw palmetto bad long term ?

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(@green-gables)

Posted : 12/12/2013 9:26 pm

so is saw palmetto bad long term ?

There haven't been any studies on long term saw palmetto.

There are men long term on the heavy stuff, e.g. Propecia, because when they go off they go bald again.

I'd just stay on it as long as you need it. That is my rule for spironolactone. I have tried coming off of it 3 times, promptly broke out, so I went back again. Acne is a terrible thing to have long term (who wants a constant infection on their face that scars afterwards?), so I'll do what it takes to prevent it.

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(@wishclean)

Posted : 12/16/2013 8:02 pm

I think there should be studies on how saw palmetto and other anti-DHT supplements/ drugs can cause estrogen dominance. I developed melasma after a few months on saw palmetto, and I have no other explanation for it. Perhaps that might be why naturopaths usually do not prescribe saw palmetto on its own..they'll do a blend with other herbs as well to make sure all your other hormones are balanced as well.

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(@mnl1986)

Posted : 12/16/2013 9:55 pm

I think there should be studies on how saw palmetto and other anti-DHT supplements/ drugs can cause estrogen dominance. I developed melasma after a few months on saw palmetto, and I have no other explanation for it. Perhaps that might be why naturopaths usually do not prescribe saw palmetto on its own..they'll do a blend with other herbs as well to make sure all your other hormones are balanced as well.

Did the melasma go away after you stopped taking the SP? Also, can you take Saw Palmetto with DCI? I want to try Saw Palmetto before I spend the $$ on the DCI.

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(@green-gables)

Posted : 12/17/2013 12:11 am

I think there should be studies on how saw palmetto and other anti-DHT supplements/ drugs can cause estrogen dominance. I developed melasma after a few months on saw palmetto, and I have no other explanation for it. Perhaps that might be why naturopaths usually do not prescribe saw palmetto on its own..they'll do a blend with other herbs as well to make sure all your other hormones are balanced as well.

"Estrogen dominance" isn't really recognized by the medical field, and non-prescription remedies even less so, unfortunately...

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(@wishclean)

Posted : 12/17/2013 4:27 am

Nope, the melasma hasn't completely gone away, but it's faded quite a bit. I also think I was making it worse by using salycylic acid wipes on my face, so I stopped those as well several months ago.

DCI is much safer because it not only lowers testosterone, but it boosts progesterone. Therefore, if you have an estrogen dominance issue along with high androgens, like myself, the progesterone can hopefully help balance the excess estrogen, so you are getting a 2 for 1. If you suspect estrogen also plays a part in your hormonal imbalance, then don't take saw palmetto on its own. I would assume a combination of vitex and saw palmetto would be safer than taking those separately.

But, I saw much more benefits with DCI than I did with saw palmetto. At first, I was reluctant to shell out the cash for Chiral Balance's DCI, but it's worth it! It's regulated and high quality DCI, and I think they offer a 30 day guarantee as well. For me, it worked almost immediately in combination with myo-inositol...perhaps it worked so quickly because I was already taking inositol, but either way, you should see results within the first couple of weeks.

I also want to point out that saw palmetto works differently than DCI - they are not the same mechanism. If saw palmetto works for you, it's not a sign that DCI will work and vice versa. DCI is not a DHT-blocker, it's a testosterone reductor and progesterone booster.

 

I think there should be studies on how saw palmetto and other anti-DHT supplements/ drugs can cause estrogen dominance. I developed melasma after a few months on saw palmetto, and I have no other explanation for it. Perhaps that might be why naturopaths usually do not prescribe saw palmetto on its own..they'll do a blend with other herbs as well to make sure all your other hormones are balanced as well.

Did the melasma go away after you stopped taking the SP? Also, can you take Saw Palmetto with DCI? I want to try Saw Palmetto before I spend the $$ on the DCI.

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(@mnl1986)

Posted : 12/17/2013 1:41 pm

Nope, the melasma hasn't completely gone away, but it's faded quite a bit. I also think I was making it worse by using salycylic acid wipes on my face, so I stopped those as well several months ago.

DCI is much safer because it not only lowers testosterone, but it boosts progesterone. Therefore, if you have an estrogen dominance issue along with high androgens, like myself, the progesterone can hopefully help balance the excess estrogen, so you are getting a 2 for 1. If you suspect estrogen also plays a part in your hormonal imbalance, then don't take saw palmetto on its own. I would assume a combination of vitex and saw palmetto would be safer than taking those separately.

But, I saw much more benefits with DCI than I did with saw palmetto. At first, I was reluctant to shell out the cash for Chiral Balance's DCI, but it's worth it! It's regulated and high quality DCI, and I think they offer a 30 day guarantee as well. For me, it worked almost immediately in combination with myo-inositol...perhaps it worked so quickly because I was already taking inositol, but either way, you should see results within the first couple of weeks.

I also want to point out that saw palmetto works differently than DCI - they are not the same mechanism. If saw palmetto works for you, it's not a sign that DCI will work and vice versa. DCI is not a DHT-blocker, it's a testosterone reductor and progesterone booster.

 

 

 

I think there should be studies on how saw palmetto and other anti-DHT supplements/ drugs can cause estrogen dominance. I developed melasma after a few months on saw palmetto, and I have no other explanation for it. Perhaps that might be why naturopaths usually do not prescribe saw palmetto on its own..they'll do a blend with other herbs as well to make sure all your other hormones are balanced as well.

 

Did the melasma go away after you stopped taking the SP? Also, can you take Saw Palmetto with DCI? I want to try Saw Palmetto before I spend the $$ on the DCI.

Do you only take one pill of the Chiral Balance daily? I'm really considering purchasing it since there is a money back guarantee. I'm really not sure what's going on with my hormones. I had an IUD (Mirena) for 4 years and I had it removed in March of this year. 6 months after my face has gone crazy! It's all on my chin and around the sides of my nose. It's those painful cystic pimples that take forever to go away. My face has always been pretty clear up until now. I've also noticed more hair growth on my chin and my periods are irregular. I don't have health insurance so I can't afford to spend hundreds of dollars on doctors and blood tests. Do you have any idea what might be going on? I've also seen a derm and he prescribed Tazorac cream and it's done nothing for me.

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(@wishclean)

Posted : 12/19/2013 1:31 am

Yeah, I take one DCI pill in the morning, and I also take myo-inositol powder during the day...both on an empty stomach. If you are also having more facial hair, DCI could definitely benefit you. Their guarantee is actually for 60 days, I checked the site....they say it takes 2 monthly cycles to experience the full benefits. I noticed improvement almost immediately, but that might be because I was already taking myo-inositol as well. If you have hormonal acne, which is most likely, topicals are not going to solve the issue.

If you don't want to spend $$ on Chiral Balance, do what I did and buy regular inositol first (powder form) and see if it's having an impact on your skin. For me, it first started decreasing my facial hair, then my acne. But for some women, myo is not as potent as DCI. I can definitely tell that DCI is more powerful than myo, and you can take less DCI for the same effect as double the dose of myo.

You really have nothing to lose by trying inositol out. It has no side effects at the recommended dose, and will not make your acne worse. Mine only got better, I never got an IB or any of that crap.

 

Do you only take one pill of the Chiral Balance daily? I'm really considering purchasing it since there is a money back guarantee. I'm really not sure what's going on with my hormones. I had an IUD (Mirena) for 4 years and I had it removed in March of this year. 6 months after my face has gone crazy! It's all on my chin and around the sides of my nose. It's those painful cystic pimples that take forever to go away. My face has always been pretty clear up until now. I've also noticed more hair growth on my chin and my periods are irregular. I don't have health insurance so I can't afford to spend hundreds of dollars on doctors and blood tests. Do you have any idea what might be going on? I've also seen a derm and he prescribed Tazorac cream and it's done nothing for me.

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(@brenmc)

Posted : 12/05/2014 8:20 pm

WishClean, my skin still sucks, despite months of DIM. I have whiteheads, nodules and an oily nose, though the rest of my skin is dry. I am weaning off of inositol because it's not helping either. Instead I've bumped up my metformin. I'm considering saw palmetto or clearetto. I know you tried taking it with little success, but since you had success of DIM and I haven't, maybe it will work for me. Maybe the best thing to do would be to combine SP and DIM? Do you think SP could work for me, even though spiro hasn't, ie. does it work differently than spiro? When you come off of SP does your acne become worse? Can you become resistant to SP? Do you have any other comments about clearetto specifically vs SP? Please respond as soon as you have time and quote me.

Thanks!

B

I think there should be studies on how saw palmetto and other anti-DHT supplements/ drugs can cause estrogen dominance. I developed melasma after a few months on saw palmetto, and I have no other explanation for it. Perhaps that might be why naturopaths usually do not prescribe saw palmetto on its own..they'll do a blend with other herbs as well to make sure all your other hormones are balanced as well.

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