@SummerPeach hmmm interesting... maybe I'll try that out

Supplementing sodium as salt and baking soda throughout the day seems to really help my debillitating fatigue / depression.

This one's a goodie, have only listened to half of it but have already learned a few new things. Thank you David, this will soon be passed on to my own circles.

@noodlecat59 Saving me research time is much appreciated.

I do remember Georgi commenting on methylene blue becoming a serotonin agonist if too much is taken and that was the reason for 15 mg daily limit and for not taking it every day.

Quick update: LH and FSH labs came in.

FSH seems normal at 7.7mIU/mL (range is 1.5–12.4)

LH is quite high at 9.0mIU/mL (range is 1.7–8.6)

Current hypothesis is that the microlithiasis is a result of atrophy and not a cause (ruling out calcium regulation issue unless PTH/calcitriol labs come back abnormal).

I also think that the high LH indicates primary hypogonadism rather than secondary.

Still in the dark about a cause, however. The fact that it's only one testicle seems very bizarre. Going to get in with a good urologist to see if they can tell me more. I'll also ask the radiology lab for the ultrasound images and post them here.

In the meantime—any pointers on lowering LH are welcome. I've read that high levels in the blood cause aromatization so will try to ameliorate that.

@banquos-ghost see my post in the other thread. Your T4:T3 ratio of 2:1 is way too low and it’s what causing the low ft4. You have to add more T4 and lower T3.
How do you feel with the current blood tests?

@Crypt-Keeper I agree with your point in why not spread it out in the day?

Im not a proponent for IF at all.

I think the MSM or even the guy himself thinks THAT’S why he is remaining lean with mass.
That it is the IF-
And I don’t agree with that at all

What’s good
Is that he’s balanced macros
So that is a huge benefit

https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/my-scalp-looks-like-a-brain.36460/

Well I think I'm done experimenting with that. I did do up to 800mg in EVOO and a few hours after that I got that sensitive / inflamed / pink scalp issue that I remember getting back from the old days when I took Epistane, so I think DHT went way high as expected.

Otherwise, I think my face and skin looked better, but nothing else interesting to report, and overall I still felt like crap. Mood and energy were neither improved nor worsened. Allergies seem to have flared up a bit but that could be just a coincidence with it being spring and the trees blooming now. (Or DHT might have suppressed cortisol all the more.)

I want to try to experiment the opposite way now. I know I have way too low E2 and horribly out of balance TT:E2 ratio (something like 60:1) with long-standing low E2 symptoms that I can't seem to correct. I thought maybe I had low DHT but I was likely reading the bloodwork wrong and probably have borderline high DHT.

I suppose DHT is an anxiolytic and when it's too high there is too much of a sedative effect. And an anti-estrogenic effect. Plus, in a sense, it can be anti-androgenic if it's occupying too many androgen receptors and preventing T from doing the functions it wants to do.

I'm going to look into raising E2 which seems like a tough nut to crack. Then maybe find some mild, natural 5ar inhibitors to bring DHT down just a bit. I don't want to affect any other 5ar neurosteroids, but probably won't have a choice. I'm not touching fin or dutasteride either.

I may try the transdermal some day but I think too much of that will go to DHT and it will probably blow out my TT:E2 ratio even worse. Not sure why I have so little aromatase activity.

In conclusion, the much-lauded "low estrogen, high DHT" phenotype is probably not for me.

@Peatful It seems that he had some beef with Google/YouTube... and lost his channel...
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/google-sued-by-anti-vax-doctor-over-youtube-ban-2022-09-29/

@DavidPS Fabulous!! Great interview. Thank you for posting and the timestamps!

Calcium and riboflavin are two chemicals known to reduce blood pressure, given salt intake is sufficient.

91914169-3d79-4f08-86ed-2626bc97a85d-image.png

@Peatly

My magnesium intake is fine for the situation. I do regular bicarb and mag salt baths. The sleep is restorative sleep, it's not like a fatigue.

@Appa urine color? sibo too can cause d lactic acidosis but ye generally this is from loss of bicarb, respiratory acidosis, thiamine deficiency

Why are you taking these in those higher doses and what have the effects been? If its just making you stressed more, you should lower or stop taking them for a while.