5AR Inhibitors Make Me Feel Better, Why?

M_Mitchell08

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138
Hi all. As the thread says, I’ve tried two 5AR inhibitors over the last couple of weeks, both unintentionally - didn’t know they were inhibitors but what I’m curious about is why these have made me feel better mentally (brain pressure goes down, as does neck pressure and brain fog).

Hell, I’d even consider taking them as a protocol we’re it not for the serious sides I get (immediately have bowel issues first excrete all bowels and then severe constipation, insomina). Can’t live like this.

Major question is I fluxate between the physical state within a couple of days - meaning I can feel the effects of zinc for 1 day and then within 5 days the brain fog and excess testosterone is back. My theory is that I just have highly sensitive receptors and the excess testosterone had caused my issues over the last 4 months. How can I bring this down without crashing and causing the constipation / insomina. There has to be a happy medium, right?
 

MNK99

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5,356
@ M_Mitchell08 Which 5ARi's were they ?
 

MNK99

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5,356
I really have no idea. I know that supposedly Minoxidil is a potassium channel opener.
I was cutting(agressively) with Ostarine, 2 gyms, coaches, and alternate day fasting / intermittent fasting, and also was on stimulants a bit, and started Lamotrigine which is a calcium channel blocker, also affecting sodium channels... and I was pretty near my goal, and Lamotrigine or Finasteride made me lose like 8lb in 1-2 days... Very strange. It wasn't good/fat loss. It was pretty scary, bc I didn't have too too much fat to lose. Maybe opening the blood vessels caused weight loss, water retention was flushed, or something. I'm really not sure... and I don't know if "calcium", and other channel blockers mean in medicine what they are referred to here, in minerals/ARL and all that.

Magnesium citrate may have caused loose motion, and helped get rid of water retention too. I would think Minoxidil would increase water retention though. I had weird issues like this, because I initially wanted to quit lamotrigine because of water retention (which is a super minor side effect in contrast to every single psyche drug ever made), before I realized it definitely caused hair loss/ and it won't come back for me. So I had water retention, but perhaps the combination with finasteride or something else made me lose that water retention, and God-Willing not bone or anything else. I am usually 180lb. I didn't workout... a month or so later (Jan) and I was 167lb at times, and 172 and the like... and then 185 198 205lb or so... And now 187. It derailed my fitness plans but I'm getting better. I used to use magnesium, vitamin c, among other things to help digestion and other reasons. I started again recently.

I wouldn't count on minoxidil helping longer than short-term. Zinc... I have no idea, it did help some guys on other places online and also @K8668B. Usually people cycled it, it's written about somewhere on Hackstasis for sure. Weight loss from zinc also seems strange, but maybe it isn't.... maybe you're just more androgenic and lost fat and kept LBM (probably not overnight).

I am dealing with the digestive issues and insomnia (but I've had insomnia forever outside of severe depression/fatigue). My insomnia came back and certain other things do not help it... but I don't consider it a crash, as many other things have consistently improved. I think they'll get better in the future.
 
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M_Mitchell08

Well-Known Member
Messages
138
I really have no idea. I know that supposedly Minoxidil is a potassium channel opener.
I was cutting(agressively) with Ostarine, 2 gyms, coaches, and alternate day fasting / intermittent fasting, and also was on stimulants a bit, and started Lamotrigine which is a calcium channel blocker, also affecting sodium channels... and I was pretty near my goal, and Lamotrigine or Finasteride made me lose like 8lb in 1-2 days... Very strange. It wasn't good/fat loss. It was pretty scary, bc I didn't have too too much fat to lose. Maybe opening the blood vessels caused weight loss, water retention was flushed, or something. I'm really not sure... and I don't know if "calcium", and other channel blockers mean in medicine what they are referred to here, in minerals/ARL and all that.

Magnesium citrate may have caused loose motion, and helped get rid of water retention too. I would think Minoxidil would increase water retention though. I had weird issues like this, because I initially wanted to quit lamotrigine because of water retention (which is a super minor side effect in contrast to every single psyche drug ever made), before I realized it definitely caused hair loss/ and it won't come back for me. So I had water retention, but perhaps the combination with finasteride or something else made me lose that water retention, and God-Willing not bone or anything else. I am usually 180lb. I didn't workout... a month or so later (Jan) and I was 167lb at times, and 172 and the like... and then 185 198 205lb or so... And now 187. It derailed my fitness plans but I'm getting better. I used to use magnesium, vitamin c, among other things to help digestion and other reasons. I started again recently.

I wouldn't count on minoxidil helping longer than short-term. Zinc... I have no idea, it did help some guys on other places online and also @K8668B. Usually people cycled it, it's written about somewhere on Hackstasis for sure. Weight loss from zinc also seems strange, but maybe it isn't.... maybe you're just more androgenic and lost fat and kept LBM.

I really appreciate all the help man! I agree, I don’t know if those channels mean the same as the minerals we’re talking about either. It’s just so frustrating going back and forth on this. Hell, I’d honestly stay on zinc if it wasn’t for the constipation and insomina. I should get my hair test back here in a week or so and am going to see what my hormone panel looks like. What’s sad is I feel like this might be a severe delayed (~7 month) crash. I don’t see too many guys with these symptoms. I really feel like the receptors have gone into hyperdrive during my first recovery and overshot where they should be, this presenting new and different symptoms.

I also find it weird that minoxidil caused the drop in weight, as I figured it would lead to water retention, hence why I think it’s something androgen related.
 
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M_Mitchell08

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138
@TubZy @mattyb @gbolduev @bruschi11 @Canari @Orion
@joekool

Have y’all seen anything similar to this? An oversensitivity or uptick of the AR receptors causing new issues after a recovery? I’ve tried searching the site and others like sovlepfs and there are a handful, with those being authored by people that are no longer active or alive.

Please, any help or guidance would be appreciated.
 

Rid

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Messages
154
Is minoxidil even an ar inhib? I started taking it recently for hair loss and noticed sides like anxiety that I just thought was due to blood pressure changes. Any more info on minox would be nice
 

Helen

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Staff member
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5,415
@TubZy @mattyb @gbolduev @bruschi11 @Canari @Orion
@joekool

Have y’all seen anything similar to this? An oversensitivity or uptick of the AR receptors causing new issues after a recovery? I’ve tried searching the site and others like sovlepfs and there are a handful, with those being authored by people that are no longer active or alive.

Please, any help or guidance would be appreciated.

FINASTERIDE: PFS MECHANISM (detailed)

I wrote here why 5ar inhibitors can make you feel better.
 

D4n

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Messages
102
@M_Mitchell08 maybe minox cycle would work for you by downregulating 5ar, although a bit risky, whereas I think I need up upregulate 5ar from using minox
 

M_Mitchell08

Well-Known Member
Messages
138
Is minoxidil even an ar inhib? I started taking it recently for hair loss and noticed sides like anxiety that I just thought was due to blood pressure changes. Any more info on minox would be nice

I’m almost positive it’s a 5AR Inhibitor, based on the way it made me feel but I’m not sure the mechanisms of its success are noted. I can look into it and see if I can find anything.
 

Area-1255

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Well DHT also stimulates sympathetic activity, to a degree, but only in VERY HIGH amounts. Its possible you are an over-converter and thus are feeling the "adrenaline" effects of it. It as also possible you have Low E2, which was remedied, by inhibiting DHT thus raising Estrogen receptor transcription; as DHT normally lowers it.
 

TubZy

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Staff member
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@TubZy @mattyb @gbolduev @bruschi11 @Canari @Orion
@joekool

Have y’all seen anything similar to this? An oversensitivity or uptick of the AR receptors causing new issues after a recovery? I’ve tried searching the site and others like sovlepfs and there are a handful, with those being authored by people that are no longer active or alive.

Please, any help or guidance would be appreciated.

Zinc alone always fucked me, but so far in combo with other stuff for ARL it hasn't. But zinc reversed other issues for me (skin, hair etc) it just gave me brain fog and killed erections/libido. I also thought zinc was a 5ARi in higher doses only too, it actually increase DHT at lower doses, I believe.

Can't comment on minox as when I used it I was taking fin at the same time, but it is no surprise that stuff can be anti androgen given some of the recent studies we saw.
 

M_Mitchell08

Well-Known Member
Messages
138
Well DHT also stimulates sympathetic activity, to a degree, but only in VERY HIGH amounts. Its possible you are an over-converter and thus are feeling the "adrenaline" effects of it. It as also possible you have Low E2, which was remedied, by inhibiting DHT thus raising Estrogen receptor transcription; as DHT normally lowers it.
Zinc alone always fucked me, but so far in combo with other stuff for ARL it hasn't. But zinc reversed other issues for me (skin, hair etc) it just gave me brain fog and killed erections/libido. I also thought zinc was a 5ARi in higher doses only too, it actually increase DHT at lower doses, I believe.

Can't comment on minox as when I used it I was taking fin at the same time, but it is no surprise that stuff can be anti androgen given some of the recent studies we saw.

Thanks fellas, I'd imagine once I get my hair test back and labs back, I'd be able to have a better picture and try to get out of this mess? Is it possible to decrease DHT to get to an optimal level?
 

Area-1255

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Thanks fellas, I'd imagine once I get my hair test back and labs back, I'd be able to have a better picture and try to get out of this mess? Is it possible to decrease DHT to get to an optimal level?
Maybe Nettle root...try Barlowe's high potency nettle root; it raises Free test and might lower DHT a bit...also calms the nervous system.
EDIT: And by that I mean TOO MUCH "calming" effect and NEVER combine Nettle with antihistamines. did that with cyproheptadine once and felt like I was on heavy barbituates all day!!!
 

Niles

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Messages
670
I also thought zinc was a 5ARi in higher doses only too, it actually increase DHT at lower doses, I believe.

Was wondering about this just today. Do you happen to have a source for this? What would you consider a low vs. high dose?