0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I'm just not ready yet for a lancetI do believe it's rare (Disease is another question, but that's just terminology/semantics). Dr Waldinger, who specializes in sexuality medicine, only came across 5 cases of POIS in 5 years. And with all the physicians and healthcare professionals seen by this forum (I would guess in the hundreds) - - NOT ONE healthcare professional has had any idea what POIS is. And if it were more common, we would also have seen more than just ONE study (Dr. Waldinger's). But if you still doubt "rare" please tell me why.
Periods of poor concentration have been there as far back as I can remember and that may have been ADHD, but it could have been POIS!
About cortisol I would recommend if possible to do a saliva test and a blood test at the same time, so we'll be able to see the differences. If we want to make research by ourselves on this, the saliva test would be very useful(to make more tests and find what is really effective to decrease cortisol).Girlwind, you probably know this, when you stimulate the thyroid you can increase the problem with the adrenals, that's what some sources (bad or not ?) are saying. Because of this you can stop your thyroid treatment even if it's needed.About ashwagandha I took it a few weeks ago for the effect on HPA axis and my pois was aggravated, I can't explain why. Also It's an aphrodisiac. Specially for men with pois maybe it's not the best thing. This was a problem for me with ginseng.
I have no idea what blood test is good to test cortisol levels. (There is actually a lot of controversy about this.)I have heard that there is a 24-hour urine test, which is used more commonly, and also a cortisol provocation test.I just go with the saliva tests, because they are easy to do by one's self and the results have rang true for me. Also, it could get really expensive to do so many tests--both saliva and blood, before and after POIS... that's a lot of money. I have no insurance and have to pay out of pocket for all this, so I'm not willing to dish out the extra cash. As for ASHWAGANDA, I have been taking it for about two weeks and have experienced NO aphrodisiac effects from it. It's an adaptogen (helps the body adapt to stress), and supports both the adrenals and thyroid. For me it's been just as easy to take as Siberian Ginseng Eleutherococcus senicosus) and Schizandra, which have had similar affects.
Martin's quote from article: That stress drives changes in fingertip temperatures that appear to fluctuate differently than do those in non-ADHD patients
...it could get really expensive to do so many tests--both saliva and blood, before and after POIS... that's a lot of money. I have no insurance and have to pay out of pocket for all this, so I'm not willing to dish out the extra cash...
...Yes it takes money to do research, unfortunately we'll always be confronted to this problem...
Thanks for your answer! Yes it takes money to do research, unfortunately we'll always be confronted to this problem. Anyway I'm interested to do the cortisol test to see what's going on. Maybe I'll be able to have a better quality of life, which is a major problem for me. For aphrodisiacs perhaps it's different for women. We don't have the same hormones. I can take siberian ginseng without problems but not korean ginseng.. I didn't try schizandra. I'm a bit desperate to find a solution for pois in supplements. I have to stop taking melissa because I feel very slow after a week. However it was a 50% help for sleeping. I'll take it again.I'd like to try 5-htp or tryptophan but this is not encouraging :http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9808/31/tryptophan/
...I strongly advise going to a physician (MD), and getting these tests ordered. I would suggest not involving alternative practitioners (naturopaths, acupuncturists, etc.) at this stage...
Girlwind, the research neurologist I talked with disagrees with you in regards to thyroid (he seemed to only care about TSH).
Counterpoints, can you say why naturopaths/alternatives should be avoided for now?
Do we have a theory yet that could link hypothyroid to POIS?
Quote from: Counterpoints on 02/11/2008 21:53:04Girlwind, the research neurologist I talked with disagrees with you in regards to thyroid (he seemed to only care about TSH).He's wrong. I am living proof of that, as are the other "estimated 26 million cases" of undiagnosed hypothyroid.
It appears that we have a philosophical split in the forum, MDs vs. alternatives/naturopaths. Ultimately it's each person's decision how to test their bodies. Further, some people have financial and/or insurance issues.One understanding I have (from girlwind) is that MD's don't typically test certain forms of thyroid interaction, and perhaps others.And another understanding most of us have is that naturopaths and the like won't/don't subscribe to the pharma/drug Rx world.Counterpoints, can you say why naturopaths/alternatives should be avoided for now?I think opposing points of view should also be aired now.As added input, it should be understood that, at this stage, of the 3 outside researchers we have tentatively engaged with the forum, 2 are MD's and 1 is a Ph.D in Biophysics, but my guess is that the latter leans heavily toward the Rx drug/pharma world because of his AIDS research and the medical firms he founded.Thanks much, all!