[Guthrie]

I have a question for you guys... Are either of you sensative to carbs meaning that you lose mental concentration after a meal of pasta?

I'm extremely sensative as if I'm diabetic.

Limejuice, I definitely have a similar reaction after eating carbs.  I become spacey and unresponsive.  In fact, it has happened so frequently that it has become almost a routine for me to have to say to my girlfriend, "Sorry, I'm digesting" in order to apologize for my spacing out!

What do the rest of you think could be causing this sort of digestive response?

[John21 (OP)]

Quote from: Limejuice on 02/04/2009 20:23:37
I have a question for you guys... Are either of you sensative to carbs meaning that you lose mental concentration after a meal of pasta?

I'm extremely sensative as if I'm diabetic.


Limejuice, I definitely have a similar reaction after eating carbs.  I become spacey and unresponsive.  In fact, it has happened so frequently that it has become almost a routine for me to have to say to my girlfriend, "Sorry, I'm digesting" in order to apologize for my spacing out!

What do the rest of you think could be causing this sort of digestive response?

I have this response as well after eating refined carbs such as a box of KD, it slows me down big time. My blood sugar has been tested and found to be normal. I also had a glucose tolerance test which was normal. I don't know why I have this reaction, I simply avoid this type of food entirely.

[Ambient123]

Limejuice, you make an interesting point.

My blood sugar levels and certainly my cognitive abilities are implicated in what we would call "Bad Carbs" such as white carbohydrates (Bread, Flour etc.)

I would say in my case that yes, i am affected. Again, this holds up my theory of Adrenal Exhaustion, i think.

P.S

I phoned the medical centre today.

My results are in, though the doctor hasnt been able to look at them yet, so i have to wait until monday now. So close!

[rock27]

Rock, Ambient - I have a question for you guys... Are either of you sensative to carbs meaning that you lose mental concentration after a meal of pasta? I'm extremely sensative as if I'm diabetic.

I recognise it, but it is not extreme to me. And sometimes I crave carbs. I did a test in-POIS for diabetes - it was negative.

[rock27]

I took a blood test to measure testosterone and here are the results:

Test                                 Result              Reference Range
Testosterone, Serum           447 NG/DL         241 - 827
Free Testosterone (Direct)   10.6 PG/ML        9.3 - 26.5

What are your thoughts?

Your Free T looks pretty low to me (not an expert). Maybe after release your Free T drops even further, causing the symptoms. I would definitely like to see your in-pois values, so we can compare.

[rock27]

Today is Day Zero. Testosterone patches alone - no Levitra - seem to be the main reason for my 90% cure. Never thought I'd see the day. So DON'T EVER GIVE UP! GET MAD AT POIS and do something!

This is breaking news! I have always hoped for a one-thing solution and we've seen several now on the forum. Awesome!

[GoingCrazy]

Today is Day Zero. Testosterone patches alone - no Levitra - seem to be the main reason for my 90% cure. Never thought I'd see the day. So DON'T EVER GIVE UP! GET MAD AT POIS and do something!

This is breaking news! I have always hoped for a one-thing solution and we've seen several now on the forum. Awesome!

Funny how this is all coming together.  I believe it is just all related to low testosterone.  With the testosterone patches giving you a "cure" and the relora a cure also, it is just all related to testosterone.  Because relora lowers cortisol which inversely affects the amount of testosterone in your body.  Low testosterone causes depression, mood changes, sleep difficulties, difficulty concentration... all of which I have.

[demografx]

Yes, GC and the crazy thing for me is that around 2003 I was calling every expert on the planet, including a sex therapist in the Czech Republic who had no doubt in his mind that testosterone was the problem and cure for my POIS. It took me 7 years to finally see that he was right! The biggest impediment for me was that I relied on periodic injections which cause erratic results. When I finally saw my current endocrinologist he pointed that out to me and put me on T-patches which deliver a steady T flow, mimicking the body's natural delivery system. T-gels do the same. I use Androderm patches, 10 mg daily.

Also, I was slowed down by semi-accurate testing and semi-accurate interpretation. Testosterone testing can be tricky!

[Limejuice]

The doctors opinion about the low free T was that "the other T tests seemed normal so I don't see anything wrong with your T".

Perhaps I'll seek a second opinion and test again in POIS (if I can force myself to).

My worst symptoms are still sensativity to carbs and terrible sleep.

[GoingCrazy]

Yes, GC and the crazy thing for me is that around 2003 I was calling every expert on the planet, including a sex therapist in the Czech Republic who had no doubt in his mind that testosterone was the problem and cure for my POIS. It took me 7 years to finally see that he was right! The biggest impediment for me was that I relied on periodic injections which cause erratic results. When I finally saw my current endocrinologist he pointed that out to me and put me on T-patches which deliver a steady T flow, mimicking the body's natural delivery system.

Also, I was slowed down by semi-accurate testing and semi-accurate interpretation. Testosterone testing can be tricky!

Are you always going to have to rely on these patches?  Maybe after a while you should take them off and maybe your body would adjust somehow?

[demografx]

As the endo suggests, I'm not going to worry about that for now. I'm just going to enjoy laughing in Mr Pois' ugly face for now. Eventually, I will try to remove patches to see if the body can manufacture more T on it's own. Right now it's simply not manufacturing enough T.

[demografx]

LIMEJUICE, I got 2nd and 3rd opinion. First 2 docs were dead wrong.

[John21 (OP)]

GC,

Funny how this is all coming together.  I believe it is just all related to low testosterone.  With the testosterone patches giving you a "cure" and the relora a cure also, it is just all related to testosterone.  Because relora lowers cortisol which inversely affects the amount of testosterone in your body.  Low testosterone causes depression, mood changes, sleep difficulties, difficulty concentration... all of which I have.

Yes, and there are claims that both fenugreek and garlic can increase testosterone.  Others on this forum have benefited from fenugreek (I tried it but couldn't tolerate it), and I have noticed a possible benefit from eating raw garlic. So maybe low T is it.

[demografx]

John, I think it is. But perhaps I could be somehow biased? []

[demografx]

LIMEJUICE, I tested out-of-POIS out of the same fear as you, but it worked out well because it revealed my chronic deficiency.

I recommend to everyone to read up (google it) on testosterone testing. Also see what Harvard's health letter has to say.

Wishing and hoping we ALL heal. Sooner than later!

[demografx]

I took a blood test to measure testosterone and here are the results:

Test                                 Result              Reference Range
Testosterone, Serum           447 NG/DL         241 - 827
Free Testosterone (Direct)   10.6 PG/ML        9.3 - 26.5

What are your thoughts?

Limejuice, since my first bloodtest December '08 my T-patches raised my T-levels - similar to where yours are today - that is, to the low end of normal, as of March 2.

My endocrinologist said that my treatment should continue to increase my T-levels even moreso, by June, my next re-test. If my T doesn't go up further by June, he will switch me to a "pump gel" to increase the quantity of testosterone.

In other words, my endocrinologist is not happy with my being "just" at the low end of normal. Maybe that's where you need to be, too? (somewhere in the middle). But I'm not a medical pro, so please don't take this as medical advice. It's just my own personal POIS experience.

[Limejuice]

I thinks theres lots of merit to testing multiple times, Demo - thanks.  Thats how my bummed thyriod was detected...it kept fluctuating with different tests.

[Ambient123]

One question i had for everyone:

Will my results for the cortisol test include any of my other hormone levels, or will cortisol indicate that all of the hormones in my adrenals are low without having to test them?

Thanks

Ambient

[Counterpoints]

Today is Day Zero. Testosterone patches alone - no Levitra - seem to be the main reason for my 90% cure. Never thought I'd see the day. So DON'T EVER GIVE UP! GET MAD AT POIS and do something!

This is breaking news! I have always hoped for a one-thing solution and we've seen several now on the forum. Awesome!

Funny how this is all coming together.  I believe it is just all related to low testosterone.  With the testosterone patches giving you a "cure" and the relora a cure also, it is just all related to testosterone.  Because relora lowers cortisol which inversely affects the amount of testosterone in your body.  Low testosterone causes depression, mood changes, sleep difficulties, difficulty concentration... all of which I have.

I strongly disagree.  First of all, Demo, weren't you going almost a year without any added testosterone, believing that Levitra was a 50-75% cure?

Secondly, I don't have low testosterone, free or total.  In fact, it's on the verge of high.  And my cortisol is high. (Which relora supposedly lowers).  Also, most of the other testosterone readings I see here are not extremely low.  Some of them are low-ish.  But if that were the (sole) cause of POIS, wouldn't about 5-10% of the planet complain of these symptoms?

I think it's WAY more complicated than "it is all related to testosterone".  It is possible, that in some cases, a testosterone deficiency is affecting some other abnormality (e.g. prolactin levels?) mostly unique to POIS sufferers. 

Also, I think these tests should be done when you are feeling your worst.  Then we don't have to hypothesize about what levels might be going to, when you are symptomatic.

We are definitely seeing some sex-hormone adrenal connections that might relate to POIS. And I think testosterone could be extremely important in a lot of cases. But let's not jump to conclusions or generalize. There's also the question of 'adrenal fatigue' vs 'adrenal hyperactivity'. We aren't all in the same boat.

[Counterpoints]

I have a question for you guys... Are either of you sensative to carbs meaning that you lose mental concentration after a meal of pasta?

I'm extremely sensative as if I'm diabetic.

Limejuice, I definitely have a similar reaction after eating carbs.  I become spacey and unresponsive.  In fact, it has happened so frequently that it has become almost a routine for me to have to say to my girlfriend, "Sorry, I'm digesting" in order to apologize for my spacing out!

What do the rest of you think could be causing this sort of digestive response?

Cortisol can affect sugar-handling.  I have noticed some strange sugar handling symptoms also.  I feel best when I eat meat, cheese, vegetables, etc.  Things like pancakes make me feel pretty unusual.  (Same with coffee and hot chocolate too).

I don't think this has always been the case though.  I remember, say, when I was 12, that diet did not significantly affect how I felt.