Problems with ED (

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Hello guys, a user told me to explain my problem in this forum section so I think I will do it hoping somebody can help me with it.

It all started when I used a medicine called Minoxidil. It is a well known medicine that it's used to regrow hair, but originally was used to lower your blood pressure. I only used it for 3 months, and it's been like 2 years since I stopped using it. When I was into it I started having unwanted facial hair (which is one of the side effects), some headaches, blurry vision, and of course erectile dysfunction, penile shrinkage, poor ejaculations and a general cold sensation in the genital area.

I was so panicked and I wanted to find out which was the real cause since doctors didn't give me enough evidences. Everybody has told me that Minoxidil cannot be the cause since this product "allegedly" doesn't cause ED, but there are thousands of cases reported in forums on the internet.

I have tried, Cialis (which only worked like three times), Viagra, Levitra, Spedra and all those medicines used to "treat" ED, but none of them fixed my problem. I also tried vitamin E supplements with L-Arginine because I have a little fibrosis in my penis, but doctors say it's nothing serious. The only thing that has worked during a very short period of time was combining Cialis with maca and arginine, but after a week or so I started to feel as bad as before.

I also use a corthicosteroid ointment to treat my eccema that could have "helped" messing with some of my hormones alongside Minoxidil. Maybe that's what made it worse.

Now I'm using Sustain Alpha to see if I can get any results by balancing estrogens and testosterone naturally.

I will show you my last bloodwork with hormonal details, and I hope some of you can tell me what do you think it's messed up, even though it is between a normal range, and what things that are below average can cause me ED:


CORTISOL / SUERO
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 1,40 μg/dL (3,70-19,40)

ANDROSTENDIONA
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 0,64 ng/mL (0,40-2,60)

DHEA-SULFATO
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 211,3 μg/dL (167,9-591,9)

17-BETA ESTRADIOL
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 21,3 pg/mL (<56,0)

FSH / SUERO
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 1,26 mUI/mL (0,70-11,00)

LH / SUERO
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 2,00 mUI/mL (0,80-7,60)

PROGESTERONA
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ <0,20 ng/mL (0,27-0,90)

PROLACTINA
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 10,0 ng/mL (3,5-19,4)

TESTOSTERONA TOTAL / SUERO
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 2,28 ng/mL (1,66-8,11)

T4 LIBRE ( TIROXINA LIBRE )
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 0,96 ng/dL (0,70-1,48)


TSH ( HORMONA ESTIMULANTE DEL TIROIDES )
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 1,18 μUI/mL (0,35-4,94)


As you can see, cortisol and progesterone levels are below average, but doctors have told me that this is nothing to worry about. Do you think so?

(Everything is in Spanish and I guess it's understandable, but if you need me to translate something, just let me know).


Thank you in advance!
 
bighulksmash

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Hello guys, a user told me to explain my problem in this forum section so I think I will do it hoping somebody can help me with it.

It all started when I used a medicine called Minoxidil. It is a well known medicine that it's used to regrow hair, but originally was used to lower your blood pressure. I only used it for 3 months, and it's been like 2 years since I stopped using it. When I was into it I started having unwanted facial hair (which is one of the side effects), some headaches, blurry vision, and of course erectile dysfunction, penile shrinkage, poor ejaculations and a general cold sensation in the genital area.

I was so panicked and I wanted to find out which was the real cause since doctors didn't give me enough evidences. Everybody has told me that Minoxidil cannot be the cause since this product "allegedly" doesn't cause ED, but there are thousands of cases reported in forums on the internet.

I have tried, Cialis (which only worked like three times), Viagra, Levitra, Spedra and all those medicines used to "treat" ED, but none of them fixed my problem. I also tried vitamin E supplements with L-Arginine because I have a little fibrosis in my penis, but doctors say it's nothing serious. The only thing that has worked during a very short period of time was combining Cialis with maca and arginine, but after a week or so I started to feel as bad as before.

I also use a corthicosteroid ointment to treat my eccema that could have "helped" messing with some of my hormones alongside Minoxidil. Maybe that's what made it worse.

Now I'm using Sustain Alpha to see if I can get any results by balancing estrogens and testosterone naturally.

I will show you my last bloodwork with hormonal details, and I hope some of you can tell me what do you think it's messed up, even though it is between a normal range, and what things that are below average can cause me ED:


CORTISOL / SUERO
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 1,40 μg/dL (3,70-19,40)

ANDROSTENDIONA
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 0,64 ng/mL (0,40-2,60)

DHEA-SULFATO
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 211,3 μg/dL (167,9-591,9)

17-BETA ESTRADIOL
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 21,3 pg/mL (<56,0)

FSH / SUERO
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 1,26 mUI/mL (0,70-11,00)

LH / SUERO
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 2,00 mUI/mL (0,80-7,60)

PROGESTERONA
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ <0,20 ng/mL (0,27-0,90)

PROLACTINA
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 10,0 ng/mL (3,5-19,4)

TESTOSTERONA TOTAL / SUERO
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 2,28 ng/mL (1,66-8,11)

T4 LIBRE ( TIROXINA LIBRE )
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 0,96 ng/dL (0,70-1,48)


TSH ( HORMONA ESTIMULANTE DEL TIROIDES )
Quimioluminiscencia
RESULTADO........................ 1,18 μUI/mL (0,35-4,94)


As you can see, cortisol and progesterone levels are below average, but doctors have told me that this is nothing to worry about. Do you think so?

(Everything is in Spanish and I guess it's understandable, but if you need me to translate something, just let me know).


Thank you in advance!
Has your doctor ordered an mri on the pituitary gland ? Also . Are you actively working out ? Have you tried any serms ? You may want to look into pelvic tilts and blood flow exercises.
 

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Thank you very much for your quick response.

I have read that Minoxidil and corthicosteroids can affect the pituitary gland activity in some way. Should I ask for this test to the endocrinologist?

What kind of serm should I try? Are they safe (without sides)? Are they over-the-counter medicines? The only thing similar to this that I'm using now is Sustain Alpha, which is a natural test booster and anti-estrogenic. I started 2 days ago so it will still have no noticeable effect.

I'd love to work out but this thing have me depressed and stuff, I'd like to be me again to recover my will to do exercise and to feel better.

Has your doctor ordered an mri on the pituitary gland ? Also . Are you actively working out ? Have you tried any serms ? You may want to look into pelvic tilts and blood flow exercises.
 
bighulksmash

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Thank you very much for your quick response.

I have read that Minoxidil and corthicosteroids can affect the pituitary gland activity in some way. Should I ask for this test to the endocrinologist?

What kind of serm should I try? Are they safe (without sides)? Are they over-the-counter medicines? The only thing similar to this that I'm using now is Sustain Alpha, which is a natural test booster and anti-estrogenic. I started 2 days ago so it will still have no noticeable effect.

I'd love to work out but this thing have me depressed and stuff, I'd like to be me again to recover my will to do exercise and to feel better.
The best serm out there is clomid imho. Tamoxifen can be used as well . Did the doctor offer any explanation as to why your
Penile department stopped working? You said you felt cold , hows your lipids ? . Maybe look into NITROUS OXIDE supplements like l arginine or l citrulline.
 

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The best serm out there is clomid imho. Tamoxifen can be used as well . Did the doctor offer any explanation as to why your
Penile department stopped working? You said you felt cold , hows your lipids ? . Maybe look into NITROUS OXIDE supplements like l arginine or l citrulline.
My doctor believes that it can be a BPH (I'm only 31) and he prescribed me a Saw Palmetto medicine and antibiotics because he thought there could be an underlying prostate infection. I finished the treatment but the effects remain the same. I tried l-arginine and maca with l-arginine before and they worked for some time only.

My lipids are all perfect. No high cholesterol levels whatsoever.

I have read about Tamoxifen and Clomid before. They are used after a PCT, right? Do they have some serious side effects or are they mostly safe?
 
bighulksmash

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My doctor believes that it can be a BPH (I'm only 31) and he prescribed me a Saw Palmetto medicine and antibiotics because he thought there could be an underlying prostate infection. I finished the treatment but the effects remain the same. I tried l-arginine and maca with l-arginine before and they worked for some time only.

My lipids are all perfect. No high cholesterol levels whatsoever.

I have read about Tamoxifen and Clomid before. They are used after a PCT, right? Do they have some serious side effects or are they mostly safe?
Tamoxifen and clomid stimulate the pituitary gland to make testosterone by blocking the estrogen receptors in the pituitary gland. This fools the body into making lh which signal the ledyig cells in the testes to make testosterone. It maybe worth a shot . Most clomid hpta restarts are successful.
 

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Tamoxifen and clomid stimulate the pituitary gland to make testosterone by blocking the estrogen receptors in the pituitary gland. This fools the body into making lh which signal the ledyig cells in the testes to make testosterone. It maybe worth a shot . Most clomid hpta restarts are successful.
Do Clomid and Tamoxifen usually cure this problem or do they have to use chronically? I mean, I don't want my body to be dependent on a medicine like when people do a testosterone replacement treatment.
 
Todd Garner

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Best to go to a endocrinologist right away with these issues.
 

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Best to go to a endocrinologist right away with these issues.
I visited my endocrinologist with those results but he said that he didn't see nothing to worry about. He said progesterone can be low on men and that low cortisol levels can be due to the use of that ointment for my eccema.

Do you think that, even though my testosterone is within normal levels, it is low for a 31 years old guy? I don't want to do a TRT because I don't want to depend on that forever, but I would do something else in order to recover my original state if you think that they are below the average for my age.
 
Todd Garner

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A clomid restart may do you some good, it's not going to hurt at all. As far as ED a lot of times its a guys mind messing with him.
 

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A clomid restart may do you some good, it's not going to hurt at all. As far as ED a lot of times its a guys mind messing with him.
I will talk about Clomid with my urologist and with my endocrinologist, although I'm sure they will say the typical (this is for women) or (your hormonal levels are within the normal rate), but I have nothing to lose now.
 
Todd Garner

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If you cant get clomid look on the supplement forum, BLR has some good stuff out right now that could give you a boost.
 

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If you cant get clomid look on the supplement forum, BLR has some good stuff out right now that could give you a boost.
I am currently using Sustain Alpha. Do you know it? Have you ever tried it? Today is my third day, so it is very soon to talk about the test boost.
 
Todd Garner

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Haven't tried it, stick with it and give it time, maybe throw some Fadogia from Fundamental Nutrition with it
 

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Haven't tried it, stick with it and give it time, maybe throw some Fadogia from Fundamental Nutrition with it
Thank you a lot, I will post any change or any new info from my doctors here. I hope I will find a cure soon.
 

sammpedd88

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Haven't tried it, stick with it and give it time, maybe throw some Fadogia from Fundamental Nutrition with it
Can you send me a link for that? I googled fundamental nutrition and didn't come up with anything. I've had an interest in Fadogia.
 
Todd Garner

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Copy and paste Fadogia fundamental nutrition on Amazon and should be easy to find.
 

abudabu

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Hi.
Glad to see that you posted your labs.

Now this is my personal opinion only and you should take advice from a medical professional.

First , people rushing to suggest clomid. I would strongly recommend against using it ( at least for now) with yours issues. Don't add another variable that can potentially put more stress on your hormonal system.
Second. After going through your bloods ( it's only my opinion and not professional advise):
Your test indeed seems on the low side for someone your age , but until you balance you cortisol/progesterone we can't be sure that this is the root of your issues. Plus without knowing your test numbers before corticosteroid/minoxidil use its hard to know if it is low for you or not ( especially when your labs within range). Keep using bps SA and you can add some natural test booster if you like. Fadogia is nice option. check royal jelly studies on ergo log, it help your body to balance the test levels again after stress ( and help your body to restore healthy Hpta ) .
In my opinion your main issues are cortisol and progesterone. Your docs not gonna treat you for this after corticosteroid use , and for good reasons. They probably waiting for your body to balance itself, especially as you was healthy young man before the treatment. Give yourself time. Use adaptogens to help restore your adrenal axis(Google ashwaghanda, rodiola, ginseng, shilajit), this can take time.
As I mentioned on your other post, progesterone is vital for male as much is it vital for females. It can lower your erections and libido if not balanced.
Plus you need it for cortisol also. ( Google progesterone pathways/ adrenal pathway ).
If after 3 month of suggested supplement use plus good multivitamin and moderate exercise you don't feel improvement , take another blood test.
If you still have low cortisol/progesterone then you can try natural progesterone cream.
I have low cortisol issues and prog cream don't have any negative impact on me. I have been using dosage as high as 40-60 mg per day. If anything it improves my erections , my recovery and dries me a little. But try it only 3-5 month of natural treatment.

As for your other labs.
You need to take free t3 test to see yours full thyroid picture. Your free t4 ( I guess it's free t4 and not t4 , if not then ask to test it) maybe little on the low side but again probably due to low cortisol.
If you was using topical minoxidil then I doubt it caused any damage. If oral then maybe you should check your dht levels.

If after all this ( again 3-6 month period) you have balanced cortisol/ progesterone but still suffer from your symptoms only then I think you should try clomid protocol. ( I have tried it without any improvement, this is how I knew my mid/low test numbers were not an issue ).
Again all this is my personal opinion only, do your own research or consult with professional.
Hope it helps.
Stay well.
 

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Hi.
Glad to see that you posted your labs.

Now this is my personal opinion only and you should take advice from a medical professional.

First , people rushing to suggest clomid. I would strongly recommend against using it ( at least for now) with yours issues. Don't add another variable that can potentially put more stress on your hormonal system.
Second. After going through your bloods ( it's only my opinion and not professional advise):
Your test indeed seems on the low side for someone your age , but until you balance you cortisol/progesterone we can't be sure that this is the root of your issues. Plus without knowing your test numbers before corticosteroid/minoxidil use its hard to know if it is low for you or not ( especially when your labs within range). Keep using bps SA and you can add some natural test booster if you like. Fadogia is nice option. check royal jelly studies on ergo log, it help your body to balance the test levels again after stress ( and help your body to restore healthy Hpta ) .
In my opinion your main issues are cortisol and progesterone. Your docs not gonna treat you for this after corticosteroid use , and for good reasons. They probably waiting for your body to balance itself, especially as you was healthy young man before the treatment. Give yourself time. Use adaptogens to help restore your adrenal axis(Google ashwaghanda, rodiola, ginseng, shilajit), this can take time.
As I mentioned on your other post, progesterone is vital for male as much is it vital for females. It can lower your erections and libido if not balanced.
Plus you need it for cortisol also. ( Google progesterone pathways/ adrenal pathway ).
If after 3 month of suggested supplement use plus good multivitamin and moderate exercise you don't feel improvement , take another blood test.
If you still have low cortisol/progesterone then you can try natural progesterone cream.
I have low cortisol issues and prog cream don't have any negative impact on me. I have been using dosage as high as 40-60 mg per day. If anything it improves my erections , my recovery and dries me a little. But try it only 3-5 month of natural treatment.

As for your other labs.
You need to take free t3 test to see yours full thyroid picture. Your free t4 ( I guess it's free t4 and not t4 , if not then ask to test it) maybe little on the low side but again probably due to low cortisol.
If you was using topical minoxidil then I doubt it caused any damage. If oral then maybe you should check your dht levels.

If after all this ( again 3-6 month period) you have balanced cortisol/ progesterone but still suffer from your symptoms only then I think you should try clomid protocol. ( I have tried it without any improvement, this is how I knew my mid/low test numbers were not an issue ).
Again all this is my personal opinion only, do your own research or consult with professional.
Hope it helps.
Stay well.
Thank you so much for taking your time on answering me. Your comment is full of useful info.

In fact, I bought a natural progesterone cream but I didn't know how to use it and the proper dosage. I was scared of using too much and imbalancing my hormonal axis even more. I don't know if I should tell my urologist about the cream or if he is gonna tell me that I shouldn't use any other hormone supplement if I don't want to use them for life like people who do TRT. Although I have read that progesterone cream is a lot safer than testosterone treatments.

What should my testosterone levels be at my age?
 

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I'm still gonna consult my doctor but I'm curious about how you apply the progesterone cream (what part of the body and how many pumps).

Do you think that accidentally applying Minoxidil down there could have caused all this mess? I mean, after applying it and going to the toilet, for example. I am thinking it could have messed my test receptors or something since my ejaculations are also poor...
 

abudabu

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Glad to help.
I know from personal experience how frustrating this issue is.
I'm not an expert but I don't think that minoxidil is the cause , even if you accidentally applying it on testes. But again people are different and I don't know much about it. ( used it once for couple month then dropped it. Hated to use it every day).
Corticosteroids can mess you up more than topical minoxidil. You are locked up on your test being the issue but it can be only a symptom of another condition. You don't want to treat symptoms without treating the cause.
I can't tell you exactly what progesterone dose you need use. You will need to experiment. Most people will tell you start low 5 mg a day and build up.
For me low dose made my ED worse. Only after bumping up to 40 I felt ok.
I used it on neck, shoulders, inner arms. Rotating each time. I strongly advise to try the natural route before using progesterone. And full thyroid panel.
Try to remember when did you first noticed you have ED. Was you aware about " potential harm " minoxidil could have? Or you noticed your ED first and start to look for the cause ?
For how long you have been treated with corticosteroid?
 

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Glad to help.
I know from personal experience how frustrating this issue is.
I'm not an expert but I don't think that minoxidil is the cause , even if you accidentally applying it on testes. But again people are different and I don't know much about it. ( used it once for couple month then dropped it. Hated to use it every day).
Corticosteroids can mess you up more than topical minoxidil. You are locked up on your test being the issue but it can be only a symptom of another condition. You don't want to treat symptoms without treating the cause.
I can't tell you exactly what progesterone dose you need use. You will need to experiment. Most people will tell you start low 5 mg a day and build up.
For me low dose made my ED worse. Only after bumping up to 40 I felt ok.
I used it on neck, shoulders, inner arms. Rotating each time. I strongly advise to try the natural route before using progesterone. And full thyroid panel.
Try to remember when did you first noticed you have ED. Was you aware about " potential harm " minoxidil could have? Or you noticed your ED first and start to look for the cause ?
For how long you have been treated with corticosteroid?
In reality, a lot of people say that Minoxidil can't harm you or that it doesn't affect your libido whatsoever, but if you check carefully on the internet you will see hundreds of people reporting it. Maybe the problem is not hormonal but because of its anti hypertensive nature (firstly it was used for this).

I started to feel numb after the second month or so. I had symptoms like headaches, unwanted hair in the face, low libido, cold in the genitals, and so on.

I have been using the lotion with corthicosteroids for around 3 years, but not everyday or every week. Only when the eccema itches a lot and when it turns red.

Maybe the problem started when I used both things altogether, unbalancing my hormones or affecting my pituitary.

Today I visited an urologist and he told me that he still thinks it is my prostate that could be enlarged. I don't know why an enlarged prostate at the age of 31 could cause me this cold and numb sensation down there... Then he told me to do some more tests.

He also told me that he has never heard that low progesterone can cause low libido and ED, because it is only used when a woman is pregnant... So you can imagine my thoughts when a doctor tells me that he doesn't even know that progesterone has a function in men...
 

abudabu

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I went to urologist who said the same thing about my prostate lol. He even gave me prostate meds.
Every doc I went to claimed that ssri are not the cause even though I know for sure it is. When I first started to take them I was not even aware of possible issues they can cause me.

The main issue is not high or low test results but your balance. Some people can have medium low testosterone and feel fine. We are all different.
Try to research minoxidils mechanism of action and find possible imbalances it can cause.
 

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I went to urologist who said the same thing about my prostate lol. He even gave me prostate meds.
Every doc I went to claimed that ssri are not the cause even though I know for sure it is. When I first started to take them I was not even aware of possible issues they can cause me.

The main issue is not high or low test results but your balance. Some people can have medium low testosterone and feel fine. We are all different.
Try to research minoxidils mechanism of action and find possible imbalances it can cause.
Yeah, I'm still sure that it was both Minox and the corthicosteroid fault. Today I read about a disease caused by a benign tumour in the suprarrenal glands or because of the usage of exogenous corthicosteroids that can cause ED and low libido and hormonal imbalance. That mixed with the fact that it all started when I was using Minox makes a lot of sense.

It is so dangerous to play with cortisol, I cannot even stop using my lotion all of a sudden because I could have a shock...
 

abudabu

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How is things going for you ?
Any updates about your issue ?
 

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How is things going for you ?
Any updates about your issue ?
Sorry for not telling anything

The first two or so weeks using Sustain Alpha I didn't feel any significant change. Maybe a very little improvement. Now that it has been almost a month I can say that I went from 40% to 60% of what I was before.

I still need more and more changes, but for that I need to really discover the cause of my problem.

Recently I read that corticosteroids or natural cortisol can lower your testosterone dramatically, affecting your libido and erections. They block testosterone's pathways. While more testosterone lowers too high cortisol levels . They are kind of antagonists.

I also read that especially oral corticosteroids have a lot of nasty side effects, including sexual (Although I use topical).
 

abudabu

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Good to hear that you're getting improvement with your issues.
Do you still use topical cortisol? Or you trying to tapper off? What about adaptogens? You should try them to help your body to balance itself after prolonged use of corticosteroids..
 

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Good to hear that you're getting improvement with your issues.
Do you still use topical cortisol? Or you trying to tapper off? What about adaptogens? You should try them to help your body to balance itself after prolonged use of corticosteroids..
I'm trying to tapper it off by alternating between a natural product and the steroid cream, just to not getting rid of it suddenly, which is extremely dangerous.

I will definetely try adaptogens because I need to rebalance some hormones naturally. How much time could it take? (I know every case is very different but I am curious how fast do they normally act)
 

abudabu

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Time is very individual with this issue.
You probably will feel something after a week.
Adaptogens will not fix your imbalance due to prolong corticosteroids use, but they will help your body to balance itself naturally. This can take time.
How long ? Can't tell you for sure , it depends on your genetics.
But to speed up the process you should look for good professional help.

Stay well , and update :).
 

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Time is very individual with this issue.
You probably will feel something after a week.
Adaptogens will not fix your imbalance due to prolong corticosteroids use, but they will help your body to balance itself naturally. This can take time.
How long ? Can't tell you for sure , it depends on your genetics.
But to speed up the process you should look for good professional help.

Stay well , and update :).
I bought some Maca with Arginine again because I read that Maca is also an adaptogen, and a very good one. I used it months ago and I felt a nice improvement during some time. I will combine it with my Toco-8 and my Sustain Alpha to see if it improves my condition even more. I am also tappering off my corticosteroids cream. I will have a bloodwork soon and I will post the results here.

Thanks for everything, dude.
 

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