Not a testimonial as such but thought I'd start a log of my experience on it, where I'm coming from and what I'm hoping to fix!
Brief history: High level athlete was over doing things with training, intermittent fasting and calorie restriction. Add to that trying to live the party lifestyle of a Saturday night, late nights, alcohol and, admittedly, some stimulant use.
Came to a head Xmas 2010, crashed badly with crippling fatigue, zero libido, anxiety, very dry / photophobic eyes and an inability to concentrate. Obviously knocked all of the exercise and partying on the head (as if I have the energy anymore!) and have been eating my own interpretation of what was healthy. I love the study of nutrition and find the whole the motivation of 'paleo' etc laughable. Tend to read the likes of Alan Aragon and Johnny Bowden and followed their templates.
Basically meats, fresh fruits, vegetables including plenty of starchy ones, butter, olive oil etc. No milk, caffeine, gluten.
I've never used vegetable oil for cooking in etc but for the last 18 months I have not had any sugar other than fruit (I've always eaten a fair bit of fruit) but here is the kicker; I doubt there has been a day gone by for the last 18 months where I haven't eaten a large amounts of nuts / almond butter. I've also tended to eat cruciferous vegetables everyday (albeit cooked ones in a soup) and generally a good serving of houmus as well. I've also been supplementing with fish oils (2g per day).
So as you can see I've had a diet high in PUFAs since I believe I became hypometabolic due to chronically increased cortisol levels 18 months ago.
Some of my symptoms have improved slightly but my testosterone is still 348 and I have zero energy, drive or libido. My eyes are as bad as ever (wear dark sunglasses when using a pc screen) and I also have sinus congestion.
I've been obviously unable to exercise at all, long term relationship of 4 years ended due to the symptoms, am at risk of losing my job at the minute due to poor concentration and have had to move back with the parents due to financial worries as a result. (I'm 26 FFS!)
My FT3 and FT4 numbers are both good, upper quarter of the reference range, but my Reverse T3 is very high. I have all the symptoms of being severely hypothyroid, but the numbers they diagnose off in the UK here are fine.
I've had normal MRIs of my pituitary and testes, ACTH stimulation test (adrenals responded with out of range high cortisol), normal GNRH stimulation test.
Stool analysis from Metametrix come back with no issues and hair mineral analysis showing no toxic metal burden.
Salivary 24 hour cortisol test first showed low cortisol in Dec 2011 and then high cortisol in March 2012 (firmly shutting the door on any concept of 'damaged' adrenal glands for me)
Interestingly, I have tried T3 (cynomel) in doses up to and including 75mcg per day and it was hit and miss with the effects. I never felt any better on it and some times it raised my temperature for a bit before falling massively. This was despite splitting the dose throughout the day.
I believe this may be because of my high RT3 blocking the action of the T3. I read something on the Matt Stone 180 metabolism site somewhere about PUFAs stopping T3 entering the cells so wonder if that could be right.
(For the record I'm not on any T3 now but do have a supply of Cynomel to use in the future if needed)
As of Saturday I dropped the fish oil supplements and swapped to a Peat inspired way of eating.
Diet has mainly been: 3% milk, fresh orange juice / pineapple juice, lots of fresh fruit, brie cheese, a potato with dinner which has been white fish, butter, coconut oil for cooking, raw carrot salad with balsamic vinegar. Other drinks: decaf green tea / coffee and water to thirst.
My gelatin is arriving tomorrow.
Temperature remains unchanged at around 96.8 underarm, 97.2 oral upon waking. Pulse averages 62BPM.
Subjectively I feel worse - didn't think that was possible! but do understand there may be an adjustment period to increasing my sugar so much and adding milk back in to my diet so am prepared to try and ride it out given the positive encouragement I've taken from gummybear and some of the other success stories.
Will keep this updated.
Thanks
Brief history: High level athlete was over doing things with training, intermittent fasting and calorie restriction. Add to that trying to live the party lifestyle of a Saturday night, late nights, alcohol and, admittedly, some stimulant use.
Came to a head Xmas 2010, crashed badly with crippling fatigue, zero libido, anxiety, very dry / photophobic eyes and an inability to concentrate. Obviously knocked all of the exercise and partying on the head (as if I have the energy anymore!) and have been eating my own interpretation of what was healthy. I love the study of nutrition and find the whole the motivation of 'paleo' etc laughable. Tend to read the likes of Alan Aragon and Johnny Bowden and followed their templates.
Basically meats, fresh fruits, vegetables including plenty of starchy ones, butter, olive oil etc. No milk, caffeine, gluten.
I've never used vegetable oil for cooking in etc but for the last 18 months I have not had any sugar other than fruit (I've always eaten a fair bit of fruit) but here is the kicker; I doubt there has been a day gone by for the last 18 months where I haven't eaten a large amounts of nuts / almond butter. I've also tended to eat cruciferous vegetables everyday (albeit cooked ones in a soup) and generally a good serving of houmus as well. I've also been supplementing with fish oils (2g per day).
So as you can see I've had a diet high in PUFAs since I believe I became hypometabolic due to chronically increased cortisol levels 18 months ago.
Some of my symptoms have improved slightly but my testosterone is still 348 and I have zero energy, drive or libido. My eyes are as bad as ever (wear dark sunglasses when using a pc screen) and I also have sinus congestion.
I've been obviously unable to exercise at all, long term relationship of 4 years ended due to the symptoms, am at risk of losing my job at the minute due to poor concentration and have had to move back with the parents due to financial worries as a result. (I'm 26 FFS!)
My FT3 and FT4 numbers are both good, upper quarter of the reference range, but my Reverse T3 is very high. I have all the symptoms of being severely hypothyroid, but the numbers they diagnose off in the UK here are fine.
I've had normal MRIs of my pituitary and testes, ACTH stimulation test (adrenals responded with out of range high cortisol), normal GNRH stimulation test.
Stool analysis from Metametrix come back with no issues and hair mineral analysis showing no toxic metal burden.
Salivary 24 hour cortisol test first showed low cortisol in Dec 2011 and then high cortisol in March 2012 (firmly shutting the door on any concept of 'damaged' adrenal glands for me)
Interestingly, I have tried T3 (cynomel) in doses up to and including 75mcg per day and it was hit and miss with the effects. I never felt any better on it and some times it raised my temperature for a bit before falling massively. This was despite splitting the dose throughout the day.
I believe this may be because of my high RT3 blocking the action of the T3. I read something on the Matt Stone 180 metabolism site somewhere about PUFAs stopping T3 entering the cells so wonder if that could be right.
(For the record I'm not on any T3 now but do have a supply of Cynomel to use in the future if needed)
As of Saturday I dropped the fish oil supplements and swapped to a Peat inspired way of eating.
Diet has mainly been: 3% milk, fresh orange juice / pineapple juice, lots of fresh fruit, brie cheese, a potato with dinner which has been white fish, butter, coconut oil for cooking, raw carrot salad with balsamic vinegar. Other drinks: decaf green tea / coffee and water to thirst.
My gelatin is arriving tomorrow.
Temperature remains unchanged at around 96.8 underarm, 97.2 oral upon waking. Pulse averages 62BPM.
Subjectively I feel worse - didn't think that was possible! but do understand there may be an adjustment period to increasing my sugar so much and adding milk back in to my diet so am prepared to try and ride it out given the positive encouragement I've taken from gummybear and some of the other success stories.
Will keep this updated.
Thanks