Pointless' Log

[Pointless]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I think the transition period is one of the hardest things to deal with when trying to correct your body's metabolic rate. Nothing feel's worse than undercutting your energy production by lowering stress hormones. Even worse; you overshoot by taking too much caffeine and/or thyroid and you trigger drastic changes in adrenaline (or a thyroid storm in some cases).

Higher doses seem to either create paresthesia (if the ratio is off) or lower my overall metabolism even more. Today I tried a morning dose of 1 drop T3 and 4 drops T4, and I got so tired I fell asleep for hours lol. Ray Peat actually says (I think I misremembered) that the thyroid works gradually to restore metabolic efficiency. So increasing the dose wouldn't work. Here's a quote for reference:

"Using a small does of T3 normally causes an increase of temperature and pulse rate, but in these people who are in an extremely adrenergic state, the T3 causes both the temperature and heart rate to decrease, as it restores metabolic efficiency. Then, as the stress state disappears, the thyroid supplements will gradually begin to bring the metabolic rate, temperature, and pulse up to normal. When the body temperature is maintained by thyroid-supported respiration, rather than by stress hormones, the sleep is efficient."

Ray Peat, PhD on Thyroid, Temperature, Pulse, and TSH – Functional Performance Systems (FPS)

I guess I've dealt with worse, but yeah I feel pretty bad for the time being.

 

[DaveFoster]

@Pointless

I feel horrible right with you, brother. Migraines, anxiety, and severe depression for me; keep trucking, best of luck. I think gut irritants are causing all these negative effects. Be sure to be in-tuned to any irritation from various foods, such as commercial juice.

 

[Pointless]

Super long post ahead. I honestly don't expect anyone to read this whole thing. I do it for my own good more than anything. But some have expressed interest in certain things I'm experimenting with, so if you want to skim to sections that interest you, that would be for the best.

I got a health screening today.

Cholesterol: total 145, HDL 34, LDL 78, trig 167
Glucose: 81
Blood pressure: 103/65
BMI: 24.28, 6'0", 179 lbs.

Honestly, I was scared my glucose was going to be off the charts lol. I think I will decrease my biotin dose, because it is well-managed.

My cholesterol has gone down, which I expected with thyroid supplementation. And it was already pretty low. So I will take pregnenolone, which I haven't been taking the past few weeks. Nothing I have done has really made my cholesterol budge. Eating 6 eggs a day, massive amounts of sugar, it just doesn't go up.

Here's my diet right now: gelatin, beef, other meat (rarely), eggs, rice, salt, potassium (Morton's lite salt with potassium chloride and other electrolytes), fruit juice, tropical fruit, fat free milk, gummi bears, rice cakes, coconut oil, ice cream, carrots, shrimp, white bread, lettuce, tomato

One thing I want to add is liver, but it's such a pain to cook and I don't like the taste. I'm thinking about getting some liverwurst and throw it in with my food, but I"m not sure about the quality that I can acquire, whether it has PUFAs or toxins. I will look into this soon.

Lifestyle:
Exercise twice a week doing weightlifting and interval training. It's not an intense workout by anyone's standards, but I use heavy weights and do intense intervals on the elliptical machine. I just don't do many sets.

Deep breathing and meditation. Trying to find a good routine for this, but nothing seems right for me. I've tried different breathing techniques and meditation practices, but nothing catches on.

Bright incandescent lights. Makes me so warm and relaxed. Love it.

Teeth remineralization. M-Plus by Apagard for teeth sensitivity and improved strength and whiteness. I just started a few days ago and haven't noticed anything yet.

Dermaneedling. For hair loss and inflammatory marks on my face. I did it once last month, and will probably do it again. I want my body to be in top shape, though, because I don't want it to be too estrogenic.

Supplements:
Taurine: 3g 2x/day. Not noticing too much. I was hoping to enhance bile production. Nothing seems to work, and I have very pale stools. I'm worried that I have low bile flow, which could cause toxic buildup in my liver. I have gallstones, as diagnosed by an X-ray, but it's asymptomatic. I might decrease the dose of this, if I don't see clear effects of such a high dose.

Biotin: 20 mg 2x/day. I take a lot of this, but I have a bad reaction to sugar if I don't take it. I get very dysphoric and irritable. I will try to lower my dose with my blood glucose being so low, but I have had bad reactions with any attempt to lower the dose.

Cyproheptadine: 1 mg 2x/day. This has been a real lifesaver for me. I was diagnosed with severe Crohn's disease, and this eliminates all the gut pain and diarrhea. It's a real wonder drug.

T3/T4: ~7.5 mcg/22.5 mcg 2x/day. I tried taking T3 only on the morning, but it would wear off, and I would get a stress reaction. Now I take T3 and T4 in a 1:3 ratio twice a day. Any higher, and I get diarrhea, even though my temps are still around 97.5 during the day. 96-96.5 waking temp. Pulse around 75 (this has come up from about 65). I read in a study that sometimes the only symptom of hyperthyroidism is diarrhea, and this is caused by adrenaline. I hope to increase my dosage slowly over the next month or two until my temps normalize.

Zinc: 50 mg 1x/day. I have white lines on my fingernails that go away if I take 150 mg/day, but I refuse to take that much. Another interesting tidbit, is that I have a bipolar manic/depressive fast-cycling episode if I take supplemental copper. There seems to be something wrong with my handling of metals, possibly cytochrome C oxidase. I will continue with 50 mg and maybe try to lower it or eliminate it.

Fat solubles: Estroban 8 drops/day (1 serving). This has been amazing for normalizing my bowel movements. My stool is less "slimy", and I don't need to wipe as much. This isn't caused by oil or fat in the stool because it has always sunk like a rock. I also want to take more vitamin A so I can take Pansterone without acne problems. Maybe it's not needed.

Energin: 10 drops/day (serving size 40 drops/day). I seem to need extra riboflavin, because my mouth and eyes have been really dry since starting with the Estroban. I read online that this can be a riboflavin deficiency, and that has helped me with other things in the past. As an experiment, I took a large dose, 200 mg, and my dry mouth disappeared. I might try a larger dose of Energin or add in extra riboflavin.

Lapodin: 1-2 drops a night. Great for a restful sleep and lowering stress hormones. I can feel it working.

Pansterone: 1 drop/day. Vitamin A, including Estroban, has always caused me dry joints, and the Pansterone helps greatly. After Haidut told me that pregnenolone and DHEA help a lot of people with joint problems, I noticed that my joints were pain-free whenever I was using Pansterone. Thanks haidut, for the tip! On the other hand, vitamin A helps with the acne that pregnenolone and DHEA cause me. It's funny how the Pansterone and Vitamin A eliminate the side effects of each other.

Magnesium: custom preparation of magnesium chloride. Eliminates paresthesia from thyroid.

Solarcaine with sublimed sulfur. I bought some Solarcaine gel at the drug store. It contains aloe, Lidocaine 0.5%, and glycerine. It also has some other gel polymers and artificial colorings, but the excipients are not out of control like most lotions and creams. I figured it had some Peaty ingredients in it, so I mixed some of my sublimed sulfur in it. I use just a tad, so it doesn't smell too bad. It still smells. I was hoping it would clear up the Rosacea-like vascular inflammation on my face, prevent acne, and eliminate the scalp itching and diffuse hair loss. It is too early to tell for sure, but I think it is making a difference in all of these.

Other supplements I take rarely:
Cascara sagrada: for constipation. I don't get constipated often, and I've only had to use this twice.

Melatonin 1 mg for falling asleep at 8 PM if I have to work at 4 AM the next day. I know this is not Peaty. If Lapodin can make me sleepy enough to change my circadian rhythm, I will replace it with a larger dose of Lapodin.

TocoVit and Kuinone. These are great supplements, and I have noticed minor improvements with them, but Estroban is so effective, that I don't see them as being necessary to take often. I may consider taking Tocovit with a PUFA-heavy meal if I eat out. I might try Kuinone for dark undereye circles, but I have not noticed any improvement with that using Kuinone in the past.

Flower of Sulfur. I did a 3-day course of this with 1/16 of a teaspoon/day. I estimated (very, very roughly) this is around the 200-300 mg dose that Ray Peat recommended for a Candida infection in one of the KMUD interviews.

Supplements I have tried but are problematic or not useful enough:
Acetazolamide 250 mg sustained release. Not noticing a big change with this. Every time I felt unwell at all, I would immediately blame this. I realized I just didn't trust it and was worried about side effects or toxicity.

MitoLipin. Great supplement but not essential for me right now.

Aspirin. Blood was thinning, and not a clear and present need for it.

Progest-E. Things I've noticed with different doses are high cortisol, low libido, hair loss. Some good effects were spontaneous erections and feeling of well-being. Not necessary.

Theanine. Caffeine is serotenergic for me. I'm very sensitive to serotonin. I avoid anything serotonergic like the plague because it upsets my hemorrhoids, and I get abdominal pain. Theanine did not alleviate any of these symptoms of caffeine, for me. Also, by itself without caffeine I haven't noticed profoundly lowered stress that I can't accomplish better with Lapodin or aspirin or bright light or many other things.

Oxidal. Serotonergic, even at one drop.

Vitamin C, P5P. I used this for my hemorrhoids. At one point, they were essential, but now I don't need them.

Famotidine. Low stomach acid caused poor digestion.

Lithium. No effect noticed. I think I was taking this for adrenaline.

TUDCA. Nothing has helped improve bile flow, this included.

Supplements I would like to try:
Hydergine. For premature ejaculation. Vitex works great for this (prolactin), but it gives me bad acne. I think vitex might be serotonergic for me, too. I'm afraid hydergine might be, too, but I'm willing to try it.

Health problems I would like to solve:
Gallstones and sluggish liver
A small wart on my finger that I put EstroBan on.
Coated tongue
Red face
Red eyes

I have a plan on how to address each of these issues, but this post is already way too long.

Health problems that are partially addressed (~50%):
Increased strength
Restful sleep and dark undereye circles
Diffuse hair loss with aspects of male-pattern baldness. I am losing lots of hair all over, but mostly in the front
Acne
Sexual problems
Keratosis pilaris
Sore joints and muscles
Low temps

Health problems that are mostly or completely solved (90-100%):
Hemorrhoids and rectal problems. Lowering serotonin and estrogen has been critical in eliminating these. It's about 90% improved, and that's a major relief because at one point I was having very big problems with this.
Eczema. I used to get eczema whenever cortisol got too low. Peating has made me more resilient. 90% improved.
Gut inflammation. Solved 95% by cyproheptadine.
Low ferritin. I took a lot of K2 and riboflavin, and my ferritin went up a lot. I haven't been able to get it higher with iron pills.
Allergies. I haven't noticed any seasonal allergies since starting with Peating.

Overall, I'm very happy with Peating. I've tried every supplement there is, every diet in existence, every kind of DIY medical device and hare-brained health scheme. Peating has produced the most profound improvements in my health and well-being. Actually, I now see metabolic optimization as the only safe, effective health strategy. This might sound kind of dorky, but I'm just so thankful that Dr. Peat has had the courage to speak out about these things, because his work has been such a gift to me. Sometimes it makes me want to cry.

A note on supplements. Yes, I take a lot of supplements. I have been like that ever since I decided to take my health into my own hands when I was hospitalized for an enterovesicular fistula and severe Crohn's disease. The reason I take so many? They work, and I feel that there is a synergy between the different supplements.

My philosophy is to take a wide variety of supplements that address every aspect of the metabolism. The metabolic system has many parts. You need to address the entire system, but supplements only address a single part. If you address one part without the other parts, I get side effects. I have proven through testing that each supplement I take is necessary to accomplish my health goals.

However, a key point is to take them in low doses to prevent stress reactions. It is certainly harmful to load up with tons and tons of drugs and supplements in huge doses. That is why I take 1 drop of Pansterone, 1 drop of Lapodin. Other supplements that I take more of, I have tested and found that it is the minimum effective dose, even if some things like biotin I am taking quite a lot of.

I'm also spending very little on supplements, surprisingly. The ones I take in large doses are dirt cheap, and the more expensive ones, I take tiny doses of.

I welcome any constructive criticism.

 

[Pointless]

#Ritanserin n=1 human experiment

I've been using Ritanserin the past 2 days. 6 drops and I had a nice libido increase, but not overwhelming. 12 drops and I was heavily sedated. I fell asleep, which would be normal because I only slept 5 hours before. But when I woke up, I was still tired. I didn't notice much of an increase in libido over 6 drops, so I'll probably drop back down to 6. With the 40h half-life, I should get some build-up and be gtg.

I should also remark that I stopped taking Cyproheptadine and haven't had any increase in diarrhea. I've been using it to control my Crohn's disease (inflammatory bowel disease) so it seems to have the gut anti-serotonin effects I get from Cyproheptadine.

 

[Pointless]

I went to Wal-Mart today. That's always a heart-rending existentialist experience. The signs on the entrances say "home living" and "outdoor living." Who are they trying to fool, repeating the word "living"? We're all dead inside. That's why we shop at Wal-Mart lol

People have fewer and fewer children, even the very rich. Women are forced into aborting their babies out of poverty, and it's branded "a woman's choice". People turn to drugs in desperation. Obesity is the perfect example of what I'm getting at: the illusion of abundance, but inside, they're starving.

We have the freedom to get whatever we want. We live in the midst of such abundance, but we're so poor. What does it get us if we don't even know what makes humans flourish? A poverty of wisdom.

 

[Pointless]

Steroid Alchemy

An egg is rich in cholesterol.

Pregnenolone and dht are youth hormones.

Adolescence stimulates progesterone, testosterone, dht, and estrogen.

Cortisol and estrogen are hormones of aging and death.

The cascade of steroid hormones is a microcosm for the human life cycle. A simplification, but you get the point.

 

[Pointless]

Anyone ever heard of these gallbladder cleanses? You take tons of epsom salts to loosen your bile ducts, then you slam a cup each of olive oil and freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. The liver spasms and ejects gallstones and other debris that clogs the liver. Well this is obviously quite dangerous, but it intrigues me because I have gallstones verified by X-rays. I also have sluggish liver function judging by caffeine sensitivity and pale stools.

Thinking about doing mini gallbladder cleanses got me thinkin' about carrot salads. Munching on a raw carrot is one thing, but if you put oil and vinegar in it, it's the perfect gallbladder cleanse. The oil and vinegar (acidity) stimulate the gallbladder, and the fiber collects the debris. I'm allergic to carrots, because my throat gets scratchy when I eat one raw. But I decided to mix some activated charcoal with a tablespoon of coconut oil and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. This should be diluted with water or juice to prevent the vinegar from burning your throat (I was stupid and didn't dilute it). I felt really horrible at first with anxiety and dysphoria, but later I started to feel really good. My temp went up to 98.8, and the highest its been in decades is 98.3. This might be a fever, but I didn't have the clammy hands and cold extremities that usually go along with a fever. In fact, it made my extremities REALLY warm.

I've always heard that the vinegar is for making the carrot digestible, but those of us with low stomach acid (I used to vomit up undigested food) might get added benefit from the carrot salad through stimulation of the gallbladder.

 

[Bahaa El wazzan]

Biotin causes me hemmoroiddd

Whenever i take biotin
For more than 2 days

The pain of hemmoroid starts

 

[Pointless]

Whenever I lower cortisol, it seems to cause it for me. But maybe I'll cycle off Energin and see what happens.

 

[Bahaa El wazzan]

Taurine causes a lot of inflammatoey sht on my face

I have like 12 years old bahaa face


If you dont want hemmoroid and inflMmatory pimples and....

Stop the taurine
Or lower it to 1 g daily maximum

Biotin is the worst supplement i ever had

Its professsional with hemmorhoid

Icant sleep now becsuse of it

 

[Bahaa El wazzan]

Try coffee with theanine

Maybe 1 to 1 ratio

Im now into 1500 mg caffeine

 

[Bahaa El wazzan]

Take niacinamide low dosage

3 times a day

Youre gonna get a clean and cldear skin

Taurine and biotin omgoodnesss

I look like ***t now because of themmm

Hahah

 

[Pointless]

The Adverse Effects of Manganese Deficiency on Reproduction and Health: A Literature Review - Tuula E. Tuormaa

The Adverse Effects of Manganese Deficiency on Reproduction and Health

So apparently I have a manganese deficiency (about 95% sure now). I have had low cholesterol for a while, so I decided to test it with an at-home kit. Total cholesterol came back as 70, which was below the scale that came with my testing kit. -_-

2 weeks later (this past Sunday), I tested it again, and this time my kit didn't even change color. My cholesterol was so low, it couldn't even read it. -_____-

My symptoms at this point were very strong dysphoria, depression, thoughts of self-harm, accelerating hair loss. I looked up things that could cause low cholesterol, and apparently people with a manganese deficiency have very low serum cholesterol levels. Since Vitamin Shoppe was closed, I decided to do an experiment and drink half a cup of maple syrup mixed in with some whole milk. According to nutritiondata, this should have had 5 mg of manganese. I started drinking lots and lots of whole milk, too, for saturated fat for cholesterol synthesis. I felt better very quickly, within the hour.

I bought some 10 mg manganese tablets, and they keep the depression at bay for about 12 hours, but then it comes back when I eat. It's very effective, and the symptoms correlate with how much manganese I take. Except the hair loss, which hasn't slowed down, but that's been going on since I started Peating. I'm hoping that it will regrow my hair, because people who have their manganese deficiency corrected regrow the hair they lost from it. I can't find the link now, but there was a paper written on it.

Right now I'm up to 50 mg of manganese. Manganese is essential for thyroid hormone production and mitochondrial health, but too much can be toxic. I was eating rice twice a day, which is a good source of manganese, but apparently it wasn't enough. I have Crohn's disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease, which often causes nutrient deficiencies. I also have suppressed iron, which is common with Crohn's disease, and iron and manganese share similar transport pathways, so I speculate that Crohn's disease is a risk factor for manganese deficiency. Please be careful with manganese and don't take tons of it thinking it will give you a mop head of hair or whatever.