The further I go into my journey back to health, the more I realize just how royally f'd up I am.
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT - 32 MALE
Recently, I have been suspecting "chronic venous insufficiency", which I believe is just a fancy term for poor circulation / low circulation / poor blood flow / slow flow. After the testicular cancer scare (thread: TESTICULAR CANCER - Please Help Me, i dont have much time! - cynomel / cynoplus the cause??) I have had a testicular ultrasound to check for any issues. They found:
(1) spermatocele on the right testis -> this was what the cancer scare was about - pretty horrible, but I can live with it - benign, and apparently no impact on fertility (side note: it's been very hard to know whether these can heal on their own or if they will always be there - would be great to know if anyone has had experience with this).
(2) varicocele on the left testis -> this was alarming... this was news that I did not want to hear. For those that don't know, varicocele is basically varicose veins in the veins leaving the testicle. Unfortunately, the veins leaving the testicle spiral around the arteries supplying blood *to* the testicles. What can happen over time is a reduction in blood flow to the testicle (leading to pain and atrophy) and an inability for blood to leave the area, leading to things being backed up. This can hugely impact testosterone levels and sperm production / fertility, as well as the horrible pain. NOT GOOD. This appears to be a cruel design floor - but perhaps it is nature's way of ensuring that unhealthy people (with cardiovascular issues and venous problems) cannot re-produce...
This has obviously been very concerning to me. Apparently things are early stages (Stage 1 varicocele), and I have not seen any major impacts to testosterone that I can tell (666ng/dl at the last test 6 months ago - horrible numerology there, but not a completely terrible level, given the state of my health).
I know that a varicocele is not an isolated problem. Problems in the circulatory system in one place imply problems systemically. This has gotten me thinking about other symptoms I have had:
(1) Around 5 or so years ago, I remember noticing that my socks were feeling very tight. I had to avoid specific brands as they were too tight around the ankles. I didn't think much of it at the time - possibly just due to weightlifting / leg growth from the training I had been doing. I got some different socks, and forgot about it. Incidentally, this was around the time that I was on "keto" / "low carb", likely not a coincidence.
(2) In 2021 (I had already reintroduced carbs and sugars at this point), I could barely wear those socks anymore (again, I attributed it to muscle growth - a comforting lie) and had to look for very specific "diabetic" socks, eventually settling on "cottonique" socks, which have very little grip / elastic strain. This stopped the pain / marks. For some reason, I didn't really think much more of it. I had more pressing issues health-wise like hair loss, sexual dysfunction (severe premature ejaculation) and low energy... all of which I still suffer from.
(3) I have had spider veins on my ankles, inside of my knees, and even on my rib cage, which have been there for a fair few years now (since age 27?? 5 years?? Just a guess). I also have what looks like the beginning of varicose veins on certain parts of my legs - not varicose yet, but they don't look healthy.
(4) Hair on the front of my shins is also falling out. Most of the shins have coverage, but the front does not look healthy - pock marks, patches of dead hairs / hairs failing to come through. Also the skin feels strange, leathery, thick skin but also fragile... slightly tender. This is a classic sign of "chronic venous insufficiency", as the medical establishment calls it.
(5) Legs sometimes feel hot / tingly / heavy / tired... possibly deep vein thrombosis.
(6) My skin has become very wrinkly just in the past 2-3 years. Not pleasant. Probably due to lack of blood supply.
(7) My hair loss on my scalp - first noticed in 2021, but likely had been progressing for the same amount of time (5 years ago).
PHOTOS
On second thoughts, I'll save photographic evidence unless someone asks for it. I highly doubt people want to see pictures of spider veins and pre-varicosal veins...
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
- on my last blood test, estrogen was quite high (high end of "normal") - estradiol 33pg / 123pmol/L - I believe this is about 2-3x optimal. I know that estradiol blood tests can sometimes be unreliable, so I will also sa that prolactin was measured at 16ng/dl - again, c. 2-3x higher than ideal for a man.
- did not have the covid jab
- taken one prescription medication in my life (excluding thyroid) - a SERM - around age 23, in an attempt to reduce some gyno that had appeared. Took for c. 3-4 months - no apparent changes. I did not know at the time that most SERMs are estrogenic.
- Height 6ft2 (186cm), Weight 175lbs (80kg) - leaner physique, reasonably muscular ("fit" but clearly not healthy)
- Currently supplementing with thyroid (cynomel and cynoplus) - c. 30mcg T3 and 80mcg T4 - have been using for c. 3 months slowly titrating upwards (basing on temps). ZERO improvements to health problems.
- Vitamin E, D and K in moderate amounts. Occasional B Complex. Occasional Aspirin Use.
- Diet: c. 100g Protein (muscle meat, milk, eggs, gelatin), c. 100g Fat (beef fat or dairy fat), c. 400g Carbs (mostly sugars, some potatoes / sweet potatoes / rice). PUFA is very low
CURRENT TREATMENT THOUGHTS
I don't think it is some mystical illness. I think it is all from poor metabolic health, inadequate fuel, combined with high stress / inflammatory hormones (cortisol, adrenalin, estrogen). Slowed metabolic rate and low nutrients leads to sluggish blood flow, weaker pulse... the fire isn't burning. Plus the chronically elevated stress hormones creating further inflammation in the circulatory system. However, I am scared that I am too far gone... I have been trying to follow Peat-y advice for well over two years now, and all my symptoms are just getting worse (not blaming "Peat principles", just saying that I have not been able to help myself with anything I have tried). Current thoughts:
(1) Keep going with thyroid
(2) Quit my job and take a long rest. This is a very scary thought... I could definitely afford it, but I am scared of the financial hit / possible inability to get another job after the break (which would just drive stress hormones even higher)
(2) Eat more (side note: REALLY struggling with what to eat - too much meat protein makes my hair fall out like crazy, dairy gives me severe and painful constipation, eggs give me the runs, potatoes / sweet potatoes bloat me (not terrible, uncomfortable), gummy sugars burn my GI tract... nightmare trying to make up the calories but I try to keep things 2500-3000)
(3) Linus Pauling's Vitamin C protocol? Although not sure about the efficacy of modern day Vit C supps
(4) Inclined Bed Therapy - this is just a band aid solution, but could help prevent things from getting worse. I have had the head end of my bed elevates for the past week or so - it's quite difficult to keep comfortable. Anyone curious, see Andrew Fletcher's info - very fascinating.
(5) Thiamin Protocols - high dose B1 for a few months.
Who knows if any of this will work.
Forum: Am I permanently damaged? Is it a case of management from now on? Is this something people can actually recover from? I am hoping I have caught it early-ish, being 32 years old... What am I doing wrong? I wholeheartedly believe that if I could improve my metabolic rate, keep stress hormones low and provide the right fuel (AND ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO DIGEST AND USE IT), then I would heal. But doing so has proven to be incredibly difficult so far. I really would like to solve my:
(1) hair loss
(2) sexual dysfunction - premature ejaculation and poor libido
(3) low energy / lethargy
(4) autoimmunity - vitiligo (and thyroid)
(5) circulation issues
I know that they are all connected.
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT - 32 MALE
Recently, I have been suspecting "chronic venous insufficiency", which I believe is just a fancy term for poor circulation / low circulation / poor blood flow / slow flow. After the testicular cancer scare (thread: TESTICULAR CANCER - Please Help Me, i dont have much time! - cynomel / cynoplus the cause??) I have had a testicular ultrasound to check for any issues. They found:
(1) spermatocele on the right testis -> this was what the cancer scare was about - pretty horrible, but I can live with it - benign, and apparently no impact on fertility (side note: it's been very hard to know whether these can heal on their own or if they will always be there - would be great to know if anyone has had experience with this).
(2) varicocele on the left testis -> this was alarming... this was news that I did not want to hear. For those that don't know, varicocele is basically varicose veins in the veins leaving the testicle. Unfortunately, the veins leaving the testicle spiral around the arteries supplying blood *to* the testicles. What can happen over time is a reduction in blood flow to the testicle (leading to pain and atrophy) and an inability for blood to leave the area, leading to things being backed up. This can hugely impact testosterone levels and sperm production / fertility, as well as the horrible pain. NOT GOOD. This appears to be a cruel design floor - but perhaps it is nature's way of ensuring that unhealthy people (with cardiovascular issues and venous problems) cannot re-produce...
This has obviously been very concerning to me. Apparently things are early stages (Stage 1 varicocele), and I have not seen any major impacts to testosterone that I can tell (666ng/dl at the last test 6 months ago - horrible numerology there, but not a completely terrible level, given the state of my health).
I know that a varicocele is not an isolated problem. Problems in the circulatory system in one place imply problems systemically. This has gotten me thinking about other symptoms I have had:
(1) Around 5 or so years ago, I remember noticing that my socks were feeling very tight. I had to avoid specific brands as they were too tight around the ankles. I didn't think much of it at the time - possibly just due to weightlifting / leg growth from the training I had been doing. I got some different socks, and forgot about it. Incidentally, this was around the time that I was on "keto" / "low carb", likely not a coincidence.
(2) In 2021 (I had already reintroduced carbs and sugars at this point), I could barely wear those socks anymore (again, I attributed it to muscle growth - a comforting lie) and had to look for very specific "diabetic" socks, eventually settling on "cottonique" socks, which have very little grip / elastic strain. This stopped the pain / marks. For some reason, I didn't really think much more of it. I had more pressing issues health-wise like hair loss, sexual dysfunction (severe premature ejaculation) and low energy... all of which I still suffer from.
(3) I have had spider veins on my ankles, inside of my knees, and even on my rib cage, which have been there for a fair few years now (since age 27?? 5 years?? Just a guess). I also have what looks like the beginning of varicose veins on certain parts of my legs - not varicose yet, but they don't look healthy.
(4) Hair on the front of my shins is also falling out. Most of the shins have coverage, but the front does not look healthy - pock marks, patches of dead hairs / hairs failing to come through. Also the skin feels strange, leathery, thick skin but also fragile... slightly tender. This is a classic sign of "chronic venous insufficiency", as the medical establishment calls it.
(5) Legs sometimes feel hot / tingly / heavy / tired... possibly deep vein thrombosis.
(6) My skin has become very wrinkly just in the past 2-3 years. Not pleasant. Probably due to lack of blood supply.
(7) My hair loss on my scalp - first noticed in 2021, but likely had been progressing for the same amount of time (5 years ago).
PHOTOS
On second thoughts, I'll save photographic evidence unless someone asks for it. I highly doubt people want to see pictures of spider veins and pre-varicosal veins...
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
- on my last blood test, estrogen was quite high (high end of "normal") - estradiol 33pg / 123pmol/L - I believe this is about 2-3x optimal. I know that estradiol blood tests can sometimes be unreliable, so I will also sa that prolactin was measured at 16ng/dl - again, c. 2-3x higher than ideal for a man.
- did not have the covid jab
- taken one prescription medication in my life (excluding thyroid) - a SERM - around age 23, in an attempt to reduce some gyno that had appeared. Took for c. 3-4 months - no apparent changes. I did not know at the time that most SERMs are estrogenic.
- Height 6ft2 (186cm), Weight 175lbs (80kg) - leaner physique, reasonably muscular ("fit" but clearly not healthy)
- Currently supplementing with thyroid (cynomel and cynoplus) - c. 30mcg T3 and 80mcg T4 - have been using for c. 3 months slowly titrating upwards (basing on temps). ZERO improvements to health problems.
- Vitamin E, D and K in moderate amounts. Occasional B Complex. Occasional Aspirin Use.
- Diet: c. 100g Protein (muscle meat, milk, eggs, gelatin), c. 100g Fat (beef fat or dairy fat), c. 400g Carbs (mostly sugars, some potatoes / sweet potatoes / rice). PUFA is very low
CURRENT TREATMENT THOUGHTS
I don't think it is some mystical illness. I think it is all from poor metabolic health, inadequate fuel, combined with high stress / inflammatory hormones (cortisol, adrenalin, estrogen). Slowed metabolic rate and low nutrients leads to sluggish blood flow, weaker pulse... the fire isn't burning. Plus the chronically elevated stress hormones creating further inflammation in the circulatory system. However, I am scared that I am too far gone... I have been trying to follow Peat-y advice for well over two years now, and all my symptoms are just getting worse (not blaming "Peat principles", just saying that I have not been able to help myself with anything I have tried). Current thoughts:
(1) Keep going with thyroid
(2) Quit my job and take a long rest. This is a very scary thought... I could definitely afford it, but I am scared of the financial hit / possible inability to get another job after the break (which would just drive stress hormones even higher)
(2) Eat more (side note: REALLY struggling with what to eat - too much meat protein makes my hair fall out like crazy, dairy gives me severe and painful constipation, eggs give me the runs, potatoes / sweet potatoes bloat me (not terrible, uncomfortable), gummy sugars burn my GI tract... nightmare trying to make up the calories but I try to keep things 2500-3000)
(3) Linus Pauling's Vitamin C protocol? Although not sure about the efficacy of modern day Vit C supps
(4) Inclined Bed Therapy - this is just a band aid solution, but could help prevent things from getting worse. I have had the head end of my bed elevates for the past week or so - it's quite difficult to keep comfortable. Anyone curious, see Andrew Fletcher's info - very fascinating.
(5) Thiamin Protocols - high dose B1 for a few months.
Who knows if any of this will work.
Forum: Am I permanently damaged? Is it a case of management from now on? Is this something people can actually recover from? I am hoping I have caught it early-ish, being 32 years old... What am I doing wrong? I wholeheartedly believe that if I could improve my metabolic rate, keep stress hormones low and provide the right fuel (AND ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO DIGEST AND USE IT), then I would heal. But doing so has proven to be incredibly difficult so far. I really would like to solve my:
(1) hair loss
(2) sexual dysfunction - premature ejaculation and poor libido
(3) low energy / lethargy
(4) autoimmunity - vitiligo (and thyroid)
(5) circulation issues
I know that they are all connected.
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Mose well focus on what you can control, practice being at peace with what you can't control. Learn the lessons and move on rather than ruminate.
