Raven Log

[Area-1255]

@Area-1255
Where did you get that from? I'm not doubting you, because Escitalopram and Sertraline are both prescribed more than the others (I think) nowadays, but on a PSSD poll these were the results:
PSSD Collaborative Research • View topic - What is the SSRI that caused your PSSD?

I haven't tried either of those things yet. I'm currently just doing the Electrolyte protocol with no plans to trial anything else but will do a bit of reading on them

Many didn't chip in on that Poll, on the old PSSD forum there were AT LEAST 12 users I remember specifically were affected by Luvox. So its more than a little bit inaccurate...misleading. I'm not saying Lexapro CAN'T cause PSSD - just that it isn't as harsh in terms of epigenetic effects as Prozac.

 

[raven]

Many didn't chip in on that Poll, on the old PSSD forum there were AT LEAST 12 users I remember specifically were affected by Luvox. So its more than a little bit inaccurate...misleading. I'm not saying Lexapro CAN'T cause PSSD - just that it isn't as harsh in terms of epigenetic effects as Prozac.

Are epigenetic changes reversible? Can they be passed on to kids?

 

[mattyb]

Are epigenetic changes reversible? Can they be passed on to kids?

They are entirely reversible, and they can be passed onto kids in some cases.

 

[MNK99]

@mattyb like propensity to carry excess bodyfat due to a large ratio of carbs/ other macronutrients over generations. As well as height, and other traits. And height changing in the "New World" for children of immigrants... like where there parents were 5'7 or so, and their 6 feet, their kids could be 6'2, etc. Are those examples of epigenetics ("above genetics"). Better nutrition (environmental) affects genetics to help them reach above their previous generation's genetic potential.

Another example of epigenetics are like victims of chemicals like Agent Orange affecting generations of people in Vietnam.
Mental disorders? So say there's identical twins and they are both adopted by two seperate parents. Both parental sets are "loving" etc, and the children come from a long line of people with "generalized anxiety disorder". Twin A's adoptive parents are also very anxious while Twin B's parents practice a lot of secure attachment and make sure their kids are well adjusted... Twin B can reverse the pattern of inherited anxiety disorders associated with their genetic family, and for Twin A, those genes have been passed on and potentiated by their environment? Does this make sense. I think most of this does. Or even in the same family, different parenting styles and environments can activate and deactivate positive and negative epigenetics.

Sorry @raven to go off on this for a second.

 

[raven]

@mattyb thanks for the beet juice suggestion, instantly led to improvements with erections

Related to that it's pretty interesting how I seem to be tackling symptoms one by one. Beet juice helped erections but nothing else presumably due to its benefits for circulation. Betaine hcl helped my brain fog but as of now nothing else. Maybe to manage my condition I just need to find something for every symptom.

Oh and before I forget, something pretty obscure but notable for me is that betaine also altered my saliva. Whenever I ate sweet things before my saliva would become thick and syrupy. This has annoyed me for like a decade now yet betaine has massively helped that.

 

[raven]

So I can say conclusively now that my brain fog has been consistently better since I started taking Betaine HCL, it's not gone, but it's much milder than it was. Symptoms such as a poor ability to visualise haven't improved, which is strange because I always thought they were connected but it's really nice to not have a constant heavy head feeling. I have exams coming up and honestly before this I was feeling incredibly screwed.

Sexual sides have seen no change. Occasional days of better erections, but honestly I'm quite frustrated because a year ago my erections and orgasms were consistently good. Now my penis looks like it's shrunk a bit, appears more wrinkled (noticed this for the past 6 months or so) and that upsets me cause it was never like that in the first year of PSSD.

Will keep plodding along, once exams are out of the way I'll be more committed to the protocols

 

[raven]

Brain fog and fatigue came back few days ago, I am under an enormous amount of pressure due to exams. Have a lot left to do and really important that I do well cause the university is on my back about attendance.

I can't wait till I can commit myself fully to my health again, I want to totally obliterate all my lingering anxiety this Summer so my aim is to get out and about and immersed with life again, that's my main short term goal.

Betaine HCL has had huge huge benefits to my fog overall though, only think I notice is that when I take it with a late night meal I have bad reflux in the morning, but when I take it with a morning meal I'm absolutely fine, so quite unsure whether to up the dose.

 

[MNK99]

Good luck on your exams man... God knows I've had exam stress forever. I got destroyed in classes with attendance, that's partly why I switched to Econ.
Skipping science (labs, lab exams, lectures) = fail.

 

[raven]

In the past couple months I've come to learn how important brain fog is with respect to my quality of life, when my head is feeling like a ton of lead, and my thinking is all foggy, the other symptoms become so depressing. Today I was getting super stressed cause I have work to do and am barely able to think when I have heavy brain fog, yet after an evening meal of cod with veg and 3 betaine capsules my brain fog has totally lifted. Really a night and day difference.

 

[raven]

Since last Thursday brain fog has come back and I don't seem to be able to get it to lift reliably, don't know why that is when Betaine was working so well before. Think it started getting worse again in a period where I had terrible sleep pattern, but now that's fixed.

 

[raven]

Update 30/05: Unfortunately played with fire a bit too long in the run up to my exams. Not taking care of my body via diet and exercise eventually led to my body totally shutting down, I got awful stomach pain and general severe weakness, lightheadedness when standing up etc. The hospital thought it was an ulcer so I've stopped taking Betaine HCl, my stomach aches have stopped, but it's still so sensitive to almost all foods.

My plan now is to build up my strength again with super healthy, bland meals that don't trigger any aches, whilst also gradually building up my exercise routine. Then in about 6 weeks (enough time for any potential ulcers to heal) start taking betaine again while following the TE protocol.

Just shows that we can't slack off and stop taking care of ourselves for a moment, never making this mistake again.

Also somehow my exams actually went okay, I owe a good deal of thanks to this forum for finding me a brain fog cure in the build up to them!

 

[raven]

Think whatever stomach issues I had triggered my old IBS, feel those old same aches, nausea and weakness I beat it with exercise and diet 3 years ago. All my issues are getting so tiring, but I feel strangely motivated to beat it again.

Anyone know what tests I should be getting to sort this out? I'm going to get a breath test to see if there's bacterial overgrowth in my intestines. Considering getting a HgG food intolerance test and comprehensive parasite stool test but I heard these were unreliable. Might even get an endoscopy.

Currently on very healthy diet, veggies and fish mostly, also doing light jogs every other day.

Anyone know anything about this stuff? @mattyb @Helen @TubZy @MNK99 @Canari

 

[Canari]

The hospital thought it was an ulcer so I've stopped taking Betaine HCl, my stomach aches have stopped, but it's still so sensitive to almost all foods.

What I did - which is ok for a slow oxi and having low P compared to Ca, indicating bad protein digestion and assimilation:
- stop betaine hcl, for aches too.
- acid lowered to protect stomach, so: repair stomach..... -> aloe vera.
- take bitters in the morning with no vinegar, lemon is ok.
- carnivore diet. Thus no need to test anything. I am in groups and saw videos, and anyway I feel so much better! I am convinced some people do bad with plants. With animal diet, you do ot need even vitC how strange it seems.
- My bacterial overgrowth was visible through urine organic acid test. But they are done now! I have flat belly.
I even have to take care with cheese, because I got constipated for the first time in my life!
I eat only very old cheese with no lactose left.
I eat as many eggs as I feel like
I eat beef and also gelatinous stuffs and chicken and fish etc. I eat as much as I want, and often is twice per day, first time as soon as possible in the morning.
Pork only fermented like sausage and dry ham.
All saturated fats.
My only veg stuffs are the greens, and not much, eaten as a rabbit with a piece of butter in the garden... and now I reintroduce slowly, like olives and lemon. I did 1 full months with no plant at all, and then I felt like doing greens again. Before 100%, I did it with greens too, to be sure for the acid.
I have done a full thread with it, if you want to discuss it more...
Some people solved UC, and also other auto-immunestuffs

 

[Canari]

I have only 1 problem with this diet: I have to type with the little fingers while eating ...with the other fingers!

 

[raven]

@Canari thanks for that, some good tips there.

I don't think I could start a carnivore diet without going back on the Betaine HCl because meats like chicken and beef leave me with bad brain fog if I haven't taken it, I do find a lot of veg doesn't suit me, but I'm good with kale, spinach, aubergine, so I consume those in high amounts. I eat fish for my protein, it really is all trial at the end of the day isn't it. I'll check out your post.

 

[raven]

While waiting for my gut to get stronger before I resume taking Betaine Hcl I've been testing out a few things. I find that soda water also helps out my brain fog, though not to the extent Betaine did.

Also recommend reading Giulia Enders - Gut, a really good little introduction to how the gut works, though won't contain any info that the experts here won't already know.

 

[raven]

Update: Since coming home and being more relaxed, following good diet and exercise regimes I've had big improvements with erection reliability, hardness and orgasm. This happened last summer too, this time I plan to keep myself in this state indefinitely, only I unfortunately am also seeing some new issues with erection quality.

The base of my erection is narrower quite significantly, and weaker when fully erect, and when my dick is in between flaccid and erect state there are 3 ribs on either side on the lower half, sort of like this image (warning: dildo - Velvet Touch Silicone Slim Ribbed Dildo - 5.5 Inch | Discreet Delivery | Bondara), but less pronounced. These disappear when my penis returns to a full flaccid, or a fully erect state. The whole thing gets completely hard and there is no curving.

This was not a PSSD symptom for me, and I believe it's either due to weak erections throughout the year where I couldn't get fully hard, or rougher masturbation and aggressive manipulation of erect penis (easy to do when you're numb downstairs). Tip: treat your member gently at all times - I attribute this to the improvements with erection quality that I've seen over the past 2 weeks.

I don't think this is the start of Peyronie's cause I'm not seeing curvature, anyone have an idea as to what it could be?

 

[barbaar]

Update: Since coming home and being more relaxed, following good diet and exercise regimes I've had big improvements with erection reliability, hardness and orgasm. This happened last summer too, this time I plan to keep myself in this state indefinitely, only I unfortunately am also seeing some new issues with erection quality.

The base of my erection is narrower quite significantly, and weaker when fully erect, and when my dick is in between flaccid and erect state there are 3 ribs on either side on the lower half, sort of like this image (warning: dildo - Velvet Touch Silicone Slim Ribbed Dildo - 5.5 Inch | Discreet Delivery | Bondara), but less pronounced. These disappear when my penis returns to a full flaccid, or a fully erect state. The whole thing gets completely hard and there is no curving.

This was not a PSSD symptom for me, and I believe it's either due to weak erections throughout the year where I couldn't get fully hard, or rougher masturbation and aggressive manipulation of erect penis (easy to do when you're numb downstairs). Tip: treat your member gently at all times - I attribute this to the improvements with erection quality that I've seen over the past 2 weeks.

I don't think this is the start of Peyronie's cause I'm not seeing curvature, anyone have an idea as to what it could be?

I kinda have those ribs too, on the left side. It also bends to the left when not fully erect. I think it might be plaque/scar tissue, so yes Peyronie's... :/ Or at least the start/ a mild form of it.

 

[raven]

@barbaar :/ that'd be annoying, but with peyronie's aren't the main symptoms painful erections and curve when fully erect? How long have you had those ribs for?

 

[raven]

I kinda have those ribs too, on the left side. It also bends to the left when not fully erect. I think it might be plaque/scar tissue, so yes Peyronie's... :/ Or at least the start/ a mild form of it.

@barbaar read: Just started, penile ribs? or a more seriously injury? No pain.
I wonder if we have these ribs rather than them being plaque