Niles' PFS Log

[Niles]

@Niles
How's it going bud?

Going pretty well! My brain fog, exercise capacity, energy, sleep, and mood are at an all-time high for PFS. I'd seen improvements in all these areas with my latest round of TEI, but my recent addition 500mg histidine and cysteine in the morning and 2g of KCl (1g elemental K) mixed in water and drank throughout the day has consistently kicked things up a notch. Unfortunately, no improvements at all in libido, ED, shrinkage, or musculature so far :/ I'm feeling close to normal mentally now, though, which is amazing. I'll probably retest hair at 2mo on this round of TEI and go from there.

 

[Niles]

Figured I should post a more detailed update since it's been awhile.

I've been on TEI for nearly 2 months, after having done two rounds of ARL for ~3 months, and I'm feeling pretty good. My baseline on TEI has been the best it ever has been during PFS. You can see my TEI supps along with my last hair test here: Hair Analysis (7/18) TEI Supps (7/18)

Over these past couple of months, my most consistent improvements have been in mind, mood, and energy. Brain fog comes far less frequently and is far less intense than it used to be. Sleep is pretty good as well - even though I wake up a few times throughout the night, getting to sleep initially and getting back to sleep after the wake ups is no problem. Sexual and physical sides have been a lot more difficult for me, shrinkage being the most stubborn and annoying. Libido hovers between 10% - 20% most of the time, and though I get nocturnal and morning wood, it's pretty weak. Erections during sex once a week are good enough to manage, but not where I'd like them to be.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've added additional electrolytes to my TEI supps, which have made a considerable difference in focus and energy. I started with an additional 30% DV of potassium every day, which immediately helped, and then I added an additional 30% DV of sodium and magnesium as well so as to not mess with electrolyte balance too much. I take these in their chloride forms, in 1L of water drank throughout the day. Brain fog is much better with this, and my energy at the gym is like night and day. I used to feel like death after 30min of weight training with 45s rests in between sets, but now I can go an hour and feel fine afterwards (3x a week).

A few other random pieces of info:

• Scalp itch increases with increased potassium intake
• A light morning jog greatly diminishes knee pain I'd get throughout the day (likely stretching/strengthening tissue around the joint). Heavy leg workouts used to give me knee pain, but jogging EOD has taken care of that.
• Rock climbing has been great. I go 1-2x/week, because I love it, and it's helping a lot with muscle wastage in forearms. Best thing you can do for forearms, hands down
• Sensitivity to whey protein sometimes causes issues, so I now use egg white protein powder in my smoothies and never have issues
• Still struggling to get my weight up
• Having a few alcoholic drinks on occasion usually gives me a 30% boost in baseline for a few days afterwards. Still only partake on special occasions. Like coming home from work (kidding)
• Been being a lot more social now that my mood and energy are up, and this has been extremely beneficial
• The key for me is staying disciplined with diet and lifestyle while doing my best to regain a sense of normalcy

Week after next I will send in another hair sample for my next round of TEI, and hopefully get some blood tests to see where I'm at. Onwards and upwards!

 

[talkingant]

so, youve been doing ARL/TEI for about 5 months? Has there been any changes to libido related issues compared to before? Have you taken some time off the supps to see how your baseline is? Thanks for the updates.

 

[Niles]

so, youve been doing ARL/TEI for about 5 months? Has there been any changes to libido related issues compared to before? Have you taken some time off the supps to see how your baseline is? Thanks for the updates.

Yep, but it was a messy 5mo. I drank some hydrogen water a few months back, luckily just 1/3 liter a day, and that set me back a bit. Also my second round of ARL didn't agree with me, so I bailed for TEI. Idk if it would have gotten better for me if I stayed on ARL, but with the way I'm feeling now I'm glad I switched to TEI. Libido has had ups and downs, but on average has stayed the same - about 10% - 20%. I had a couple of days of 50% - 60%, probably best of PFS, but it didn't last and I wasn't doing anything special to attribute it to. I haven't taken much of a break from supplements, but I'll go off of everything when I send in my next hairtest while I wait for results.

 

[Aflac94]

any changes in ability to exercise harder or changes to muscle tone?

@Niles

 

[Niles]

any changes in ability to exercise harder or changes to muscle tone?

@Niles

Yep, in the past two weeks I've been able to push myself a lot harder in the gym. Muscle tone is better, but I've also been working pretty hard at it. Gains still aren't proportional to the amount of time I've put in over the past few months, but making progress.

 

[MNK99]

@Niles I think your initial quick progress was me like months later. Quick at times (different for everyone), and stagnation at other times. But keep up the great work man. You sound really peaceful/content too, so that's a huge benefit. -I vary on that, lol.

 

[Niles]

Bro, working out easier or harder on this? Basically the same rite as natural. If you're natural 95% of the time... this would be similar, perhaps....

Working out is easier on the added electrolytes, better than pre-pfs endurance wise.

 

[MNK99]

Yeah I think simplified electrolytes did help me a lot. Locking in gains ("snap back"). Definitely helps now. The complete electrolytes protocol contains a lot of liquids you need to keep track of. But can be done now, if needed. -Just need to write it down, if I choose that. As easy as 20 yrs old in many ways, but also more serious life concerns... and older and stuff. But, I worked out 14-18 times then per week, but that... is not normal, and is likely a waste of time and energy. Maybe 18-21 or so, but I was probably manic. Anyways.

 

[Niles]

@Niles I think your initial quick progress was me like months later. Quick at times (different for everyone), and stagnation at other times. But keep up the great work man. You sound really peaceful/content too, so that's a huge benefit. -I vary on that, lol.

Thanks man, your progress is definitely an inspiration. I still have periods of depression and pessimism, but I'm pretty good at mitigating it now. I've had to do a lot of introspection, journaling, mindfulness, etc to get a handle on it when it gets bad. I definitely wasn't an optimist by nature lol

 

[MNK99]

Me too, you're a good role model bro. @Niles. Lol, not an optimist by nature... yeah, when I was a kid, I read:
"Negative Thinking: The Art Of Defensive Pessimism". Possibly was not a good idea, lol. Something like that, I forget the exact name. Also of course I had zero progress for a long long time, too long. But yeah that part is over, Thank GOD.

You'll beat this syndrome for sure man. I exercised so much bc I was running away from feelings. Later alcohol, later substances... But now, something else I guess (exercise and diet but other things too). Run Towards Love and away From The Negative.

 

[Aflac94]

Thanks man, your progress is definitely an inspiration. I still have periods of depression and pessimism, but I'm pretty good at mitigating it now. I've had to do a lot of introspection, journaling, mindfulness, etc to get a handle on it when it gets bad. I definitely wasn't an optimist by nature lol

Same here man. I’ll have to try journaling again

 

[Niles]

So shrinkage has gotten to a point where I'm having to fight the urge to try something to treat it directly. I've probably lost nearly an inch in erect length just this month alone, probably down close to two inches lost total. At first it was mainly flaccid shrinkage, but this is hard to ignore. I'm seriously considering dht prohormones now, but I already know they drive my estrogen too low. Maybe R-andro and 4-andro together to keep estrogen up. Or R-andro + hcg. Or 11-keto-dht + hcg. Idk, feeling desperate at the moment. Any advice??

 

[Helen]

So shrinkage has gotten to a point where I'm having to fight the urge to try something to treat it directly. I've probably lost nearly an inch in erect length just this month alone, probably down close to two inches lost total. At first it was mainly flaccid shrinkage, but this is hard to ignore. I'm seriously considering dht prohormones now, but I already know they drive my estrogen too low. Maybe R-andro and 4-andro together to keep estrogen up. Or R-andro + hcg. Or 11-keto-dht + hcg. Idk, feeling desperate at the moment. Any advice??

Shrinkage is just an adrenaline activation.

higher metabolism requires more adrenaline and since you dont have any calcium and magnesium, stuff that you speed yourself up with like potassium etc. give you more energy , but increase the dopamine to noradrenaline activation. So you get more metabolism, but more adrenaline activation. Higher andrenaline levels dont allow blood vessels to dialate in flacid or erect state. blood vessels become narrower. There is no permanent shrinkage. it is a just a simple regulation , which goes up and down

I mean I can cause a shrinkage as you call in myself and lose 2 inches erect within a week by inducing dopamine to adrenaline
conversion.




Since we saw that you were burn out fast oxidizer. may be your cortisol is insensitive. and everytime you try to increase potassium. You feel better energy wise but ,but it just activates adrenaline more. since cortisol is not working.


I wonder if one pounds on magnesium and potassium hard and then stops, will this upregulate the cortisol receptor.

 

[Shanks]

@Helen is there a blood test or something which shows if your cortisol receptor are insensitive/downregulated? Does the hairtest show this to you?

 

[Helen]

@Helen is there a blood test or something which shows if your cortisol receptor are insensitive/downregulated? Does the hairtest show this to you?

Hairtest sometimes can show it, glucocorticoristance tests can be done with dexamethasone at the doctors office.

there are so many things involved here, we dont know the whole situation yet. I guess, if someone feel recovered on dexamethasone. then you have problems with the cortisol receptor. IF you dont feel recovered on dexa , then probably it is AR .

 

[Niles]

Have you tried magnesium oil on Niles Jr. already?

I have not, what's the idea behind it?

 

[Niles]

Shrinkage is just an adrenaline activation.

higher metabolism requires more adrenaline and since you dont have any calcium and magnesium, stuff that you speed yourself up with like potassium etc. give you more energy , but increase the dopamine to noradrenaline activation. So you get more metabolism, but more adrenaline activation. Higher andrenaline levels dont allow blood vessels to dialate in flacid or erect state. blood vessels become narrower. There is no permanent shrinkage. it is a just a simple regulation , which goes up and down

I mean I can cause a shrinkage as you call in myself and lose 2 inches erect within a week by inducing dopamine to adrenaline
conversion.




Since we saw that you were burn out fast oxidizer. may be your cortisol is insensitive. and everytime you try to increase potassium. You feel better energy wise but ,but it just activates adrenaline more. since cortisol is not working.


I wonder if one pounds on magnesium and potassium hard and then stops, will this upregulate the cortisol receptor.

This makes sense to me, except even back when I was taking nothing but loads of Mg and Ca I had the same issue. I've dropped potassium for now and we'll see if there's any change. I've also been exercising more intensely and frequently these past few months, but maybe I should do less. After awhile of slowing down I'll reevaluate.

What do you think about lithium orotate for upregulating cortisol receptors? @MNK99 has been on it and he's been doing very well.

 

[Helen]

This makes sense to me, except even back when I was taking nothing but loads of Mg and Ca I had the same issue. I've dropped potassium for now and we'll see if there's any change. I've also been exercising more intensely and frequently these past few months, but maybe I should do less. After awhile of slowing down I'll reevaluate.

What do you think about lithium orotate for upregulating cortisol receptors? @MNK99 has been on it and he's been doing very well.

yeah, lithium can work for a fast oxidizer..


just go off electrolytes now, and see if your baseline improved.

 

[Niles]

yeah, lithium can work for a fast oxidizer..


just go off electrolytes now, and see if your baseline improved.

Thanks, that's the plan. I didn't go too hard on the electrolytes, so I'm not expecting to see a snapback. Still, it's interesting to see how different electrolyte levels effect me.

I've also got some 2.5mg Lithium Orotate caps on the way, and I'm thinking about trialing 1 cap EOD if I tolerate the first dose well.