Well I know I haven't been on much and haven't posted pics in almost 2 months, but truth is I haven't been up to it.

I think my body is hating me right now so I might have to back off the pm for a couple weeks once I finish this bottle. I never got headaches even though when I started back in August I jumped right to 3000mg. No real issues until the last 2 months I have had some nasty stomach issues.

I have had cramps so bad that I had to vomit on two occasions. Feels like someone stabbed me just under the ribs on the right side. Most days I am fine but when it hits it hits hard. Had to leave work one day for it.

Anyway I am feeling pretty good about my development so far I think I just need to drop down to 1000 or less for about two weeks then back to the fun zone again.

Oh one other thing has anyone else had like ridiculously dry skin from PM?
Not sure if it's the cause but I have never really had problems with dry skin like I am right now so I just thought I would ask.

David,

Could be IBS, I had some problems too!. Have you ever had a Colonoscopy?, might be time!.

Dry skin is common in winter, check your humidity in your house, 40% is good!, rashes are also common on NBE.

Please pay attention to any side effects, your body is telling you 3000 mg wasn't a good idea!.Take a break, start over in a few weeks!

I never had nausea or vomiting from PM, but I did have issues with diarrhea when I first started. Unfortunately, I can't say the problem wasn't a combination of PM and metformin. Given where your pain is located, there is a possibility your problem could be related to either the gallbladder or the liver. Definitely cut back on the PM and see if things get better.

This is my first winter using PM. I have never had such dry skin in my life, and it doesn't seem to matter how much lotion I use. I also have to use moisturizing soaps or body washes because my skin is so dry I keep scratching until I draw blood.

The location of the pain you describe suggests that it could easily be your gall bladder playing up. It may be just coincidence, but three months after I started PM and while still playing around with dose variations and short holidays from it in an effort to get breast development restarted, I had what was diagnosed after investigation as a severe gallbladder attack. Apparently it is known that rapid changes in estrogen levels can trigger gall bladder problems, and some sources suggest that the gall bladder has a function in removing excess estrogen from the system which is why gall bladder problems are more common in women. Don't let anybody be too quick to whip out your gallbladder. It is not there merely to provide a pension fund for surgeons, and I am still struggling with the unanticipated ramifications of my own gall bladder surgery.

I'll add my voice to the "PM can cause skin to be dry" chorus. Before PM, I never experienced dry skin. I'd say it was on the oily side. Nice in that I haven't developed many wrinkles for an old girl. Now, since PM, I can tell it's drier. Not excessively dry, though. I keep the relative humidity inside as high as I can without the risk of mold growth.

CK

Hello David,

I haven't had vomiting issues, before or while on pm.

I am having an issue with dry skin, but as Lotus mentioned, it's common for this to be a problem during the winter. I haven't had to deal with dry skin during the warmer months, even when I was taking significantly higher doses of pm than I am now.

I have had issues with severe dry skin for years, well before starting on PM, as well as what a couple of doctors described as a fungal infection of the skin(mainly around my torso) that could at time cause extreme itchiness which would sometimes even lead to a fairly decent amount of pain. As long as I am on medium to high doses of PM the red "blotches" and especially the dry skin are completely gone for me. Skin that was previously dry, itchy and sometimes painful actually has a sort of sheen to it, and is very comfortable, moisturized and smooth. It's practically shiny. When I lower PM dosage to minimums, or even worse, stop for weeks altogether, the symptoms start coming back. I suppose that everybody's body truly can be quite different. As others have mentioned, a humidifier might not be a bad idea, at least until spring.