[bryony]

Hi,

Many of you will be aware that I use PM now primarily for the mind-balancing effects, rather than the "usual" effects. I found a lot of (even complete?) relief from obsessional thought (particularly TS-type issues) and anxiety, dread etc.

Early on I was following a regime of "cold turkey" one week in 4, primarily to avoid eventual impotence and the theoretical "brain rewiring" that some people think happens after prolonged hormone ingestion.

When I started taking Butea Superba and Maca daily, I found that I did not need to go "cold turkey" for the primary reason (fear of impotence) and was coming around to the idea that the "brain rewiring" theory may be fallacious.

Something odd happened last weekend. Unfortunately, it coincided with my running out of Maca, so it is hard to pin down.

Instead of being relaxed and non-obsessional, the reverse applied.

I was getting into a deep gloom, mainly about the futility of it all, being stuck in an ugly male body etc, then it occurred to me that this was exactly what I was taking PM to fix!

On a hunch I went cold turkey... this was Monday. By yesterday (Wednesday) I was as right as rain, whistling and laughing and I still feel cheerful.

I should note that I had got another bottle of Maca at about the same time.... (damn those 3rd variables!)

So this is really weird. I don't want to start tampering with variables, as the main objective is maintain mental balance; but right now, all I am taking is B.S. and Maca.

I can't believe that my mental balance is solely due to Maca, because I started taking it long after PM fixed the problem for me.

So could it be the mysterious "brain rewiring"? Have I taken so much PM that my brain decided it was time for the next level? Is cold turkey == cold start/reboot/reset ?

Only time will tell. I will keep you posted.

B.

[Isabelle]

Hi bryony,

My main reason for taking maca is to balance the depression from hops. Hops affects the brain in six ways:

1. It binds to melatonin receptors, setting the clock to night time.
2. It binds to serotonin receptors.
3. It binds to estrogen receptors.
4. It decreases DHT.
5. It increases dopamine.
6. It decreases LH in high doses.

2-4 affect depression. Maca affects 2-4. 3-6 are common with PM. So you are right not to underestimate the effect of maca.

[bryony]

Hi bryony,

My main reason for taking maca is to balance the depression from hops. Hops affects the brain in six ways:

1. It binds to melatonin receptors, setting the clock to night time.
2. It binds to serotonin receptors.
3. It binds to estrogen receptors.
4. It decreases DHT.
5. It increases dopamine.
6. It decreases LH in high doses.

2-4 affect depression. Maca affects 2-4. 3-6 are common with PM. So you are right not to underestimate the effect of maca.

Thanks Isabelle, that's really helpful to know! If you wrote a book about all this, I'd buy it! (Wow you know so much!)

B.x

PS I've been meaning to ask: is your avatar really you? Very attractive! (if you don't mind me saying )

[Isabelle]

Thank you, bryony,

Yes, that's really me, but 7 years ago, and in full war colors at a party

[bryony]

Thank you, bryony,

Yes, that's really me, but 7 years ago, and in full war colors at a party

Remarkable! I'm very impressed!

You see that's exactly what I meant in earlier posts... I'd never get away with that! (My problem is not so much gender dysphoria as ugly dysphoria! )

[Isabelle]

Well, bryony,

I know TSs hate it, but don't underestimate the fine art of drag

[Pansy-Mae]

Well, bryony,

I know TSs hate it, but don't underestimate the fine art of drag

Absolutely agree with you...that's where the fun comes in... till you get 'read' somewhere that you'd rather not have been

[Pansy-Mae]

Isabelle,
Sorry to keep poking my nose into your thread, but I just read something that got me thinking and I wondered if you knew anything. I was mooching about, reading random posts over on TS DIY...and somebody said that her doctor had said that it was not good idea to take finasteride to counter MPB because it countered the effects of progesterone.
Have you heard that?
I'm thinking that since I started Finasteride last October for prostate reasons, maybe thats at least partly why I'm not filling out( Although of course I stopped growing before that).

[Isabelle]

Yes Pansy Mae,

Progesterone can be metabolized via 5α-reduction:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...6006001397

I can see that may be a problem in transition regimes that involve progesterone administration. But in what we're doing, progesterone is supposed to be zero?

I know finasteride counters the effects of progesterone in the hippocampus, but I can't see how that affects breast development. Anyway, that effect is opposite to the above slowing down of metabolism. So anything can happen. Did you ever try FG for ED headaches?

[Pansy-Mae]

Well, we try to promote natural progestins etc so however weak that effect, if there is anything in the alleged negative finasteride effect it is likely to negate it I'd have thought.

As for FG and headaches, I only had the one which I woke up with at about 4am and swallowed a couple of Ibuprofen which dealt with it, as I said, somewhat to my surprise.
However I was at the time already on 4 x610mg FG per day anyway so whether that had already calmed things down to the point that Ibuprofen could deal with it, I have no way of knowing.