[Curious_AJ]

After lurking for years and a few short-lived NBE attempts with PM and PM cream, I received my first three bottles of Swanson's BO in the mail today. My previous PM attempts seemed to deliver some quick results but the cramping in my legs became too much to take.

I'm a 37 year old male, with generally good health and athletic build. My plan is to start with 2x250 caps per day for five days, then 3x250 for five days and then 4x250 caps for at least a month and then reevaluate.

I'm unsure of how far I'm going to go with this at the moment, but I plan on posting some objective updates and observations while I'm experimenting.....for science.

[Curious_AJ]

Day 1 - 2x250mg before bed.

Day 2 - 2x250mg caps mid morning.

After taking the mid morning dose today, I had a slightly spaced out feeling for a few hours and then feeling of an impending headache that never seemed to materialize. Nothing felt significantly bad or worrisome, just noticeable

I plan to take another capsule this evening and may switch to 1 in the morning and 2 in the evening for a few days.

[Curious_AJ]

Day 3 - Ended up taking 2x250 last night and will maintain 2x250 twice a day for at least a week. No headache or spacey feeling today and BP is only slightly elevated from my normal but well within normal ranges. Might be worth mentioning that three times today I had a noticeable ache in my testicles. It alternated between the two and I was willing to write it off until it happened again.

Question for everyone, has taking it on a completely empty stomach vs an hour or two after eating made a difference? Also, I am a pretty dedicated coffee drinker, is there any interaction between BO and caffeine?

[Curious_AJ]

Also in the name of science, my T levels (checked every 4-6 months and most recently in November 2024) over the last few years have been steady between 536-597 ng/dl. I will have another blood test at about the one month mark on BO and will be able to see if there is any effect. I have never had E levels checked so that will remain an unknown.

Also, if anyone is actually reading these that has used BO, the testicular ache on Day 3 seems a little soon but I am confident it is not just in my imagination. Has anyone felt it that early?

[wee2er]

Hi Curious,

Like all things there are quiet and busy times, but your posts are being read.

Sounds like classic PM induced DVT, I think PM is too risky especially when there are better options out there.

I've been on BO & glandular and they didn't do much for me, but I now incorporate them as my topical regime and they are definitely helping to boost my HRT towards feminising my lower half.

As you most likely know having done the research, for unknown reasons BO works well for some and not at all for others, so the pain you have might or might not be due to the BO, its unfortunately impossible to say.

When BO works it is good for breast growth and body feminisation so presume these are your goals, if so then at some point you may want to consider adding a topical regime as there are a few of us seeing some good results when adding topical. However, the one absolute is that any of these herbs, glandular, hrt etc they all take time, got to think of it as going on a very long leisurely walk.

Interesting why you get your T levels checked so regularly, but in general they say it takes a 2~3 months to see any hormone changes when on HRT, so I'd presume it will be the same for BO, so don't be surprised if your T hasn't dropped. 
If you are paying for the test I'd save the money till the 3-month mark and at the very least include oestradiol if you can as this will give you a better picture of what is going on.

One final though on your pain, the best advice is always listen to your body, if the pain worsens or persists consider reducing / coming off BO as that will prove if it is the BO or something else.

Good luck with the BO regime.

[Curious_AJ]

Hi Curious,

Like all things there are quiet and busy times, but your posts are being read.

Thank you wee2er,

I didn't intend that comment as a complaint but I appreciate your response. I have spent much time here parsing through the wealth of knowledge and experiences many have posted.

As far as my blood tests, I have regularly scheduled blood work and relatively easy access to a lab so I am just going to stick with my normal program and I can always order additional tests if necessary.

The pain is not overwhelming by any stretch, but it is noticeable, just not something I was expecting on Day 3.

[Curious_AJ]

Slight change to the way I log this:

Day 3
2x250 mg Swanson's BO twice a day (late morning and before bed)
Multivitamin 
Vitamin D
Fish oil
BCAA
Liver support supplement in AM

No spacey or foggy feeling and no headaches at all on Day 3. BP in the morning was slightly elevated for me but well within normal ranges. 

It is worth mentioning that I have experienced a distinct calming effect starting Day 2 and more noticeable through Day 3. I'm typically a very measured and reserved person but I believe that is more descriptive of my external facing emotions. The calming effect has made it easier to focus at work and has knocked back some of my untreated ADHD symptoms. It's not something I was looking for or expecting but it is worth mentioning.

There is still a slight but noticeable ache in both testicles that would come and go throughout the day. Last night in bed I noticed a slightly more rubbery or dense feeling beneath both nipples. I was overweight as a teen and had some form of gyno so this tissue has always been there but it is noticeably denser. I actually found it by mistake when moving my arm across my chest and feeling a more rubbery sensation in the tissue between my nipple and armpit. It is now definitely firmer than the subcutaneous fat present on my abdomen and harder to pinch.

I realize it is very early but I want to be objective and capture as much as possible. I truly wasn't expecting this level of response from my body after only a few days. I hope my posting here might help. If there is something else I could be tracking to make this more useful, let me know.

[wee2er]

Hi Curious,

Like all things there are quiet and busy times, but your posts are being read.

Thank you wee2er,

I didn't intend that comment as a complaint but I appreciate your response. I have spent much time here parsing through the wealth of knowledge and experiences many have posted.

As far as my blood tests, I have regularly scheduled blood work and relatively easy access to a lab so I am just going to stick with my normal program and I can always order additional tests if necessary.

The pain is not overwhelming by any stretch, but it is noticeable, just not something I was expecting on Day 3.

Hi Curious,

I presumed it wasn't a complaint so no worries.

If your blood works are already scheduled regularly then I'd just get them to add Oestrogel for now. The one thing I would say is don't chase the numbers, they are good for getting that overview picture, go more on how you feel.

Sounds like you are one of the lucky ones seeing such changes in literally a few days, all very exciting

[Curious_AJ]

Hi Curious,

I presumed it wasn't a complaint so no worries.

If your blood works are already scheduled regularly then I'd just get them to add Oestrogel for now. The one thing I would say is don't chase the numbers, they are good for getting that overview picture, go more on how you feel.

Sounds like you are one of the lucky ones seeing such changes in literally a few days, all very exciting

I'm not planning on chasing anything at all with the blood work as it's just to track overall health.

Are you suggesting I request a test for oestradiol in addition to the standard T level check?

I'm still shocked at the rapid effects. I really wasn't expecting to notice much at all for the first few weeks. 

My theory is that I had previous breast tissue growth from gynecomastia as a teen. Until I lost a lot of weight, I had very puffy nipples and I could always feel some fibrous type tissue that expands outward from the nipple, especially towards the armpits. 

After starting the BO, the existing breast tissue must have "switched on" I guess since the overall area is puffier and the fibrous tissue is now harder to feel through the rest of the fat. The nipples themselves have gotten puffier as well. It's barely noticeable through a shirt but I've been incredibly self conscious about my nipples for my whole life so I definitely noticed it.

The calming effect was also a surprise. I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult but I wanted to avoid medications so it is medically untreated. It struck me during the workday that my focus was much more intense, my mind was not wandering and I was able to stay on routine tasks until completion without my normal tendency to jump around. Definitely an unexpected surprise but a nice bonus.

The testicular pain, which presents as a dull ache in both but more in the left, is probably the most concerning effect. It's not severe or distracting but noticeable, especially in the first 2-3 hours after taking a dose of BO. I've read different thoughts about why the pain is present but I'm not sure those apply to me as I'm only on day 5. So far, no noticeable change to size or function of male equipment. Any others with experiences similar this early on?

The rapid effects do have me a little concerned but I convinced myself that I am going to finish the first bottle at 2x250mg twice a day before making any further changes or stopping.

[wee2er]

I really do think that you are one of the lucky ones