[NotSoBusty]

I am completely lost on the symptoms of hormonal imbalances and which one is which and if I actually even experience those symptoms.

This is for sure, ACNE. I have been on accutane twice, and I definitely should not be breaking out. However, I am breaking out in very hormonal areas, such as my chin (the worst of it) and my cheeks.

I stopped taking birth control this month to see if that does the trick. I thought maybe it overloaded me with way too much estrogen when combined with PM, but I really have no idea...just seeing if it works, I guess.

However, I have also read that this could be due to high testosterone, and I would therefore need an anti-androgen. If this is the case, I would LOVE to know which anti-androgen I should add to my program, except for SP (can you say thighs and cellulite?!)

Could anyone help me answer this question??

Thank you so much in advance!!

[Isabelle]

Hi NotSoBusty,

I posted my list of anti-androgens here:
http://www.breastnexus.com/showthread.php?tid=8419&pid=33520#pid33520

The hops I use is also anti-androgen, so I get enough. Before I knew that, I stocked up on anti-androgens. I keep them in my emergency kit:

mint tea and green tea
broken flax seeds
barley grass
borage oil capsules
and the formula I posted here:
http://www.breastnexus.com/showthread.php?tid=8419&pid=30906#pid30906

So far, I have only used the teas and the broken flax seeds. Be careful with flax: it's also an aromatase inhibitor, so it can slow down testosterone becoming estrogen. But lots of flax increases Sex Hormone Binding Glubulin (SHBG), which binds free testossterone, and gets it out of the blood stream.

The smart thing to do is to check your diet. Carbs that become blood sugar fast (sugar, white bread or pasta, white rice) increase insulin. SHBG binds insulin, and releases free testosterone to make space for the insulin. The free testosterone becomes DHT, which causes the breakouts.

The anti-androgen blocks testosterone from becoming DHT. If I fall off the wagon on ice cream, I eat a teaspoon of flax seed after it.

In recognizing symptoms, you can use fast symptoms to adjust your program on a daily basis, and slow symptoms to check the general direction of your program:

Too much estrogen:
fast: headaches, foggy thinking
slow: NBE growth, conical breasts

Too much testosterone:
slow: muscle growth

Too much DHT:
fast: good mood and libido, breakouts
slow: chin hair, male pattern baldness

Too much progesterone:
fast: good mood and libido
slow: round breasts, NBE growth stops

Too much cortisol:
fast: no rashes or inflammation
slow: fat inside the abdomen (visceral fat)

Too much prolactin:
fast: swelling
slow: lactation

Too much insulin:
fast: dizzy, black before your eyes (low blood sugar)
slow: fat inside the abdomen (visceral fat)

The above list is not complete. It's the symptoms I use to steer my program. I linked more complete lists in my program thread:
http://www.breastnexus.com/showthread.php?tid=8419&pid=34708#pid34708
DHT:
http://www.breastnexus.com/showthread.php?tid=8419&pid=31857&highlight=DHT#pid31857

[NotSoBusty]

Wow, thank you for your detailed response! I am definitely going to use this as a reference when I notice odd symptoms!

I see that you have both borage oil and flaxseed as anti-androgens. I am taking an amino acids complex that contains both of these, and I take it twice a day like the bottle says. Should I maybe add it to my mid-day pills, as well?

However, it also has fish oil in it, as well. I read somewhere on this forum that impure forms of fish oil can cause break-outs as well, and that is isn't good for NBE, anyway.

I also have flaxseed oil pills that I could always substitute, and maybe even buy some borage oil. Would those flaxseed oil pills have the same effect, or would it be better just to go ahead and get the flaxseeds?

As a woman, I definitely need to keep my sugar in check!! It is definitely my weakness, as I cannot say "no" to a baked good for the life of me!!

As for progress, I have not only noticed an increase in size and fullness, but also a more round shape. I'm going to guess that it is safe to assume this these are all positive signs, since they are both indicators of high estrogen and progesterone. I'm going to guess that this means I am keeping my levels relatively even at a high level? I have been cycling my PM with fennel, SP, WY, and FN, as you suggested.

Thank you again!! You are so helpful!

[lled34aa]

i found an article that saids green tea extract is an anti-estrogen, not anti-androgen

http://www.a1supplements.com/AntiEstroge...416-a.html

i'm looking for an anti-androgen. borage oil is great BUT it can cause bloating, which i don't want anything to do with. i'm trying to stay away from seeds and barley so that doesn't leave me much choice....

is DIM anti-androgen as well?

[beachbumbythesea]

Hi lled34aa,

Here is a list of more anti androgens Isabelle listed on her thread:

Spearmint tea (peppermint tea too, but that is also more estrogenic)
Saw palmetto berry
Stinging nettle root
Pumpkin seed oil
Borage seed oil GLA (for hair loss)
Zinc (not too high dose: it becomes androgen at 80 mg a day)
Vitamin B6
Azelaic acid (in rye, barley grass, whole grain cereals)
Secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG), the main lignan in flax (linseed)
β-Sitosterol
Java tea (orthosiphon extract)
Pygeum bark
Wild yam (because it also contains β-sitosterol)

[Isabelle]

Hi NotSobusty,

Even pure fish oil lowers Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG). Lowering SHBG releases free testosterone. Free testosterone becomes dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT cause breakouts, and chin hair.

Your flax seed oil capsules may be better than whole flax seeds for this purpose. Flax seed oil increases SHBG. Try taking a flax seed oil capsule with each aminoacid formula capsule, and each time you eat fast carbs.

The breakouts may become worse because of the flax seed oil too, because flax seed oil inhibits aromatase. You need aromatase to make estrogen from testosterone. Try not to take more than two flax seed oil capsules a day.

The roundness is from the fennel. If you adjust the cocktail, you can make any shape you want

Hi lled,

Green tea can be anti-estrogen and anti-androgen at the same time. I got it off the acne forum, but they're still debating whether green tea really helps:
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Spearmi...27320.html
If you don't trust green tea, try spearmint or peppermint tea.

I don't know if DIM is an anti-androgen. Check the acne forum: they should know.

Thank you Susan,

I use that list a lot indeed. My emergency formula contains more than half of what's on that list. But I never need it, because hops is also an anti-androgen. I am not a fan of using too much anti-androgen: weepy, depressed, unable to cope with stress, etc.

Note that vitamin B6 and zinc are also on the list. Vitamin B6 between 2 and 10 mg a day, and zinc between 13 and 35 mg a day, should already do a lot.

[NotSoBusty]

Thank you, Isabelle!

I added the Flaxseed Oil capsule today! I guess if my breakouts get worse, I'll try just taking the Flaxseed Oil without the amino acids complex, and see how that goes. Thank you so much for your help!

[rocketmelon]

Hi NotSoBusty,

I posted my list of anti-androgens here:
http://www.breastnexus.com/showthread.php?tid=8419&pid=33520#pid33520

The hops I use is also anti-androgen, so I get enough. Before I knew that, I stocked up on anti-androgens. I keep them in my emergency kit:

mint tea and green tea
broken flax seeds
barley grass
borage oil capsules
and the formula I posted here:
http://www.breastnexus.com/showthread.php?tid=8419&pid=30906#pid30906

So far, I have only used the teas and the broken flax seeds. Be careful with flax: it's also an aromatase inhibitor, so it can slow down testosterone becoming estrogen. But lots of flax increases Sex Hormone Binding Glubulin (SHBG), which binds free testossterone, and gets it out of the blood stream.

The smart thing to do is to check your diet. Carbs that become blood sugar fast (sugar, white bread or pasta, white rice) increase insulin. SHBG binds insulin, and releases free testosterone to make space for the insulin. The free testosterone becomes DHT, which causes the breakouts.

The anti-androgen blocks testosterone from becoming DHT. If I fall off the wagon on ice cream, I eat a teaspoon of flax seed after it.

In recognizing symptoms, you can use fast symptoms to adjust your program on a daily basis, and slow symptoms to check the general direction of your program:

Too much estrogen:
fast: headaches, foggy thinking
slow: NBE growth, conical breasts

Too much testosterone:
slow: muscle growth

Too much DHT:
fast: good mood and libido, breakouts
slow: chin hair, male pattern baldness

Too much progesterone:
fast: good mood and libido
slow: round breasts, NBE growth stops

Too much cortisol:
fast: no rashes or inflammation
slow: fat inside the abdomen (visceral fat)

Too much prolactin:
fast: swelling
slow: lactation

Too much insulin:
fast: dizzy, black before your eyes (low blood sugar)
slow: fat inside the abdomen (visceral fat)

The above list is not complete. It's the symptoms I use to steer my program. I linked more complete lists in my program thread:
http://www.breastnexus.com/showthread.php?tid=8419&pid=34708#pid34708
DHT:
http://www.breastnexus.com/showthread.php?tid=8419&pid=31857&highlight=DHT#pid31857

what does fast/ slow mean under the too much or each hormones ?

[isobasic]

I thought it was insulin resistance (high blood sugar) that caused visceral fat build up?