[AbiDrew85]

Gone? Have I missed something?

Wahaika has apparently decided it was time for him to depart these boards... *shrug*

I've started a new thread asking why some people still swear by WY... Everything I know about it tells me that the combination he just espoused is going to merely plump up fat cells and the user must pray it all goes to the boobs. Not really my cup of tea. Especially since I am simultaneously on a weight loss plan AND breast development plan.

And most especially because one of the things he just espoused could in actual fact be dangerous for some women if they are in fact low T. Saw Palmetto is a 5-alpha-reductase AND t-receptor inhibitor. Anti-androgen. One of it's other effects is to help increase fat around the hips and thighs mostly, though I imagine it might go to the breasts in more top-heavy girls.

I've done gads and gads of research and for the life of me can just not think of any other means for that particular combination to work.

Something tells me that I'm the primary reason Wahaika left...

[BeneGesserit]

Well now I've run into another wall. I have been taking the RC for about a week. I need to stop, and my friend who knows far more about herbs than I agrees. I think I'm allergic or at least very sensitive to RC. In the week that I've been taking it I have had three skin infections pop up and its definitely staph. I've had more than enough of these to know. RC is the only new thing that I've introduced.

Does anyone have any suggestions for something else to supplement the FG and SP? I'm going to do more reading but am always open to suggestions. Ugh I hate my body sometimes. It is just so sensitive and I have so many allergies... Some of the most benign stuff makes my body freak! I have to read ingredients on *everything*! It's annoying at best.

I just hope that I stopped soon enough. My last course of Cipro was in Sept. It was at that point I decided to really get my bum in gear and gave a challenge to myself to do everything right to see if I could go a year without having tp take more Cipro, Doxy, or be hospitalised because the infection got so bad I had to have Vanco thru an IV. I really hope I didn't mess myself up that bad.

[BeneGesserit]

Okay. Sorry to be so indecisive but I've realised perhaps I just shouldn't push it. For now I'm just going to make a program thread and keep track just to see. Both FG and SP were in the Natural Curves pill I was taking before so I'm pretty positive neither of these are the issue. I'll just stay with those two. I definitely don't want to give up the SP. I love what it has done for my hair and my skin because I was doing great until now. Perhaps my body just needs a break for 2-3 months. Even if I just maintain I will be happy and it will give me more time to read and do better research.

[AbiDrew85]

RE: WY. surferjoe posted a very nice analysis of what WY is likely doing for some people and why it might still be useful. I wish Wahaika would have explained why he was espousing it instead of just constantly pushing it all the time.

I dunno, I only found the word "unregulate" in the study, as in production of X in response to a hormone was unregulated. As far as I know it's the same as saying that it makes you more sensitive to your own hormones. Yes steroidal saponins do tend to combine very well with phytoestrogens. Pueraria mirifica + fenugreek tends to work very well, for example. Whereas pueraria mirifica + a real phytoestrogen tends to create competition that lessens the effect of the PM.

It's a local effect in a single organ not the whole loop which spans multiple organs. So again I take that as meaning the same as increased sensitivity.

The steroidal saponin herbs that I know of are fenugreek, wild yam, goat's rue and shatavari. For all of those except wild yam I have read about increased testosterone in men, and yet increased estrogen, progesterone and prolactin in women. I have read about increased sensitivity to insulin in fenugreek and goat's rue. And I wouldn't be surprised if all of these apply to all 4; I just haven't read it.

Sooo... It might still be helpful.

If you're allergic to RC you could try PM or hops. Both are stronger phyto-estrogens anyways. And PM is the strongest, being the most similar to estradiol at the molecular level.

[BeneGesserit]

Okay. I would like to thank all of you for the information you have provided. For now I have decided to add Wild Yam and we'll see where it goes from there. I'm pretty sure I got way too much oestrogen on the other pills I was using especially since the spotting was much worse in my luteal phase.

I'm making a program thread now to document and keep track of things especially since I will be changing some of my supplementation due to more info I gathered. It's going to be pretty boring but I'd rather give myself a break and give my body a chance to calm down.

I'm sure now that the RC caused the problems but fortunately it seems it was mostly inflammation or I hadn't taken the RC long enough for it to hang around long since the symptoms are now pretty much gone. It may just be that my body can flush the RC out quicker. I do consistently use as prescribed by my Dr. potent antimicrobial washes combined with a 10% sulphur ointment to keep the staph at bay for when my body can't keep up. It worked like a charm this time. I'm glad I didn't have to break out the mupirocin ointment; this is something I like to save unless absolutely necessary.

Sorry I freaked but I'm used to my wheat allergy triggering those symptoms. It takes my body about 6 months to flush out wheat proteins and that's about how long I'll have the effects from it too. I'm trying very hard to get myself straightened out. Looks like I got lucky this time so from here on out I'm going to be really cautious.