Off Topic-Saw Palmetto

[Guest]

Hi Everyone,

 

This is a bit off topic, but I wanted to post it incase someone else here has read an article or know of any reasons that trying Saw Palmetto to lower testosterone in females should not be done. I realize it's mainly a guys supplement for prostate health, but its also listed on many sites for female hormone issues. I've heard mixed reveiws from it being great to being horrible.

 

I don't have any testing saying I have high testosterone, but symptoms such as acne, lots of dark hair and facial. The dark and lots of hair for me was even mentioned over ten years ago, but the facial hair didn't start until about year ago.

 

My natural doctors don't seem to feel comfortable treating or testing for it and I got a referral to an endocrinologist which I don't know that I will see. If I can get in before the end of the year, I may go to one and have them test hormone levels.

 

For now I picked up some Saw Palmetto and am going to try that just guessing that high testosterone is an issue for me. I'm kind of scared that it will mess up my hormone levels, but right now I don't know what else to try.

 

Carolyn

[Giselle]

Hi Carolyn, I really don't think you should try this on your own - it might not be high testosterone, it could be something else out of whack - if you possibly can, please see someone who can test your hormone levels. My son's Environmental doc does it via a spit test as well as a blood test - perhaps your regular doctor can do it - I wouldn't be surprised also to find that an imbalance in your hormones might contribute to tics? Maybe not but it seems any imbalance seems to set Hoyt off so perhaps you too.

 

Keep us posted please,

Giselle

[Chemar]

Carolyn

i agree with Giselle that you need to be careful about changing your hormonal balance beforeyou know just what your levels are

 

the saliva tests are now routinely done for hormones

 

once hormones are out of sync it can cause a whole pile of probs and it can take a long time to get things back to baseline again

 

i honestly have never heard of women using saw palmetto..

 

dont forget those other acne tips i gave you.

 

facial hair can always be safely removed, but getting unbalanced hormones back in tune is a whole nother story!

[Guest]

Well I called my family physician and they called me back saying to come in that there are several options including testing hormones. So I went in and it was the most wasted appt. ever. They didn't know which hormones to test so they didn't do that and only suggested antibiotics for the acne & medication for the facial hair. Birth control is another option for facial hair. I'm so sick of hearing birth control, antibiotics for this stuff and want to get to the underlying issues. So basically nothing was acomplished there.

 

After this pointless appt. I gave my gynecologist who before also said birth control and didn't want to test hormones. She said she would like to test Testosterone, Glucose, & Insulin. She said she wasn't concerned with any other hormones at this point because usually the Testosterone or Metabolic Syndrome are what cause the facial hair & acne. I explained to them when scheduling an appt. that I have a disorder that makes me gag and I didn't know that I would be able to tolerate drinking a glucose drink. They said, "It's not that bad." They asked me if I've ever drank the orange drink at McDonalds and I told them no.

 

I would like to have the Testosterone tested, but not the insulin & glucose. I already know I have excess insulin.

 

I think I'm going to cancel the appt. because I really don't think I'm going to be able to tolerate the glucose drink. Yes, my sensory issues are much better, but not to where they should be yet. What do you all think?

 

Carolyn

[Chemar]

Carolyn

why not just TELL them you only want testosterone tested. they cant force you to have the others done and as a patient you have the right to say what you would like tested. So simply say you will have the testosterone tested for now and may consider the others at a later time

 

I get really irritated by docs who dont listen to their patients

[Guest]

Hi Chemar,

 

I'm just going to cancel the appt. as I called my allergy doctor in Florida and he faxed a script to Quest Diagnostics for a blood Total & Free testosterone levels test. Once he gets the lab results back I'll decide where I'm going to go from that point. I should have just called him to begin with rather than believing my primary care physician and going in for a pointless appt.

 

Carolyn