Thread: My Libido is Missing in Action

Originally Posted by Prize

I have niacin sitting here but have hesitated to take any as I read that it may cause problems with lipid profiles and I knew they would be sketchy from the AAS.

I told the wife that she should be prepared for a good ride coming November when I start my next cycle!!!! She said she'd be looking forward to it...

I'm just trying to get my numbers in line for a life insurance physical that is coming up. It sucks that eating healthy and working out screws up my lipid profile as far as the insurance company is concerned. As soon as I get renewed I'll probably blast and cruise for awhile and see how that works out...

niacin is used to increase HDL, which is a good thing.

Originally Posted by exphysiologist88

niacin is used to increase HDL, which is a good thing.

Here is what I had read about it... BTW my triglycerides are 60mg/dl

Niacin -- but not niacinamide -- has been used since the 1950s to try to lower elevated LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglyceride (fat) levels in the blood. However, side effects can be unpleasant and even dangerous. High doses of niacin cause flushing of the skin, stomach upset (which usually subsides within a few weeks), headache, dizziness, and blurred vision. There is an increased risk of liver damage. A time-release form of niacin reduces flushing, but its long-term use is associated with liver damage. In addition, niacin can interact with other cholesterol-lowering drugs (see "Possible Interactions"). You should not take niacin at high doses without your doctor's supervision.

I guess I have to decide which is more important to get in check first. My niacin is slow release type. I think I'll give it a go at low dose and see how I react.

Originally Posted by Prize

Here is what I had read about it... BTW my triglycerides are 60mg/dl

Niacin -- but not niacinamide -- has been used since the 1950s to try to lower elevated LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglyceride (fat) levels in the blood. However, side effects can be unpleasant and even dangerous. High doses of niacin cause flushing of the skin, stomach upset (which usually subsides within a few weeks), headache, dizziness, and blurred vision. There is an increased risk of liver damage. A time-release form of niacin reduces flushing, but its long-term use is associated with liver damage. In addition, niacin can interact with other cholesterol-lowering drugs (see "Possible Interactions"). You should not take niacin at high doses without your doctor's supervision.

I guess I have to decide which is more important to get in check first. My niacin is slow release type. I think I'll give it a go at low dose and see how I react.

I would just ask your doc, they can prescribe niaspan which I believe is a slow released.

a triglyceride of 60 is great, it's recommended to be kept below 150. are you on statins?

Originally Posted by exphysiologist88

I would just ask your doc, they can prescribe niaspan which I believe is a slow released.

I'll give her a call and she what she recommends...I'll keep you updated.

Originally Posted by exphysiologist88

a triglyceride of 60 is great, it's recommended to be kept below 150. are you on statins?

No statins. My triglyceride levels have been from a low of 38 ten years ago and varied every couple years to 90, 73, 59, and 46 last year...I guess I'm just genetically fortunate to have low levels. But on the other hand, my BUN ans ALT levels have been consistently on the high side. Oh well, I guess I can't have everything perfect!! The doc said that at least they are consistent and there is no reason to suspect liver disease.

Originally Posted by exphysiologist88

I would just ask your doc, they can prescribe niaspan which I believe is a slow released.

I just got off the phone with the doc. She said to stay away from niacin due to my elevated liver enzymes. I'm researching red yeast as an alternative. She said it acts as a statin but I want to check its efficacy on cholesterol levels first before using.

Red yeast extract supposedly works amazingly well.... if you can find one that hasn't had the monacolin removed.

"Regulatory restrictions
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) position is that red yeast rice products that contain monacolin K, i.e., lovastatin, are identical to a drug and, thus, subject to regulation as a drug. In 1998, the FDA initiated action to ban a product (Cholestin) containing red yeast rice extract. The U.S. district court in Utah allowed the product to be sold without restriction. This decision was reversed on appeal to the U.S. District Court. (Moore, 2001) (see Further Reading: PDRhealth). Shortly thereafter, the FDA sent Warning Letters to companies selling red yeast rice. The product disappeared from the market for a few years.
In 2003, red yeast rice products began to reappear in the U.S. market. As of 2010, there are at least 30 brands available. Many of these avoid the FDA restriction by not having any appreciable monacolin content. Their labels and websites say no more than "fermented according to traditional Asian methods" or "similar to that used in culinary applications." The labeling on these products often says nothing about cholesterol. If they do not contain lovastatin, do not claim to contain lovastatin, and do not make a claim to lower cholesterol, they are not subject to FDA action. Two reviews confirm that the monacolin content of red yeast rice dietary supplements can vary over a wide range, with some containing negligible monacolins.[5][6] In 2007, the FDA sent Warning Letters to two dietary supplement companies. One was making a monacolin content claim about its RYR product and the other was not, but the FDA noted that both products contained monacolins. Both products were withdrawn.[7][8] The FDA also issued a warning press release (see Further Reading; FDA 2007). The crux of the release was that consumers should "…not buy or eat red yeast rice products…may contain an unauthorized drug that could be harmful to health." The rationale for "…harmful to health…" was that consumers might not understand that the dangers of monacolin-containing red yeast rice might be the same as those of prescription statin drugs."

How they can get away with this I don't know, but apparently the effective ingredient is regulated now.

Red yeast rice - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by Prize

I just got off the phone with the doc. She said to stay away from niacin due to my elevated liver enzymes. I'm researching red yeast as an alternative. She said it acts as a statin but I want to check its efficacy on cholesterol levels first before using.

awesome, good thing you checked. I've heard differing views on red yeast rice, which is a naturally occuring statin. Some of the cons of using ryr is that it isn't as heavily regulated like manufactured statins. with supplements like ryr, there are no standards or anyone verifying the dosage or safety of the products.

statins are one of the most studied drugs out there, with a proven track record of decreasing risk for coronary artery disease. Hopefully, your cholesterol is aas related and you can just wait for them to return to normal. But, if they don't improve, then you need to think about diet changes and/or statins.

limiting saturated fat, cholesterol and increasing soluble fiber in your diet should improve them. Also, losing fat has a profound effect on cholesterol levels too. long, slow, distance exercise (cardio) can increase your HDL and it's good for everything else too.

Originally Posted by exphysiologist88

awesome, good thing you checked. I've heard differing views on red yeast rice, which is a naturally occuring statin. Some of the cons of using ryr is that it isn't as heavily regulated like manufactured statins. with supplements like ryr, there are no standards or anyone verifying the dosage or safety of the products.

statins are one of the most studied drugs out there, with a proven track record of decreasing risk for coronary artery disease. Hopefully, your cholesterol is aas related and you can just wait for them to return to normal. But, if they don't improve, then you need to think about diet changes and/or statins.

limiting saturated fat, cholesterol and increasing soluble fiber in your diet should improve them. Also, losing fat has a profound effect on cholesterol levels too. long, slow, distance exercise (cardio) can increase your HDL and it's good for everything else too.

I checked on the red yeast and again there are cautions concerning liver damage so I guess I'll stay away from it too.

I'm fairly certain the high cholesterol levels are AAS related as my diet is super clean. Macros are 40/40/20 with emphasis on good fats only. Lots of skinless grilled chicken breast and brown rice for meal time. Lots of organic raw skim milk with ISO-100 protein powder in between meals. My BF% last week was 10% and I'm eating as much as I can to just maintain my weight. 3,000+ calories/day to maintain. LBM has gone up after cycle and I've had to up my calories by 750/day to keep up. It's the weirdest thing I've ever experienced while training/BB. I've never eaten so much and been in this kind of shape. Something's working right...

Originally Posted by Prize

I checked on the red yeast and again there are cautions concerning liver damage so I guess I'll stay away from it too.

I'm fairly certain the high cholesterol levels are AAS related as my diet is super clean. Macros are 40/40/20 with emphasis on good fats only. Lots of skinless grilled chicken breast and brown rice for meal time. Lots of organic raw skim milk with ISO-100 protein powder in between meals. My BF% last week was 10% and I'm eating as much as I can to just maintain my weight. 3,000+ calories/day to maintain. LBM has gone up after cycle and I've had to up my calories by 750/day to keep up. It's the weirdest thing I've ever experienced while training/BB. I've never eaten so much and been in this kind of shape. Something's working right...

I understand your concern about liver damage. If you can get your cholesterol down w/o drugs, you'll be better off. But, if you can't, you will have to consider statins (which also have some liver concerns). One of the most important things you can do to decrease your chance of heart disease is to keep your cholesterol levels low. Even if that means taking statins.

Some people just have a genetic predisposition to hypercholesterolemia, and sometimes it just happens with age. I've had quite a few vegans for patients, who had to take statins because of their cholesterol. Usually, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes are unheard of in vegans.

Originally Posted by exphysiologist88

I understand your concern about liver damage. If you can get your cholesterol down w/o drugs, you'll be better off. But, if you can't, you will have to consider statins (which also have some liver concerns). One of the most important things you can do to decrease your chance of heart disease is to keep your cholesterol levels low. Even if that means taking statins.

Some people just have a genetic predisposition to hypercholesterolemia, and sometimes it just happens with age. I've had quite a few vegans for patients, who had to take statins because of their cholesterol. Usually, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes are unheard of in vegans.

Thank you for you input, I really appreciate it!!

From what I have read on the boards it is common for cholesterol levels to take 8 to 10 weeks post cycle to return to normal. I'm optimistic!!

Originally Posted by Digitalash

Red yeast extract supposedly works amazingly well.... if you can find one that hasn't had the monacolin removed.

"Regulatory restrictions
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) position is that red yeast rice products that contain monacolin K, i.e., lovastatin, are identical to a drug and, thus, subject to regulation as a drug. In 1998, the FDA initiated action to ban a product (Cholestin) containing red yeast rice extract. The U.S. district court in Utah allowed the product to be sold without restriction. This decision was reversed on appeal to the U.S. District Court. (Moore, 2001) (see Further Reading: PDRhealth). Shortly thereafter, the FDA sent Warning Letters to companies selling red yeast rice. The product disappeared from the market for a few years.
In 2003, red yeast rice products began to reappear in the U.S. market. As of 2010, there are at least 30 brands available. Many of these avoid the FDA restriction by not having any appreciable monacolin content. Their labels and websites say no more than "fermented according to traditional Asian methods" or "similar to that used in culinary applications." The labeling on these products often says nothing about cholesterol. If they do not contain lovastatin, do not claim to contain lovastatin, and do not make a claim to lower cholesterol, they are not subject to FDA action. Two reviews confirm that the monacolin content of red yeast rice dietary supplements can vary over a wide range, with some containing negligible monacolins.[5][6] In 2007, the FDA sent Warning Letters to two dietary supplement companies. One was making a monacolin content claim about its RYR product and the other was not, but the FDA noted that both products contained monacolins. Both products were withdrawn.[7][8] The FDA also issued a warning press release (see Further Reading; FDA 2007). The crux of the release was that consumers should "…not buy or eat red yeast rice products…may contain an unauthorized drug that could be harmful to health." The rationale for "…harmful to health…" was that consumers might not understand that the dangers of monacolin-containing red yeast rice might be the same as those of prescription statin drugs."

How they can get away with this I don't know, but apparently the effective ingredient is regulated now.

Red yeast rice - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From what I read about the active ingredient it is more a case of patent issues rather than regulation. The active ingredient in red yeast rice is so similar to that in the prescription drug that they banned the sale of the herbal remedy but allowed the prescription drug to continue. In 2010 the herbal companies got around the regulation by saying the red yeast rice was similar to asian varieties and something about culinary use. There's always a way around these stupid regulations...

Yeah still doesn't make sense to me, how can you patent something that already exists in a plant? That'd be like me patenting creatine and making them remove it from steak lol

Originally Posted by Digitalash

Yeah still doesn't make sense to me, how can you patent something that already exists in a plant? That'd be like me patenting creatine and making them remove it from steak lol

I bet if you had the clout that the pharmaceutical companies have, you could get it done!!! I think I'd shoot for patenting the steak and settle for the creatine!!!

Originally Posted by Prize

I bet if you had the clout that the pharmaceutical companies have, you could get it done!!! I think I'd shoot for patenting the steak and settle for the creatine!!!

Unfortunately I think you're right, if you've got the money you can do damn near anything in this country....

UPDATE!!! It's taken nearly 6 weeks after finishing PCT but my libido is back in business!!! I would have to say it's as good as it ever was while not on cycle. For all you other guys asking the same question, hang in there your libido is alive and well, he might just be taking a vacation for a few weeks!!!

Originally Posted by Prize

UPDATE!!! It's taken nearly 6 weeks after finishing PCT but my libido is back in business!!! I would have to say it's as good as it ever was while not on cycle. For all you other guys asking the same question, hang in there your libido is alive and well, he might just be taking a vacation for a few weeks!!!

Your E2 levels needed to stabilize. Too high or too low kills libido.

Try fish oil also!!!

Originally Posted by exphysiologist88

Then cialis won't help. Time will.

i still think it helps. i used v while on ph cycle and it helped me at least get started even though i didn't really want to do anything. i think it helps as long as you at least have some libido left.

Originally Posted by banker23

i still think it helps. i used v while on ph cycle and it helped me at least get started even though i didn't really want to do anything. i think it helps as long as you at least have some libido left.

There might be a placebo effect, but not a real effect. Increasing blood flow does not increase libido, there is not physiological mechanism for that.

Glad to hear that everything has worked out for you.
I had the same problem as you. Reading this thread was like I had written it.
TRT was the answer for me.