I met with my Endo today and she had some interesting facts. She STRONGLY advised against using Saw Palmetto. She explained it to me that Saw Palmetto causes Testosterone to build up and can cause even more hair growth. This is not what I wanted. So I wanted to warn you all against it. She also upped my dosage of Glucophage and I will start using Vaniqua if my pregnancy test comes back positive!!!!!
I haven't heard that one about Saw Palmetto. I know there are a lot of success stories with it. I took it for a while and it seemed to slow my hair growth, until I ran out of it. I guess I'll have to look further in to it. Thanks.
__________________ Me - 28
"Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done, to see."
"I've tried to get away from it all, but I've failed, for I've come to see... although much I find, I can leave behind, I can't get away from me."
It's seems to me that she doesn't know how the herb really works. Which is not uncommon for MD's -- They don't teach this in medical school. Also in my experience, since there are not clinical trials to back up herbs effects, most doctors are already suspicious of their use.
(Too bad pharmaceutical companies control clinical trials in this country. Europeans are light years ahead of us in herbal knowledge and that is where most of our information comes from.)
Saw Palmetto prevents the enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase that converts inactive testosterone (inactive T is bound in the blood) to active testosterone, called DHT. DHT is the version of testosterone that causes skin and hair changes by acting on the follicles and pores.
Therefore there WILL be more INACTIVE testosterone in the blood, but it is not used by the body.
Essentially Saw Palmetto works like other prescription meds like Finasteride, Propecia, Proscar and Dutasteride to inhibit this 5 alpha reductase enzyme. It would be interesting to find out her opinion on those meds which have lots more side effects.
There are indeed a few clinical trials on saw palmetto for BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia) which do detail it's effect on testosterone to be a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor. High DHT acts on men's prostates, causing it to enlarge. Go to PubMed.com and search for "saw palmetto testosterone".
__________________
Maureen 36, DH is 35
Momma to Declan Christopher, born 9/2/03
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Before pregnancy, went from 175 to 136 thanks to To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. , exercise and low glycemic index foods. Polycystic appearing ovaries are gone; ovulated regularly; bloodwork normal.
Improvement in hirsuitism and androgenic alopecia is greatly improved. AN and cystic acne are gone!
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:Hi,( I'm really concerned about this whole saw palmetto issues. I decided to use it having read on this website about a lot of success stories but now I've read your post about your endo strongly recommending you not to use it because it can make the hair problem worse. It's so confusing. there's so many contradictory opinions about things. I used progesterone cream a few years back which a private doctor recommended re. symptoms of pcos including the hair problem and then someone else said they couldn't believe I'd been given that and that it can make hair symptoms worse. It's just so difficult to know what to do to help yourself isn't it.
Thanks for posting the advice you were given.
Can anyone answer what happens when you stop taking saw palmetto if it helps re. not converting testosterone into DHT 5 but you have built up the amount of inactive testosterone in your body by taking sp. Does this mean the inactive testosterone becomes active.
Met with Endo today 
