sgordon

Hi everyone!

I've been doing some research on saw palmetto and I seem to be getting some conflicting answers.

One website I encountered says:

"Saw palmetto may be helpful in another way. A high level of estrogen may inhibit the elimination of DHT. Some women with PCOS have estrogen levels that are too high. It is reported to have an anti-estrogenic effect, thus helping with the removal of DHT."

However, I have noticed that many websites claim that saw palmetto can be used for natural breast enhancement - this suggests (to me anyway) that it INCREASES estrogen (how else would it make boobs grow?). So which one is it? Does it increase or decrease estrogen?

WilsonSquared

I have been told by several doctors that it works as an androgen blocker. So, it should help with symptoms caused by high levels of testosterone, such as excess hair growth. Hope this helps!

heather779

I read the label on Saw Palmetto at my local Walmart and it said something along the lines that it should only be used by men??? I'm really confused now!

puffnstuff

Heather, it is okay to take saw palmetto as a woman, but it should probably be avoided during pregnancy, which is why the label says what it does.

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Spider

Can anyone speculate as to why saw palmetto would make a woman start sprouting black hairs? That's what happened to me when I took it for a couple weeks. I stopped taking it, plucked out the hairs, and they never came back. My body is weird.

AngelCOH

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My best wishes to all sufferers, may you find the inner strength & support you need - you are not alone!
PCOS: Dxd Jan'06 but suffering since '86 - Hirsutism, Facial Sweating, Headaches, mild HS, IBS-D, PMS & Depression
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Peggotty

So saw palmetto decreases estrogen too? I'm confused. I was thinking of taking it for hair loss, but am not sure if it reduces estrogen, which I thought one would need to keep hair?

Gothic_Kitten_1981

I had bought Saw Palmetto in a Men's Vitamin mixture. From what I can tell, it decreases Testosterone, hence why it is recommended for men with men with enlarged prostate problems...

But for men, It may decrease Testosterone, leading to more hair growth on their head, Some men with excessive Testosterone can have hair loss from it. So that may be the reasoning for it.

I had no hair loss/gain or really, anything at all. But I would think that to lower testosterone levels a Green tea/Saw Palmetto mix would be really beneficial.

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AngelCOH

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30yr old, British Rainbow Cyster

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My best wishes to all sufferers, may you find the inner strength & support you need - you are not alone!
PCOS: Dxd Jan'06 but suffering since '86 - Hirsutism, Facial Sweating, Headaches, mild HS, IBS-D, PMS & Depression
Meds: None, cannot tolerate.
Waiting for a referral for bariatric surgery! A solution at last?
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aimee1023

I have PCOS and as a result, I am told that my body is behaving like that of a teenage boy's; facial hair growth (Hirsutism), oily skin, adult acne and a multitude of resulting issues that have driven me NUTS! I have severe insomnia (which is probably more the result of taking Adderall XR for ADD), but I believe that the stress of not sleeping in addition to the PCOS is causing substantial hair loss (Of 'course I'm referring to the hair on my head - the hair that I pluck nightly on my chin is still thriving)! I currently take 800mg Metformin for insulin regulation. For hair loss in the past, I'd previously taken Biotin 5000mg 1x/day and it stopped the hair loss, but when I took it a week ago, I noticed that my face was extremely oily that evening. I've done some research and found that Alpha Lipoic is supposed to help skin matters, reduce oiliness and that it fights with Biotin - reversing the oily side effects, so I began taking both of them, but at different times so as to not start a full-fledged war in my already unstable body! I just began yesterday, so I'll have to post back with results in a week or two, but I've heard great things and I'm hopeful, so we'll say a prayer for me!!!

I am also looking into Saw Plametto to reduce the testosterone - I am determined to get this nightmare under control!

So, while doing some research, I found this site: http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/saw-palmetto.html.

It states the following:

How does it work in women?

One of the most troubling symptoms of women with PCOS is hirsutism (too much hair, in the wrong places). Hirsutism is thought to be mostly due to excessive levels of androgenic hormones. Examples of androgens are testosterone, androstenedione, and DHEA.

Testosterone is the main androgen we’re concerned about. It’s normal for men to have a lot of testosterone and for women to have some. In both men and women, testosterone is converted into a more potent hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT is the hormone in your skin that stimulates hirsutism, which is male pattern hair growth. If you can reduce DHT, you may be able to reduce hirsutism (hair growing where you don't want it) or male pattern hair loss (restoring hair where you do want it).

Saw palmetto appears to reduce DHT in three different ways:

Inhibits DHT production;
Inhibits the binding of DHT to its cell receptors;
Promotes the breakdown of DHT.

I will post back to let you know how this new therapy is working and I hope that the information that I've posted helps you out!

soulfulqween

I've used it for years...it works well but in large doses it makes my breast hurt like crazy and they do enlarge...

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Meds:
Saw Palmetto
Dong Quai
Calendula
Valerian
Black Cohosh
Dandelion Root
Cinnamon
Vitamin C
Fe
St John's Wort
Chromium Picolinate

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cheech

How much saw palmetto should we take? Is there an increased risk of developing any type of reproductive cancer if we take it too long or take too much?