Author Topic: TNF Inhibitors?  (Read 4388 times)

BuckarooBanzai88

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TNF Inhibitors?
« on: August 05, 2018, 09:13:59 PM »
I've tried Dexamethasone for a testosterone/prolactin/etc. test.  I had a wet dream that night, and found myself with none of the usual POIS symptoms.  I've read of people having success with Prednisone so I guess that my story is more corroborative, than revelatory.

My question is, has anyone tried TNF Inhibitors such as Humira?  I imagine it would be quite difficult to find a doctor that would be able/willing to prescribe it for that cause.  But perhaps someone has.  Just thought I'd ask.  My brother takes Humira for Crohn's disease.  What I have is probably also an auto-immune disease (POIS, extreme gluten intolerance).

joelawerence

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Re: TNF Inhibitors?
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2018, 09:42:03 AM »
It seems to be an anti-inflammatory, possibly why you had reduced or minimal POIS. The trouble is it can't be taken forever due to side effects.
33 years old, POIS for around 12 years with increasing severity.
Major symptoms - Severe fatigue, back pain, unrefreshed even after 9+ hours sleep, pain behind eyes, very dry face, bald head with inflamed scalp, digestion issues and constipation. Very low testosterone and high glucose in blood tests

Quantum

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Re: TNF Inhibitors?
« Reply #2 on: August 06, 2018, 11:04:34 AM »
Hi Buckaroo,

There is some isolated reports of success with prednisone, but there is no one that have reported the effectiveness of it over a long period of time on a as needed basis ( like taking it before or after O, for a period of 3 months).  So, there are no clear data about prednisone or dexamethasone.

Humire/adalimumab is a very potent drug, and has also many potentially severe side effects.  And, POIS being almost totally unknown to the medical world, it is far from becoming a legitimate illness, so there would be no insurance coverage by any health insurance company.  This is not a detail, when talking about a drug treatment which cost more than $50 000 a year.

It is well known that I am fond of natural products.   Research have been done on many natural compound showing TNF alpha inhibitory properties.   Some of the well-known and easily accessible ones are curcumin ( from turmeric), and catechins from green tea.  You can find an extensive list of natural TNF-alpha inhibitors in this scientific article:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22650373  ( the full text is available for free dowload at http://www.eurekaselect.com/100651/article .  In table 1 of the article, there is a long list of natural TNF-alpha inhibitors, along with their IC50 value, so you can see their relative potency). Any TNF-alpha inhibitor will show anti-inflammatory effects, so it is not surprising that many of these compounds have been helpful for members here.  Fish oils, curcuma, green tea, milk thistle, garlic, and so on, have been reported to be beneficial, at least for some, against POIS.

It is clear, however, that those natural products do not have the potency of Humira.   But they are way more safer, and much less expensive.  A stack of natural TNF inhibitors can surely be helpful.

Looking at the list, I see that there are many TNF inhibitors in my pre-pack:   magnesium, fish oils, curcuma, green tea ( http://poiscenter.com/forums/index.php?topic=2090.msg16604#msg16604 ).  That surevaccounst for a part of why they are beneficial for me.
« Last Edit: August 06, 2018, 11:13:44 AM by Quantum »
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BuckarooBanzai88

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Re: TNF Inhibitors?
« Reply #3 on: August 06, 2018, 12:09:39 PM »
Hey Quantum, thanks for the detailed reply and suggestions!

The reason I wanted to investigate corticosteroids is two-fold:
1) When I took Dexamethasone (once), it got rid of my POIS symptoms.  Now, almost certainly have some sort of auto-immune disease having to do with my guts so that probably factors in somewhere.  Of course, I have no idea where :)

2) I read this reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/POIS/comments/43yb2m/pois_treatment_that_has_been_working_for_me/

Anyways, you're probably right it would be hard/impossible to have Humira prescribed.  I am most likely going to be experimenting with a corticosteroid to see if I can consistently reproduce the relief I had previously with Dexamethasone.  If that works, I'll see if I can convince the doctor that Humira would be a good idea.  It might not work, but it would be worth a try if the steroids were working.

@joelawerence, prednisone is often prescribed as a treatment for arthritis on an on-going basis at a very low does ~2.5mg with minimal side effects.  Of course, side effects also depend on the person, but I still believe that if I were taking 2.5mg whenever I have a wet dream (shelving the prospect of a relationship), it couldn't do much harm.  I can try to improve on that if it works.

I'll definitely look into the TNF inhibitors you mentioned, thanks!

Nas

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Re: TNF Inhibitors?
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2018, 03:36:29 AM »
Hi Buckaroo,
I personally take indomethacin and dexamethason for 3days after orgams whicb speeds up the process of healing substantially. Where in the past it took me a full week to reach 50% symptoms relief. This combination allows to get relief in two days. The combination how ever does not stop POIS. That's why I'm looking to add more drugs for better immuno-supression. I just bought Celebrex and Nural ( cyclosporine ). I will see if I find more relief with them.

Quantum

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Re: TNF Inhibitors?
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2018, 07:45:48 AM »
Hi Buckaroo,
I personally take indomethacin and dexamethason for 3days after orgams whicb speeds up the process of healing substantially. Where in the past it took me a full week to reach 50% symptoms relief. This combination allows to get relief in two days. The combination how ever does not stop POIS. That's why I'm looking to add more drugs for better immuno-supression. I just bought Celebrex and Nural ( cyclosporine ). I will see if I find more relief with them.

Hi Nas,

Be very careful with cyclosporine, it very, very powerful, and may trigger very dangerous side effects, that'S why you should get the advice of a health professional to check if the dosage you are planning are correct ( I have already seen a case of going to hospital after the just first dose - and a normal dosage, at that ).

Also, if you do choose to go ahead, stay away from anything with grapefruit, there is a MAJOR interaction with cyclosporine, which boost the blood level of cyclosporine by blocking its elimination in the liver.   So, at least 4 days before taking it, no grapefruit, or grapefruit juice or else.
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BuckarooBanzai88

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Re: TNF Inhibitors?
« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2018, 12:46:13 PM »
Hey Nas, Thanks so much for the information!  Subtracting the NSAID from that equation (my liver enzymes are elevated, and I have issues with my guts), that's sort of what I was thinking of doing.  It's good to hear it helps a little.  Let me know if Ciclosporin works for you.

As soon as I see a Hepatologist tomorrow, I'm hoping to discuss the steroids with my doctor.

BuckarooBanzai88

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Re: TNF Inhibitors?
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2020, 09:25:48 PM »
I know it's been a long time, but I just wanted to say that for me, prednisone seems to remove all of my symptoms.  I tried 2.5mg like I said and it worked fine.  I do seem to become more irritable on the drug so that's not great, and I also experience blood sugar swings so that's also not great.

I currently take NSAIDs after wet dreams and that seems to help some.  With my diet, vitamin D, and B5, I seem to be hovering at around 1.5 days of being non-functional (fatigue/weakness, brain fog, depression, anxiety).

I've been unable to find a doctor who will prescribe Humira.  Not sure if that would help anyways.  My brother takes it for Crohns and it seems to help him quite a bit. 

This is a silly test, but I'm going to try Hovenia Dulcis extract since it seems to show promise as an anti-inflammatory.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1995764516300177