Hey guys,
So I've been in this forum for almost five years and I've read many posts around here for so many different theories and different treatments based on these theories. It's suffice to say non of them worked for me. I've tried Niacine, Quantum's stack, Nanna's stack, Mestinon, NSAID's, anti-histamine's, etc. All amounted to nothing, not even a slight improvements.
So over time I went back and forth on possible theories and explanations of POIS. But the theory that made most sense for me, is the dopamine theory. Since my symptoms revolved around cognitive symptoms, social withdrawal, apathy and psychological symptoms, with very little if no physical symptoms. There is little better to explain my symptoms other neurotransmitter deficiency.
So I tried many treatments to tackle that, but it also was very difficult to actually tackle the dopamine receptors since in order for you to increase dopamine neurotransmittion you have two ways: 1- dopamine agonism 2- dopamine supplementation.
The first method is very difficult, it depends on taking psychoactive drugs, most of these psychoactive drugs are illegal due to their abuse potential, and other agonists that are legal are too weak to be effective enough. For example member Iwillbeatthis told me that he took bupropion which helped for a while but couldn't even treat a Nocturnal Emission situation. Another medical student in Syria told me that bupropion helps very little. I took personally bromocriptine which is most effective on the D1, D5 receptor yet it also did very little.
The second method is less difficult yet less effective, I basically went to the dopamine metabolism wiki page and traced dopamine all the way to the closes hormone before reaching dopamine itself. I at the beginning tried L-Tyrosine, it helps a bit but not that much. Then I tried L-Dopa (mucuna supplement), it did nothing. The problem with supplements is that they are too weak, and they usually struggle to reach beyond the Blood-Brain barrier. So the last possible way to get dopamine itself is to take the levodopa medication, which is the pure form of L-dopa, which it self is the pre-metabolic form of dopamine.
Long story short, I took Seinmet which is levodopa 250mg and Crbidopa 50mg and voila it worked. It made me more concentrated, more motivated, ended the sleeping problems and reduced time to heal. It was less effective on speech slur, memory and concentration (basically cognitive symptoms) and social withdrawal. But time to heal is lessened.
Note that it says remedy and not a treatment, levodopa didn't just bring me back to child hood days where I was fully functional and social, nor will it be equal to two weeks of celibacy. But it works; it helps a bit and for someone who found no remedy for this god forsaken illness this is a step forward.
PS: Take Levodopa with an anti-emetic (if you don't want to throw up) and B6 to enhance its metabolism into dopamine.
