Details:
Licorice - Glycyrrhiza glabra [400 mg per capsule from which 16 mg is glycyrrhetinic acid]:
I had one capsule the previous morning and one in the morning. About 8 hours later I took another one and 3 hours later I had an O. Right after it I took another one (18 h). So on that day I took 1200 mg of licorice of which 48 mg was glycyrrhetinic acid.
It reduced POIS somewhat at its onset, but I still had symptoms like weakly bloodshot eyes. I measured it several times and my blood pressure didn't seem to change, but I had other side-effects. In the first hours I felt transient slight pain sensations all over the body and developed some mild headache or discomfort, although it is hard to tell if the latter was not due to POIS itself. Another worrisome symptom was a recurring weak heart ache or cramping that I felt from time to time even in the next morning. I think licorice only has side-effects at first. It was around the time I went to bed when I began to feel myself somewhat better. It was 8 hours after I took the second capsule and I mean the first one in the afternoon. I got up after three hours of sleep to take a leak and I definitely felt better at the time. In the morning I generally felt better, but I still had a weak level of POIS. I still had some depression, but the eyes were relatively well. The nodules in the breast were moderately reduced. The burning feeling noticeably reduced and the quality of the stool was better. The best was that I could walk relatively easily without feeling the fatigue-like burden on my muscles. So licorice really has a beneficial effect on my POIS, but its side-effects prevent me from using a higher dose.
Licorice also contains phytoestrogens, so I am not even sure if its beneficial effects are really due to glycyrrhetinic acid.
Chamomile extract capsule: 1 capsule containing 250 mg chamomile extract with 2.5 mg apigenin.
1 capsule doesn't seem to do anything noticeable, however consuming 2 x 2 capsules with a few hours of difference surely has a weak-moderate effect on the burning pain and thus somewhat reduces all POIS symptoms. So all in all it was 1000 mg chamomile extract containing 10 mg apigenin. By the way it was also equivalent with 10 g chamomile flower. The medicinal mushroom capsule I mentioned previously contained 9 mg apigenin, but it had a better effect, so apigenin really seems to help, but it is better if it is combined with other things as well.
Turmeric: I tried it three times by consuming about one tablespoon cooking grade turmeric powder mixed in some water. It doesn't have any rapid effect, but every time I had bloodshot eyes in the next morning and the burning sensation was also enhanced. On the last occasion I also added some black pepper and everything was about the same. I have tried to avoid black pepper for years as I have already suspected it to be bad for my POIS. Still I need to test it a bit further and maybe with higher doses for a definite conclusion.
Chasteberry [400 mg per capsule]: It is supposed to increase progesteron in women. Well it may not do so in man. The first time I took one it unexpectedly induced a weak-moderate ass muscle inflammation (probably not a POIS symptom), but this disappeared in a few hours (after consumption from 2 o 6 hours). At another day I took one in the morning and one in the afternoon. However this kind of inflammation only appeared very weakly.
In regard of POIS symptoms it didn't reduce depression and I still had bloodshot eyes. It may have reduced the burning feeling a bit, but I am not really sure without a more extensive testing. Another thing I noticed was a weak bulging of some blood vessels a few hours after consumption, however blood pressure was alright. All-in-all I could also say that it had practically no effect.
The product doesn't specify what part of the plant was used, but it is probably the leaves or the fruit. The seeds are sold separately and they are said to be antiaphrodisiac, so I will have to test them too.
Melatonin: I have only tested a lower dose (2 mg) so far. It makes me somewhat sleepy, but this passes after a short time. There are no rapid effects, but it can somewhat reduce the burning feeling. I will try higher doses, but I don't want to mess up the circadian rhythm. It may serve well in an evening stack, especially if I wanted to do "sex" in the morning.
Anise tea [about 1 liter]: As it is another estrogen receptor modulator I thought it could be interesting to test. It doesn’t seem like it does anything particular to my POIS symptoms, however it can give me a headache. Could this be something similar as what I experienced with Kudzu?
Galega/goat's-rue/French lilac tea (Galega officinalis) [about 1 liter]: It raised my interest as it is another traditional antidiabetic tea and it contains some compounds that formed the basis for the development for metformin. I expected it to potentially modulate POIS, however this proved to be in vain. It seems to have some beneficial effect on POIS, however this effect is quite subdued.
Garlic pills [10 mg per gelcapsule]: I took garlic capsules from the morning with 3-4 hours of difference. It definitely reduces the burning feeling moderately. After taking the third I had an O two and a half hour later, after which I took another garlic capsule and three hours later a last one before going to sleep. When I got up in the middle of the night to take a leak I also took a garlic capsule. This way garlic couldn't definitely prevent POIS as I still had bloodshot eyes, however besides the reduced burning sensation I had reduced rhinitis. In the morning I felt that I had more energy. So garlic is definitely helpful, however on its own it is not an adequate treatment.
CLA [2000 mg per gelcapsule]: It has some effect on POIS, but its quality seems to be mixed and weak, so it doesn't really do anything to symptoms or only weakly enhances POIS. Nevertheless it is not a supplement I am going to incorporate in my regime.
Evening primrose oil [500 mg per gelcapsule of which 45 mg is gamma-linolenic acid]: It has mixed effects just like CLA. I took four capsules in a day. Although primrose oil can reduce the burning pain, it doesn't make a real difference. It also induces bloodshot eyes almost every time I take it, which is a no good for me.
Ayurveda tea: The most indicated ingredients are Withania somnifera and Centella asiatica, but it also contains cymbopogon citratus, glycyrrhiza glabra, pterocarpus marsupium, zingeber officinale, ocimum sanctum, cinnamomum tamala, cinnamomum zeylanicum. I had some negative experience with it. I only drank it three times, but as I remember it gave me a headache every time. I even developed a chest inflammation after one occasion, although it was possibly not due to the tea. Due to this I was a bit skeptical about Ashwagandha and Gotu Kola.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) [240 mg per capsule of which 12 mg is Withanolid]: I took one capsule in the morning and one another five hours later. I took a third one six hours later and had an O two and a half hours after that. To my wonder this partially managed to prevent POIS onset as I didn't really develop bloodshot eyes and the burning sensation was also reduced. In the morning I had a somewhat reduced fatigue and depression, however I had bloodshot eyes and the burning pain was moderate. After testing it some more I realize that at first I overestimated Ashwagandha’s benefit as it didn't prove to be that effective on acute days. At best it may be as good as berberine, however I need to take at least four capsules for this and there could be adverse side-effects if I used such an amount regularly.
Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica aerial parts) [435 mg per capsule]: Another suspicious one that proved to the contrary. I took one in the morning then another in the afternoon and a third one in the evening after which I had an O one hour later. I didn't develop bloodshot eyes right after O, but I had some cramping intestinal pain. In the morning I generally felt somewhat better, than I would usually expect, however I still had a moderate burning pain and thus POIS symptoms as well.
Mexican Wild Yam Root [425 mg per capsule; Rd: 2]: Another great one! This one considerably reduces POIS symptoms, however serious side effects may make it difficult to use effectively. It also has a rather rapid effect. Shortly after the first capsule I began to feel a reduction in my chronic symptoms, so I decided to test it more seriously and had an O two hours later. POIS onset was rather mild (e.g. only mild bloodshot eyes). Four hours later I took another one before going to sleep. My eyes were rather clear at this time which means that the first one was still in effect. In the morning I felt rather great. I could best compare the degree of its effect to licorice.
However my joy proved short lived as shortly after taking the third one in the morning I developed a serious back pain. The pain seemed to originate from around the left lung and radiated to my back. I could breathe well though, but any movement induced a sharp pain. This lasted for about one and a half day then it disappeared. Of course I had similar cases in the past, but it is more usual that the pain radiates to the front and that is why I call it chest pain. This whole episode reminded me to my experiences with medicinal mushrooms which can also induce a similar effect when I use them as a singular treatment in high dose.
At another occasion I only took one capsule 3 and a half hours before an O although I also drank some saffron tea. At least this proved to be safe. It has yet to be determined if two capsules are safe or not. By the way I think wild yam capsules are best taken about 2-3 hours before an O.
As wild yam is marketed as a traditional women's health support it makes me think that a hormonal imbalance theory seems even more probable as the origin of POIS.
Red clover (Trifolium pratense) [Red clover flower tops 375 mg per capsule including 76 mg isoflavanoids; Rd: 1-2]: It has a beneficial effect, although not to a great degree. I took 3 capsules per day and even had an O with it, however it was only about as effective as garlic pills. Side effects were short sporadic pain effects at different places, but it was only a nuisance.
Naproxen [220 mg Naproxen Sodium which equals 200 mg of Naproxen; Rd: 1-2 or 3 at max]: At most I took 3 and a half pills. I haven't had an O with it, but it reduced the burning pain weakly.
Matcha tea: When I first tried matcha tea it seemed to be good, but now I have to reconsider this after I tested it a bit more. The conclusion I made that it is only weakly beneficial or not at all. I drank one teaspoon (about 4 g x 3) of matcha tea three times a day. I couldn't really notice any change in symptoms during the acute period. The only notable thing is that the lymph nodes in my breasts got inflamed which doesn't occur frequently otherwise, but this may have been a coincidence only.
Green tea capsules [500 mg per capsule: 80% polyphenols, 60% catechins, EGCG: 225 mg, caffein: 10 mg, Rd: 1]: I took two capsules in a day, but I couldn't perceive any change whatsoever. Later I will try it in some combinations, however I can't believe that prolonged use would make it any more effective for me.
Black tea: I discovered it last year that it has a certain positive effect when consumed in greater amounts (about 1-2 l). It helped in some POIS recovery cases. I also noticed that sucking on the used filter can rapidly alleviate a sore throat, although only for a few minutes. I also realize that different brands have considerably different effectiveness. Unfortunately I couldn't find the brand that worked well before and my current one is not the best.
Niacinamide: I also tested combinations of matcha tea and black tea with niacinamide separately, however I couldn't see any great difference compared to their base effects. I didn't have an O, but I was on acute days and exercise intolerance is an everyday issue nowadays, so there was place for improvement. I also think that niacinamide is most effective about 8-10 hours after consumption. This doesn't mean that taking another one before an O would be a bad idea or that other POIS types would react with the same timing.
Testosterol 250 [In one capsule it contains 250mg plant sterol, 15 mg inuline and some more, Rd: 1]:
This one is marketed as a popular testosterone booster. I really hoped it would work, however I had to be disappointed. It had a weak positive effect after an O when I took three capsules in a day, but I simply don't see any point in further raising the dosage.
Pregnenolone [50 mg per capsule Rd:1]: It seemed to be an interesting one to try, so I did. Unfortunately it proved to be of no use. I think it actually makes my symptoms worse, although not very apparently. The bloodshot eyes were especially bad on the days when I used it and depression hadn't changed whatsoever. I think the stool had a burning quality more so than usual, however this is rather difficult to judge accurately. Two times I wanted to take another capsule for a greater effect, however after looking at my eyes in the mirror I just didn't dare to.
Grape seed extract (Vitis Vinifera) [200 mg extract in 4 pills of which 190 mg is proanthocyanidine; Rd: 4]: I took 4 to 6 on consecutive days. As far as I could judge it only has a weak beneficial effect, but nothing considerable.
Hops tea [about 1L]: I think it has a weak beneficial effect, but nothing considerable.
Beta-1,3/1,6-D-Glucan [100 mg Beta-1,3/1,6-D-Glucan powder and 160 mg Maitake Mushroom powder; Rd: 1]: I took 3 in a day and it definitely has a good effect on POIS. I also had an O with it and I could perceive an antidepressive effect, however I still had bloodshot eyes to a degree and didn't feel exactly well. It may have about the same effectiveness as Cordyceps, although I would need a consecutive test to be able to judge this.
I also bought several other types of mushroom supplements and I am really interested in trying those as well.
Soy beans (bio, cooked for one hour with only a little added salt): I ate about 80-100 g of it at two separate days. To cut it short I think it is actually bad for me. Like other beans it also causes a lot of flatulence, which in a way causes a bump in POIS, but also accelerates POIS disappearance usually. In the past I had some positive experience with beans (especially bean soup), however soy bean seems to have a mixed effect instead. The bloodshot eyes and depression haven't changed. However the burning pain was certainly enhanced and at the second time I got up in the morning feeling especially weak.
Beta-sitosterol [400 mg of plant sterols per capsule including 200 mg beta-sitosterol; Rd: 2]: I only took one capsule that gave me a rather great headache which lasted throughout the day. Interestingly though I think it actually reduced POIS to a weak-moderate degree, however the testing circumstances were not ideal. Later I will try smaller doses to see if this is any better that way.
Rhaponticum Tribulus [500 mg Tribulus terrestris and 100 mg Rhaponticum carth. per capsule]: It was on sale so I bought a supplement that combines Tribulus and Ecdysteron. I haven't tested it much, but it certainly makes me feel better, so ecdysterone is really a good find.
Tea tree oil: I tested it some more, although without an O. However it certainly seems to have a beneficial effect as it considerably reduces the burning pain. I think it has a solid moderate effect and I will try to have an O with it to be able to judge it more accurately.
GABA [500 mg gamma-aminobutyric acid per capsule; Rd: 2]: So far I have only taken one at different times as it has some worrying side effects. Most importantly it didn't change depression. However it somewhat reduced the burning pain and had a good effect on stool quality.
A very peculiar side effect I experienced is that GABA can cause a sharp pain in the brain at a specific site. However this is nothing like any headache I have ever experienced before. I am not sure if I should be worried about this phenomena if I decided to take it in a greater dose or for a prolonged time.
Spirulina [One pill contains 300 mg spirulina algae powder, 0.45 mg beta carotine, 75 ug (daily intake reference: 9.38%) vitamin A provitamin; Rd: 1-8]: I took 9 pills (3x3) for two days, however there weren't any considerable effects. Although it definitely had a good effect on stool quality and the burning pain was somewhat reduced which means that it is a little effective at least.
Common centaury tea: I haven't tried this again, but I forgot to mention a side-effect I experienced.
There occurred a weak pulsating feeling on the top of the head. This was reminiscent to the feeling when I overdosed tryptophan, but it was much weaker and orthostatic intolerance was not present at all. I am really not sure if this could be considered some kind of cleaning effect or something bad tough.
Some additional trials:
Acai berry [75 mg acai berry extract per softgel capsules; Rd:2]: I took 3-4 per day. I think it has a weak mixed effect. It reduced the burning pain, however I almost constantly had weak-moderate degree bloodshot eyes while I used it. I will put this in the ineffective group due to this. By the way I often pass the (safer) ineffective supplements to my mom and she told me that after taking acai berry and green tea capsules in combination for a week her high blood pressure normalized and this made her happy. I don't know whether this is true, but it could be a good thing to test for those who have high blood pressure problem.
Shatavari powder (Asparagus) [Rd: 2 tsp]: First of all shatavari must be taken with milk. Whenever I drank it with water it greatly irritated my throat. However drinking it with milk greatly diminishes this side-effect. I tested shatavari by taking 2-3 tsp for some days and even had an O with it. I think it has a weak-moderate efficacy as it is good for my gut, but doesn't actually make a real difference. It is considered an adaptogen and is actually recommended to be taken with Ashwagandha for a greater effect. On the last day I did just that (3+3 teaspoon of Shatavari + Ashwagandha powder during the day) and it seems to have a solid moderate effect, although even Ashwagandha may have that if used alone, so the combination doesn't necessarily make them better.
Jasmine infused green tea [about 2 liters; made tea two times using a teabag containing 2 g of jasmine tea and drank it throughout the day]: At first I thought it works quite well, so I even had an O, but in the next morning my symptoms were quite average. Nevertheless jasmine tea was at least weakly beneficial considering how it reduced the burning pain. As jasmine tea is based on green tea I may still need to reevaluate green tea, although even if it has a benefit it is surely not considerable. It is also possible that jasmine infused black tea would work better, but I am not sure if I can obtain such.
Bitter gourd or melon (Momordica charantia) [500 mg per capsule standardized for 1.8 % charantin, it also contains 15 mcg chromium; Rd: 1-2]: I took 3 splitting it equally during the day. The first time I took a bitter melon capsule it gave me 3 hours of moderate stomach/duodenum pain, however later it seemed to have some positive effect, so I didn't want to give up its trial. Its release from the capsule is probably too concentrated and results in local irritation. I decided to open up the capsules and mix them in water. This way it proved safe for consumption. I tested it vs. an O, but it was only partially effective. It manages to reduce the burning pain significantly, however it is not so good in symptom reduction itself (e.g. regular bloodshot eyes). It certainly helps with POIS recovery, so I would say it has about a moderate efficacy. It also induces more than average flatulence which could be a problem. Besides this my only real problem with bitter gourd is its price tag, which is not the best considering its effectiveness.
Lion's mane [500 mg per capsule; Rd: 1]: Another medicinal mushroom that works really well. It is actually the main component of the medicinal mushroom mix I took earlier. I took 3 capsules in a day and couldn't experience any side-effects. It also had some anti-depressive effect. I even tested it with an O and it had a general positive effect, however this alone can't overcome everything, especially when I eat some POIS enhancing food. It is possibly better than Ganoderma especially if I evaluate the amount I took, but taking both may be even better if I consider my experiences with the medicinal mushroom mix.
Ganoderma lucidum - Reishi powder [Rd: 1-2 tsp]: I took 2-3 tsp per day. This is a really good thing as it makes a noticeable difference in symptoms. Ganoderma gave the distinct odor I experienced with beta-glucan and it actually contains some, however it also has some 5a-reductase inhibitor compounds (e.g. beta sitosterol) as well which could contribute to its overall effect. My subjective feeling is that its effect is comparable to Tribulus terrestris although the amount of powder could be considered a great amount. Reishi just generally makes me better, however it can't overcome everything and using even higher doses doesn't seem safe, although I had no particular side-effects so far. There were some points when it felt like Reishi reduced depression, but I still need to investigate this a bit further.
Branded medicinal mushroom mix: I rechecked the constituents and found that it contains lions's mane (350 mg), chaga (100 mg), ganoderma (30 mg), EGCG (5 mg) and apigenin (9 mg). I haven't tried chaga, but the other two mushrooms surely work and apigenin as well. EGCG (green tea) doesn't seem to work and I am actually a bit suspicious if it could have been the reason why this mix often induced chest inflammation. Nevertheless this medicinal mushroom mix combined with Maca, chamomile tea and some ginger had a very positive effect on POIS, so I have high hopes for a custom combination.
Tongkat Ali [100 mg per capsule; Rd: 1]: Another testosterone booster that makes me noticeably better with some anti-depressive effect. The first time I took Tongkat Ali it caused a headache, however I used it on several other days as well and this hasn't happened again. I have yet to test it with an O, but I am quite sure that it belongs in the good or best category.
Pygeum [500 mg per capsule bark extract, Rd: 2]: I took two capsules for a few days in the acute phase and it certainly has a beneficial effect. It seems to have a weak-moderate effect on burning pain reduction, but it probably can't reduce depression. Pygeum is considered a potent 5a-reductase and aromatase inhibitor, so I believe others should check it as well.
Nutmeg powder: I expected something considerable of nutmeg, however it didn't prove so. I took 1/4-1/2 teaspoon twice per day. It somewhat reduced the burning pain, but symptoms were quite average. Bloodshot eyes may have been a bit worse, although I am not entirely sure in this. Nutmeg also gave a distinct sweetish odor to farts, which is not necessarily a good thing though.
Passionflower [250 mg per capsule; Rd: 4]: At most I took 6 in a day and also had an O. It can't prevent POIS onset as I still had bloodshot eyes. Muscle fatigue was also apparent the next day. It weakly reduces the burning pain and has a good effect on stool quality. Depression was not particularly strong however lately I haven't had a real problem with that anyway (probably the effect of summertime).
Tricolor Maca [650 mg per capsule containing yellow, red and black maca; Rd: 2]: I took a few here and there and sometimes I would get severe bloodshot eyes. This is a bit disappointing, but also a rather surprising discovery. For now I suspect that either black or red maca could be actually detrimental as I have taken yellow maca for quite a while without problems. I also bought yellow maca powder which I had tried a few times without any ill effects. Needless to say this could be a major finding in the search for the root of POIS. In the future I will test tricolor maca some more and also buy some black or red maca if I can to check if such a difference really exists.
