My experience with Saw Palmetto + Stinging Nettle Root

[Niko]

I wanted to share my short story here. About 2 years ago at age 22 my first signs of hair loss had shown, I experienced hair thinning on my entire head and some loss, though minimal, mostly major miniaturization, but it was noticeable.

After much research and thought I decided to risk it and give Saw Palmetto 550 mg a chance before trying anything more serious (like fin/min), to see how I would react. I've also linked some cropped pictures of laboratory test results below that were taken.

The picture with the highest DHT of almost 3300 PG/ML was in September of 2020, up to this point I was only experimenting with natural topical solutions, and although for example the Jamaican castor oil I was using helped to prevent further loss, it didn't help with the hair density so I wanted to try something else.

The second picture of 1890 PG/ML was after 2 months of Saw Palmetto 550mg x2 a day, started using it in Jan/Feb of this year and did the lab result in March, and the third lab test is from the month of May, after introducing Stinging Nettle Root tea once a day in tandem with Saw Palmetto, from March to May, it completely stabilized and was within normal range. Just for experimental purposes I stopped using both SP/SNR for about a month and a half and wouldn't you know it, DHT levels started rising again, who'd have thought?  

I quickly got back on the regime again and it stabilized.

Regarding Saw Palmetto I only had "side effects" for the first few days where erections were very weak, after that everything went back to normal and I haven't experienced any side effects, neither from SP nor Stinging Nettle Root. 

People did comment that they see a big difference from a couple of months and now regarding my hair, though I'm not satisfied yet. Though I can definitely see a lot less hairs fall out now when I stroke through my hair, It used to be 10-15, now it's 2-5 hairs, so I legit think it's worth a try before going on any meds, but I think it will take a long time to see improvement, still, I halted all further hair loss.

Edited September 12, 2021 by Niko

[sl]

Thanks for posting this, may I ask what happened to your testosterone and free testosterone levels while on SP and SNR..Thank you.

[Niko]

I thought I would post an update, finally got around to doing another test, this time Test/Free test/DHT, here are my results attached.

Compared to a result that I did not post here which was done during the summer, my testosterone was about 20 pg/ml, now it's at around 27, and compared to the result from 2020, my free testosterone is a bit higher. Still no side effects from using both, zero problems.  On an additional note, since reducing DHT my sweat doesn't smell that strongly, it's very faint, and I have no more acne/inflammation on my back, it used to be full of zits.

Hope this helps someone, Saw Palmetto/Stinging Nettle Root are pretty cheap methods for controlling your hormones, and the results have been consistent.

[SLA]

Interesting @Niko- How many mg of stinging nettle root was in your tea?

Also, from where did you get your tests done and what was the cost? Is it something you can mail away for and do in your home?

Thanks!

 

[Balboa]

This is intrestimg. Does anyone know where I can get these tests done in the UK?

[RTC]

On 4/16/2022 at 11:46 AM, Balboa said:

This is intrestimg. Does anyone know where I can get these tests done in the UK?

Optimale

But they don't offer DHT testing

[Niko]

On 2/3/2022 at 9:21 PM, SLA said:

Interesting @Niko- How many mg of stinging nettle root was in your tea?

Also, from where did you get your tests done and what was the cost? Is it something you can mail away for and do in your home?

Thanks!

 

Haven't checked the thread in a long time. I took Saw Palmetto capsules 550mg, twice a day, I can't swallow capsules so I opened them up and diluted them in water, I got confirmation from the company behind the product that it was safe to do so. As for the testing, it's a renowned lab in my country, it's done with a simple blood test, results take up to a week to be done.

[Niko]

Update: I believe to have found the source of my hormonal problem now over a year later after opening this thread.

I've had a Candida overgrowth for most likely a decade and it went untreated. As soon as I started treating the candida, my hormones normalized even more, back acne are all but gone and I feel physically a lot better.

I've also cut dairy and gluten due to intolerances.

I cannot confirm this is the source of the problem for absolutely everyone, but I'd recommend people suffering from hair loss to check themselves for this. The main indicator is a white coating on the tongue, I've had this for years and never gave it a second thought until recently when someone brought it up.

 

[BaldDude]

On 11/22/2022 at 3:40 AM, Niko said:

Update: I believe to have found the source of my hormonal problem now over a year later after opening this thread.

I've had a Candida overgrowth for most likely a decade and it went untreated. As soon as I started treating the candida, my hormones normalized even more, back acne are all but gone and I feel physically a lot better.

I've also cut dairy and gluten due to intolerances.

I cannot confirm this is the source of the problem for absolutely everyone, but I'd recommend people suffering from hair loss to check themselves for this. The main indicator is a white coating on the tongue, I've had this for years and never gave it a second thought until recently when someone brought it up.

 

Still taking saw palmetto?

[Niko]

12 hours ago, BaldBobby said:

Still taking saw palmetto?

I stopped taking it months ago there's no need anymore. I'm only treating candida right now and I'm at about 50% of the way, my Dihydrotestosterone is absolutely low now, it normalized on it's own as candida overgrowth messed with my hormones for years. I'll do a blood test within the next few weeks if I have the time then I'll post the results.

[Fego]

On 11/22/2022 at 10:40 AM, Niko said:

Update: I believe to have found the source of my hormonal problem now over a year later after opening this thread.

I've had a Candida overgrowth for most likely a decade and it went untreated. As soon as I started treating the candida, my hormones normalized even more, back acne are all but gone and I feel physically a lot better.

I've also cut dairy and gluten due to intolerances.

I cannot confirm this is the source of the problem for absolutely everyone, but I'd recommend people suffering from hair loss to check themselves for this. The main indicator is a white coating on the tongue, I've had this for years and never gave it a second thought until recently when someone brought it up.

 

From your experience with taking saw palmetto and Nettle root.  Do you think saw palmetto raises or reduces total / free testosteron 

[Niko]

4 minutes ago, Fego said:

From your experience with taking saw palmetto and Nettle root.  Do you think saw palmetto raises or reduces total / free testosteron 

In terms of regular testosterone levels, I believe it does not affect it, in terms of free test, maybe a slight increase? Since you can see in the screenshot from the original post free test goes a bit above the upper limit. In general this hasn't caused any problems, the biggest changes were when my DHT was off the charts, I couldn't sleep well, I was restless, aggressive all the time, did not feel like myself, this went on for years, I knew something was up...

[Fego]

It is valuable information to hear  that your experiment showing saw palmetto reduce dht without touching Testosteron level and causing sexual side effects like finastride. My Testosteron is low by nature so I may think to apply  topical saw palmetto instead of  taking a risk of any finastride Form.  But do you think Nettle root drink played role along with saw palmetto

Edited December 18, 2022 by Fego

[Niko]

Just now, Fego said:

It is valuable information to hear  that your experiment showing saw palmetto reduce dht without reducing Testosteron and causing sexual side effects like finastride. My Testosteron is low by nature so I may think to apply  topical saw palmetto instead of  taking a risk of any finastride Form.  But do you think Nettle root drink played role along with saw palmetto

I did a blood test first whilst taking saw palmetto 2 times a day, it reduced DHT by about 38% if I remember right, that was back at the beginning of last year. When I added stinging nettle root tea once per day, total DHT levels were crushed by about 70%, in tandem they function phenomenally. However, I didn't want to risk long term usage of saw palmetto causing any kidney/liver problems, though I'm sure they wouldn't either way since it's a plant, I just started drinking stinging nettle root and that maintained my DHT levels within normal ranges, I didn't have to use Saw Palmetto. These days I use Saw Palmetto on days when I train at the gym which is about 2-3 times per week, just as an extra precaution. Lately I combined nettle root tea and rosemary oil into a spray bottle and I spray my hair with it, they're strong anti-androgens, if they work on the inside, it might help on the outside as well. 

Final note, here's two pictures I know the lighting isn't the same but these two pictures are now almost 3 years apart, first one taken at the beginning of 2020 vs now. Not saying It's perfect in any way but the difference is obvious and I haven't had any recession ever since I started working on it.

[Fego]

It is very  impressive to reach such result with using only natural herbs  without going to chemical medicine. l have already started this week to apply a topical solution twice per day  which is a mix of 2% saw palmetto ;2% ginseng and 3% horse tail. Now I will add to my diet plan a drink of nettle root tea such as you. as you mentioned I did not want to take saw palmetto orally  and applied it l topicaly to reduce its concentration in the blood serum as I think 40%  of topical will go systemic not like the oral Form where 100% go systemic. 

[Niko]

7 minutes ago, Fego said:

It is very  impressive to reach such result with using only natural herbs  without going to chemical medicine. l have already started this week to apply a topical solution twice per day  which is a mix of 2% saw palmetto ;2% ginseng and 3% horse tail. Now I will add to my diet plan a drink of nettle root tea such as you. as you mentioned I did not want to take saw palmetto orally  and applied it l topicaly to reduce its concentration in the blood serum as I think 40%  of topical will go systemic not like the oral Form where 100% go systemic. 

This DHT problem is tied to an endocrine system issue, I don't have test subjects or examples. For me it was a candida overgrowth that was messing with my hormones, but I only found that out recently, for someone else it might be something completely different, but it ain't a natural occurrence and stress is a trigger for sure. Don't be afraid of Saw Palmetto either, try half a capsule per day I was extremely hesitant as well because I was scared of side effects, in the end zero side effects lol. Took me a full year 2020-2021 to muster up the courage XD. I had major inflammation on my scalp u can even see dandruff on the first pic, before I started drinking anything I used castor oil on my head and kept it for 4-8 hours at a time while working from home. I can 100% confirm it stops inflammation related hair loss which I've had a lot of, hence why I didn't lose any ground even though it took me a full year until i started dealing with my hormones.

[WhereIsMyMind]

8 hours ago, Fego said:

It is very  impressive to reach such result with using only natural herbs  without going to chemical medicine. l have already started this week to apply a topical solution twice per day  which is a mix of 2% saw palmetto ;2% ginseng and 3% horse tail. Now I will add to my diet plan a drink of nettle root tea such as you. as you mentioned I did not want to take saw palmetto orally  and applied it l topicaly to reduce its concentration in the blood serum as I think 40%  of topical will go systemic not like the oral Form where 100% go systemic. 

I mean the pathway of Saw Palmetto is literally the exact same one than Fin. Something being "natural" or "lab made" doesn't really make a difference for our bodily functions, so one should expect the exact same sides/results with Saw Palmetto but much softer because its less potent. It's cool to achieve it in another form but seems like overcomplicating yourself imo.

[Daz2]

I'm experiencing a few of the symptoms for Candida overgrowth. How did you confirm you had an overgrowth (blood testing?) and how are you treating it?

[Niko]

14 hours ago, Daz2 said:

I'm experiencing a few of the symptoms for Candida overgrowth. How did you confirm you had an overgrowth (blood testing?) and how are you treating it?

I went to an otorhinolaryngologist, she just looked at my tongue and that was good enough for her to determine that it's candidiasis. In most situations candida overgrowth starts in the gut, then your tongue becomes white too, this is one of the main indicators. In extreme cases it's present in the bloodstream but that's very rare. 

The doctor first gave me Nystatine pills but they're only for your mouth not your gut, I was then given an antifungal gel, along with an oral and gut probiotic.

I'm still treating it and I'm also using oregano oil, wild thyme oil, grapefruit seed oil, I've removed all dairy from my diet as i used to eat a lot of it and it's  responsible for candida overgrowth, as are most carbs/sugars and overuse of antibiotics, which caused my problem in the first place.

 I've also been drinking a tea that my country's healthcare supplies it's specifically against candidiasis, and aloe vera juice is also a must, from what I've read it's not enough to kill off candida, you need to flush out the dead colonies from ur body too as they also emit toxins that cause problems.

It's a very long process and I don't know how long it's going to take, but as I've mentioned before physically and mentally I feel extremely good ever since I've started treating it, and everything normalized for the most part, but again this is hard to treat especially since I've left it untreated for 10 years... but there's progress, consistency is key as well as discipline.

 

 

[Daz2]

On 12/24/2022 at 6:31 AM, Niko said:

It's a very long process and I don't know how long it's going to take, but as I've mentioned before physically and mentally I feel extremely good ever since I've started treating it, and everything normalized for the most part, but again this is hard to treat especially since I've left it untreated for 10 years... but there's progress, consistency is key as well as discipline.

Thank you for the detailed information, I'm going to look into this for myself. You mentioned you don't know how long it's going to take to treat the candida, but isn't this something you may have to treat for the rest of your life even after you've stabilized down to desired levels?

[Niko]

15 hours ago, Daz2 said:

Thank you for the detailed information, I'm going to look into this for myself. You mentioned you don't know how long it's going to take to treat the candida, but isn't this something you may have to treat for the rest of your life even after you've stabilized down to desired levels?

No problem at all. To answer your question, honestly I don't know. There is a cutoff point where you can cure it by reducing the absurd number of it in your body if you're disciplined, but it can always come back, whenever your immune system is compromised, whenever you use antibiotics, eat the wrong food, drink a lot of alcohol... I don't know why some people have it and why some don't, I think it's  tied to the immune system, and mine was bad to begin with, up until age 15-16 I used to be sick every other week, I drank dozens of antibiotics every year for over a decade, I got off easy when you think about it. Whether I like it or not, curing it is a priority since it causes millions of problems short and long term. If you find out anything useful keep in touch as I'd also like to know.

[EricEdwards]

On 9/12/2021 at 10:33 AM, Niko said:

I wanted to share my short story here. About 2 years ago at age 22 my first signs of hair loss had shown, I experienced hair thinning on my entire head and some loss, though minimal, mostly major miniaturization, but it was noticeable.

After much research and thought I decided to risk it and give Saw Palmetto 550 mg a chance before trying anything more serious (like fin/min), to see how I would react. I've also linked some cropped pictures of laboratory test results below that were taken.

The picture with the highest DHT of almost 3300 PG/ML was in September of 2020, up to this point I was only experimenting with natural topical solutions, and although for example the Jamaican castor oil I was using helped to prevent further loss, it didn't help with the hair density so I wanted to try something else.

The second picture of 1890 PG/ML was after 2 months of Saw Palmetto 550mg x2 a day, started using it in Jan/Feb of this year and did the lab result in March, and the third lab test is from the month of May, after introducing Stinging Nettle Root tea once a day in tandem with Saw Palmetto, from March to May, it completely stabilized and was within normal range. Just for experimental purposes I stopped using both SP/SNR for about a month and a half and wouldn't you know it, DHT levels started rising again, who'd have thought?  

I quickly got back on the regime again and it stabilized.

Regarding Saw Palmetto I only had "side effects" for the first few days where erections were very weak, after that everything went back to normal and I haven't experienced any side effects, neither from SP nor Stinging Nettle Root. 

People did comment that they see a big difference from a couple of months and now regarding my hair, though I'm not satisfied yet. Though I can definitely see a lot less hairs fall out now when I stroke through my hair, It used to be 10-15, now it's 2-5 hairs, so I legit think it's worth a try before going on any meds, but I think it will take a long time to see improvement, still, I halted all further hair loss.

Very impressive results and experimental data.

According to WebMD "Saw palmetto is likely safe when used for up to 3 years" [See link below].

This leads to the question of whether or not saw Palmetto is safe to take long term (over three years)?

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-971/saw-palmetto

 

[Niko]

On 12/28/2022 at 2:07 PM, EricEdwards said:

Very impressive results and experimental data.

According to WebMD "Saw palmetto is likely safe when used for up to 3 years" [See link below].

This leads to the question of whether or not saw Palmetto is safe to take long term (over three years)?

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-971/saw-palmetto

 

I could argue the same about Finasteride. I think anything that's used long term tends to have either weaker effects over time or can even cause issues down the line, that's why everyone reacts differently, some have side effects, some do not, all depends on the body. 1mg Fin isn't available in my country, so I stuck to the natural route. Whenever I did a blood exam while using Saw Palmetto, I would always stop using it at least 12 hours before doing the blood test, as some people argued online that it has a very short half-life compared to Fin. My results show that this might not be true and that it has a longer half-life than people expected, I'm unsure if it is as long as Fin, but it's longer than 12h, otherwise the DHT levels would never go down in my tests.

[Fego]

Could you mention how did  you prepare your spray of rosmery and Nettle root? 

[Niko]

21 hours ago, Fego said:

Could you mention how did  you prepare your spray of rosmery and Nettle root? 

I just made stinging nettle root tea. 2-3 spoons of tea into cold water then let it come to a boil, it starts rising almost like when you're making cooking dough. Let it cool off and sit for about 30 minutes, then filter it and i just poured a part of the tea into a spray bottle, as for the rosemary part i bought an essential oil and I poured it into the spray, mixing it with the tea, about 10 drops in a 30 ml bottle, essential oils can be strong so they don't require a lot.

I use it 2-3 times per day I just spray my hair with it, and that should be it.

Happy holidays ^^