Trouble squashing some side effects related to anxiety and addiction

[trt reznor]

High E2 causes anxiety and libido/ED issues in men. Heavy drinking causes your body to aromatize more test into estrogen. Try a zinc supplement, 50mg a day for a week or until your symptoms start to lessen. Then get on a lower maintenance dose. This is an easy over the counter solution without little negative effects unless you’re over sensitive to it. The zinc will act as an AI. And then, obviously, try to stop or at least control your drinking. I’ve struggled with this same issue. Good luck.

 

[Will Brink]

I've noticed that sometime after the honeymoon period, and sometime probably around shut down, all of the ruminating thoughts and underlying anxiety I've had my whole life just vanished. And then they came back, but slightly worse. It's not unbearable, but I find myself more prone to anxiety, and having a lot more trouble not drinking. I even spoke to my doctor (not my TRT doctor though) about it the other day. Naturally they suggested an SSRI which I firmly declined. I'd at least like to exhaust other options.

I know you can't chase the honeymoon period, but that week or two that I felt GREAT felt very natural. Honeymoon felt like I was cracked out on drugs. Even after raising my dose from 150 to 200, I felt a little cracked out, but there was absolutely none of that anxiety free, perfectly level period again.

I've wondered if it's something with pregnenolone/progresterone. Apparently both are involved in anxiety and I found some studies showing an effect on cravings for addictive substances.

Also, I've always been prone to extreme anxiety after drinking, which has gotten worse over the years, but now it's at the point that drinking will lead to a panic attack. Makes me wonder if not having some of these hormones is related.

Aside from trying pregnenolone, and other suggestions? Am I just chasing something that I'll never have again?

Seeing a therapist, cognitive therapy, meditation, exercise, sex.

 

[smokedsalmon]

I’ve read about 30% of people who try naltrexone have that same issue, unfortunately. It works wonders for that other 70%. I’ve gotten much better with meditation. I have an alarm set on my cell phone that prompts me to do a quick 5 to 10 minute meditation session during the day. Helps me purge built up stress and remind me to stay focused on the here and now.

Plus as a recovering addict, I shifted my drug of choice to endorphins. I’m up at 5 am every morning and hit the gym. Exercise and meditation are my one, two, punch for maintaining my sobriety.

Best of luck.

I feel people never believe me when I say the gym keeps me away from drinking because it sounds so cliche, but it's true. Mainly because drinking destroys my gains, and (for the better) I'm obsessed with that.

Thank god nothing else I've ever tried has triggered addiction issues. Just alcohol.