08-06-2013, 12:49 PM
(08-06-2013, 11:14 AM)AnnabelP Wrote: By the nature of the way it works, SP can only achieve a limited reduction in effective androgen levels, and I would have expected that to be achieved at a lower dose. PM itself contains significant amounts of beta-sitosterol which is said to work in a somewhat similar manner to SP - this is one reason why using SP with PM is controversial, on the basis that it duplicates a function already provided by the PM while risking reducing the overall effectiveness of the latter.
This is such a common misunderstanding of the way the two work... And actually SP does contain some beta-sitosterol as well, but MUCH less than PM... The MAIN action of SP is blocking the reduction of testosterone to DHT. The ONLY action of beta-sitosterol is being a receptor antagonist. Calling those "similar" is using an extremely loose definition of the word.
I have found that SP was more effective at higher doses, up to a point, that point being different for everyone and being based primarily on just how much DHT they were fighting.
SP, btw, contains absolutely no phyto-estrogens that bind strongly enough to compete with miroestrol... so... no, it won't reduce effectiveness of PM.
What you mainly risk from SP is gaining weight in places you don't want it. Or having more difficulty in losing it. I've decided to discontinue it for those reasons.