View Full Version : Tea Tree Oil mimics Estrogen
rockin813
12-13-2007, 11:13 AM
My story:
I'm 28. Life is great. In shape. I've been on Propecia for 7yrs with ZERO side effects. Then in Dec '04 I begin having some low libido/erectile issues (at one point i couldn't get an erection for my life). This goes on for 3 months before I realize something is just not right. I get labs drawn and T is low normal all the while rest of hormones are fine (e2, prolactin, shbg, tsh, etc). I was getting flabby chest and constantly feeling bloated. Also constipation was getting increasingly annoying/uncomfortable. While E2 and E1 were normal my Total Estrogens were above max range (although I hear this test isn't accurate and somewhat meaningless?)
I tried everything from quitting Propecia (finasteride) to TRT to diet changes with no resolution.
Than I figured instead of treating the symptoms I wanted to find the underlying cause.
I didn't think Finasteride was the culprit after 7 years so I looked into other stuff. I did begin shampooing my excessively thinking it was healthier for my hair and that's when I came across this website:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/niehs-31.htm
I went to my shower and low and behold the new shampoo I started to use in Sept '04 has Tea Tree Oil as main ingredient. It was advertised to thicken my hair. I quickly found the connection as I used this shampoo DAILY and multiple x per day...even when travelling I took with me.
So I took pictures the day I found out and stopped the shampoo. Here are some before and 15wks after Tea Tree Oil shampoo. No significant change in diet or activity level than what I was doing over the last 2 yrs.
Libido is slowly returning as well (now 20 wks post TTO). Penis is much fuller and not shrunken anymore. Erections are easier to attain. Nocturnal/AM erections are coming back.
So, what are your thoughts?
hardasnails1973
12-13-2007, 11:27 AM
Did your digestion problems go away as well?
I know my body is very senitive to e2 changes and this can be reflective of the constipation I am experiencing as well.
pmgamer18
12-13-2007, 11:49 AM
Welcome Rockin813 to the group he as been with us at the H2 group and doing all and every thing one could think of to find out way he was doing so bad.
When he posted this at the H2 group I could not believe that this and asked him to come and join and post this story.
It is amazing what things we think are safe and thay are not.
Thanks for posting I am sure Dr. John will have some input on this one.
My story:
I'm 28. Life is great. In shape. I've been on Propecia for 7yrs with ZERO side effects. Then in Dec '04 I begin having some low libido/erectile issues (at one point i couldn't get an erection for my life). This goes on for 3 months before I realize something is just not right. I get labs drawn and T is low normal all the while rest of hormones are fine (e2, prolactin, shbg, tsh, etc). I was getting flabby chest and constantly feeling bloated. Also constipation was getting increasingly annoying/uncomfortable. While E2 and E1 were normal my Total Estrogens were above max range (although I hear this test isn't accurate and somewhat meaningless?)
I tried everything from quitting Propecia (finasteride) to TRT to diet changes with no resolution.
Than I figured instead of treating the symptoms I wanted to find the underlying cause.
I didn't think Finasteride was the culprit after 7 years so I looked into other stuff. I did begin shampooing my excessively thinking it was healthier for my hair and that's when I came across this website:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/niehs-31.htm
I went to my shower and low and behold the new shampoo I started to use in Sept '04 has Tea Tree Oil as main ingredient. It was advertised to thicken my hair. I quickly found the connection as I used this shampoo DAILY and multiple x per day...even when travelling I took with me.
So I took pictures the day I found out and stopped the shampoo. Here are some before and 15wks after Tea Tree Oil shampoo. No significant change in diet or activity level than what I was doing over the last 2 yrs.
Libido is slowly returning as well (now 20 wks post TTO). Penis is much fuller and not shrunken anymore. Erections are easier to attain. Nocturnal/AM erections are coming back.
So, what are your thoughts?
rockin813
12-13-2007, 12:41 PM
Did your digestion problems go away as well?
I know my body is very senitive to e2 changes and this can be reflective of the constipation I am experiencing as well.
With the exception of libidon not being 100% everything else is awesome. No constipation at all...I have two BMs a day and both are ideal stools with no straining whatsoever. No bloating at all...feel slim all the time and not like I just had 5 servings at a buffet even though all I had was a glass of water. Chest flab is gone and muscle tone is there (not sure if u could see in pic or not).
The bloated pics are how I looked relaxed...for most of the day. It was more uncomfortable than it looks..which sucked for me! Now I feel lean even after large meals.
I will have labs drawn before years end to see what's going on with my T. 2 years ago it was 267 (rr 260-1100). my E2 was 19 rr <54.
These are different angles while on Tea Tree Oil.
Regards
Jack
I don't have the link, but there is also evidence that LAVENDER
is the other culprit ...
i had to toss all my shampoo because i like the smell of lavender
but it has an estrogen-like effect ... tee tree oil as well!
I only use tiny amounts of Neutrogena 'clear' and nizorel now ...
too many shampoos contain stuff that is great for women's hair
but murder on us guys ...
and the so-called 'shampoo for men' are often full of the same
ingredients that women's shampoos have so they are no better!
rockin813
12-13-2007, 03:37 PM
I believe the link I attached in the original post covers both Lavender and Tea Tree Oil as 'Endocrine Disruptors'. In fact, the majority of the products used in the boys who are referenced had Lavender Oil in it and a few had Tea Tree Oil in it...which is why they tested both. Results show both the oils are culprits.
Glad you got rid of the shampoos. I used the stuff for 2.5 years before I realized what was going on. Figure it'll take a while to normalise I guess. I wish I could've put the two together shortly after the symptoms appeared. At the time I feared it was some sort of depression or something cuz my hair was thinning so much. When I realized my morning wood was gone and had labs drawn it was than I realized something else is going on...only it took me 2.5 years to find out!
I'm glad I did though!
Jack
thanks Jack,
from what i read it took about 6 months for most 'normal' guys
to re-normalize after using the shampoos ...
I also tossed every cooking/storage item in my kitchen ... coffee
maker was the worst culprit as it had boiling water heating
plastic ... switched to a solid stainless steel percolator and feel
much better.
I can't believe the huge amount of things in our environment that
are endocrine disrupters ...
rockin813
12-14-2007, 09:46 AM
thanks Jack,
from what i read it took about 6 months for most 'normal' guys
to re-normalize after using the shampoos ...
Do you have a link to where u read that? Everything I read said 'within several months'...not sure what that means. Also, does it matter how long u used it for? I used it for 2.5 years daily. The boys in the study were on it for months.
How long does it take for hormones to normalise once an exogenous disruptor is discontinued? I'm going on 21 wks now.
Thanks
kanecore
12-14-2007, 09:55 AM
Oh my god...my shampoo, face wash and facial moisterizer had either tea tree oil, lavender or both! That maybe why I was having estrogen control issues. I don't know how long I've been using products that contain these substances but I'll be sure to investigate before purchasing from now on. I've had terrible constipation for about two years but my erections have been okay just experiencing a lot of anxiety especially the day after intercourse. I started taking 20mg of Opti-Zinc every morning and Advanced Naturals Colon Clense along with some enteric coated fish oil tabs before bed and i feel much better and crap 3 times a day now!
Do you have a link to where u read that? Everything I read said 'within several months'...not sure what that means. Also, does it matter how long u used it for? I used it for 2.5 years daily. The boys in the study were on it for months.
How long does it take for hormones to normalise once an exogenous disruptor is discontinued? I'm going on 21 wks now.
Thanks
no link ... but can search.
'several months' means anything ... please don't ask for the exact
day things will get better ... no one knows!
hormones MAY normalize on their own ... no one knows ... for me,
I need to take AI eod just to keep things under control ...
if your system is healthy and you have high test it may self-correct ...
if you are like me and have low test, high est, then it never will.
I realize you are looking for ABSOLUTE answers, but there are none.
Willje
12-14-2007, 09:09 PM
I'm trying to find a better water source than the bottled water in plastic jugs I've been drinking forever,in light of evidence that the plasticisers in the jugs are potent estrogen mimics.I also cringe now to think of all the cans of soy based protein powder I downed in high school.Wonder why it's so easy to absorb estrogens even by accident,while testosterone seems more difficult?
I'm trying to find a better water source than the bottled water in plastic jugs I've been drinking forever,in light of evidence that the plasticisers in the jugs are potent estrogen mimics.I also cringe now to think of all the cans of soy based protein powder I downed in high school.Wonder why it's so easy to absorb estrogens even by accident,while testosterone seems more difficult?
because we all start off estrogen based ... then a big surge
in testosterone in the womb and we morph into males.
thing is, for most healthy males the whole estrogen thing in food
and plastic and so on is really minor ... its those guys who have
other problems who are already fighting up hill who find that those
things are the straw that breaks the camel's back!
Willje
12-15-2007, 12:34 AM
I wonder if the increase in environmental estrogen is responsible,even in part,for the decreased sperm counts in the general population that have been documented over the hast century?
pmgamer18
12-15-2007, 09:59 AM
I read some time ago that the fish in the Colorado River have both sex organs and not many male fish. They feel it caused from all the birth control pill women take and going to the bathroom it ends up in the river as Estrogen. If this is not a wake up call then what is. Girls start there piriods at a much younger age then yrs. back.