As is the case with everything, too much of something can be toxic.
I was taking saw palmetto for a couple of months before getting HRT. My T was pretty low to begin with so the saw palmetto did have visible effects. Saw palmetto is a mild alfa5 reductase inhibitor like the hair drug Propeicia. It blocks some of the conversion of T to DHT. This actually causes more free T to be available in the system but it's the DHT that keeps muscle size up and causes hair loss. So here's the thing. In mild amounts it's generally safe. It's the dried ground berries in capsule form. So for most people not consuming more than a couple of berries worth at a time is harmless. Some people may have reactions to other components of the berries so like any supplement don't over do it.
I also added whole ground flax seed to my cereal each morning. Flaxseed has compounds which reduce T production in the testes. Peppermint and spearmint tea also have an effect.
Generally just read the recommended consumption amounts on the packages. These levels are safe for almost everyone.
So just a warning, after a few weeks my T must have been very low. Mentally I was fatigued, stressed, and basically feeling like my world was collapsing. My wife suggested I take a menapause supplement each day. That did help quite a bit. She said that's what PMS feels like to her.
Dena, I read that older thread. I'm not certain if that person was suffering from the Finaseride syndrome or an auto immune issue. I have seen a couple of forum sites for men suffering from permanent issues from Finaseride even years after stopping taking it. Some of what I read there is similar to what that guys said his symptoms were but some of what he describes sounds like Sjogren's Syndrome which is an auto immune disease. My mom has had it for a few years now. She manages but not fun at all. It occurs way more often in women than in men.
