It was a good try by some well meaning males to start a "Macho" thread a few days back... here's something a little more constructive, and possibly educational, for us manly men to talk about. Feel free to go off topic, if it is something that you think is important.
Recently I wrote some things in my journal pertaining to some things that only men need worry about (as we all grow older). This is not excluding females, it's just for issues of health only men need be concerned with.
I was worried that in the near future (or now) that I'd need to discontinue taking any substance that was, in general, a stimulant... because every time I do, my prostate swells up. Not painfully, not really large, just enough that I notice it and know it can't be a good thing.
My journal was read by one of our local brainiacs, fairnymph, and she decided to do a little research on my behalf. Her findings were the following:
Apparently, the prostate is innervated strongly by the sympathetic nervous system, which is basically the system that any stimulant will jack up. Stimulants thus cause increased norepinephrine release, not just centrally (in the brain) but throughout the body. The prostate gland has numerous receptors for norepinephrine, which when activated cause a variety of effects in the prostate...one of which is cell proliferation. [Editors note: layamns terms... swelling]
The GOOD news is that there is a drug which selectively blocks the receptors on the prostate (and thus it would have no effect on your 'high'); this drug is quite effective and relatively free of side effects. It is called Alfuzosin (brand name: Uroxatral), and if you were able to get some you'd want to take one a day (it only comes in 10 mg) starting a few days before you use a stimulant until a few days after.
-Big thanks to Julia for her work!
So, with this in mind, I have definitely made the decision to stop all use of stimulants in the future, because I do NOT want to be fucking up my prostate... so many things go wrong with this gland on it's own as men get older.
Presented with this information, it's led me to think even more about the prostate and what might cause other substance related side effects... is it possible that prostate swelling has something to do with what people affectionately call "speed willy" (meaning you have difficulty getting it up, or keeping up while on stims)? I know men with prostate problems have difficulty urinating... and sometimes people have trouble with that while high too.
Recently I wrote some things in my journal pertaining to some things that only men need worry about (as we all grow older). This is not excluding females, it's just for issues of health only men need be concerned with.
I was worried that in the near future (or now) that I'd need to discontinue taking any substance that was, in general, a stimulant... because every time I do, my prostate swells up. Not painfully, not really large, just enough that I notice it and know it can't be a good thing.
My journal was read by one of our local brainiacs, fairnymph, and she decided to do a little research on my behalf. Her findings were the following:
Apparently, the prostate is innervated strongly by the sympathetic nervous system, which is basically the system that any stimulant will jack up. Stimulants thus cause increased norepinephrine release, not just centrally (in the brain) but throughout the body. The prostate gland has numerous receptors for norepinephrine, which when activated cause a variety of effects in the prostate...one of which is cell proliferation. [Editors note: layamns terms... swelling]
The GOOD news is that there is a drug which selectively blocks the receptors on the prostate (and thus it would have no effect on your 'high'); this drug is quite effective and relatively free of side effects. It is called Alfuzosin (brand name: Uroxatral), and if you were able to get some you'd want to take one a day (it only comes in 10 mg) starting a few days before you use a stimulant until a few days after.
-Big thanks to Julia for her work!
So, with this in mind, I have definitely made the decision to stop all use of stimulants in the future, because I do NOT want to be fucking up my prostate... so many things go wrong with this gland on it's own as men get older.
Presented with this information, it's led me to think even more about the prostate and what might cause other substance related side effects... is it possible that prostate swelling has something to do with what people affectionately call "speed willy" (meaning you have difficulty getting it up, or keeping up while on stims)? I know men with prostate problems have difficulty urinating... and sometimes people have trouble with that while high too.