Pycnogenol

[Cal30]

Hi All,

I'm looking to start taking pycnogenol and l-argenine for some ED that I'm experiencing. Does anyone else have any experience with pycnogenol? If so, what dose do you take?

Thanks,

Cal30

[MiniMe]

Well, I have couple of things to say about it (and precautions):

I took 2 grams of L-arginine with 120 mg Pycnogenol for a period of 5 months (I increased the dose to 3 grams before sexual activity). [I recommend to take it only for 3 months and than take a break...there where some cases in which a long use of it caused severe gastrirtis and even pancreatitis]---In my case, it caused a severe gastritis---next time, I'm going to take PPI blocker (anti acid like) with it ,like Nexium, to keep normal acid levels at my stomach (you easily can say that you have a stomach problem if you have a really bad smell from your mouth usually caused from H.Pylory bacteria[well, it's a little more complicated than that so I would advise you to speak with your doctor about it, also, if you have heart problems).

As for me, I actually started to feel an effect after about 4-7 days...(also, you feel more energetic and sweating like a pig). I would recommend to take it through the day but not at evening because you'll have problems with falling sleep (also, it increases your hertbeats because of the NO(Nitric Oxide) effect...which NO also helps a lot with your erections).
In addition, if you have a history of herpes (those coldsores lookalike that pops near you mouth), you absolutely have to take at least 500mg L-Lysine to prevent that. [When I was taking it at the beginning,suddenly, I got my belly covered all in herpes because I didn't know this information[It never happend in my life prior of taking l-arginine]---also, you must stop taking l-arginine if you unexpectedly got sick because the sickness getting worse because of this. Although, l-arginine also prevents from your body to get sick...but it's another story.

I would like to note that I'm not a doctor, and speaking only from my experience
P.S.: Sorry for my bad English

[Cal30]

Hey MiniMe,

Thanks for the reply. No worries about the English. Your post was very understandable and helpful.

Could you give me a brief summary of the problems you were having (ie. peyronies, ED, or peyronies and ED), and how l-argenine and pycnogenol helped you?

Were there any long term improvements in your erections as a result of your 5 month stint with these supplements or did the improvements stop as soon as you stopped taking the supplements?

Cal30

[NeoV]

Pycogenol has an amazing profile and track record, it's the one supplement I keep taking along with CoQ10 daily. The endothelial healing properties are just so promising, and logically everything in it should work as a great antioxidant combination.

I now take 240mg a day. It helps my erections a lot, though like Arginine your body will regulate it pretty fast. Still, I notice better erections and more nighttime erections since starting it. I think it's worth taking daily because of it's effect on your veins and arteries.

The only negative effect I had was extreme drowsiness when I started with it. My body would feel really warm and I would just sleep for hours. Luckily that went away pretty quick, but I never minded it.

[Cal30]

Hey NeoV,

Thanks for the input and insight. Since the pycogenol produced extreme drowsiness for you, did you take it at night prior to going to bed?

Do you take all 240mg at once or space it out during the day?

Thanks,

Cal30

[NeoV]

I take it in the morning, but I've tried it at night too and that worked well. When I had 100mg caps I tried twice a day as well.

I don't notice any drowsiness even at this dosage in the morning. But my advice is to take it at night, just don't sleep on your stomach and don't wear any underwear or even boxers. In fact I started sleeping entirely naked since Peyronie's! Haha.

[MiniMe]

Quote modified by moderator. Please read the forum rules regarding quote!!! James

Well, at first started the peyronie's (curved to the left [aprox. 30 degrees] because of a trauma inflicted during sex - although, it appeared only after an year or so) and then my penis started to get really cold and I lost my sensitivity, only then I had ED problems (no morning wood or any erection at all - could get them only with daily dose of 5mg cialis)
Afterwards, I decided to take the L-arginine with pycnogenol [without the cialis] and it did wonders to my erections (could get it anytime I want also was very firm in the morning + increased sensitivity+extreme feeling of vitality, probably because all the blood that was flowing).
{I would like to mention that I took L-arginine from different companies...and I found that this particular firm giving me a much better effect than the other one...If you like, PM me and I'll give you the name of the company - I don't want to make here any advertisments}
As a result of a sickness(gastritis), I stopped taking it at all...I've lost again my sensitivity and my penis turned once again cold and blue, however, I'm getting erections every morning now and with a lot of effort I can sustain an erection for quite a time without any supplements or medication (although not very firm and not for a long time).
So basically, it did help me a lot! and I'm going to start using it again at the winter (because of the excessive sweat I'm experiencing it's easier to take it while it's cold outside and you wear warmer/longer clothes[you can at least cover it up lol]).
I hope everything that is written here answered your questions...If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
P.S.: I also started streching 2 months ago, and now I'm going to add a VED sessions to it...and see how it goes. In addition, I'm considering to take the Priapus Shot at the TotalMale clinic in SanJose, California...so there are a lot of developments here

[UrsusMinor]

Pycnogenol is good stuff. You might consider Citrulline malate instead of Arginine. Citrulline actually increases your circulating levels of Arginine more than taking Arginine itself http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1774314/ . Plus you can mix citrulline malate into water with a little sweetner and you have something like lemonade; nicer than swallowing capsules.

I don't take Arginine or Citrulline daily, as the body adapts and the benefits gradually disappear. So I tend to either cycle them a few days on a few days off, of just take them every few days. They give you a lot more punch that way.

[MiniMe]

Quote modified by moderator. Please read the forum rules regarding quote!!! James
Wow, sounds interesting...I'm going to try that...How much do you take of L-citrulline? and do you experiencing the same effects/sideeffects as from arginine?  

[UrsusMinor]

The citrulline malate powder I take comes with a 3-gram scoop, so I take either 3 or 6 grams, depending on what sort of mood I'm in. Yes, it pretty much has identical effects as arginine, since a good percentage of it is transformed into arginine.

Here's an article, though I have to warn you it is bodybuilding-oriented:

http://www.jimstoppani.com/home/articles/citrulline-vs-arginine?preview

If you're not in the mood to plow through the whole article, which is really written for gym-rats, the author sums up the relevant issues like this:

Citrulline appears to be an even better NO booster than arginine.

This has been shown in a couple of studies. The first one found that subjects taking equivalent doses of citrulline and arginine had higher arginine blood levels when they took citrulline versus when they took arginine.  A later study from German researchers reported that it took just half the amount of citrulline as arginine to raise arginine blood concentrations of arginine to an equivalent level. The German researchers also found that a 3 grams dose of citrulline produced the highest increase in arginine and NO levels. The greater effectiveness of citrulline versus arginine itself appears to be due to excessive breakdown of arginine in the body after it is consumed. This is due to the enzyme arginase that resides mainly in the intestines and liver. In fact, one study suggested that the amount of arginine consumed from oral supplements that was utilized in NO production was less than 1% of that consumed. Citrulline bypasses the liver, unlike arginine, and is not subject to breakdown by arginase. Therefore, using citrulline in place of arginine allows for higher arginine levels and higher NO production. One study found that over 80% of L-citrulline is converted to arginine in the blood vessels.

As far as side effects, I find that drinking citrulline malate is far easier on my stomach than swallowing a bunch of arginine capsules. Or any other capsules. I'm taking too damn many capsules every day already (Four curcumin, two ubiquinol, four ALCar, two ALA, some C, some B, some D, an A... Gack.)

[Cal30]

Thanks, guys for all the input. A lot to chew on here. Very promising that MiniMe seemed to notice long term improvement in his erections even after he stopped taking l-argenine and pycnogenol.

I didn't realize that citruline malate could increase circulation levels of l-argenine even more than l-argenine itself, so thanks for that info, UrsusMinor.

Thanks also to NeoV for sharing your dosage schedule and post peyronies sleeping habits, haha.