Black cohosh, Sage and St John's wort for sexual pleasure?

[Determined-Mind]

Opioid transmission at μ opioid receptors forms the basis of sexual pleasure and reward, which then sensitizes dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin systems responsible for attention, arousal, and bonding, leading to cortical activation that creates awareness of attraction and desire (Quintana et all., 2022).

In my search for plants that can act on opioids, I discovered plants that seem to have never been tried before in the PSSD community.

Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)

1. Could theoretically help with sensations and emotions of pleasure (acts on opioid receptors and in the emotional areas of the brain)
2. Proven efficacy for menopausal women to manage symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats

Mechanism of action in brief

1. Behaves as a mixed competitive ligand and partial agonist at the human mu opiate receptor
   (scientific paper)
2. Scientific PET Neuroimaging Studies: 12 weeks of treatment with Black Cohosh root and rhizome (Remifemin 20 mg) twice daily with meals : there were significant increases in μ-opioid receptor binding potential (BP) in the posterior and subgenual cingulate, temporal and orbitofrontal cortex, thalamus and nucleus accumbens ranging from 10% to 61 % across regions - brain regions involved in emotional and cognitive function.
3. A higher dose or a combination of black cohosh with St John's wort may give better results than a lower dose (scientific paper).
4. Unlike sage (Salvia officinalis), which also has activity on opioid receptors, black cohosh does not appear to have clear activity on estrogen (so it can be safely consumed by breast cancer survivors - scientific paper)
5. Black cohosh acts as a mixed competitive ligand and partial agonist of the serotonin receptor - strong binding to the 5-HT(1A), 5-HT(1D), and 5-HT(7) subtypes. Scientific animal study.

Other plants that act on opioids

Click on the names to read more about the action mechanisms.

1. Moringa Oleifera
2. Passion Flower / Passiflora incarnata
3. Sage - Salvia officinalis
4. Angelica sinensis - Dong Quai
5. Vitex Agnus Castus
6. Hops with valerian
7. Kratom (Green, red, white)
8. Forskolin - Coleus forskohlii (the opioid/forskolin interaction is indirect)

Possible experiments

I don't believe that a plant alone, even in high doses, will be able to alleviate severe sexual problems (don't feel any pleasure with food, body, sex or nipples).

Adopting an "ecosystemic" approach to treat complex neurological disorders, taking into account the synergies between plants (or drugs), seems to me more promising and exciting.

Recent research on anhedonia suggests that glutamate may also be involved. After all, it's the main excitatory neurotransmitter in our nervous system. I have also identified plants that can modulate the glutamatergic system (like Hops, Gotu Kola and Panax Ginseng to name but a few).

We already know from the scientific literature that St John's Wort can synergize with Black Cohosh.

I've already tried 300 mg of St. John's wort extract with NAC but I find that this plant is tiring. I imagine that to alleviate this problem, it might be possible to take St. John's Wort every other day, or to take more stimulating and pro-sex plants with it (such as muira puama, mucuna pruriens, damiana or ginkgo biloba).

That's what I intend to try over the next few months.

I'll be writing up my results, probably on this forum, but also in the interactive table I've created, so that all experiments can be centralized and organized.

If you've already tried solutions to deal with your sexual problems, I invite you to use the board and share the effects you have obtained with substances alone or in combination. This can help the community find solutions for its specific symptoms.

I wish you all the best

[The_Eye]

I don't believe that a plant alone, even in high doses, will be able to alleviate severe sexual problems (don't feel any pleasure with food, body, sex or nipples).

I'm with you on this. Oh and Forskolin is in my cupboard right now. I plan to try it after I finish my test with Damiana.

For the record, here is my experience :

-NAC = I have tried NAC last year, for 10 days maybe, I had to quit because I felt like a robot, no emotions,
no reactions, very numb. Someone could point a gun to my head and I would not feel anything.

-SJW = This, for me, was one of the worst offenders, to the point where I would be scared to try it again.
Not only it ( temporary ) took away what was left in my genital sensation, it annihilated my anticipatory pleasure,
if NAC would make me a robot mentally, SJW made the same to my whole body.

I remember taking a warm shower, and having the impression that there was a plastic coat separating my body
from the warm water.
Bear in mind no SSRI made me feel this way ever.

here is the exact brand I took ( for 1 month ) :

https://www.farmasave.it/specchiasol-hy ... YUQAvD_BwE

[Determined-Mind]

Okay, your St. John's Wort supplement also included rhodolia. I don't know if that could also contribute to the effect you felt.

What was your NAC dosage? Did you take it all at once or spread out over the day?

I have been taking SWJ for a few weeks now (300 mg extract from Now foods).

I noticed that it can make me tired, so I now take it in the evening.

In the morning I take stimulating plants (muira puama (Solaray), Kudzu (Swanson)) so I can spend the day peacefully.

For consummatory physical anhedonia, I noticed that for a few days I had cravings for sweet foods, which had not happened in years. At that time I was taking: 1200 mg NAC (twice daily) + 500 mg Kudzu (Swanson) + 300 mg St. John's Wort extract

[The_Eye]

I don't think it was the Rhodiola, as in the past I have taken it in tincture form with absolutely zero effects.

[Determined-Mind]

Plants together give different effects (which can be amplified) because there are synergistic effects that take place.

It is possible that Rhodolia alone will do nothing to you. May St. John's wort alone do nothing to you. But may Rhodiola + St. John's Wort do something to you ^^

It’s the art of dosages and synergies ^^