Dhea-sulphate

[silkysoft]

I had my right Adrenal Gland removed 3 years ago ....been up and down on Prednisolone ever since ....and I also have to carry an injection of 100 mg Steriod in case of shock or accident ...my Endocrine Consultant at St Bart`s Hospital,London ...wants me off * the dreaded steroids * my symptons which are supposedly * Adrenal * yet all the same as those described by low Thyroid ..he tested my Dhea-sulphate and found it to be extremly low as this * low level *can also give the same symptons as Adrenal not quite working when stressed he advised Dhea supplement of 25 mg with 5 mg Prednisolone daily ..if after 3months I felt no benefit then to up it too 50 mg ( but no more than that ) ....after 3 months my Dhea-sulphate was back up to near normal ...and I do feel somewhat better. My Endo now wants me to reduce my Preds by half as every 6 to 8 weeks until I am only taking Dhea 25mg.

The Dhea 25mg is obtainable only from the Internet as it is not availble on a NHS perscription ....The Dhea 25mg or 50 mg suppliment which the U K Endocrine Consultants in Birimngham ,Manchester,and London Hosptilas used during their recent research was supplied by McPhersons Labs * trading as dhea.com * .

There seems to be an added benefit of protection and reducing oesteoarthritus .

Anyone else have any experiance of taking Dhea ?

[roslin]

Hi ss

I was hesitating commenting on this as it is such a complicated subject but so interesting and close to my heart. Have you read Dr hertoghes book on hormone treatment. It is good but making the subject a little simplistic I think, but it gives you an idea of the intreaction of all the hormones. I dont know how old you are but most people have low DHEA when getting older and it is sometimes said to be a youth hormone but I think that should be taken with a pinch if salt. I have read that DHEA can be a prohormone to androgens and eostrogen. I used to take pregnenalone which is also a prohormone in the hope that it would turn into what I needed. I felt good on it to start with but many adviced me that it is better to take the hormones that you are actually lacking, in my case progesterone and cortisol.

I dont know if your endo is thinking that DHEA is going to replace your lack of cortisol production but I find that very difficult to believe. I would be very worried about comming off hydrocortisone or prednisolone as your production would be reduced. I know that if you have a kidney removed (as I have) your excisting kidney hypertrophy and takes over some of tha lost function (if you are not hypothyroid), but not entirely.So I would exspect that happens with your adrenals as well so there would always be a lack. Longterm high doses of steroids can be problematic but physiological dose has been found to have no or very few side effects so if you need it I would be careful to cut it out.

Let me know how you get on

Roslin