High DHEA sulfate- any experience?

[Nutripea1220]

Hi everyone. Wondering if anyone has any thoughts on high DHEA sulfate and whether it’s unrelated or related to taking high T3.

On my past two labs everything (about 190 tests) came back in range, with all the important ones (D, folate, b12, selenium t3) being top of range.

My testosterone was a tad high (always has been, I build muscle like a man) and my Dhea was significantly over range (also often is) 302 (50-250). symptoms of high DHEA in women is: hair loss, facial hair and increased muscle mass. I have that last one (but do work out very hard) - and the others are very minor.

So my question is should I be worried? Is this related to high cortisol (or low?) my cortisol came back normal. I have noticed my hair possibly thinning but that might be me imagining it based on what I’m reading. What worries me is it’s going up not down. Assuming eventually I’ll grow a beard (in my 20s I developed excessive facial hair, but was also anorexic, and the two an be related. I’m wondering if it’s due to stress being in such High T3, but decreasing my t4 isn’t an option because then my hair really does fall out and I feel terrible.

Any experience with high Dhea? Any solutions? Thanks to all the amazing people on this board.

[humanbean]

I had high DHEA in the afternoon when I did a saliva cortisol test several years ago. It was 1.34 nmol/L (0.2 - 0.7). The morning sample was "normal" - 0.52 nmol/L with the same reference range. My cortisol was over the range in samples 1, 3 and 4, and very high in range in sample 2.

I did nothing about the DHEA at all. What I concentrated on was lowering my cortisol. What I actually achieved was changing the pattern of results - making some high results higher and some results lower - my total daily cortisol hardly changed. My DHEA dropped back into range. I haven't done a saliva cortisol test since, although I plan to do one if I can ever get over my permanent apathy and lack of motivation.

[Nutripea1220 in reply to humanbean]

Thank you so much Human bean. You are the best. Very helpful. If I can do anything to encourage you to do the test - I know it's hard and that lack of motivation affects us all - hang in there. xx

[humanbean in reply to Nutripea1220]

Thank you.

When your cortisol was tested how did you get it done?

[Nutripea1220 in reply to humanbean]

I did a 4 vial saliva test. Really annoying because you can't eat or drink for an hour before you start collecting so basically it takes an hour to fill the first vial in the morning. I was also perfectly normal and while that's lovely, somewhat doubted the efficacy. Not sure that's a very helpful reply!!!

[humanbean in reply to Nutripea1220]

Optimal for saliva cortisol isn't just "somewhere in range" or even mid-range.

If you look at Example 1 in this link :

rt3-adrenals.org/cortisol_t...

it suggests optimal cortisol levels are :

• Morning at the top of the range

• Noon approximately 75% of the range

• Evening close to 50% of the range

• Nighttime at the bottom of the range

Have you posted your saliva cortisol results anywhere?

[Nutripea1220 in reply to humanbean]

So helpful! No. I’m going to ask my doctor for them!!!

[Nutripea1220 in reply to humanbean]

What did you do to lower cortisol? Thank you for this helpful reply humanbean!

[humanbean in reply to Nutripea1220]

I've tried several things which have claimed to "balance" cortisol - and I've never understood what "balance" cortisol even means. Do people mean "normalise"? I don't believe that any substance can raise cortisol in one person and lower it in another, but maybe I just lack imagination.

If you look at step 4 on this page (and read the whole page) :

draxe.com/cortisol-levels/

I've tried

1) ashwaghanda - made me nauseous but lots of people do well on this

2) licorice - made my blood pressure rise quite dramatically, even the DGL stuff which isn't supposed to do that

3) rhodiola rosea - I loved this and took it for a year or two, but eventually, and quite suddenly, I stopped tolerating it, and I never found out why.

4) Holy Basil - this is the thing that works for me. I had to take more than recommended on the bottle for a while, but was eventually able to reduce my dose. I now take half the normal dose in the evening and it helps me to sleep.

I also tried Seriphos (google it), but I was very ill with non-thyroidal problems at the time I tried it. It made me feel a lot worse, although it did improve my insomnia for a short while.

juliarosscures.com/identify...

I vaguely remember that I learned about Seriphos from Julia Ross's website, but she's completely re-jigged and re-written her website since I last looked at it, so I don't know what she has to say about it any more.

[Barrister]

I have Adrenal Insufficiency (non existent cortisol) and my DHEA was also way below normal levels..

Clemmie

[Nutripea1220 in reply to Barrister]

Mine is way above normal! Perhaps I have the opposite problem