I know DHEA has been discussed in other posts, but could not find one directly related to my question (hence the new question):
My doctor prescribed 20 mg of DHEA based on my latest results from October '19: DHEA-S 107 ug/dL (ref 56-283). However, I have read that most women don't need more than 5 mg daily, possibly 10 mg, and that you should never start with more than 5 mg and see how you react.
My doctor also said my testosterone levels were on the low side: total testosterone 0.29 ng/mL, ref 0.10-0.70 but should preferably be in the upper 50% of range. My bioavailable T came back at 0.06 ng/mL (ref <0.25), and the doctor said that supplementing DHEA might help raise my T levels as well as it can convert to sex hormones.
But the question is: won't DHEA raise my estrogen levels as well? An online ratio calculator shows my estrogen to progesterone ratio is 27.03, and it should be 100-200; anything <100 is indicative of estrogen dominance. I am already struggling with symptoms of estrogen dominance, such as insulin resistance, weight gain, and difficulty losing weight, so I am anxious not to make this worse.
DHEA is only available from compounding pharmacies and costs around 100€ for a six months' supply, which is more than you pay for supplements from Biovea etc. I guess any supplement could replace prescription DHEA, or is there any advantage to having it compounded?
Whether as a supplement or prescription drug, it will be provided as capsules, so the only way to take less would be to open the capsules if possible. My doctor said that if I develop symptoms such as greasy skin or acne, I could simply take 20 mg every other day. Has anyone tried that with any luck?
I am not too keen on the idea of taking DHEA, so at least would like to hear about other people's experiences before supplementing it.