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.
Hi there I take 10mg of DHEA daily along with natural progesterone cream. I, like you, was diagnosed with estrogen dominance last year and very low free testosterone. I’ve been taking both for 6 months and am due blood tests next month to see if taking DHEA has helped. My doctor wanted me to take testosterone too but I was reluctant so thought I’d try DHEA first and see if that helped raise my testosterone levels. I haven’t had any negative side effects that I can tell. I am still struggling to lose weight, am aching and tired, but I’ve had thyroid surgery in the last 6 months and I think my issues are much more likely to be down to that (I’m waiting for blood test results at the moment).
Thanks, that's very helpful! I do think that starting on 20 mg of DHEA daily would be a bit exaggerated since my levels are midrange...so I think it would be a good idea to start on 10 mg. Not sure about taking 20 mg every other day as I don't know the half-life of DHEA...
I may be mis-remembering (as it was 6 months ago) but I seem to remember my doctor saying something about only doing a low dose to avoid possible side effects? Perhaps it would be worth talking to your doctor about having a lower dose?
Yes, sounds reasonable...the more I read about DHEA, the more I hesitate...there is no solid science to back up its use, and it can have lots of side effects. Also, there seems to be no evidence that declining DHEA levels cause symptoms the way estrogen and progesterone defiency does...so not sure about this. I read in one article that since DHEA is the hormone most abundantly produced by the body, levels will still be sufficient even at 80...
I took it once, but can't remember the dose. It all converted to testosterone, and I was covered in spots! He then said, well, try 7-keto DHEA (is that the right name? can't remember) because that doesn't convert to testosterone. But it did! I just gave up in disgust.
But I agree with you that starting on a lower dose, if you're going to take it, would be a good idea. It's always a good idea to start low and increase slowly with hormones.
Thanks, GG, that was what I was afraid of...because, even if my testosterone levels are lowish now, they could rise uncontrollably as a result of taking DHEA. If DHEA is converted to sex hormones, there is no way of telling how much will turn into estrogen and how much into testosterone, I guess...so I could very well end up testosterone dominant all of a sudden, with all sorts of side effects such as skin spots, deep voice, oily skin, acne, hirsutism...
Sometimes, it feels like those anti-aging doctors are handing out hormones like sweets...I have become more and more wary as I have learned through my own experience that hormones may be bioidentical, but that does not mean they are without side effects...it feels like I'm done messing with my poor body...!
I don't think hormones do have side-effects as such. But, obviously you don't want too much of anything. From what I've read on various forums, it's seems these anti-aging doctors often don't have a very firm grasp on hormonology. Unlike Hertoghe himself. They know the over-all principles of it all, but are rather hazy on the details and the nitty-gritty. Medicine is half art half science, but not many doctors seem to be either artists or scientists - most of them are just technicians!
I could not agree more...hormones are necessary for life and good health, but I have come to believe we don't need to take them all to achieve the levels of a 20-year-old...for instance, my doctor put me on HRT at age 42, when I was years from menopause, simply because (as she put it): "If you're over 40, you need it". Today, I know that many women don't need estrogen, only progesterone. In any case, I had absolutely no symptoms such as hut flushes when put on it. Today, I would have waited, or possibly taken progesterone only.
The doctor I have been seeing has been referring a lot to Hertoghe and his seminars this doctor has been attending, yet, she misses a lot of things he writes about in his books. I was the one who pointed out, for instance, that my SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) levels were 91, and should be <75 in a woman according to Hertoghe in his book "The hormone handbook", as anything >75 could be indicative of testosterone deficiency. It was only when I pointed that out that this doctor said:" Oh, yes, let's add some DHEA to the mix"...sometimes, I wonder why I should be paying 200€ for a consult when I have to do all the work...!
Plus, adding DHEA hoping that it will convert to testosterone seems a bit like prescribing T4 hoping that it will convert to T3...you have no control over its conversion.
The Hormone Handbook… Is that the book in which he says you should never take just one hormone by itself, but six or seven? (Not sure I got the numbers right, but he advocates taking them in droves). Whereas Dalle, in his book, says you should never take more than three hormones together at any one time. Who do you believe?
You mean together or in total...? No, I don't remember reading anything as specific. Hertoghe is in fact advocating the use of several hormones - thyroid, adrenal (cortisol, aldosterone), sex hormones (estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA), EPO, HGH...based on labs. But he does stress the importance of optimal hormone levels, and that it's just not about "falling anywhere in range" as many doctors seem to think.
The only specific info concerns hydrocortisone (should be multi dosed at least four times a day, whereas synthetic versions Medrol/pred can be taken once daily), bio-identical progesterone should be taken at bedtime, along with HGH injections. Interestingly enough, unlike many other doctors working with NDT, he does not specify it should be multi dosed or taken at least twice daily.
Has Dalle also written a book? Maybe worth reading...
He's written a couple. I've only read the first one. There's a lot of content, because it covers just about every hormone, but not a lot of hard information. And it costs a small fortune! I don't think it's worth what you would pay for it. It has a recipe section which is absolute rubbish and the recipes use a lot of soy! So, I wouldn't recommend it. I don't know about the second one.
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