Posted by Ron Hill on June 5, 2003, at 10:21:21
In reply to Re: Cortisol and DHEA Balance, posted by Barbara Cat on June 2, 2003, at 11:22:06
Hi Barbcat (a kinder and gentler cousin of the Montana Bobcat),
Thanks for sharing your experience taking DHEA and preg. As usual, your post was informative and easy to read.
> Regarding pregnenalone and DHEA, please get your levels tested before taking. These are powerful hormones and you do not want to take too much.
This is the same conclusion I've come to as well. Given the fact that DHEA levels decline dramatically as we age, the temptation is for me to help Mother Nature out and supplement my DHEA intake. The problem is the biochemical reaction pathways are complicated and convoluted. In other words, if I were to artificially raise my DHEA levels using supplements, I may end up unintentionally altering the levels of other hormones all with unknown health consequences. The bottom line is that I don't know enough about the hormonal system to start mucking around with it. Perhaps a very low dosage, say around 5 mg/day, is safe but I don't know.
> Let me tell you about my experience with them and what happened. I was tested by a naturopath and found to have very low DHEA levels. I started taking 10mg. Women need much less because of the potential conversion to testosterone.
Just out of curiosity, does DHEA supplementation raise the female sex drive (due to increased testosterone)? No need to answer if my question is too personal. My wife asked me about it some time ago and I told her that I think it probably does.
> Eventually I got alarmed and went to a gynocologist who detected a pre-cancerous buildup in the endometrium of my uterus. Caused by too much estrogen. I was already taking natural estrogen and progesterone for menopause, but the pregnenalone tipped the scales.
Barb, what makes you think it was the pregnenalone that tipped the scale and not something already in the works caused by the HRT (estrogen and progesterone)?
> It's too easy to mis-dose and effects are potent and can throw off your entire hormonal system.Is it just me, or does it seem ironic that, on the one hand, medications are so strictly regulated in the U.S., and yet on the other hand, I can march right down to the corner store and buy all the DHEA and pregnenalone I want?
-- Ron
poster:Ron Hill
thread:215282
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030604/msgs/231610.html