Posted by Barbara Cat on July 16, 2003, at 11:10:58
In reply to Re: Dhea, trolling for information, posted by jrbecker on July 15, 2003, at 12:32:59
I know something about it. First of all, DHEA is produced in the adrenal glands and has properties like norepinephrine. Also some increase to dopamine, which was probably why your doc said it interferred with serotonin, although to a negligible degree. DHEA is a precursor to the sex hormones. It can especially increase estrogen and testosterone. The problem is, there is no way to predict what is going to get increased. It's not descriminating or smart enough to go where it's needed. There are three major kinds of estrogen. Estrone is the most potent and problematic and estrone might be the one that gets boosted. Many women in perimenopause are already estrogen dominant and any more can cause big problems. It, along with pregnenalone (the precursor to DHEA!) got me over-estrogenized with precancerous uterine hyperplasia.
It also can cause estrogen increase in men, making for soft rounded bellies, little boobies and limp libido - definitely not a good thing, and increased testosterone in women - also not a good thing if too much. There is a form called 7-keto DHEA which does not effect the sex hormones but rather rests the adrenals and resets the cortisol/DHEA cycle.
This is a powerful hormone and not to be taken lightly. Very important to have your levels tested before starting. Mine were very low, due to chronic long term stress and adrenal exhaustion, along with fibromyalgia. I was taking 25mg of Schiff brand and my skin got oily with break-outs. I'm 52 so this was not fair. I also experienced irritability. Tried the 7-keto form and side effects subsided but I didn't enjoy any particular benefit that warranted the hefty price tag. Others have reported good benefits (come to think of it, only those I've heard were from sites selling it - hmmmm). You'll also want to get good micronized pharmaceutical grade rather than the brands you can buy cheaply. A good holistic doc or naturopath will be your best resource on this. - Barbara
poster:Barbara Cat
thread:241906
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030714/msgs/242469.html