Can DHEA supplement cause anxiety?

[canatct]

I've been on trt since 12/14. My current protocol is 24mg Test cyp eod and 120 units HCG ed .

I got my follow lab results but I don't know how to upload them from my iPhone without giving away my personal info.

My DHEA - sulfate came back low.
67.7. (71.6-375.4)

I'm using 25mg micronized capsules until my follow up at the end of May.
I'm only taking one capsule each morning and I've noticed I'm more anxious. A lot more!
Has anyone else experienced this?
Is there a better way to supplement DHEA?
What can cause it to be low in the first place?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ERO]

DHEA typically has anti-anxiety properties because it opposes Cortisol - often called the 'stress hormone.' Try taking your DHEA with dinner or before bed for a few days and see if you notice a difference.

 

[socks]

DHEA typically has anti-anxiety properties because it opposes Cortisol - often called the "stress" hormone.

Don't take our word for it, here's a couple links on DHEA/cortisol.

Study showing DHEA can lower 24hr cortisol levels.

Another one, showing DHEA can reduce evening cortisol levels.

I'm not sure what your stress levels or cortisol numbers are, but you may want to checkout this page as well. You have any cortisol or thyroid numbers?

"4. High levels of cortisol, low levels of DHEA. The body cannot make enough DHEA to balance cortisol. This is the first sign of adrenal exhaustion. This is the first abnormal response to chronic stress. The patient needs a long break from whatever that chronic stress may be - the commonest chronic stress is Hypoglycaemia - the full story, but also consider insomnia, mental, physical or emotional overload or whatever. Pregnenolone can be supplemented to make the patient feel better, but it must be part of a package of recovery, without which worsening can be expected."

 

[Vettester Chris]

Don't worry about it too much, your body is just getting adapted to it. I went through that the first time I introduced it into my program, and it was a case of my body back filling and getting re-acclimated to a hormone that had been quite low. As noted above, it will work excellent at night, keeping a better balance with the adrenals and night time cortisol levels. Also, look a little further upstream with adding some pregnenolone, which will also work in conjunction with back filling and everything we are discussing.

 

[canatct]

I only had the required labs for a follow up exam. No cortisol labs.
I must say that my stress levels have been through the roof for several months. Does that affect DHEA?

Where do you get the pregnenolone and what delivery method is best for it?

 

[ERO]

High stress = high cortisol, and high cortisol = low DHEA. You can get pregnenolone in capsules or topicals. I use this cream that I get from Amazon.

 

[Vince Carter]

DHEA and Preg that I take kept me up at night when taken at bedtime, I can only take them in the morning. I never have a real feeling from it, not like energized or overly motivated, but just "awake", mind still going, won't turn-off for sleep.

 

[canatct]

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll continue with the DHEA and get my pregnenolone tested before supplementing.
I'm using Life Extension DHEA 25mg capsules now. Is the transdermal delivery method any better?
My follow up with DEFY is at the end of this month.

 

[Vettester Chris]

I only had the required labs for a follow up exam. No cortisol labs.
I must say that my stress levels have been through the roof for several months. Does that affect DHEA?

Where do you get the pregnenolone and what delivery method is best for it?

Yes, most definitely! The body/adrenals will go through a variety of stages, from stress adapted with divergence, maladaptation, and further down to adrenal fatigue. The demand on pregenonolone is excessive when stress is high and reserves are producing cortisol, thus leading to the "pregnenolone steal" phenomena. DHEA declines during this process due to the demand on cortisol.

The best way IMO to review this is with a 4x Saliva Cortisol -24hour kit, w/DHEA. It should hopefully have a DHEA correlation analysis and circadian profile graph, BUT if not, I have a template here to do that.

 

[Jon H]

canatct - Just make sure you monitor your estradiol after adding DHEA and pregnenalone. I had those products added to my protocol a year ago and it made my estradiol go through the roof; causing anxiety and a minor case of gynecomastia, which I'm still dealing with. I had to drop both products, as the side effects were definitely not worth the benefits (for me). Hopefully for you that's not the case.

 

[canatct]

I'll order those through DEFY.
I'm on eod injections along with daily HCG trying to control e2. I get high e2 symptoms (libido, ed) even when I'm at 30 on the sensitive test.
That's with total test above 800 and fee in the upper range.
~One more concern, my good cholesterol is below range and I've read where DHEA can lower good cholesterol. Anyone have input on this?

 

[canatct]

Another question...
Is it necessary to supplement with pregnenolone when DHEA is low?
Or should I get tested first?
Thanks guys

 

[Vince Carter]

I can't remember the cascade of how Preg converts to a number of other hormones in different pathways, a presumption that if you're using one, or the other, that the body SHOULD derive what it needs. I'm sure some one will correct me on that if I'm off target slightly. But it's very common of the two to use DHEA (first), not uncommon to use both concurrently. Also, I had terrible aromatization using transdermal applications. The new "thing" is oral micronized. talk to Dr Saya, it's his preferred delivery route.

 

[canatct]

I can't remember the cascade of how Preg converts to a number of other hormones in different pathways, a presumption that if you're using one, or the other, that the body SHOULD derive what it needs. I'm sure some one will correct me on that if I'm off target slightly. But it's very common of the two to use DHEA (first), not uncommon to use both concurrently. Also, I had terrible aromatization using transdermal applications. The new "thing" is oral micronized. talk to Dr Saya, it's his preferred delivery route.

I have a follow up with him on the 28th. I'll just use the DHEA I have until then.

 

[canatct]

Guys, I've been taking the DHEA before bedtime. It seems to help me sleep better but I can tell it's driving up my e2. The 25mg capsules I have are not micronized, so I ordered some that are ultra micronized from dhea.com
I need to bring my levels up but I just can't tolerate the e2 symptoms, so hopefully the new capsules will work better. I'll update after I take them for a few days.

 

[canatct]

Vince, I just read an archived thread from 2014 where you stated the DHEA you were taking made you feel angry and aggressive after 4 days. That's exactly what I'm getting along with a red face and ed. Were you able to tolerate a different brand better?

 

[Vince Carter]

In that old thread what I was doing at the time was taking cheap WalMart DHEA pre-TRT, 50-100mg a day. WAY TOO MUCH. As I said above the delivery method can make all the difference in the world A non-Micronized tablet (or capsule) on first pass through the liver is subject to aromatization. I think (no testing) that that's what I experienced and I've come to learn that I'm very sensitive to E2. I had similar problems with transdermal creams, poor absorption of the hormones that preferred to aromatize, that was documented by multiple tests showing my DHEA was still low (200) yet my E2 was sky high in the 50's (and 60s!).
Once I switched to micronized...I feel better, subjectively. I have testing later this week.

 

[canatct]

In that old thread what I was doing at the time was taking cheap WalMart DHEA pre-TRT, 50-100mg a day. WAY TOO MUCH. As I said above the delivery method can make all the difference in the world A non-Micronized tablet (or capsule) on first pass through the liver is subject to aromatization. I think (no testing) that that's what I experienced and I've come to learn that I'm very sensitive to E2. I had similar problems with transdermal creams, poor absorption of the hormones that preferred to aromatize, that was documented by multiple tests showing my DHEA was still low (200) yet my E2 was sky high in the 50's (and 60s!).
Once I switched to micronized...I feel better, subjectively. I have testing later this week.

Did you reduce your dose when switching to the micronized?