DHEA dose, blood levels, half life, estrogen

[DragonBits]

Currently I am taking 25 mg of dhea a day, this has resulted in my dhea-s levels increasing from 103 to 598 ug/dl (30.9 - 295.6 range). I measured dhea-s after about 8 weeks.

The half-life of dhea-s is ~22 hours.

Some questions?

Is the level of DHEA-s in serum likely to stay about the same as long as I continue my 25 mg dose, or is it likely to continue to rise or fall?

How long after lowering my dose does it take for serum levels of DHEA-S to fall?

One reason I am asking, the last few days I have been feeling dizzy off and on, I was wondering if there is any possible connection to the DHEA?

There does "seem" to be a positive effect of DHEA on frequency of erections especially at lower levels of totat T/E2, though hard to actually correlate this to one hormone level for sure. But I don't imagine I need to have 600 ug/dl which is near the top of the range for a 20 year old.

BTW, I never saw an effect of DHEA on either Total T or E2, I am not sure of the bio-chemical method dhea might get converted to total T and why one person may convert a lot and another see no effect?

Any thoughts on these questions?

 

[Cataceous]

Regarding variations in serum DHEA-S levels, for me the dose-response relationship with DHEA supplementation is very consistent. Mostly I take 12.5 mg a day, which keeps DHEA-S at 260-300 ug/dL.

Wikipedia says the half-life of DHEA-S is 7-10 hours. This suggests that serum levels stabilize in under two days.

In younger men with functional HPTAs it's pretty unambiguous that DHEA supplementation does not raise estradiol, even at enormous doses, like 400 mg/d. I think Nelson found a study suggesting a measurable effect in older guys, but it wasn't large, maybe 10% if I'm remembering correctly. In general it doesn't make sense that DHEA is going to increase E2 because this would greatly suppress testosterone production, which is not seen. The situation is less clear when TRT is involved, as then there's not the same type of regulation. Even so, all we have in these cases are scattered anecdotal reports of effects or no effects.

 

[wondering]

For me, 25mg every morning didn't raise E2.

 

[DragonBits]

Regarding variations in serum DHEA-S levels, for me the dose-response relationship with DHEA supplementation is very consistent. Mostly I take 12.5 mg a day, which keeps DHEA-S at 260-300 ug/dL.

Wikipedia says the half-life of DHEA-S is 7-10 hours. This suggests that serum levels stabilize in under two days.

In younger men with functional HPTAs it's pretty unambiguous that DHEA supplementation does not raise estradiol, even at enormous doses, like 400 mg/d. I think Nelson found a study suggesting a measurable effect in older guys, but it wasn't large, maybe 10% if I'm remembering correctly. In general it doesn't make sense that DHEA is going to increase E2 because this would greatly suppress testosterone production, which is not seen. The situation is less clear when TRT is involved, as then there's not the same type of regulation. Even so, all we have in these cases are scattered anecdotal reports of effects or no effects.

I was wondering if I drop my dose to 12.5 mg, would my serum level likely drop in a week?

I was also wondering if I measure my serum level again (still at 25 mg) would the level increase (IE: build up) over time? From what you are posting, likely it will remain about the same even after a longer time.

 

[MarcoFL]

I was wondering if I drop my dose to 12.5 mg, would my serum level likely drop in a week?

I was also wondering if I measure my serum level again (still at 25 mg) would the level increase (IE: build up) over time? From what you are posting, likely it will remain about the same even after a longer time.

why are you looking to cut back? how do you feel? my brain training doctor says it is very good for your brain to be upper end. I just started back in 25mg mid morning. will check in 6 weeks. I feel more upbeat from being on it

 

[Cataceous]

I was wondering if I drop my dose to 12.5 mg, would my serum level likely drop in a week?

I was also wondering if I measure my serum level again (still at 25 mg) would the level increase (IE: build up) over time? From what you are posting, likely it will remain about the same even after a longer time.

The short half-life says that after changes you'll be stabilized in at most a few days. Stabilized in this case means the serum profile for each day looks the same, not that the profile itself is flat.

If your experience is like mine then things won't change much if you stick to the same dose. My serum DHEA-S has been in that narrow range for five years.

 

[Rock H. Johnson]

My experience is subjective, no bloodwork on this, but if I take 25mg I become more emotional and have slight pain in my knuckles(my hightened E2 feedback signal). When I reduce it to 12.5mg per day, I feel none of the E2 sides. But again just subjective.

 

[DragonBits]

why are you looking to cut back? how do you feel? my brain training doctor says it is very good for your brain to be upper end. I just started back in 25mg mid morning. will check in 6 weeks. I feel more upbeat from being on it

There aren't any studies I am aware that prove DHEA helps anything. Mostly speculation.

There was a study in which DHEA supplementation was successful was conducted among young men and with higher doses of DHEA (300 mg).

But in general I think high potency anything can be negative for your health.

But as to why I was thinking of lowering my dose, I was having vertigo recently, the only other time I had vertigo was when taking higher doses of progesterone. In males, both dhea and progesterone are made in the adrenal gland (not the only gland they are made in), so I thought it quite possible this was related.

It's also possible that some of the supposed positive effects of DHEA come from it being converted to testosterone / estrogen, on TRT this is mute.