Starting TRT next week - question on DHEA

[jmzwy]

Starting protocol next week: 80 MG split into 40 MF doses 2x a week, along with HCG. Primary reason for therapy is high SHBG and low Free. It was also suggested I take 25 MG DHEA daily. Took DHEA for a short time in the past and the only changes I noticed were aggression and irritability. I’m open to adding DHEA to the regimen as recommended, but wouldn’t it make more sense to wait awhile, say 3 months, do new blood work, so I can isolate what the effects are from the TRT, rather than guessing if it’s the DHEA or the T? It also seems that the TRT and HCG could boost DHEA, so again, why not wait to see how DHEA responds from this regimen without another variable. Perhaps it’s because my DHEA is low is why they (Defy) want me on DHEA. Here are my stats and labs:

43 y/o male, very healthy in general other than the hormone issues:

Total T: 540
Free T: 6.2
SHBG: 64.5
DHEA- Sulfate: 130
LH: 2.9
PSA: .5
IGF-1: 145
Estradiol: 16.6

Thanks,

james

 

[MarkM]

Hi James, welcome to the forum.

Having reference ranges with your values always helps because different labs have different ranges. That being said, your SHBG is either over the top of the range or near the top of the range depending on which lab was used. Typically, those with high SHBG like yours take one larger weekly injection to overcome the high SHBG and have success with TRT.

Your DHEA-s is low and supplementation would bring it up but some people have a hard time with taking DHEA. You could postpone taking it until your next set of labs. HCG and TRT are not going to increase your DHEA-s by themselves by any appreciable amount, if any.

Which estradiol test did you have? Was it the Roche ECLIA methodology test or the Estradiol Sensitive LC/MS/MS assay? It makes a difference in that the Roche ECLIA is for women and the LC/MS/MS assay is for men. It will say on your lab results.

 

[Vince Carter]

adding DHEA just because it's low, and some one has previous problems with it, just isn't smart. Its like we say about Anastrozole, using it just because your E reads high on a piece of paper is generally very poor advice. Same applies to DHEA.

 

[Vince]

I agree I would hold off on the DHEA until after you have new labs and check your levels. I do supplement with 25 mg of DHEA right before bed and it does help me sleep better.
.

 

[jmzwy]

Thank you all very much for your replies.

 

[mooseman109]

DHRA made my estradiol climb to top of the range quickly and I became symptomatic. I stopped and within a week I was fine again. I was on same dose from same dr group. Mine was labs showed DHEA at 103 prior to starting, (75-375). I also showed none of the positives for it either after 3 months taking it.