low dhea

[jboldman]

there is a great deal of individual variation, most studies find that dhea even in amounts of 100mg/day or more do not raise e levels above high normal. You also need to know that measuring dhea-s is not also the same as getting an acurate representation o fyour dhea levels.

jb

 

[SWALE]

I have said this many, many times: high normal is too high. ANY elevation in estrogen is to be monitored and followed.

You have to have to understand the differences in health and happiness within the "normal" range. Otherwise, you are making exactly the same arguement that a Total Testosterone of 301 (300-1000) is perfectly fine for everyone.

A quick look at the metabolic pathways demonstrates why DHEA increases increases estrogen and not testosterone. But because DHEA may have some benefits of its own (above and beyond what actual TRT offers) there may be utility in supplementing same.

DHEA is titrated not to DHEA-S levels, but rather to Total Estrogens. I do not recommend it for those who are already above physiological range--and many are.

Finally, you can find studies on both sides of the fence for any and every topic. What matters is clinical judgement and experience.

 

[jboldman]

I hope you did not misunderstand me swale, i was agreeing with you. If you have high dhea levels it would be worse than silly to try to raise them. And i also have never said that high normal E levels were OK, at least in the context of this discussion! I was simply agreeing with you that 50mg per day should should be the ticket for getting your dhea levels to where they should be without raising your e levels too high.

jb

 

[SWALE]

Yes, I was just adding some more stuff I have figured out.

 

[SWALE]

I remember reading something about how serum DHEA-S may not be such a good marker for actual concentrations, but cannot remember what it was about. Can you expound on this?

 

[jboldman]

re dhea-s, i do knoiw that in several o fthe studies of i have read regarding the differential effects of dhea vs dhea on a variety of neurological problems, the two levels do not necessarily coincide and they make a point of saying that you can only crudely indicate one from the other. I'll try to dig out some specifics for you.

jb

 

[SWALE]

Please. I only have a memory fragment to go on, but it may have been through The Andropause Society.

 

[SWALE]

I wonder if it has something to do with the fact DHEA is 98-99% bound to albumin.

 

[Joe West]

so, would 25mg daily be ok for general health?

 

[SWALE]

I did a little research on what Dr. Thierry Hertoghe, the finest Anti-Aging Medicine physician in the world (IMPO), on DHEA testing.

He says that DHEA is released in spurts along with cortisol. Cortisol is known as an "acute phase reactant", meaning the body can produce it almost instantaneously when the need arises. For instance, looking at the needle when giving the blood sample can elevate cortisol levels.

The half-life of DHEA is so short that serum assay is not a good marker for true output. If a 24 hour urine test is available, that may solve that problem.

For these reasons, Dr. Hertoghe says the DHEA-S is the way to go, since it is much more persistent in the blood than DHEA is.

His lecture I located was from 2001. Perhaps he has changed his mind since.