43 replies to this topic

[guy1985]

Please post your DHEA, 7-keto and pregnenolone experiences here please!

[FunkOdyssey]

Took 50mg of DHEA daily for a few months. Testosterone dropped from roughly 720ng/dl to 400ng/dl. Stopped DHEA immediately and never looked back. Testosterone had recovered to 720ng/dl when the test was repeated a couple months later.

Edited by FunkOdyssey, 05 December 2008 - 11:18 PM.

[senseix]

I took 7-KETO for several months, at 100mg in the am and 100mg in the pm, it really helped me with my workouts, recovering and strength, i also lost fat from my mid section. Thats about all i noticed, keep in mind i take other supplements so was it just the 7-KETO? Seems like it was, i was going to try it again in a few months, for a couple of months, if the same thing happens again then i can be sure.

[guy1985]

Please post your DHEA, 7-keto and pregnenolone experiences here please!

[missminni]

Please post your DHEA, 7-keto and pregnenolone experiences here please!

okay, since you said please twice,
Pregnenolone:
Took it for about 8 years on and off. At first, to deal with menopause. It was amazing.
180 mg first thing in the morning eliminated ALL symptoms, (hot flashes, confusion, depression)
and made me feel happy and full of energy for the rest of the day.
I only did the 180 mg a day for the first few months.
I dropped to 50 mg for most of the time thereafter.
I took it on and off up until a few months ago when I stopped taking all hormone type supplements.
The only adverse effect I ever noticed was that my hair
would thin when I took high doses, but then I would stop for a while and lower my dose and my hair would be
normal.

DHEA: I took that for a year prior to the year I started pregnenolone. I think I took 25 mg. I loved it. My
skin looked great, good muscle tone, but it messed with my menstrual cycle, so I stopped. I didn't take it again until about 6 months
ago after a blood test which had my pregnenolone and dhea at dangerously low levels - 11 and 13 after I had been suffering with
eczema for 3 months. I started taking 50 mg dhea and 100 mg of pregnenolone and it worked wonders for my skin and mood.
I didn't have any flare ups for 3 months straight, but my hair started thinning so I stopped both.
Within 5 days I had a major flare up.

7 KETO: I haven't really given that a chance. I bought it to replace the dhea I stopped taking, but never really took it
for any extended period of time before I decided to get off hormone related supplements altogether.
I have 20g of it just sitting in my refrigerator.

[pycnogenol]

DHEA: I take a low dose (10 mg ) in the AM for mood enhancement. It works rather well for that purpose*

Pregnenolone: I was taking 5 mg but stopped for now; this stuff made me a little cranky and irritable.

7-Keto: I'd try it if it came in a 10 mg strength; nobody makes a 10 mg strength to my knowledge.

*I take the Nature's Plus brand of DHEA. This product is micronized and contains bioperine.

Edited by pycnogenol, 07 December 2008 - 01:58 PM.

[guy1985]

Thanks so much for you guys reply.

missminni- from the way you said it, it seems you are not taking any of the above supplements now.

pycnogenol - so far you have been only taking 10mg dhea, did it cause any side effect for you like thinning hair? does it alwyas provide mood enhancement? any negative side to it?

FunkOdyssey- during your usage of DHEA, did it cause any side effect for you like thinning hair? does it alwyas provide mood enhancement? any negative side to it?

senseix - did you take any additional pill of 7-keto during your gym excerise? And also, does it improve your mood n those mental improvement during your usage?

[david ellis]

I have taken DHEA for about 5 years. I am now 69 years old, and think that DHEA is generally most useful for older folks. Also think it should be taken with blood tests to avoid trouble. Trouble happens when DHEA is converted into other hormones that cause problems, DHT and estradiol. I did use nettle root, pygeum, and arimidex to control these problems. Bringing up my blood levels of Vitamin D to about 45 ng/mL eliminated the need to correct the hormone problems caused by supplementing with DHEA.

Without DHEA supplementation my DHEAs level dropped to 169 ug/dL. Supplementing at 50 mg yielded a 338 level. Supplementing at 100 mg yielded a 503 result. LabCorp reference range for my age is 42 to 290.

Without DHEA supplementation my free testosterone level dropped to 8.1 pg/mL. Supplementing at 50 mg yielded a 13.0 level. Supplementing at 100 mg yielded a 14.2 result. LabCorp reference range for my age is 6.6 To 18.1.


I first started at 50 mg of DHEA, experimented with 100 mg, and stopped for a few months to see what would happen. I didn't like what happened, and it took 6-8 weeks to get back close to what I was. Now, I plan to only discontinue use for 2-5 days at a time.

I take 50 mg of pregneolone and am not sure, but suspect that it is beneficial. I stopped taking it recently, and noticed no increase in well being, and perhaps a small decrease.

I notice the hormonal effects of estrogen and DHT rather quickly. For instance, if the DHEA converts to estradiol and the estradiol level goes above say 25 pg/mL my prostrate would react and I would take 1/4 of a 1 mg arimidex tablet to knock the level down. Or it might have been too much DHT, so I would have to find a combination of nettle root and pygeum that would alleviate the symptoms. This was tedious, and if I knocked my estrogen too low, I would have to wait a week or so, to recover from the those symptoms.

Normalizing my blood Vitamin D level eliminated the need for arimidex, nettle root, and pygeum. Normalizing my blood Vit D is one of the best benefits I have from supplementation. So for me, Vit D, DHEA, and fish oil are the biggest benefits I get from supplements. The rest of my supplements benefits are subtle. Some I know are working, but subtly, and some are a bet that they will prevent future problems.

DHEA is very inexpensive, and very effective. But what will happen to the DHEA when it gets into your body is unpredictable. It can become testosterone, estradiol, or DHT for example. Believe in Murphy's law, and get blood tests before you develop side effects that are permanent. Harmless, but permanent. Consider a mustache on a rough voiced lady or breasts on a guy. Harmless side effects, but maybe the side effects will make your life less fun. I wouldn't recommend supplementing without confirming that your blood levels of DHEAs are on the low side.

[pycnogenol]

pycnogenol - so far you have been only taking 10mg dhea, did it cause any side effect for you like thinning hair? does it alwyas provide mood enhancement? any negative side to it?

Nope, no thinning hair problems at all. Yes, always positive mood enhancement. I take it at the same time every morning - 7:00 AM.

More than 10 mg daily makes me too wired and agitated. The low-dose strength is perfect for me.

[Lufega]

Took 50mg of DHEA daily for a few months. Testosterone dropped from roughly 720ng/dl to 400ng/dl. Stopped DHEA immediately and never looked back. Testosterone had recovered to 720ng/dl when the test was repeated a couple months later.

This is scary! You mentioned in other threads that you have low adrenal function. Did you test DHEA levels before and after you supplemented?? I was considering using it myself for the same reason but I've been hesistant for this very reason.

Normalizing my blood Vitamin D level eliminated the need for arimidex, nettle root, and pygeum. Normalizing my blood Vit D is one of the best benefits I have from supplementation.

Thank you for this information. I was just going to order a blood test for Vit D. I suspect I have estrogen dominance and this is causing male-saggy-tit-syndrome for me. I've been using nettle and DIM and these worked magically for this problem! The gynecomastia is virtually gone. However, I stopped using for a couple of weeks and it came back with a vengeance so I know I have to address the underlying cause (low adrenal function? chronic infection?).

I use pregnenolone 50 mg to enhance memory on a as needed basis. It works like a charm.

[FunkOdyssey]

It did bring up my DHEA-S, although I do not remember my exact values now. I think it was originally about 230 (I forget the unit) and was mid 300's after supplementation. DHEA converts readily to estrogens in men, and I suspect thats what happened in my case, since estrogen provides negative feedback to the HPA and reduces testosterone production.

What I thought was low adrenal function was actually untreated, long-standing Lyme Disease.

FunkOdyssey- during your usage of DHEA, did it cause any side effect for you like thinning hair? does it alwyas provide mood enhancement? any negative side to it?

It didn't really seem to do anything, I felt no different. The much lower testosterone result on my lab report came as a shock.

[david ellis]

The gynecomastia is virtually gone.

That is interesting. I have gynecomastia as a side effect of a blood pressure medicine. It is permanent, if it bothered me enough surgery would be the next step. If the DHEA gynecomastia fades away, it is not a serious side effect. I wonder if DHEA gynecomastia usually fades away. My understanding is that DHEA changes to voice and facial hair for women are permanent.

Maybe where a person is in their life cycle hormone balance makes the difference.

ps- I am just talking about side effects that sometimes occur. I have no idea if a particular person will be affected. Some pro-DHEA studies talk about the side effects as if they were not consequential. It is true that the side effects affect on health seem to be inconsequential, but changes in signs of sexual identity seem consequential for me. I imagine that my blood pressure medicine's sales dropped like a rock when doctor's realized that the "rare" side effect was so upsetting. My doctor didn't believe me until a second patient had trouble too. For me, rare is something that happens to a few in a thousand cases, not something that happens to a few in a hundred cases.

[missminni]

The side effects I experienced from DHEA subsided when I stopped use.
I was taking between 50 and 100 mg, which is considered high for a woman. When I decided to stop,
I did notice that the peach fuzz on the side of my cheeks and arms was more than normal. I even noticed
hair on the first joint of my fingers where I never saw it before. I removed the hair on my cheeks with a
depilatory and it did not grow back. The hair on my arms went back to normal within a short
time and the hair on my fingers disappeared entirely. So I would have to say the changes are
reversible.
I never had any problems with pregnenolone at any dose.

[guy1985]

thanks so much for all your valuable output!!! keep it coming please!!!

[guy1985]

anyone took a combination of DHEA and 7-keto. Does this combination than them on their own? Thanks in advance!

[guy1985]

I have taken DHEA for about 5 years. I am now 69 years old, and think that DHEA is generally most useful for older folks. Also think it should be taken with blood tests to avoid trouble. Trouble happens when DHEA is converted into other hormones that cause problems, DHT and estradiol. I did use nettle root, pygeum, and arimidex to control these problems. Bringing up my blood levels of Vitamin D to about 45 ng/mL eliminated the need to correct the hormone problems caused by supplementing with DHEA.

Without DHEA supplementation my DHEAs level dropped to 169 ug/dL. Supplementing at 50 mg yielded a 338 level. Supplementing at 100 mg yielded a 503 result. LabCorp reference range for my age is 42 to 290.

Without DHEA supplementation my free testosterone level dropped to 8.1 pg/mL. Supplementing at 50 mg yielded a 13.0 level. Supplementing at 100 mg yielded a 14.2 result. LabCorp reference range for my age is 6.6 To 18.1.


I first started at 50 mg of DHEA, experimented with 100 mg, and stopped for a few months to see what would happen. I didn't like what happened, and it took 6-8 weeks to get back close to what I was. Now, I plan to only discontinue use for 2-5 days at a time.

I take 50 mg of pregneolone and am not sure, but suspect that it is beneficial. I stopped taking it recently, and noticed no increase in well being, and perhaps a small decrease.

I notice the hormonal effects of estrogen and DHT rather quickly. For instance, if the DHEA converts to estradiol and the estradiol level goes above say 25 pg/mL my prostrate would react and I would take 1/4 of a 1 mg arimidex tablet to knock the level down. Or it might have been too much DHT, so I would have to find a combination of nettle root and pygeum that would alleviate the symptoms. This was tedious, and if I knocked my estrogen too low, I would have to wait a week or so, to recover from the those symptoms.

Normalizing my blood Vitamin D level eliminated the need for arimidex, nettle root, and pygeum. Normalizing my blood Vit D is one of the best benefits I have from supplementation. So for me, Vit D, DHEA, and fish oil are the biggest benefits I get from supplements. The rest of my supplements benefits are subtle. Some I know are working, but subtly, and some are a bet that they will prevent future problems.

DHEA is very inexpensive, and very effective. But what will happen to the DHEA when it gets into your body is unpredictable. It can become testosterone, estradiol, or DHT for example. Believe in Murphy's law, and get blood tests before you develop side effects that are permanent. Harmless, but permanent. Consider a mustache on a rough voiced lady or breasts on a guy. Harmless side effects, but maybe the side effects will make your life less fun. I wouldn't recommend supplementing without confirming that your blood levels of DHEAs are on the low side.

Hi david ellis,

From the way you said it, are you saying that Vitamins D has the ability to balance out the excessive DHEA out? May I know what can Vitamins D do in this case and overall health? Kindly educate me on this. Thanks!

[guy1985]

Please post your DHEA, 7-keto and pregnenolone experiences here please!

[david ellis]

From the way you said it, are you saying that Vitamins D has the ability to balance out the excessive DHEA out? May I know what can Vitamins D do in this case and overall health? Kindly educate me on this. Thanks!

I am 69 years old, and I think Vitamin D reduced the DHT and estradiol conversion. I don't know what will happen for anyone else.

[guy1985]

From the way you said it, are you saying that Vitamins D has the ability to balance out the excessive DHEA out? May I know what can Vitamins D do in this case and overall health? Kindly educate me on this. Thanks!

I am 69 years old, and I think Vitamin D reduced the DHT and estradiol conversion. I don't know what will happen for anyone else.

hi,thanks for reply. do you have any scientific research to this? if it is, i can take dhea with no fear of increased of DHT.

[FunkOdyssey]

From the way you said it, are you saying that Vitamins D has the ability to balance out the excessive DHEA out? May I know what can Vitamins D do in this case and overall health? Kindly educate me on this. Thanks!

I am 69 years old, and I think Vitamin D reduced the DHT and estradiol conversion. I don't know what will happen for anyone else.

hi,thanks for reply. do you have any scientific research to this? if it is, i can take dhea with no fear of increased of DHT.

If you are seriously going to supplement with all of these hormones, have your regular doctor or an endocrinologist run a baseline hormonal panel to document your values of DHEA-S, testosterone, DHT, and all estrogens (not just estradiol, include estriol and estrone). Then after you bombard your body with exogenous hormones for a couple months, repeat the test and determine what havoc you've caused. In my case with 50mg of DHEA, estradiol didn't move much but estrone was much higher than previously, so clearly DHEA was converting to that form of estrogen (pathway goes DHEA -> androstenedione -> estrone) as well as depressing my testosterone significantly. In your case, maybe only your DHEA-S will rise and your mood will be fantastic and life will be all flowers and candy from here on out. You have to do your homework though.

The endocrine system is a complex interrelated and interdependent system that does not lend itself to blind intervention and tweaking.

Edited by FunkOdyssey, 16 December 2008 - 03:34 PM.

[guy1985]

so in a way, dhea all these supplements may have different effects on diff person?

[guy1985]

anyone around?

[rwac]

I have tested low for DHEA.
I take 25 mg/day, and it helps with adrenal support.
I don't think I've seen too many side effects from it.

Edited by rwac, 20 December 2008 - 05:39 PM.

[guy1985]

rwac, possible for you to tell me what are the problems with adrenal support and also, what beenfits did you seee from taking the DHEAs?

[rwac]

rwac, possible for you to tell me what are the problems with adrenal support and also, what beenfits did you seee from taking the DHEAs?

My hormone levels tested low, with DHEA being the lowest.
Supplemented DHEA, and it gave me more energy.
It also reduced my fasting glucose.

[guy1985]

rwac, any mood or mental improvement?

[rwac]

rwac, any mood or mental improvement?

Lots of improvements. I feel crappy without it.
So many improvements, It's hard for me to describe.

[guy1985]

does it make you easily aggitated and irritated with high dose?
can you pls kindly describe all the improvements? thanks

[rwac]

does it make you easily aggitated and irritated with high dose?
can you pls kindly describe all the improvements? thanks

No Irritation or agitation.
Improved mood, energy, fasting glucose and libido.

Edited by rwac, 21 December 2008 - 06:59 PM.

[pycnogenol]

It also reduced my fasting glucose.

Rwac,

What was your fasting glucose numbers prior to taking DHEA and what is your current fasting glucose numbers since taking DHEA?

Edited by pycnogenol, 22 December 2008 - 12:03 AM.