Posted by Barbara Cat on June 2, 2003, at 11:22:06
In reply to Re: Cortisol and DHEA Balance » Larry Hoover, posted by Ron Hill on April 7, 2003, at 13:46:12
Regarding pregnenalone and DHEA, please get your levels tested before taking. These are powerful hormones and you do not want to take too much. Let me tell you about my experience with them and what happened. I was tested by a naturopath and found to have very low DHEA levels. I started taking 10mg. Women need much less because of the potential conversion to testosterone. Didn't feel much different so gradually got up to 50mg, taking for about 6 months. Acne and jitters, but more energy at least, but still not feeling right. Thinking to balance all my hormones with 'the mother hormone', I then started taking pregnenalone at very small amounts. Shortly afterwards I began having breakthrough bleeding. Eventually I got alarmed and went to a gynocologist who detected a pre-cancerous buildup in the endometrium of my uterus. Caused by too much estrogen. I was already taking natural estrogen and progesterone for menopause, but the pregnenalone tipped the scales.
Pregnenalone does not deliver a standardized dose of any one hormone for which it supposedly is the 'mother'. Sometimes too much estrogen, and usually the dangerous kind, estrone, is affected rather randomly. It apparently is not very accurate in it's target. Too much DHEA can exacerbate anger, irritability, manic symptoms. The oily acne prone skin is not fun either. Not saying don't take them, but please have great respect for any hormone or hormonal precursor. It's too easy to mis-dose and effects are potent and can throw off your entire hormonal system - BarbaraCat.
poster:Barbara Cat
thread:215282
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030530/msgs/230789.html