I did a salivary hormone test. The results were as follows. TESTOSTERONE 103.2 pg/ml, ESTRADIOL 0.9 pg/ml, DHT 14.0 pg/ml, CORTISOL 6.6 pg/ml. I also got DHEA tested it came out 164.0 pg/ml. I’m 29 years old and the testing lab said that my DHEA was deficient. I’m currently taking tribex(10 caps per day), vitex(400mg one capsule per day), ZMA and 50 mg clomid per day. I was taking androgel 1.5 packets per day, I did this for approximatley three months, but for the last two months I have been using the tribex,vitex,zma and clomid and feel better than when I used the androgel. I rather pop a pill than have to rub androgel on for the rest of my life. My main question is concerning the DHEA. My levels showed to be low, do you think I should supplement with DHEA? I read that low levels of DHEA are associated with depression. I do have slight depression, I was wondering if this could be part of the cause. Also would supplementing with DHEA have any testosterone suppresion effects. Anybody’s feedback would be much appreciated.
Yes, DHEA can help, even if your T levels are
good. DHEA may not be useful for bodybuilding
purposes, but it certainly has other benefits
including mood elevation, cognitive/brain
function improvement, and health improvements.
I’ve had poorly functioning adrenal glands
since I was about 13, and I definitely noticed
a benfit from taking it, even when my T levels
were quite good.
Regarding T inhibition from DHEA: this is both dosage and timing dependent. If you take a huge amount of DHEA, then yes it can be suppressive of T, especially if your body is prone to converting a high percentage of DHEA into E. Bottom line, don't take too much. I would recommend 30mg-75mg/day and no more. The DHEA dose/response curve follows an "inverted U" shape; more is not better and can actually make you feel worse.
Regarding dosage timing for efficacy and suppression: DHEA is normally produced in a large pulse early in the morning. So what I have found to be most effective and also less suppressive of natural T is to take your entire dosage first thing in the morning or take 2/3 first thing in the morning and 1/3 in the early afternoon. Personally I use 30mg first thing in the morning and 15mg around 1pm. If you take it later in the day it will interfere with sleep. Also, if you take it later than 1pm, it tends to be MUCH more suppressive of T than if you take it earlier. Interestingly, this phenomenon is very similar to the "morning only" protocal that Bill Roberts recommends for taking oral steroids. If you only take short acting/oral andgrogens in the morning it doesn't seem to inhibit natural T much, if at all. DHEA is quite short acting, so you can even get away with taking it in the early afternoon w/o much suppression. But taking it later than that is definitely not a good idea, IMO. Hope that helps.
thanks for the information. what benefits have you noticed since taking DHEA?
bit off topic but when by father takes dhea he loses a lot of the gray in his hair…interesting
Better mood, improved brain function, easier
to get lean, slight energy boost (especially
in the morning).