50mg of DHEA?

by Marla
(Santa Fe, NM)

I went to see my doctor because my libido had disappeared due to menopause. So he told me to take 50mg DHEA daily. So I researched this info about this and I was surrpised that 50mg is too much! As prescribed by my doctor, 50mg was needed for my increasing my libido. Wonder if it is dangerous to take that much dosage.

Need to know the correct information!

Confused,

Maria

-------------------------

Marla -

I understand your concern with this issue. It's a very valid point. Why on Earth would your doctor prescribe you too much DHEA?

The answer is that, for the purposes of strength training only, 50mg will overwhelm your endocrine system.

Taking a sex hormone will inhibit the function of normally secreting glands in your body.

For example, a body builder who has a normal balance of testosterone as any other individual, suddenly begins taking testosterone to gain muscle mass. This testosterone will decrease the amount of testosterone produced by his body, since the demand for testosterone has decreased.

Another analogy would involved the thyroid gland. When the gland sees too much thyroid hormone in the blood, the gland stops secreting. If there's not enough thyroid in the blood, the gland secretes more. It's a balance that keeps our bodies fine tuned throughout our lives.

Taking hormones by mouth, not produced by your body, increases the amount of hormone in the blood. Therefore, a decrease in hormone secretion results. In the case of DHEA in men or women, DHEA will suppress the release of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), and oxytocin which all have a profound effect on libido.

For a post-menopausal woman, estrogen production has all but ceased (aside from the small amount produced by the adrenal gland). Estrogen is required for the release of FSH, LH and, in some part, oxytocin from the pituitary gland (all of which play a role in libido). The effect of DHEA would be to replace the effects of FSH, LH and oxytocin that is no longer present (due to the lack of estrogen).

Sorry it's is long winded, but this is how it works! Your doctor is correct in his dosing. The idea is to replace lost hormonal function and restore the once intrinsic balance of sex hormones.

For premenopausal women and individuals who have normally functioning endocrine organs, 50mg of DHEA is way too much and will likely have side effects of decreased libido, infertility, deep voice, etc.

Hope this helps!! Thanks for your comment/question :)

Ryan