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hormone status

Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:06 am
by gibbledygook
I received my hormone status which showed that I have a lowish but within reference range DHEA level, a high 17 beta estradiol level and a low below reference range progesterone level. Interesting menopausal women given low amounts of dhea increase their progesterone levels:
1: Maturitas. 2008 Apr 20;59(4):293-303. Epub 2008 Apr 3. Links
One-year therapy with 10mg/day DHEA alone or in combination with HRT in postmenopausal women: Effects on hormonal milieu.Pluchino N, Ninni F, Stomati M, Freschi L, Casarosa E, Valentino V, Luisi S, Genazzani AD, Potì E, Genazzani AR.
Department of Reproductive Medicine and Child Development, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Pisa, Via Roma 35, 56100 Pisa, Italy.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects on hormonal milieu of 1-year therapy with 10mg/day oral dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) or 50mug transdermal estradiol plus 100mg/day oral micronized progesterone in a group of 20 healthy postmenopausal women (age=50-58 and years since menopause (ysm)=1-6) and also the effects observed by combining these two therapies in a group of 12 postmenopausal women (age=54-61 and ysm=6-10) characterized by lower baseline DHEA and DHEAS levels (<2.40 and <0.55mug/ml, respectively). DHEA produced a significant rise in androgens levels, whereas HRT did not. Moreover, DHEA alone induced a significantly lower increase in estrogens and beta-endorphin levels and a higher decrease in cortisol levels than HRT. DHEA and HRT also produced a significant similar increase in allopregnanolone levels. DHEA plus HRT induced a significantly higher increase in testosterone and estradiol and a lower increase in allopregnanolone and beta-endorphin levels and a significantly lower decrease in cortisol levels than HRT alone treated group. A similar increase was observed in progesterone and SHBG levels in all groups. These results suggest that 10-mg DHEA seems to be the proper dose to replace androgen deficiency in subjects with reduced Delta-5 androgens plasma levels. However, the aging process and the number of years since menopause may further modulate the effects of hormone therapy on hormonal milieu.
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I'm inclined to take DHEA supplements as people with MS are said to be low in this steroid.

Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:51 pm
by DIM
Would you mind to tell me your DHEA level, are DHEA or DHEA-s?
Wife has 1,9 when normal levels according to our lab are between 0.5-5.4 so I guess she is also low in the scale and needs supplementation.

Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 5:29 am
by gibbledygook
Hi there,
My count was 2.5 (refernce 0.26 -11.0). So median would be 5.63. It's interesting the discrepancy in our lab reference ranges...Given my high 17 beta estradiol and low progesterone I think my next addition in a week or so will be 25mg DHEA daily. Interestingly I discovered that resveratrol is a phytoestrogen which may explain my higher 17 beta estradiol level. However I think people with autoimmune diseases do have hormones out of sync so I definitely think I'll be adding dhea some time soon.

Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:31 pm
by DIM
Be carefull as DHEA is converted to estradiol so may increase your levels, if you need progesterone better take some USP progesterone to balance your hormone levels and then decide for DHEA as people with higher progesterone and low estrogen (or the oposite) have more lessions than people with balanced these hormones even if they are lower than controls!

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:37 am
by gibbledygook
Thanks Dim. DHEA also converts to the androgen hormones and in post-menopausal women given DHEA their progesterone levels were increased. I have stopped taking the resveratrol phyto-estrogen supplements as I didn't notice any improvement whilst taking quite large doses...