DHEA the testosterone cycle and the adrenal Galnds

[chewbaca]

I was thinking of trying DHEA, but don't want to make the male pattern baldness worse. What do you guys think...should I try it?

not until u have gone for hormoneal tests with a reputed lab, verify that u have a DHEA problem. If u have, then i think it is woth taking it just to correct this problem and also observe if it does anything for your male pattern baldness>

dont experiment just for the sake of male pattern baldness unless u are very sure of it it help for this condition

 

[the_swami]

I'm going to second Chewbaca on this: DON'T TAKE DHEA UNLESS YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO!

I have high DHEA and have had it for years (measured several times on hormone tests over the years). It's kind of funny in a way, my DHEA is sooo high (like 2-3x normal) that each time the technichian would write a comment saying something like "is patient taking DHEA" etc. My lutenizing hormone is a bit high and my DHT was high, and estrogen a bit low. So for me finasteride is a very good match, plenty of precursor for a bit of extra T and E2 and lower DHT. When I get around to check hormone levels again, I'll repost and bump this thread (if I remember).

Please keep in mind that DHEA is like a mother hormone. It is basically a precusor to every hormone the adrenals make (except the catecholamines and maybe a few others). Cortisol is included in that, btw, so DHEA could also raise cortisol levels leading to stress-like symptoms, which of course YOU DON'T WANT! Estrogen is also included!

Let me repost that abstract Chewbaca posted, it really is worth reading twice!

"Pitts RL. Serum elevation of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate associated with male pattern baldness in young men. J Am Acad Dermatol 1987 Mar;16(3 Pt 1):571-3

Eighteen men aged 18 to 32 with rapidly progressive male pattern baldness had serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and testosterone measured. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels were elevated in all patients, ranging from 340 to 730 micrograms/dl. The patients were otherwise healthy and serum testosterone levels were within normal limits. A control group of men of similar age without hair loss had lower dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels ranging from 124 to 300 micrograms/dl (p less than 0.005). The biochemistry of androgens, particularly dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, suggests that adrenal hyperactivity may initiate alopecia in young men who are genetically susceptible."

 

[fellow1]

a good theory there, because the AR receptors may start to attach to to some of the DHEA instead of DHT and the male pattern baldness mechanism is fooled?

I will revive this and add some proof. in theory you end up in WEAKER androgenic state, because DHEA will compete with DHT for binding to AR. And another thing why i am here. I was taking DHEA for month, and i was pretty shocked noticing my hair got thicker. There might be something in this approach. But it have to be larger doses i suppose for it to work.

Recent results demonstrated that DHEA is intrinsically androgenic. It competes with DHT for binding to androgen receptor (AR), induces AR-regulated reporter gene expression in vitro, and exogenous DHEA administration regulates gene expression in peripheral androgen-dependent tissues

Another study :

DHEA antagonized DHT-induced AR transcription in both mouse mammary tumor virus and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) promoters, similar to the effects of the known AR antagonist, bicalutamide. Consequently, DHEA administration resulted in a 75% inhibition of DHT-induced PSA expression in LNCaP cells.

 

[Canuto]

I will revive this and add some proof. in theory you end up in WEAKER androgenic state, because DHEA will compete with DHT for binding to AR. And another thing why i am here. I was taking DHEA for month, and i was pretty shocked noticing my hair got thicker. There might be something in this approach. But it have to be larger doses i suppose for it to work.


Another study :

It's pretty well demonstrated by literature now that DHEA-S supplementation in men leads to a sensible increase in estrone and estradiol, while it doesn't affect the androgens levels. Pair it with what you posted, that it's a weak AR antagonist, and you get the reason why your hairs thicken.

25 mg a day managed to flare up my pre-existing gyno despite being on TRT with a total T of 1200/1300 ng/dL and a serum DHT of 1200 pg/mL