Anyone currently experimenting with pregnenolone ?
I was on DHEA for a couple of years after testing low for it, which really raised my energy and reduced my anxiety and depression. Fantastic results. But as a male in his 50s I felt concerned when I saw the research about DHEA supplementation and prostate cancer so I'm looking for alternatives.
Pregnenolone should be converted to DHEA. But on 15mg I became (even more!) exhausted with no energy gains at all! I reduced my dose and stated to get energy ... but too much ! Awake all night! I have reduced further and now start to get some some benefits... but it's still much more "speedy" than DHEA- I can tolerate around 4mg a day without getting hyperactive, but even on that dosage my sleep is much lighter than I would like.
What does anyone else find ?
Ive never heard of dhea within normal range causing prostate cancer, if anything it increases immune function which is important in reduce cancers etc. Some research showing it can reduce the inflammatory cytokine tnf alpha which is commonly high in cfs.
There is a myth that testosterone increases heart disease and cancer but i think this to scare people over the drugs in sport issue. There is research showing that men with testosterone in the highest range of normal have reduced levels of many health conditions such as cancers and heart disease and can help reduce inflammation and improve immune function. Those men on testosterone treatment well above the normal range had an increased risk of medical conditions mentioned but those with the highest risk of heart disease and cancer were those with low testosterone. Which makes sense as you see most males who have heart disease or cancer are generally above 40yo and hormones are low normal or below range. Also in males testosterone converts a certain amount through aromatisation into estrogen. It is believed that its this mechanism reduces many health issues and improves insulin sensitivity. Its important if on TRT to not block the conversion of testosterone to estrogen as your reduce its beneficial effects.
If a male cfser is over 40 or any age really and has low testosterone levels, then they could greatly benefit from TRT/testosterone replacement therapy. There is good research showing improved immune function in hiv patients on TRT and or using an anabolic steroud called deca durabolin/nandrolone decanoate. Deca durabolin seems to be very helpful for alot of general aches and pain or old niggly injuries.
There are transfermal creams and gels but most men dont seem to get much of a benefit from them. So the cold standard is 1-2 injections per week anywhere from a weekly total of 100mg to 250mg for TRT.
Pregnenolone when looking at hormones and their pathways does appear to flow onto dhea, but this doesnt seem to be a black and white occurrence, the same with dhea to testosterone. But they all have their own individual effects. Pregnenolone can help improve mood and energy like dhea even though it may not increase dhea levels. My experience was that pregnenolone increased my morning cortisol and improved my general wellbeing as did dhea. After time had elapsed it can be hard to know if they are helping so i have stopped both as well as one at a time and i lose that feeling of wellbeing.
So i take dhea 25mg per day, pregnenolone 50mg per day and testosterone enanthate 125mg twice a week for a total of 250mg/week. Some people dont feel well on dhea or pregnenolone and for those people id say dont worry about it or of your levels are very low start with dhea and use very low doses lime 5mg a day and slowly over several weeks work up to 25mg a week. Once dhea is sorted rhen do the same with pregnenolone. Id retest or your blood hormone levels to see if theres much of a knock on effect. Then consider TRT.
Theres a good closed TRT/HOT(hormone optimization therapy) group on Facebook with many drs active on there where you may get some info and ask questions and may help you find a good dr knowledgable in TRT. Also they do many videos on utube. It can help you research this topic further and help yoy to make a more informed decision about these treatments.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoLNk-4LAYsbfsQwjFWG2gQ
Cheers,
All the best
