Dhea how long before it works

The effects of dehydroepiandrosterone DHEA in the treatment of depression and depressive symptoms in other psychiatric and medical illnesses: A systematic review. Curr Drug Targets. Cleveland Clinic. Archer DF. Dehydroepiandrosterone intra vaginal administration for the management of postmenopausal vulvovaginal atrophy.

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Panjari M, Davis SR. DHEA for postmenopausal women: a review of the evidence. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Possible Benefits. Possible Side Effects. Dosage and Preparation. What to Look For. Some even call it the anti-aging pill or the fountain of youth. However you refer to it, if you're interested in taking a DHEA supplement, you're probably wondering how long it takes to work. Before we can dive into that query, we need to understand what DHEA is in the human body. DHEA is a steroid hormone that is the foundation or the precursor to other hormones.

Without DHEA, you wouldn't have estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and other critical hormones. It's produced primarily in the adrenal glands located above your kidneys. The small glands produce DHEA, and then some of the hormone is converted to other hormones. DHEA, like all hormones, decreases as one ages. In fact, levels peak in the mid-twenties and slowly decline over time. While the process is perfectly natural, you can experience some pretty intense side effects if you have an extreme drop in this vital hormone.

Although the exact connection between DHEA and low hormone levels needs to be further researched. DHEA topical creams provide the fastest way to administer the hormone.

Your skin soaks up the supplement into the bloodstream. How long it takes to work will depend on how much you apply, and often you use it. Some studies showed DHEA level improvements in a week or less and for others longer. However, many women will benefit from lower doses. Even 5 to 10mg per day of oral DHEA has provided positive results in my patients. Sometimes DHEA might be normal, and your symptoms can be attributed to something else.

Some women might experience symptoms of high androgens with supplementation including oily skin, acne and facial hair growth, which is a clue that there is more going on with hormone balance that we need to uncover. How long does it take for DHEA to work? This one of the most common questions that I receive from women about DHEA supplementation or any hormone replacement. Of course, we all want a quick fix, but I coach women to give DHEA supplementation around 3 months, or three full menstrual cycles, to observe any changes.

Since it takes an egg days to fully develop, my fertility patients have seen improvements in just this short time frame. In addition to supplementation, there are many action steps that women can take to naturally support DHEA and overall hormone balance. Here are some of my tips to get started on while you are waiting for hormone test results:. All hormones work together in a great symphony.

DHEA levels appear to be low in people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. But the study wasn't well designed. Studies suggest that DHEA supplementation may be beneficial for other health conditions, including infertility, schizophrenia, cocaine withdrawal, anorexia nervosa, and dementia.

Most DHEA supplements are produced in laboratories from diosgenin, a plant sterol extracted from Mexican wild yams Dioscorea villosa. Some extracts from wild yams are marketed as "natural DHEA. But this is not true. Your body can't covert those extracts into DHEA. For this reason, it is best to look for labels that list DHEA rather than diosgenin or wild yam extract.

It is important to choose high quality DHEA supplements. One way to avoid buying a product with contaminated DHEA is to purchase it through a professional health care provider. DHEA is available in capsules, tablets, chewing gum, sublingual under the tongue drops, and topical on the skin creams. If you are under 40, you shouldn't take DHEA without your doctor's supervision. The dose of DHEA may depend on a person's gender, age, and condition.

Laboratory tests can assess your DHEA levels before you take it, and can monitor levels after you start. Talk to your doctor to find the right dose for you. Higher doses have been used to treat lupus. People with lupus should not take DHEA without first talking to their doctor. Because of the potential for side effects and interactions with medications, dietary supplements should be taken only under the supervision of a knowledgeable health care provider.

People under 40 shouldn't take DHEA unless they have low levels as determined by their doctors. People taking DHEA should have their blood levels checked every 6 months. Because your body uses DHEA to make estrogen and testosterone, people with hormone-related cancers, such as breast, prostate, ovarian, adrenal, and testicular cancer, or a family history of these cancers, should not take DHEA. DHEA may make other hormone-related conditions, such as endometriosis or polycystic ovarian syndrome, worse.

Some experts think people with a history of depression or bipolar disorder may have side effects from using DHEA including mania and irritability. High doses of DHEA may prompt the body to stop making the hormone. High doses may also be toxic to liver cells. At least one case of hepatitis has been reported. People who have liver disease should avoid DHEA.

Some experts are concerned that DHEA may make liver problems worse. DHEA may increase the production of the male hormone testosterone.

Women should be aware of the risk of developing signs of masculinization. These include loss of hair on the head, deepening of the voice, growth of hair on the face, weight gain around the waist, or acne. Men should be aware of the risks of too much testosterone, such as shrinkage of the testicles, aggression, male pattern baldness, high blood pressure, and possible higher risk for testosterone-related cancers.

Call your doctor if any of these symptoms occur. If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, or with any medications designed to alter the levels or metabolism of various hormones in your body, you should not use DHEA without talking to your doctor first. However, researchers don't know if that would be true or safe in humans. Animal studies suggest that DHEA may strengthen the effects of barbiturates, a sedative often used to treat sleep disorders.

These medicines include butabarbital, mephobarbital, pentobarbital, and phenobarbital. Laboratory studies suggest that DHEA may increase the effects of prednisolone, used to treat inflammation and other disorders. DHEA may affect levels of estrogen and testosterone in the body.

People who are taking hormone therapy should talk to their doctors to see if their doses need to be adjusted. DHEA may make insulin and drugs used to lower blood sugar less effective, raising the risk of high blood sugar. Effects of DHEA administration on episodic memory, cortisol and mood in healthy young men: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Psychopharmacology Berl. Patients with refractory Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis respond to dehydroepiandrosterone: a pilot study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther.

Dehydroepiandrosterone replacement in women with adrenal insufficiency. N Engl J Med. Barad DH, Gleicher N. Increased oocyte production after treatment with dehydroepiandrosterone.

Fertil Steril. The effect of dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation to symptomatic perimenopausal women on serum endocrine profiles, lipid parameters, and health-related quality of life. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Dehydroepiandrosterone in systemic lupus erythematosus: relationship between dosage, serum levels, and clinical response. J Rheumatol. Baulieu EE. Thomas G, Legrain S, et al.