Posted , 10 users are following.
I have been reading about DHEA and wondered if anyone has any experience with this. I am currently on 3 mg per day after 2 1/2 years with PMR. I struggle with fatigue and dizziness. I have not had the adrenal gland test.
0 likes, 12 replies
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EileenH floramac
Posted
Before you waste money of DHEA - ask for an adrenal gland test. It is a question that appears every so often - and it is hype. This is a reliable assessment:
http://sfsbm.org/wiki2/index.php?title=DHEA:_Ignore_the_Hype
andrea93419 floramac
Posted
Hi floramac,
Elieen, would the dizziness be the adrenaline glands not working for Floramac?? I'm curious because I'm on 2.5mg a day and I'm getting awful dizziness too.
many thanks
Andrea xx
EileenH andrea93419
Posted
757gal floramac
Posted
My holistic MD tested my blood for DHEA knowing I was on high doses of Prednisone and I was low as expected. I'm currently taking 35 mg DHEA each day to keep my value in the normal range.
andrea93419 floramac
Posted
Hi Eileen,
ive had dizziness off and on since I started on prednisolone 3 years ago. When I was on a high dose (20mg) I blamed the side effects of that. Then off and on while coming down on prednisolone, I blamed tapering. Now I'm getting it for no real reason only I'm taking 2 and a half mg! During the 3 years I've had different side effects, they come and go then come back again! I had the synacthen test at 7mg of prednisolone and had an allergic reaction to the substance and passed out, so I can't have that test again! My rheumatologist has asked me to take a '9.00am blood test' that can indicate if adrenaline glands are functioning. I haven't yet taken it as I'm not feeling too well of late, and really need to be 'Tip Top' incase they pick up something else I'd need medication for 🙄
Many thanks
Andrea.x
track andrea93419
Posted
I asked my G.P if I could have the Synacthen test, I am on 4mgs of Pred. and he said no, I had to be off Prednisone altogether for 2 weeks before I could have it, as it would not be a correct test.
I would like to know if others have had the same response from their Drs?
Also I would like to know about the 9.00am blood test to see if Adrenalin glands are functioning correctly, I thought only the Synacthen test could do this.
keep well,
Track
EileenH track
Posted
He's talking rubbish. It can be and is done on patients still on pred - as it should be, someone with absolutely zero adrenal gland function could be dead by then if they suffered an adrenal crisis during the final stages of reduction! The results aren't quite the same - but you can tell if there is the capability to make cortisol which is what you need to know to continue the reduction to see if they do produce it. That isn't the only criterion of course - just like there are a lot of different things required as well as a full fuel tank to get your car to start!
The "9am blood test" is part of the synacthen test. It shows the basal level of cortisol - then they give an injection to stimulate the adrenal glands and take another blood test about half an hour later to see if they have worked when the cortisol level should be significantly higher. Your GP sounds confused actually - the 9am cortisol level won't give a true reflection of adrenal function when you are still on pred, even without having taken any for the previous 24 hours, but the relative increase in the levels between 9am and 9.30am is still valid.
I'd tell him I'd like a referral to an endocrinologist...
andrea93419 EileenH
Posted
Oh crikey, I don't want anything else to stimulate my adrenaline glands incase I pass out again, it took me a month to recover from that. I thought the '9.00am blood test' was going to be straight forward. The result from my synacthan test when on 7mg of prednisolone was ZERO! The endocrinologist said I was on too high a dose for an accurate test.
EileenH andrea93419
Posted
andrea93419 EileenH
Posted
I have been down as low as 1mg for 6 to 8 weeks, but had to increase to 5mg last June because of a rise in CRP. But I've been 5mg or under for almost 2 years now and I'm functioning well, on 2.5mg at present, lots of energy and only a little stiffness sometimes. So I'd very surprised if my adrenaline glands aren't working at all!
track EileenH
Posted
diane53336 floramac
Posted
I felt so good on DHEA that I doubled the dosage to 10mg per day. I was also delighted at my new curves not only in my legs but also my body.
So I was disappointed when one breast became painful and lumpy - was not cancer but an overload of Oestragen which caused fibrous tissue. I stopped taking the DHEA and HRT until my breasr lumps disappeared.
Some years later and older, I decided to try the low dosage of DHEA again but nothing happened this time.
That was my experience of DHEA.
The trial had been 30 mg of DHEA given to women aged 75 made a significant improvement in strength and stamina but higher doses made no further improvement. But also no adverse side effects reported.