Various Forms of DHEA and Their Effects

[GreenMachineX]

First, I'll post this link:

The Distinction Between DHEA and DHEA-S & Why Both Are Important For a Healthy Brain | ZRT Laboratory

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is plentiful in the human body - together with its sulfated form (DHEA-S), DHEA comprises the most abundant form of steroid hormones. Derived from cholesterol, DHEA is produced by the adrenal glands, brain, ovaries and testes, and is a precursor for the major sex...

www.zrtlab.com

A Couple notes from that link: Topical DHEA doesn't really effect DHEA-S levels, but only DHEA levels. I even experimented with topical DHEA early 2021, and absolutely noticed strong effects from 12.5-25mg daily, expecting my DHEA-s levels to be very high, but they remained unchanged from previous labs (still below range).

Sublingual DHEA can have very strong effects in some people at small doses of even 5mg, and I'm one of them.

I've had very low DHEA-S levels from the very first time I've had it tested. Over the past year, I've experimented with oral, sublingual and topical like previously mentioned. All give me side effects, as well as some positive effects, but I think the negatives outweigh the positive. I'm now wondering, after reading that link, might I have plenty of actual DHEA in the tissues (free DHEA) and therefore low amounts of DHEA-S? McCune I should have my salivary DHEA levels checked instead of relying on blood DHEA-S?

The reason I had renewed interest in DHEA were these 2 links:

Does dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate have a role in COVID-19 prognosis and treatment? - PubMed

The pathophysiology of COVID comprises an exaggerated pro-inflammatory response. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has a crucial role in various inflammatory conditions and modulated immunological response. Limited evidence is available regarding the incidence and the effect of HPA...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The association between body mass index and severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A cohort study

Objectives The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a worst pandemic. The clinical characteristics vary from asymptomatic to fatal. This study aims to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) levels and the severity of COVID-19. Methods and study design A cohort study...

journals.plos.org

Basically, DHEA is anti-inflammatory, and the reason kids and younger adults have such an easy time with Covid is higher levels of DHEA. Also, low DHEA-S is correlated with aging and obesity, which are the 2 groups most at risk for covid severity.

Any thoughts or insights are always welcome.

 

[sammmy]

Sounds like unproven theories and fairy tales. Much more potent immunosuppresants such as dexamethasone reduce mortality in heavy covid cases (already intubated patients) when the immune system had already gone berserk and started attacking its own body.

Immunosuppressants (anti-inflammatories) are not recommended or tested as preventative or in the beginning of the infection. They will not "boost your immune system" but impede it fighting the virus.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Sounds like unproven theories and fairy tales. Much more potent immunosuppresants such as dexamethasone reduce mortality in heavy covid cases (already intubated patients) when the immune system had already gone berserk and started attacking its own body.

Immunosuppressants (anti-inflammatories) are not recommended or tested as preventative or in the beginning of the infection. They will not "boost your immune system" but impede it fighting the virus.

So you don't think there's value in having dhea levels in range?

 

[sammmy]

There may be value of DHEA but not in helping fight covid. I personally would not use supplements that suppress the immune system until the Omicron wave is gone (expected 1-2 months). There are many: DHEA, ibuprofen, Quercetin, antihistamines, Glutathione etc.

After that, if DHEA has positive effects on you, take it. Just chasing lab values if it doesn't help you with anything, or has negative side effects, just because some sites promote it as the "fountain of youth", is pointless.

 

[GreenMachineX]

There may be value of DHEA but not in helping fight covid. I personally would not use supplements that suppress the immune system until the Omicron wave is gone (expected 1-2 months). There are many: DHEA, ibuprofen, Quercetin, antihistamines, Glutathione etc.

After that, if DHEA has positive effects on you, take it. Just chasing lab values if it doesn't help you with anything, or has negative side effects, just because some sites promote it as the "fountain of youth", is pointless.

Gotcha. Well, I easily got over covid recently with it, resveratrol and quercetin, among other things, so I wouldn't be quick to write those things off (particularly with actual pubmed studies showing quercetin effectiveness against covid), but otherwise, yeah, I've dropped dhea for now. I'm still curious though about my thought that one could have adequate DHEA levels but not adequate DHEA-S levels.