On the EDGE! GRRRRRRRrrrrr!

[wilson6]

"however, recent studies indicate that severe psychiatric symptoms can develop in a subset of users"

Someone please cite those recent studies.

W6

 

[MS]

I suggest you email Charles Dean for his reference list. There have been some interesting associations between high DHEA levels and pychosis, but I haven't come across any studies where they actually gave young people high doses of the stuff and observed psychosis developing. It may be that Dean has been to some recent conferences where as-yet unpublished work was presented.

As far back as 1992:

Integr Physiol Behav Sci 1992 Jul-Sep;27(3):209-15

Severe psychosis and the adrenal androgens.
Howard JS 3rd.
Dept. of Health, Fresno, CA 93775.

Past literature suggests a link between certain psychotic states and adrenal androgen production, including Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). A group of severely psychotic androgenized females, refractory to substantial amounts of neuroleptics, has been identified for whom endocrine testing revealed abnormally high levels of DHEA. A similar group has been identified among the severely psychotic male population. Improvement in psychosis appears to occur as DHEA returns to its normal range using standard low dose Dexamethasone suppression.

Without any hard clinical studies, the best advice for little girl would be to knock off the DHEA (for a variety of reasons) and see if her mood returns to normal. Chances are that her problem will be from the Primo, PCOS, or other endocrine imbalance/stress. But why take something that you don't need and is prolly not beneficial if there is even a slight chance of negative side effects??

 

[wilson6]

There's a big difference between giving someone DHEA and the subsequent development of psychosis and someone with psychosis having high endogenous high DHEA levels. They used to think that because violent criminals had higher test levels that giving test made one a violent criminal. Bhasin laid rest to that hypothesis in 1996.

We do know that prednisone can cause serious psych problems; by using dexamethasone to suppress DHEA, endogenous cortisol is likewise suppressed. Thus, is it the DHEA or cortisol that was causing the problems?

Regardless, as MS said, if it is DHEA, it makes no sense to me to be taking DHEA when it isn't worth shit as an anabolic and is causing behavioral problems.

W6

 

[MS]

It sounds like we basically agree Wilson6. DHEA is worthless as an anabolic unless you have an actual deficiency. But on top of that, I think most people who pop OTC DHEA don't realize that it is a neuroactive steroid all by itself just like estrogen etc... It does not need to be converted to anything else to have this effect.

Essentially if you need more testosterone then take T, if you need more estrogen then take E, if you need more DHEA then take DHEA. Your body will use DHEA as it sees fit, and in young women this is at least as likely to be for estrogen conversion or little conversion (=high DHEA levels). I don't know for sure, but I would suspect that if you're taking Primo as well, that you body is MUCH more likely to make estrogen than Test. Of course, also I think much estrogen can also make ya feel a bit crazy at times.

Or as WarLobo said, drop the DHEA