Q: I'm in my mid-40s and already going through menopause. My doctor has putme on estrogen replacement therapy, but I wonder if I should also be taking DHEA? I keep hearing that it's a fountain of youth in a bottle. Do you recommend it?
A: It's easy to find out if you should take DHEA. Have your blood levels of the hormone and its active form (DHEA-S) measured. If your levels are normal, I would be very cautious about taking the hormone. If your levels are low, it's something to consider under your doctor's careful supervision.
DHEA has been called the mother hormone. It's a precursor to sex hormones, both male and female. The body will take DHEA and convert it into other hormones, a process that is uniquely dependent on each individual's chemistry. For that reason, taking a DHEA supplement can be both a blessing and a curse. One of my patients was unable to conceive and was quickly successful using DHEA. Another patient decided, on her own, to take high doses (100 milligrams a day) and developed facial hair that did not go away even after she stopped taking the hormone. A year later, she still has to wax her mustache. DHEA must have stimulated excess male hormones in this woman.
