Dehydroepiandrosterone or "DHEA" is an adrenal hormone that affects your body's androgen and estrogen production, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you're 30 years of age or older, or if you have certain medical conditions, you might have low DHEA levels in your body. Before you begin taking DHEA supplements, consult your doctor to discuss the potential side effects, health dangers and drug interactions.
Adrenal Hormone Production
DHEA plays a crucial role in your adrenal glands' production of female and male sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. As you get older, your DHEA levels plummet. You might also have low levels of DHEA if you have certain health conditions like adrenal failure or insufficiency, Addison's disease, depression, dementia and Alzheimer's disease, HIV, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, osteoporosis, congestive heart failure, or multiple sclerosis, according to the University of Michigan Health System website. If you have low DHEA levels, supplementation might help in treating your medical condition. Studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1999 and the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism in 2000, found that taking DHEA helped in treating adrenal insufficiency and Addison's disease, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. DHEA supplementation was also found to be beneficial for women with impaired pituitary function, in a 2006 study reported in Clinical Endocrinology. Always talk with your doctor before taking DHEA supplements to enhance your adrenal function.
Sexual Dysfunction
Taking DHEA could help correct sexual dysfunction, increase sex drive and treat erectile dysfunction in men, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center website. Men with low DHEA levels and erectile dysfunction benefited from taking DHEA supplements in a 1999 double-blind study published in the journal Urology.Two studies published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, in 1994 and 1999, discovered that taking DHEA increased libido and sexual function in older women, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. DHEA could also improve libido and decrease symptoms like vaginal dryness in women who're going through menopause. If you're menopausal and are taking estrogen replacement therapy, you should take DHEA only under the close supervision of a doctor, however.
Lupus Symptoms
If you have the autoimmune disorder called systemic lupus erythematosus, taking DHEA with your other medications could improve your quality of life, states the University of Maryland Medical Center website. A 1998 study reported in the Journal of Rheumatology, and another study published in Autoimmunity in 2005, found that taking DHEA could help reduce lupus symptoms while increasing testosterone and HDL or "good cholesterol" levels. Supplementing with 100 to 200 mg of DHEA daily could help to reduce your lupus symptoms, especially if you're a woman, according to the University of Michigan Health System website. Although DHEA supplementation could decrease lupus symptoms in women, it won't necessarily slow down or affect the disease itself, notes University of Pittsburgh Medical Center experts. Talk to your doctor about adding DHEA to your treatment regiment for lupus before you begin taking the supplement.
Drug Therapies
If you take medications to treat schizophrenia or antipsychotic phenothiazine-family drugs, taking DHEA could support these therapies or reduce side effects from the medications, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. A 2003 study found that taking DHEA increased the effects of drugs for treating schizophrenia, according to the Archives of General Psychiatry. Another double-blind clinical trial published in Schizophrenia Research in 2005, discovered that DHEA could decrease certain side effects caused by taking phenothiazine drugs. Taking DHEA could also support your immune system's reaction to certain vaccines, particularly the flu and tetanus vaccinations, according to a study in the 1996 issue of the journal Vaccine. DHEA may also increase the effects of AZT or Zidovudine, a drug used to treat HIV, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center website. Additionally, taking medications like budesonide, dexamethasone, metformin, rosiglitazone, estrogens and oral contraceptives can reduce your DHEA levels.
Fatigue & Depression
If you have depression or chronic fatigue syndrome, taking DHEA could help reduce your symptoms. A 1999 pilot study published in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, discovered that DHEA supplementation appeared to ease symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center website. A clinical trial found that taking DHEA effectively helped to treat depression in people with HIV or AIDS, according to a 2006 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. These benefits could be due to the fact that people with chronic fatigue syndrome or depression seem to have low DHEA levels, notes the University of Michigan Health System website. Discuss taking DHEA with your healthcare provider if you have either of these conditions.
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