DHEA has been suggested as a possible treatment for anxiety, but studies on anxiety and DHEA are conflicting. DHEA is dehydroepiandrosterone, a hormone that is a precursor to testosterone and estrogen. It is available in supplement form as capsules, tablets and injections. Anxiety disorders are typically treated with medication and therapy, but as of 2010 lifestyle changes and alternative therapies are being researched as possible treatment adjuncts.
Identification
DHEA is produced in the adrenal glands, which are on top of the kidneys. It begins to decrease in the body after age 30. DHEA has often been touted as an anti-aging therapy. It has been studied as treatment for several diseases, including mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia. DHEAS is the sulfate form of DHEA.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and can be a beneficial motivator. When anxiety becomes debilitating, however, an anxiety disorder may be to blame. Some symptoms of anxiety include feelings of dread or apprehension, feeling tense or jumpy, trouble concentrating and irritability.
Effects
DHEA may be helpful for the management of anxiety in people with schizophrenia, according to a 2003 study published by Rael D. Strous and colleagues in the "Archives of General Psychiatry." High levels of DHEA also have an anti-anxiety effect in mice, according to a 2006 study published by Rachel Maayan and colleagues in "Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior." People who experience increased DHEA levels in response to a stressful situation report less anxiety, according to a 2002 study published by M. Boudarene and colleagues in "Encephale." DHEA may have an anticortisol effect, according to the 2002 study.
Conflicting Results
Higher levels of DHEAS in the morning are associated with increased anxiety severity in people experiencing a depressive episode, according to a 2006 study published by Cheng-Cheng Hsiao in "Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences." Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety disorder, also display higher DHEA and DHEAS levels, according to a 2000 study published by B. Spivak and colleagues in "Psychological Medicine."
Mechanism
Hsiao listed several possible reasons for conflicting study results, including age and gender of the people studied, interaction of other medications, visceral fat and medical conditions and smoking. Some medications alter DHEAS concentration. Visceral fat and smoking can affect the hypothalamic--pituitary--adrenocortical system, which regulates adrenal steroid production.
Precautions
In high doses, DHEA administration could lead to oily skin, acne, voice deepening and hirsutism, according to a 1954 study by Dalton Sands in the "Journal of Mental Science." It could also exacerbate hormone-sensitive tumors. It may increase the risk of overactivation, disinhibition, aggression, mania or psychosis.
References
- "Archives of General Psychiatry": Dehydroepiandrosterone Augmentation in the Management of Negative, Depressive, and Anxiety Symptoms in Schizophrenia
- "Journal of Mental Science": Further Studies on Endocrine Treatment in Adolescence and Early Adult Life
- "Encephale": Study of the stress response: role of anxiety, cortisol and DHEAs
- "Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences": Positive correlation between anxiety severity and plasma levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in medication-free patients
- "Psychological Medicine": Elevated circulatory level of GABAA
