Menopause may be a natural process, but that doesn't mean you need to put up with the discomfort it causes. One potential treatment that menopausal women use to help ease symptoms and prevent complications is DHEA, a hormone that can be taken in supplement form to boost levels that naturally drop as you age. The evidence for DHEA as a menopausal aid remains controversial, however, and the supplement appears to be more effective for some menopausal complications than for others.
Menopause
Menopause occurs 12 months after a woman's last menstrual cycle and signals the end of a woman's reproductive life. This normal biological process sets off a storm of hormonal changes that can cause symptoms including fatigue, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbances, thinning hair and increasing abdominal fat. These symptoms may begin a few years before true menopause occurs as periods become irregular and fertility gradually declines.
DHEA
DHEA occurs naturally in the body, but production decreases as you age. Supplemental DHEA can be synthesized from soy and wild yam, but these foods don't provide DHEA when consumed in their natural state. DHEA sold as a dietary supplement is not regulated by the FDA, so its safety and efficacy may vary between products. Because this hormone decreases during menopause, some women in this stage of life take supplements to restore previous DHEA levels in an attempt to ease symptoms and prevent complications. However, the evidence for using DHEA during menopause remains mixed and further research is required before it can be recommended as a treatment.
Uses
Women who are experiencing menopause use DHEA in a variety of ways. Some women place DHEA in the vagina to strengthen the vaginal walls. DHEA is also taken orally by menopausal women in an attempt to ease symptoms such as hot flashes and fatigue. Oral DHEA might also help increase or maintain bone mineral density, which tends to decrease after menopause. A 2007 review in "Menopause International" found that DHEA should be recommended for women with low circulating levels of DHEA and those who have high risk for osteoporosis.
Considerations
Because DHEA affects the hormones, women at high risk for hormone-influenced cancers, such as breast and uterine cancer, should not take DHEA. Using DHEA at doses higher than 50 to 100 g per day for long periods of time could be dangerous. Before taking any supplement to treat menopausal symptoms, you should talk to a doctor about which treatment is right for you.
