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DHEA Side Effects

How Bad Are the Side Effects of DHEA?

After reading about DHEA on your site about six months ago, I started taking 50 mg daily. I am a 57-year old woman and wanted an energy boost because I was finding it harder and harder to keep up my routine of five aerobics classes a week.

I haven’t changed my exercise routine or diet since starting the DHEA and am just amazed at the results.

Not only do I have my old energy back, but my body has toned up like never before. The loose skin that was beginning to hang from my upper arms has miraculously glued itself back in place. (When I look in the mirror, I am reminded of that “50-year old grandma” in the Bowflex ad.)

However I’m considering stopping DHEA because of the possible side effects. I have two questions. Will I quickly lose the benefits I have gained? Is there any more recent research on the risks of DHEA supplementation?

I’m bound and determined to fight aging every step of the way, so was delighted to find your website. Thanks in advance for answering and for all the great info on your site.

Connie

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You’ve taken your body’s physical condition and metabolism back a few years with the DHEA, so you won’t quickly lose your gains.

All else being equal, if you stop the DHEA, over time the normal aging process will overtake the toned look and revved up metabolism which you gained while using it.

It’s as if you turned the clock back. When you stop taking the DHEA, the clock will just start ticking again, at pretty much the same speed it did before. As you lose the new muscle DHEA helped produce, your metabolism will gradually slow again because muscle burns more calories than fat and boosts your metabolic rate.

That said – you can prevent the muscle loss to a large extent by changing your current exercise routine. Rather than five aerobics classes a week, add some weight training and alternate your workouts.

For example, take aerobics classes Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; then on Tuesdays and Thursdays, weight train.

If you enjoy dancing and your nose turns up at the thought of weight training, look for classes that do weight work to music. The important thing is to continue challenging your muscles.

Once a routine is so easy for you that it doesn’t fatigue the target muscles; it is time to increase the weight you are lifting.

As for the latest research on DHEA, we know there are risks when taken in doses of 100 mg or more a day. Women may experience growth of excess facial hair, deepening of the voice, acne breakouts, thinning hair on the head, and increased risk of heart disease and breast cancer.

Men may develop enlarged breasts and increase their risk of prostate cancer. Finally, research indicates that high doses of DHEA may cause liver damage.

In the short term, doses of 50mg a day, such as you take, have not shown any of the above risks. The long-term risks of low doses of DHEA will not be known until – well – the long term. Its use as a supplement hasn’t been studied long enough for the long-term risks to be proven or for this steroid to be given a clean bill of health.

So I would advise caution. If you’re satisfied with the gains you’ve achieved already, why not discontinue the DHEA and try the changes I suggested above in your workout routine? See how you do over the next six months.

In the meantime, more and more medical reports should be released regarding DHEA supplementation.

Another cautionary step you could take is to have your blood serum level of DHEA tested. If your levels are above normal on 50 mg a day, you could reduce your dosage to a more appropriate level under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

You don’t mention them, but many users of DHEA report other benefits such as enhanced sex drive and lifting of depression. When that is the case, the decision of whether to take DHEA as a supplement becomes more complex and best made jointly by you and your doctor.

For more info, read our article Beyond the Basics of DHEA.

This article is for informational purposes only. It does not purport to render medical advice.

 

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