MY bloodwork shows very low levels of DHEA ...importance?

[EZstreet]

When I had gotten my blood work done I requested total & free test levels to be done. The doc being aware of my juice use also wanted DHEA to be tested.
My total testosterone is 205 ng/dl range/245-1836
free test- 6.2 pg/ml range/12.4-4.0

dhea - 34 mcg/dl range 59-452
cortisol-6.4 ug/dl done pm range 3.0-17.0
estroidal 12 pg/ml

Now for those reading are about 2 weeks old and I have a feeling the readings would be different even no as my libido just keeps getting stronger alomost daily.

Oh and BTW for people that still think T3 or syntroid will permenantly mess the thyroid up; after alomost 2 years staight on it my t3 read 375(normal being 230-420) T4 7.7(normal 4.2-10.5) these reading only 2 months after being off.

Anyhow for those in the know especially the docs, What significance of the dhea? I mean I know what it is for the most part but everything I've looked up about it seems over-hyped because most info comes from longevity sites(though they do suggest when supplementing and taking some sort of anti -e).
So basically docs(anybody's opinion welcomed) do you feel I would benefit for dhea???
So in taking dhea suplements what can be expected. Before I start back up on a cycle I would like to see if I can normalize my system.

Thanks! All help appreciated.

 

[yomama]

Hey guys! I think we found ourself a guinea pig! jk

 

[Warmachine]

dhea converts to sex hormones. its probobly just low from your cycle. i wouldnt supplement as the idea of being off is to let your body recover.

 

[buffdoc]

I'd get it rechecked at a later date. I find DHEA to be low in a significant number of patients when I check hormone levels. DHEA is the main ADRENAL androgen (not testicular), and is often a major source of testosterone in women.
If it's low, I'll replace it along with the test, thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, GH or whatever is deficient. I don't think the full range of function of DHEA is really known at this point, but I try to get it back in the normal range. God must've put it there for a reason ;-)
It's often low when many of the other hormones are low as well; the endocrine system is very sensitive to stress of any kind. There is a form called 7-keto-DHEA which allegedly does not convert into any of the "downstream" steroids, but who knows?
DHEA is fairly "upstream" in the steroid cascade, similar to pregnenolone, but not as high up. It's interesting that we know less about the function of these "precursor" hormones. I would imagine that they may have functions of their own, separate from just converting to test, estrogen, etc. We just don't know what those functions are yet.

 

[yomama]

When I had gotten my blood work done I requested total & free test levels to be done. The doc being aware of my juice use also wanted DHEA to be tested.
My total testosterone is 205 ng/dl range/245-1836
free test- 6.2 pg/ml range/12.4-4.0

Your total test is 205? Isn't that kinda low?

 

[EZstreet]

Thanks buffdoc & guys!


Yes it is -total testosterone is 205 ng/dl with the normal range being 245-1836. I have been on for almost a year really high dosages and as I've mentioned my libido keeps getting stronger daily. I have lost very little muscle or strength so something else must be at play(which is why I posted the other numbers such as dhea as well as coritisol-cortisol wasn't that elevated after 6 weeks and my HPTA started kicking in around the 2 months mark.
The reason I'm stating such about cortisol and mentioning hpta is because post cycle(if you consider a year or more a cycle) most have elevated cortisol. For my hpta to come back as noticed by increased testicular size after well as regaining natural libido after a 3 week crash , shows that any long acting hormone ester must have ran it's course since hpta will not kick in until it read a deficit.
One thing that has happened has been some increased fat storage in unusual places for me.

BTW prolactin levels were at 8ng/ml normal range is 2-18ng/ml. I don't know the sensitivity of any elevation. i.e. May be in normal range bu cause problems for me.

Free test- 6.2 pg/ml with normal range/12.4-40.0 is more of my concern when numbers get higher.
I have had my total test be not that high 400 ng/dl with a free of 28 before. If you understand the normal ranges you'll see its within normal but low for free test. However I operated well and built a great deal of muscle natural with my free test being at 28pG/mL. All I wanted to do was have sex. It would have shown me there was a problem(and I think docs would agree to have a total 400 with a 14.0 or so.

And buffdoc I have seen and thought about the keto-dhea but as was mentioned I didn't know id supplementation would help or further hinder ...still undecided & still gathering opinions from all.
And I have noticed as was mentioned precursor hormones have many unknowns. Guess that why I can't figure it out.

What was that particular form of test that has dhea in. No biggie just couldnt remember, I remember it came in amps cause about 5 years ago I had some.

 

[yomama]

Thanks buffdoc & guys!


Yes it is -total testosterone is 205 ng/dl with the normal range being 245-1836. I have been on for almost a year really high dosages and as I've mentioned my libido keeps getting stronger daily. I have lost very little muscle or strength so something else must be at play(which is why I posted the other numbers such as dhea as well as coritisol-cortisol wasn't that elevated after 6 weeks and my HPTA started kicking in around the 2 months mark.

You're on the wrong path. I dont want to be mean but I know a guy who's doing year round cycles and he looks like shit. His muscles dont look cut big , they just look like FAT. And the guy lifts less than I do. Personally I'd say you're wasting your money, short cycles is the way to go. You wont gain more than me on doing longer cycles. Your test is low, you'll start losing weight.

 

[TxLonghorn]

You're on the wrong path. I dont want to be mean but I know a guy who's doing year round cycles and he looks like shit. His muscles dont look cut big , they just look like FAT. And the guy lifts less than I do. Personally I'd say you're wasting your money, short cycles is the way to go. You wont gain more than me on doing longer cycles. Your test is low, you'll start losing weight.

Just because you know a guy doesn't mean it's necessarily how it is. Short cycles may be best for you, long cycles might be best for somebody else...hell, for all you know the guy you know might look even shittier on short cycles.

Is this guy dedicated, knows how to work out and not afraid to do it, nutrition, etc.? I've never heard anybody say, 'I've got to stop taking gear, it's making my muscles turn into fat.'

 

[EZstreet]

Yeah TX LH ,Tre that, though I know what he is trying to say.

However to say I'm wrong and I can not do as well is flawed thinking on your part. For instance I'm 38 y/o ; So regardless of whether I do short cycles alowing homeostasis of endogenous hormones , my hormonal level will unlikely be high enough to maintain my muscle mass(sad fact of life). If you speaking from your second decade of life then all the more reason I should stay on as HRT dictates.
The guy you speak of has an unlimited amount of UNKNOWN variables.
So why he's a fat ass can't show proof of anything.


I don't know if any of you know the type of person that doesn't have to workout,drinks too damn much alcohol and still looks as though they're juicing?

Well I know just the case. I was so curious about this person that I paid the lusch to go get bloodwork done.

40 y/o male
B/w 220 lbs (not bb lean but lean)

drank weekly with binge drinking off and on since 20 y/o
was strong and only did workouts when doing jail time for drinking rlated offense(only time he cleaned up and was totally sober).

Total testoserone levels were close to 500(if I remember correctly) the guy seemed to have no sex drive as reported by the women that knew him(unkowns there huh? lol)
This guy was a mystery to me as throughout my life I had met this type off and on. Now at the time the lab he went to wasn't testing for igf-1 so there is many unknowns(I had been under the impression years ago that testosterone was the whole picture). But the thing I've learned about testosterone levels(total & free) from people like this is , there is more at play than testosterone. These guys make no sense and I would like really like to figure out whats up.
I know a large amount of muscle tissue remodeling takes place from the types of jailhouse workouts and food, i.e. I suspect that high reps along with high glycemic carbs cause insulin to be used to it's full advantage....with night time low BG levels causing an increased gh output(constant gylcogen overcompensation with a different type of teardown than weight traing ilicit).
I have experienced this type of muscle stimluation first hand and came out stronger than I went in. Another reason why many of my buddies may be correct when they tell me I'm missing out by not using insulin as it's another part of the big equation(especially with GH-I know it extends the life of igf-1).

 

[EZstreet]

Also The guy you speak of could have a fucked up liver causing estrodials to not be metabolised out. Maybe he doesn't use anti-e's or anti-aroms. The more fat he aquires the more aromatase converting enzyme,hence more fat accumulation. Once again who knows but liver malfunction could well be a culprit.

 

[TxLonghorn]

However to say I'm wrong and I can not do as well is flawed thinking on your part.

I think you misunderstood, I don't think short cycles are less effective than long cycles, just that you can't lump everybody into one basket. That was my point.

Regardless, it's obvious you have put quite a bit of thought into this over the years and you make some interesting points.

I need to look into short cycles more, that's for sure.

 

[EZstreet]

Yeah I know I was actually commenting on "yomama's" post.

I have always found that after about 8 weeks I either have to double the dose or I stagnate. From there I'm good to go for about 8-10 more then,from what I've learned it is just as well to drop dose to a maintanance (like begining dose). That is dropped to the point of find what maintains aquired size takes some experimenting which is and advantage over shorter esters.

Another point ot ponder. Orals don't seem to reach the point of diminishing returns the way long acting injectables do. For ex, I've kept making gains year long with dbol not going over 50mg/day for months on end.

 

[EZstreet]

damn my typings fucked; supposed to day shorter acting esters have an advantage when experimenting.

 

[yomama]

Another point ot ponder. Orals don't seem to reach the point of diminishing returns the way long acting injectables do. For ex, I've kept making gains year long with dbol not going over 50mg/day for months on end.

You got a spare liver? lol How's your liver doing, seriously.

 

[EZstreet]

my alt is 84- past 60 is high
ast is 29 well within normal.
In a few more weeks I'm rechecking and feel confident it will be all within normal range. Also testosterone levels will be improved(still doubt they'll be much over the low normal).
Once again I really believe the trimethylglycine is a major player in restoring normal values.

 

[TxLonghorn]

I really believe the trimethylglycine is a major player in restoring normal values.

This tmg, is it available as a tab, otc, powder...?

 

[simpllyhuge]

where you on t3 or nay thyroid drugs when you got your t3 tested?

 

[EZstreet]

TxLonghorn: The tmg(betaine anhydrous) is available in powder script known as"cystadane". OTC in the health food store the exact same thing comes in both but all I have seen is the tablets.



simpllyhuge: I wasn't on any thyroid or any drug-totally clean and drug/hormone free at the time as well as now.