What exactly is it and how do I get it?

They're a supplement, available at any health or vitamin shop. As to what exactly they do, I was confused. About 6 years ago I tried a bottle to see what it'd do and I couldn't tell any different.
Stick with T if you're a guy.

I have naturally high T levels due to PCOS....I hear that DHEA can convert to estrogen....I'm afraid it will do that to me. Have you heard anything about that? I hear it can either turn into testosterone or estrogen...

I also have naturally high T levels, DHEA didn't work any better on me. Biggest change was acne and insomnia. Not worth the money.

I also have PCOS and DHEA worked a bit for me.  It definitely increased my facial hair (not to a male level, just to a "hairy woman" level) and I think it increased my energy and muscle size.  I've since stopped taking it, though, since those changes were pretty small and, while they felt good, didn't seem worth it.

You can buy DHEA at any market that sells supplements and vitamins. I got my bottle at Walmart. But remember you have to be at least 18 to purchase it. At the checkout counter, the cashier asked me questioningly if I was old enough to purchase it (I'm 20, but must look pretty young as a guy). I just nodded and she didn't ask for ID or anything. Fun passing experience.

I haven't tried the DHEA yet, because I'm kind of scared of most of it being converted into estrogen. I've been thinking about combining it with an estrogen blocker, but haven't bought any yet. Seems kind of dangerous to mess with my body chemistry. I had a history of mild hypothyroid a few years back, but a year afterwards I was checked again and my thyroid was normal, no pills. So I've set aside my T supplement pill bottles for another time when I feel more inclined to try it.

Thanks everyone...

Where can you buy estrogen blockers?

I haven't seen any estrogen blockers in local shops, but there's an estrogen blocker on Amazon that I'm keeping an eye out for: http://www.amazon.com/17-Androstenetrione-Testosterone-Booster-500mg-Capsules/dp/B001V5YA9A/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_5

It's pretty expensive stuff, so I've been holding off on buying it until I'm absolutely sure I'm going to use it (my other numerous amounts of T supplement pill bottles have been untouched so far).

I've been taking some supplements for a week not, and I'm taking the DHEA only every other day. I'm afraid it might be turning into estrogen in me though because about 20-30 minutes after I take it, I get a few minutes of really intense cramps. I'd like to try an estrogen blocker but it's out of my price range if I want to do supplements at all.

Kohdy, how's that TT stuff working for you? If it works, I might be tempted to order some of that when it comes time to restock on my supplements.

What would be the proper dosing? My pharmacy carries 25mg and 50mg and I'm having a hard time finding info on the dosing limits.

Quote from: Alex201 on April 14, 2011, 12:17:56 AM
What exactly is it and how do I get it?

I have to just point out here that you don't even know what it is but you're asking in the same sentence how to get it?

Just because something is promoted as "natural" doesn't mean that it can't have side effects to it. I remember DHEA coming on the "natural scene" sometime in the 90s because my dad is the type of health nut who will jump on every bandwagon that comes along that claims it's the "fountain of youth". Years later there's still debates about what the benefits of taking this are and even most natural health practitioners who really know their stuff don't recommend young people take it.

Anything that effects the balance of hormones in your body can effect your overall health. Once it's out of balance it can start chain reactions that are quite hard to stop. And I'm not just talking about some side effects that you might desire like increased hair growth (or any other masculine type effects). I've done quite a bit of experimenting on myself with hormones and natural supplements that effect them. While everyone is different in what levels are perfect for their own bodies I got into many situations where it took me months to get back on track after taking some supplement and experiencing many non-desired side effects (everything from screwed up reproductive health to heart palpitations and severe stomach problems).

I even tried to do my due diligence and research stuff as best as I could before taking it but I discovered early on that I came across a lot of conflicting research. It's hard to tell what's legit and what's not. The best thing you can do is try to team up with a natural health practitioner who really does know what they're doing (and sometimes even that is hard to determine because there's so many fruits and nuts in that arena!) to come up with something customized for you to help reach your goals. It's the same as finding a really good doctor to monitor you while taking prescription HRT. The "self-help", "self-medicating" can only get you so far and it has the potential to really do some damage as well.

My experience with taking DHEA:
I noticed more hair, longer, thicker peach fuzz, even a few real beard hairs, noticeable hair growing where it hadn't been before on the underside of my forearms, were the main two effects regarding hair-- and more muscle mass, especially on my forearms (my forearms apparently love this stuff, lol).  I did get my first real chest hair after starting DHEA. 

Drawbacks were a huge increase of acne, some of it rather painful and skin much more oily than usual.  And insomnia. 

I had bloodwork done and it raised my estrogen just a few points but raised my T level quite a bit, probably higher than my T level has ever been in my life.  So it was worth it to me.  After awhile it stopped working though and my DHEA levels dropped off significantly.  I found out recently you have to cycle it (stop taking it for awhile), otherwise your body adjusts too it.  Also, I've read it can possibly cause damage to the liver and thyroid.

Quote from: jmaxley on April 14, 2011, 03:26:09 PM
Also, I've read it can possibly cause damage to the liver and thyroid.

This is one of the other reasons I'm hesitant to take DHEA because I used to have mild hypothyroid (apparently my thyroid is normal now and being untreated, but I don't want to possibly mess it up again).

Sascraps: I only tried the TT for a couple of weeks, so I can't really say if it's made a big change or not. What I did notice is that it raised my internal body temperature significantly (whereas I'm normally sensitive to cold when not on TT), more horny than I usually am (although now that I've been exercising everyday, I get really horny more than I ever have been, with or without TT lol), and I got a few pimples on TT. I'd have to take it long term to see if it does any more effects than that, which I may have to try when I feel comfortable doing so. I've still got an almost full bottle in my cabinet (among other things like DHEA, ZMA, etc), and I don't want it to go to waste. If you want to experiment with testosterone supplements, TT is by far the easiest and cheapest to get. You can get it at your local health food store for $14 for 100 pill-bottle, or online for half the price (of course there's shipping to calculate in, so whichever is more convenient or cheapest). But do your research and/or see a doctor before taking anything. Personally I don't like doctors, so I don't follow my own advise about seeing one XD But it's a good idea to make sure it's ok, taking these supplements without professional guidance can potentially be dangerous.

It's a legal, over-the-counter hormone precursor that can convert to both estrogen and testosterone, and there's no way to predict what ratio you're going to get. Like most oral medications, it carries a risk of liver or kidney damage if you take it for a long time or in large doses. It will never generate enough testosterone to boost you from normal female to normal male levels. It may give you enough to see slight facial or body hair or genital growth, or produce a slight energy boost.

One documented risk is that it may, over the long term, cause your body to stop producing as much natural DHEA. You can essentially make yourself dependent on the supplement. I don't know if this is reversible, but I do know it doesn't sound like a justifiable risk, considering that the benefits you're likely to get are very small.

I got my supplements from Puritan's Pride, and they do have a TT but I can't recall the price at the moment. I'll probably stick with them because they're cheap and I didn't see anything that I wanted to get in my local Walmart at all. For $35 initial investment, I get 120 days worth of everything before I'll need more of the thyroid support. So in the long run it seems affordable. And for a little more they have like 5 for the price of 3, and the basic is 2 bottles for the price of 1. But I just got that for now, to see how my body reacts to it. I wouldn't have wanted to have a ton of supplements go to waste either. And I would like to be able to see doctors, actually, even though it's definitely not a comfortable thing to do. But I don't have insurance and there's no such thing as getting free care where I live, so I'm unable to see doctors. I'm pretty much used to self diagnoses & self medicating, but yeah, it does get a tiny bit scary when messing with hormones. It's only been a week, and I am doing the DHEA every other day, and when I take it, about 20-30 minutes afterwards I get a few minutes of intense cramps. Overall, I wonder if the supplements have helped my skin? Because I've been having a problem with severely dry skin in the past several months, and in one week there's been massive improvement. I'm not having to Lubriderm my arms & legs 3 times a day and it looks a lot better.

Well...my parents found out I had some DHEA pills and to make a long story short I'm catching hell....


...I guess there goes that idea

Quote from: Alex201 on April 14, 2011, 10:44:25 PM
Well...my parents found out I had some DHEA pills and to make a long story short I'm catching hell....


...I guess there goes that idea

I wouldn't have told them what it was for. I think you're too honest with your parents, save yourself the grief. They don't respect your gender identity and theres a chance they never will.

That sucks, man. Hopefully next time you can hide them. Take it from an expert here. My family always went through my stuff regularly like how they check prison cells for contraband. Decoy cans don't work, because they'll assume it's empty and throw it away. If you're lucky enough to have any utility panels in your room (pipe access, vents, water heater, etc.), that's a good place to stash stuff. Just don't stash flammables near heating or cooling sources! Or in waterproof containers in your toilet tank if you have your own bathroom. hehe 

Quote from: sascraps on April 15, 2011, 01:15:24 PM
That sucks, man. Hopefully next time you can hide them. Take it from an expert here. My family always went through my stuff regularly like how they check prison cells for contraband. Decoy cans don't work, because they'll assume it's empty and throw it away. If you're lucky enough to have any utility panels in your room (pipe access, vents, water heater, etc.), that's a good place to stash stuff. Just don't stash flammables near heating or cooling sources! Or in waterproof containers in your toilet tank if you have your own bathroom. hehe 

Or inside the wall behind a piece of molding in your room.

I just bought a bottle of this today, and took the first pill at 11 am. I'll let you guys know how it goes/ if it helps.