Do/did you take DHEA? Pls come in

bronxite

Hello -- 

I have seen several references to DHEA on this board. I didn't know anything about it and just read up a bit.

Why do you take it? Did your RE prescribe it or did you get it OTC? If it is OTC what did your RE say about it?

I keep seeing all of these things - DHEA, Royal Jelly, Vitex - and I don't know which to follow... my fertility acupuncturist has me on herbs and a few supplements but I don't know if I should be doing some of this stuff too. My RE follows a pure medical model so she never suggests any of this stuff,. As long as she doesn't say NO to it I am open...

Any info/experience you have is most appreciated.

Thanks!

Abby

jtorgersen

Hi Abby...

It's too funny you mention this because I was just out in Indiana for a wedding and one of my cousin's was mentioning that she takes DHEA...she's had 2 m/c since October TTC #2 too.  But I'm not that familiar with DHEA...I believe her dr. prescribed the supplement.  

 I, on the other hand, just began taking Maca Root and Royal Jelly a couple weeks ago hoping that that would help.  Figure it couldn't hurt and they are natural supplements...bought Maca Root on Amazon and picked up Royal Jelly at GNC (which I discovered also sells Maca Root).  I was a little nervous about the Royal Jelly because I had a bee allergy (not sure if I still do)...but so far no problems.  

I can't remember where I read about the benefits of Maca Root...but did read about Royal Jelly in the book "The Infertility Cure" by Randine Lewis.  While this book was a little too out there for me in some of his teachings...I do like his "Diet & Lifestyle" chapter....this chapter talked about Royal Jelly and some other supplements...and he calls royal jelly "The nutritive tonic might be considered the bee equivalent of fertility drugs." 

The only thing I noticed so far is that I do feel like I have more energy...will see if there are any benefits this month.

Good luck!

-Jen (another RMA NJ girl) 

MrsJaimebeth

i take it...RMA told me too   it's over the counter though..they just told me the dosage to take...and suggested taking it for 3 months atleast (and that if it works, it would take 3 months to kick in)...for my situation, they feel it "can" help my egg quality issue...we shall see...i dont see (and haven't had ) any side effects with it..but was nervous at first....ask RMA about it...although im sure if they thought you needed to take it, they would have suggested it....they didnt suggest it to me until after my 2nd failed IVF.

good luck!!!!

bronxite

OK - thanks for the info - I guess I'll ask my nurse about DHEA if Day 1 rears its ugly head. It'll take a while to kick in but it may be worth it... being of "advanced maternal age" at 37 I obviously worry about egg quality. Our insurance doesn't cover any diagnostics for that so who the heck knows what the story is...

Jen -- funny about RMA!! At least we can take comfort in the fact that we are all in good hands. I saw Royal Jelly at the Vitamin Shoppe and got nervous about the bee allergy warning. I got stung last year and my foot was swollen to high heaven. And it was really expensive -- I am already on so many supplements and herbs plus weekly acupuncture and endless RMA copays... it is starting to add up.

 

 

choirgirl

My RE had me take it for 6 months, but he's very clear that he doesn't want his patients taking the OTC kind, because he wants us to take a specific form, DHEA-S (sulfate, I believe), and so he has it compounded at a local pharmacy. And they monitor my levels to make sure its in the therapeutic range.

Supposedly, what 60-90 days for effectiveness (I can't remember), and then a 6 month limit on taking it.

ChicNotGeek

I've been taking it, I started with 25mg/day about 4 months ago, but last month upped to 75mg/day.  I haven't gotten pregnant, so I can't say how it's affected my egg quality.  (I guess you need eggs first in order to improve egg quality.)  But my FSH has come down a lot, and my estrogen has increased, which I think is due to the DHEA because DHEA is the precursor to estrogen.

One thing to remember about DHEA is that before it synthesizes into estrogen, it is synthesized into testosterone, so for the first few weeks, you may have an increase in testosterone (with affiliated symptoms/side effects ... zits, mainly) before your estrogen increases.  Also, you know that it's synthesizing estrogen if/when your hair starts to fall out ... increasing estrogen causes hair loss ... but a biotin supplement (about 3g/day) will help with that.  Experts don't know why, but increasing estrogen causes a biotin deficiency.

I've ordered micronized DHEA online because it supposedly is absorbed better in the gut/stomach.

I also take maca, royal jelly, bee pollen, coq10 and pycnogenol, and fish oil.  (And sometimes wheatgrass.)  It's a lot of supplements, about a fistful every day, but I do feel better overall.  But, at the end of the day, I don't think any of it has improved my fertility because I still haven't been able to get pregnant.  It's only decreased my FSH, increased my estrogen, and somewhat normalized my hormones ... you can have a perfect hormone profile, but if you don't have eggs, you won't get pregnant, and no amount of supplements will give you eggs or raise AMH.

Sorry, I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but I'm finally dealing with my reality, that even with the best hormone profile in the world, without eggs, I won't get pregnant.