@Harry_Wild @Connorsfan
I had first started taking DHEA in my mid 40s (back in the 1990s). Shortly after I started this supplementation, I had taken a (mail-in) saliva test to determine my DHEA-S level. As expected, it was on the low side, given my age at the time. After taking DHEA for 6 months, I performed the saliva test again (from the very same outfit). But, to my dismay, my DHEA-S level was still low and was, in fact, slightly lower than it had been 6 month previously -- despite the 6 months of supplementation.
I contacted the outfit that did the testing to see if there might be something wrong with their test results. They provided some very useful feedback. They indicated that this was a very common experience -- since very little (if any) of most oral hormone supplements on the market, like DHEA (& testo products), survive the digestive system for most individuals -- not at all unusual since the digestive system is not the normal hormone pathway our body utilizes.
They had suggested looking for sublingual products and transdermal (topical) products. They also suggested trying
Pregnenolone in addition to DHEA. I found a few such products and decided to use both a sublingual and a transdermal cream (with DMSO).
I was using very high levels of DHEA and Preg. When I retested some 4 months or so later, I discovered that my DHEA-S level had gone thru the roof -- my level was significantly higher than the normal range --even for individuals who were 20 years younger than I was at the time.
A clear signal that I was taking too much DHEA / Preg. I had also noticed that I had developed some acne periodically with this elevated level. And, in addition, I heard some noticed that my mood / behavior was somewhat more on the aggressive side -- but not really out of control (
yet). These were probably both signs that my
T levels had also increased. So, at that point, I decided to back off on the amount of supplementation I was using.
In the late 1990s, Mark McGwire had broken the long-standing seasonal home run record with a phenomenal 70 HRs. It was well known that
one of the testosterone supps that MM was using, to enhance his athletic performance, was
Androstenedione.
This Andro product was not a banned substance at the time and was readily available OTC. I found a sublingual Andro product and decided to try it for a while. However, after a few weeks of using this supplement, I was dealing with frequent acne outbreaks. But worse, my behavior had gone from aggressive to very aggressive (extremely confrontational & prone to anger). I decided I did not like this behavioral side effect at all -- even tho the substance had been producing a positive effect on athletic performance. At that point, I stopped taking the Andro product and went back to supplementing with DHEA & Preg.