Pregnenolone

[Isadora]

Hi everyone, I think Pregenenolone is causing me trouble. I started about two months ago with 50 mg. in the morning hoping to feel increased energy, facelifting, balancing the estrogen, etc... Well, I haven't noticed much at all of what I've mentioned, but I noticed over the last two weeks more or less, like acne pimples around my chin, the rest of the skin in my face is turning very dry, and for me the worst... looking in the mirror today with direct sunlight the stuborn dark hairs I get growing around my chin area -about seven of them.... have multiplied!!!!! I can hardly count them now there are so many appearing under my chin area and along the jaw line!!!
I can only think it is the Pregnenolone that is causing this.

That is by far your best (and safest for you) bet, Amosya... According to Dr. Bernard Karnath, in his excellent article, "Signs of Hyperandrogenism in Women", it is pregnenolone turning into excess testosterone that is causing you that trouble (and, I believe, having reviewed this thread, Charlie's reported hair loss, too)...

Looked up information specifically about facial hair growing on females who take it and aparently it is one of the posible side effects. Wondering why??? What is happening to the Pregnenolone in my body?? I just thought it would convert into Progesterone and balance the Estrogens. I can't find any correlation of drier skin with it, but can find the pimples appearing posibly related too.

There is a good mapping of the hormonal pathways in the body on the 4th page of the article above. Nobody can control those processes. No diets, supplements, etc. will guarantee the prevalence of one pathway over another. There will be influences, but nothing "foolproof". To each his/her own results.

I have seen pathways blocked by certain chemicals in cancer treatments that use hormones, but those looked like major drugs, nothing to experiment at home with...

Today has been the last day I've taken it after seeing the facial hair that has appeared over the last month. Anyone know if this facial hair growing will reverse??? And stop growing again??? Or have I maybe screwed my hormonal balance instead of helping it out. Can't find information about that.
Thanks.

I quit playing with it too, especially after reading about hirsutism issues and not seeing any guarantee that those problems would go away easily. But maybe simply not taking pregnenolone anymore will do it -- not immediately, because that stuff will linger in the system for a while and get recycled, but in time... Supplementing with estrogen is surely not something you would consider... Progesterone also can turn into testosterone, so try to stay away from that one too if your body is taking that route with precursor hormones... Do everything Peat says not to do because it would increase estrogen, reverse engineer for a bit. And if you find a good way to get rid of the annoyances, please keep us posted!

 

[Amosya]

Hi everyone, I think Pregenenolone is causing me trouble. I started about two months ago with 50 mg. in the morning hoping to feel increased energy, facelifting, balancing the estrogen, etc... Well, I haven't noticed much at all of what I've mentioned, but I noticed over the last two weeks more or less, like acne pimples around my chin, the rest of the skin in my face is turning very dry, and for me the worst... looking in the mirror today with direct sunlight the stuborn dark hairs I get growing around my chin area -about seven of them.... have multiplied!!!!! I can hardly count them now there are so many appearing under my chin area and along the jaw line!!!
I can only think it is the Pregnenolone that is causing this.

That is by far your best (and safest for you) bet, Amosya... According to Dr. Bernard Karnath, in his excellent article, "Signs of Hyperandrogenism in Women", it is pregnenolone turning into excess testosterone that is causing you that trouble (and, I believe, having reviewed this thread, Charlie's reported hair loss, too)...

Thank you Isadora. The article is concise and interesting. I should have realised ,-researched- that Pregnenolone could take many paths as in my puberty and early twenties had great trouble with hirsutism. It was the only symptom I had and after having many tests searching for posible tumors and blood test confirming an excess of androgen, was told they couldn't find anything wrong, just an excess of androgens with no explanation as to what caused it... So I was put on Androcur -Cyproterone acetate- and an oral contraceptive to balance out the hormones and after some long time the blood test appeared normal. The facial and body hair didn't go, I had to get laser treatment. The hair that has appeared on my facial area now I'm hoping will go away on its own by not taking Pregnenolone!
After my short experience with Pregnenolone it seems that my body has a tendency to convert it into androgen hormones. I thought it was going to be my holy grail, my balancing hormone against excess estrogen... but it has not worked out.

 

[j.]

Amosya, out of curiosity, do you supplement thyroid?

 

[Amosya]

Amosya, out of curiosity, do you supplement thyroid?

Hi j. I supplemented with this for a month http://www.life-enhancement.com/shop/pr ... -for-women, finished about a month ago more or less, can't quite remember the exact date I finished. Didn't notice anything so just stopped taking it. When the 30 days of taking it finished I didn't bother ordering again. I did take it at the same time as Pregnenolone, which I continued to take after the Thyroplex finished. Why do you ask?

 

[j.]

I ask basically because I read, but I have no clue if it's true, that pregnenolone has better effects in people who are supplementing thyroid correctly. I read that on a completely unrelated forum, I think propecia side effects forum.

 

[Amosya]

Wondering what the "better effects" could be?
Seeing my effects as a female, probably in a male they would be welcome. ...!!

 

[Isadora]

Thank you Isadora. The article is concise and interesting.

You're welcome, I'm really glad you found it useful.

I should have realised ,-researched- that Pregnenolone could take many paths as in my puberty and early twenties had great trouble with hirsutism. It was the only symptom I had and after having many tests searching for posible tumors and blood test confirming an excess of androgen, was told they couldn't find anything wrong, just an excess of androgens with no explanation as to what caused it...

Maybe you found an explanation now: when your body is full of all the hormones it could possibly use, it simply gets rid of the extra in that manner. You should consider yourself lucky, I can imagine lots worse. Of course I understand you being upset, but compare minor hirsutism issues to other type of sex hormone-fueled growths!

It is also true that men don't run so quickly into this problem and a little hair falling can be a fast sign for them to stop supplementing anything that might increase testosterone.

So I was put on Androcur -Cyproterone acetate- and an oral contraceptive to balance out the hormones and after some long time the blood test appeared normal. The facial and body hair didn't go, I had to get laser treatment. The hair that has appeared on my facial area now I'm hoping will go away on its own by not taking Pregnenolone!

Again, don't be so upset... Just take it as a sure sign that you don't need any extra hormones at this time in your life and don't play around with precursors or anything that might set you in the same direction again. Or, hey, :2cents It's always better to do your own research and not trust anyone else -- that's the first commandment of Dr. Peat too, but too many choose to ignore it.

After my short experience with Pregnenolone it seems that my body has a tendency to convert it into androgen hormones. I thought it was going to be my holy grail, my balancing hormone against excess estrogen... but it has not worked out.

I believe your body would indeed convert it into any other hormones it needs first, then into everything it doesn't need and cannot truly harm it. Again, :2cents It's a wonderful body to have, enjoy! :)

 

[charlie]

I just tried pregnenolone again and it crashed my metabolism. Immediate drop in morning temp, feeling of lethargy, sore joints and the feel of lactic acid buildup. I give up on pregnenolone and also niacinamide. Those 2 just really mess things up for me.

 

[j.]

Dang. What brand?

 

[charlie]

Beyond a Century.

I have tried many times and it just never does me any good.

 

[j.]

I have tried many times and it just never does me any good.

I'm planning to try life extension at some point (not saying another brand will work for you).

 

[BingDing]

There has to be a reason, Charlie et al, pregnenelone is too fundamentally right. It's a hormone precursor of youth and energy, it opposes estrogen and seratonin. Maybe RP can sort it out. DO NOT GIVE UP!!!

 

[charlie]

Well it fundamentally messes me up.

I dunno BingDing, I have tried it several different times.

 

[4peatssake]

Well it fundamentally messes me up.

I dunno BingDing, I have tried it several different times.

Did you ask Ray, Charlie? He may be able to help if you give him context. He's so amazingly accessible especially when something's off or not making sense.

I know I can have a tendency to go it alone, and sometimes we just gotta get some input. Maybe you have already done so but it may be worth a shot if you haven't done so. :2cents

 

[charlie]

No I haven't. I guess I could though next time I decide to email him.

 

[j.]

There has to be a reason, Charlie et al, pregnenelone is too fundamentally right. It's a hormone precursor of youth and energy, it opposes estrogen and seratonin. Maybe RP can sort it out. DO NOT GIVE UP!!!

It sounds like you take pregnenolone. Has your experience been good?

 

[inatic]

I quit playing with it too, especially after reading about hirsutism issues and not seeing any guarantee that those problems would go away easily. But maybe simply not taking pregnenolone anymore will do it -- not immediately, because that stuff will linger in the system for a while and get recycled, but in time... Supplementing with estrogen is surely not something you would consider... Progesterone also can turn into testosterone, so try to stay away from that one too if your body is taking that route with precursor hormones... Do everything Peat says not to do because it would increase estrogen, reverse engineer for a bit. And if you find a good way to get rid of the annoyances, please keep us posted!

I dont see that conversion on pathway chart, nor on say this one.http://metabolichealing.com/assets/_res ... rmones.jpg

please explain....

Im just shy of 51... While i was supplement my progesterone through compounded capsules (200mg) my testosterone was very low. Now, using progest e, its non existent and i cant get my levels up at all..

On the Fan page, it was suggested that progesterone actually suppresses testosterone but i dont understand that pathway either.

 

[inatic]

Anyone ever tried the 300mg once a week method?

currently trying this. second week. Nosymptoms except breast swelling. cant figure out if its estrogen effect (R.P says it isnt possible?? Dunno.. Feels that way tho..

 

[BingDing]

There has to be a reason, Charlie et al, pregnenelone is too fundamentally right. It's a hormone precursor of youth and energy, it opposes estrogen and seratonin. Maybe RP can sort it out. DO NOT GIVE UP!!!

It sounds like you take pregnenolone. Has your experience been good?

j., my experience with pregnenelone has been very good. I started, last November, with 40mg on the back of my hand with Co oil, I was pretty wary about "self medicating with hormones". I could feel a response but didn't have any dramatic effects, after four weeks I started doing 40mg orally. It has been a gradual increase in benefits, I think I am pretty balanced about hormones and generally healthy.

I certainly don't mean to diminish other people's issues, especially women's. Charlie's hair doesn't worry me too much, LOL. I think Isadora's notion that the hormonal pathways in the body are unpredictable is essentially right, but it's because we don't know how it works, not that they are beyond our understanding or control.

 

[Mittir]

PREGNENOLONE 'STEAL' THEORY

Regarding the pregnenolone steal theory, It would be interesting to know who started that, it's a mechanical way of thinking about physiology that ignores the things that really matter. Thyroid hormone, vitamin A, and cholesterol support the formation of pregnenolone, and the well nourished body is able to make large adjustments in these, to minimize the need for cortisol. In health, enough pregnenolone and progesterone are produced to inhibit the stress systems, for example by inhibiting the release of ACTH. When something prevents the formation of pregnenolone and progesterone, rising ACTH will increase its production as conditions permit, but if something, such as thyroid hormone, is lacking, the ACTH will increase cortisol, often with DHEA and the androgens increasing too, if resources permit; sometimes the stressed system is able to sustain only cortisol and aldosterone production, and that leads to degenerative problems.-- Ray Peat