What Causes Low DHEA-S When Everything Else Is Normal? Dehydration?

[JohnBonham]

I just got my saliva hormone test back from the lab. It shows that my Testosterone, Progesterone, and Estradiol are perfect, but my DHEA-S is extremely low. The reference range for DHEA-S is (2-23) ng/ml, and my results came back 6.8; it should be at around 23 for my age range (23 year old male). What would cause everything to be normal but my DHEA-S to be so low?

I started drinking MUCH more water (with salt and minerals) for the past two days, and just about everything in my body has improved. My chronic dry throat has all but disappeared and I was bursting with so much energy I actually went to the gym yesterday and this morning for the first time in about 3 years. I'm about 99.9% I was chronically dehydrated. Could that be a cause of low DHEA-S? But why are the other hormones normal?


Thanks!

 

[DaveFoster]

High cortisol.

 

[LucH]

Well seen:
High levels of cortisol, low levels of DHEA. The body cannot make enough DHEA to balance cortisol. This is the first sign of adrenal exhaustion. This is a normal response to chronic stress, whatever the chronic stress may be - insomnia, mental, physical or emotional overload, poor diet or whatever. Failure to correct leads to exhaustion.
I used Pregnenolone supplementation to feel better, but it must be part of a package of recovery without which worsening can be expected.
PS: Supplementation with DHEA could lead to upnormal levels of estrogens (50/50 % chance)

 

[DaveFoster]

PS: Supplementation with DHEA could lead to upnormal levels of estrogens (50/50 % chance)

3 mg DHEA three times per day will probably not raise estrogen.

 

[tara]

I'm about 99.9% I was chronically dehydrated. Could that be a cause of low DHEA-S?

Could it have been from not drinking enough?

I'm about 99.9% I was chronically dehydrated.

I don't know exactly what this does to hormone balance, but if you are lucky, drinking enough for a while might solve some problems. :)
Peat recommends following thirst.
Personally, I'd overridden thirst for so long (by drinking a lot of water etc when I wasn't thirsty), that it took a while to relearn how to recognise it.