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Dose: 25 milligrams 3 x per day
NOT contained in your Prenatal Vitamin
Limit: Not available, but don’t exceed recommended 75 mg per day without doctor’s consent
DHEA is a steroidal hormone that is able to turn into other steroidal hormones (estrogen and testosterone). DHEA is manufactured and secreted primarily by adrenal glands and begins to diminish after age 30. DHEA is associated with mental acuity, physical strength, sex drive and memory.
DHEA has been clinically shown to improve conception in women over 35 undergoing IVF. DHEA increased the number of embryos produced in IVF cycles, improved pregnancy rates, decreased the number of abnormal embryos, and cut the miscarriage rate in half. If you have high follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or diminished ovarian reserve, DHEA might be especially helpful.
A 2010 Israeli study found that women who took DHEA while receiving infertility treatments were three times more likely to conceive than women undergoing treatments without DHEA.
Because DHEA increases estrogen, much like vitex, it could delay ovulation in a woman with regular cycles. So you might want to try it for a cycle or two to see how it affects you. DHEA supplements may alter the levels estrogen and testosterone, which can theoretically increase the risk of hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast, prostate and ovarian cancer. Note that the NIH classifies DHEA as having insufficient evidence for fertility benefits.
The recommended dose for DHEA is 25 milligrams three times a day, and the best effects came after four to five months. Although current research suggests that DHEA is safe in these amounts, talk to your doctor about it, and stop taking it when you get a positive pregnancy test or ask your Dr when to stop taking it during your IVF cycle, likely when you begin your meds.
Sources: Center for Human Reproduction, Discovery Health, MayoClinic, NIH, Dr Greene
NOT contained in your Prenatal Vitamin
Limit: Not available, but don’t exceed recommended 75 mg per day without doctor’s consent
DHEA is a steroidal hormone that is able to turn into other steroidal hormones (estrogen and testosterone). DHEA is manufactured and secreted primarily by adrenal glands and begins to diminish after age 30. DHEA is associated with mental acuity, physical strength, sex drive and memory.
DHEA has been clinically shown to improve conception in women over 35 undergoing IVF. DHEA increased the number of embryos produced in IVF cycles, improved pregnancy rates, decreased the number of abnormal embryos, and cut the miscarriage rate in half. If you have high follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or diminished ovarian reserve, DHEA might be especially helpful.
A 2010 Israeli study found that women who took DHEA while receiving infertility treatments were three times more likely to conceive than women undergoing treatments without DHEA.
Because DHEA increases estrogen, much like vitex, it could delay ovulation in a woman with regular cycles. So you might want to try it for a cycle or two to see how it affects you. DHEA supplements may alter the levels estrogen and testosterone, which can theoretically increase the risk of hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast, prostate and ovarian cancer. Note that the NIH classifies DHEA as having insufficient evidence for fertility benefits.
The recommended dose for DHEA is 25 milligrams three times a day, and the best effects came after four to five months. Although current research suggests that DHEA is safe in these amounts, talk to your doctor about it, and stop taking it when you get a positive pregnancy test or ask your Dr when to stop taking it during your IVF cycle, likely when you begin your meds.
Sources: Center for Human Reproduction, Discovery Health, MayoClinic, NIH, Dr Greene