Anyone tried DHEA for post menopause?

[Tish]

I was reading an article about what the experts use for menopausal symptoms and a gyenocologist said she takes a supplement called DHEA to deal with the hot flushes. As I've suffered badly with anxiety and flushes since becoming menopausal, I thought I'd give it a try. I did my research via google then I had to go on-line and buy it from America. It's basically a hormone substitute and I've been taking it for a week. The results have been amazing! I'm feeling much more energetic, the flushes have all but stopped and I'm much happier than I have been for ages - almost back to my 'normal' self. You're supposed to consult a doctor before taking it but mine had never heard of it so that wasn't much help!
Has anyone else tried this? Some bodybuilders use it and it's also hailed as an anti ageing supplement.

[Catherine S]

This sounds interesting Tish as i'm post-meno by some years now, but still get the flushes and body heat...duvet on, duvet off throughout most nights still, and of course my anxiety levels ramped up too, so will wait to see if anybody else here knows about this, but lovely to read that you have found something that helps you. Will ask my doc if he's heard about it when I next go for my propranolol top up!

ISB x

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Tish,

DHEA is something that we produce less off as we age, hence the interest in it prolonging life. There are various claims from the bodybuilding world and for cancer prevention, but like everything else its sparse according to the NHS so not approved, although there are loads of studies worldwide.

Here is an article on NHS Choices about it http://www.nhs.uk/news/2011/12Decemb...menopause.aspx

Its also a little more complicated in the UK, which I'll explain in a minute.

Not long ago I was looking on a website called Biovea, a UK based company, for some things as I've used them before and by accident spotted they were selling various strengths of DHEA. I used DHEA for about 9 months with no issues at either 50-100mg (can't remember which) when I was training in my twenties but it was banned in the UK so supplement companies stopped stocking it. It did seem to help me sleep and I felt more relaxed. So, I thought "great, its back in, I'll have to have a look into it again". I found there were very few UK based companies offering it. So, I started searching the Bodybuilding forums about it and they were still saying it was banned in the UK.

A further search turned up that it is currently on the list of controlled substances as a Class C. See here https://www.gov.uk/government/public...led-drugs-list

You have to consider the penalties https://www.gov.uk/penalties-drug-possession-dealing & http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/38/contents

A doctor, vet, pharmacist, etc can possess controlled substances for the purposes of their work. The same can be said for importation and manufacture. So, in the case of Biovea, they must have a licence or they would be committing a criminal offence and be prosecuted as a supplier. The same may be the case for other UK based ones, but be careful because companies sometimes appear to be from the UK but are registered outside of the UK so can be licenced in their own countries but this won't allow them to import it to the UK.

The issue is going to be understanding who the importer is. If I can remember how this works (I may be wrong here) if you buy from outside of your country, you become the importer hence subject to the law. The company sending your purchase on, I believe, is exempt as its up to the importer to understand the law. I'm basing that on minor import, not lorry fulls of controlled substances which would be subject to international policing in certain countries. This is a similiar issue to tax & importing where someone in the UK can be stung for duties if the person sending it marks it as a 'gift' and customs open it to find it is not.

What did it say on your import label?

There are some differences for some controlled substances, its a bit more complicated because there are a couple of other laws that apply in the case of some of them. I don't know if DHEA is covered under anabolic steroids which is a low level Class C and lesser penalties apply...but its being used for other health issues so it may not be.

So, my advice would be to be careful because you should only be getting this under prescription from your GP. Don't mention you are getting this imported from the US. If its classed under anabolic steroids, its not an offence to possess for personal use but the authorities can still confiscate it. I'm not sure if that impacts on the customs issue though.

Something that may be of interest is 7-keto DHEA. This, as far as I know, is not controlled but its a related but different substance. This may be available in the UK but I haven't checked to be honest and I don't know what the differences are without checking as its been many years since I looked at the different types & strengths.

EDIT: Tish, just to add, I also bought DHEA from the US after it was banned because I didn't know so please don't worry about it. It was marked as a health supplement only on the customs label and that was the end of it. Someone told me about the ban and I left it form there. Back in the 90's the government went on a banning frenzy due to the issues with athletics scandals (which caused DHEA to be banned) and the date rape issues (which causes GABA to be banned because it works in similiar ways to GHB...but others on here have taken GABA years ago and it was fine). So, its not that it could be a bad thing, and many supplement companies are always arguing that the UK should remove these types of bans as other countries e.g. the US are using it, but its just never been resolved. Just do your research on the health benefits.

[Tish]

Thanks for your input Terry - I always value your opinion.
As I said, I went to the docs to see if he could prescribe it for me rather than buying it on line. As he'd never even heard of it, he looked it up and said no, he didn't think he could prescribe it but to check with a pharmacist. I went straight round to Boots and the pharmacist there looked it up and told me that a GP should be able to prescribe it because it's not a banned substance under the NHS. However, my doc rang me back and said I'd have to try get a pharmacist to prescribe it.
I'm only taking 10mg and I buy it from the company you mentioned. The results, for me, continue to be amazing and my quality of life is vastly improved. You wouldn't understand this (lucky you) but hot flushes can drive a woman crazy. That's how I felt anyway.
Two days ago, I decided to cut down to one every other day, simply because I got really angry with my hubby and I thought 'Are they making me aggressive?'. They can be known to.
I can only say though, that I wouldn't give them up for anything now, I've got my life back.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Thats great news Tish!

DHEA is a Cat C one like all prescibed medicines so it a GP or Pharmacist can supply it, although I would expect a pharmacist can only dispense it as it would need the prescription. From reading the NHS article, its not licenced in the UK so GP's are not obliged to prescribe it, although they can but its considered 'off prescription', so it sounds like they were messing you about there.

I'm surprised really because DHEA is part of the human hormones, a doctor should know what it is and its been around in the supplement market for ages. The 7-keto version is legal and available too but I really don't know the difference between the 2.

Its really interesting that it was Biovea you got it off. They are not a pharmacist so cannot sell prescribed medicines so I wondered if they had some form of manufacturers licence like the drug companies but they still can't sell it in the UK as it needs a prescription. So, it appears they operate as a UK company but ship it from abroad which is really strange because they are making the client the importer but I don't think they would get away with that in court since they are operating in the UK. It's a really strange issue but they've been selling it for years so surely the authorities know about it? There must be a reason why they can.

All the best with it though, I'm all for things that work and DHEA was only ever banned because of the over reaction due to the issues in athletics. If it works for the US, who are far ahead of the UK in matters like this, it seems good to me.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Tish,

I am updating this thread based on recent discussions over the legal aspects of possession, import & export of various things (Diazepam, GABA, Melatonin and DHEA) and this thread will explain how this really works, from my own research:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthr...29#post1396729

So, please disregard anything I said prior to this because I was going off the various advice I had and the fact I could see DHEA listed as a controlled substance Class C under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and Schedule 4 II of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.

This can be backed up by Release http://www.release.org.uk/law/list-controlled-drugs

The only thing to be careful of is what Drugscope say here http://www.drugscope.org.uk/resource...archpages/laws where they mention analabolic steriods because DHEA (prasterone) is on the same Schedule as these eg Nandralone.

Anabolic Steroids are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act as class C drugs but their legal status is complicated. In most situations the possession offence is waived meaning that people who possess or use steroids without a prescription are unlikely to be prosecuted. However, in some areas of the UK police have successfully prosecuted people for possession of steroids when the steroids have not been in the form of a medicinal product. It is always an offence to sell or supply steroids to another person. People can also be prosecuted for possession with intent to supply if they have large quantities of steroids without a prescription for them.

I think it could be argued that your use would be medicinal, but I have not idea with research what the CPS based their arguments on.

So, I would still be careful, but it does seem its ok subject to those CPS cases which you may wish to check.

I can't spot any reports on them, but I did find this post in a bodybuilding forum http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/Steroid-...-m3924553.aspx where there is a response from the MHRA and an explanation of why these substances even made it onto the controlled substance list, as I probably mentioned earlier about the influence of the sports doping scandals back in the 90's. Please note the MHRA response about importing medicinal products but remember that the other drugs Acts override this where they list them in their Schedules (and subject to the additional clauses) so importing say a Class C Diazepam would still be illegal, despite the fact the MHRA are not interested (unless they are counterfeit!).

I hope this helps to clarify things and that this hasn't caused you any additional anxiety.

[venusdee]

Hello I would like to know if there has been any recent updates regarding this drug/supplement.
approximately 2 years ago I sort of read up on it, but obviously not enough as I wasn't aware of the legalities surrounding it, most of the information I had was it was a miracle drug with regards to weight loss and control for people over 40. i tried to buy it locally in Cyprus online and found it at Biovea cyprus and a few other online shops in Cyprus and in Greece, however they were rather pricey then i searched for it on ebay.co.uk and found a supplier (puritans pride) in the USA for a much reduced price and went ahead and ordered it. 20$ for a 1+1 deal.
When the supplements arrived in Cyprus, i received a phone call from the drug squad informing me that my supplements had been seized by customs and was now in the possession of the Cyprus Drug Squad of CID. I was told to present myself to them at their offices, which I did do. and the questioned me regarding the supplements I explained that I had ordered them for weight loss, they told me that they had realized this from the description on the bottle but needed a statement from me and there was nothing to worry about. I gave my statement, they informed me that the supplements were to be sent to the lab for further investigation. A few months later they contacted me again and informed me that the analysis had come back and I need to go back to CID as they needed another statement from me, and they needed to ask a few questions. again i was told that they understood that I had ordered them for weight loss and there was nothing to worry about. Then approximately a 18months after the tablets were seized, i was formally charged with 'possession' of anabolic steroids that are according to the prosecutor class O1 of the controlled drug of some United Nations Act. i am trying to understand how a supplement that can be bought online, through reputable companies can cause me to be in court, and also i have to make an appearance at the police station every Monday and I am bonded for 10.000euros. I am dumbfounded and have no idea how to handle what is happening to me, I am a single mother (after their father abandoned us and has not assisted in child support and not even bothered to contact them in nearly 7years) and the prosecutor has the audacity to attack my ability to be a fit mother as I could spend 20$ on 'slimming tablet' (better spend 20$ then to eat all the food in the house) she has also gone on and on about the drug DHEA being a controlled substance by the UN for athletes, as though I was competing in some Olympic team. The CID were disgusting too as they had continued throughout the whole investigation telling me that there is nothing to it and not to worry. Now i am being told the O1 class of drugs is in the same category as heroin and cocaine. Which carries a prison sentence from between 7/14 years. Does anyone have any further information with regards to this supplement in accordance to EU laws. As i feel that I am being railroaded, so that the prosecuting office can have a conviction, and I have minor children whom I need to consider.