Hello Nancy,
any news of the (lupus) study mentioned below?
Some of them take years, to know the pros and cons. I'd have to go looking at
the CAMM website, if yuo don't know.
Hugs
J
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/dhea.html
Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is a steroid hormone, a chemical cousin of
testosterone and estrogen. It is made from cholesterol by the adrenal glands,
which sit atop each kidney. For the first few years of life, the adrenals make
very little DHEA. Around age six or seven, they begin churning it out.
Production peaks in the mid-20s, when DHEA is the most abundant hormone in
circulation. From one's early '30s on, there's a steady decline in DHEA
production, so the average 75-year-old has only 20% of the DHEA in circulation
that he or she had 50 years earlier. At all ages, men tend to have higher DHEA
levels than women.

By definition, hormones are chemical messengers made in a gland or tissue that
start, stop, or otherwise orchestrate activity in some other issue. That makes
DHEA a hormone in name only, since no one knows exactly what it does in the
body. For years it was thought to be a kind of chemical trash left over from
making other hormones. Today, "we still haven't been able to identify any
mechanism of action," says Dr. Casson.

In fact, about the only thing that researchers can agree on is that DHEA is
easily converted into other hormones, especially estrogen and testosterone.

In fact, about the only thing that researchers can agree on is that DHEA is
easily converted into other hormones, especially estrogen and testosterone.

The Food and Drug Administration isn't sure what to do with DHEA supplements.
Ten years ago the agency told companies to stop selling DHEA, which was marketed
at the time for weight loss, and classified it as an unapproved new drug,
obtainable only by prescription. Then in 1994, DHEA was reclassified as a
dietary supplement, allowing sales over the counter.

Another study in which volunteers took DHEA suggests that this hormone may help
treat the autoimmune disease lupus. Trials looking at DHEA's ability to boost
the immune system and maintain mental function in older adults are in progress.

Experiments on a few dozen people over six months hardly constitute proof that a
treatment works. "What we really need at this point are some long-term clinical
trials to identify clear benefits and risks," says Dr. Nestler.

One reason why such trials are crucial is that DHEA has side effects, some of
which may be irreversible. Since DHEA is converted into testosterone, some women
who take it grow body or facial hair and, if they are under age 50 or so, can
stop menstruating. DHEA has also been shown to decrease levels of HDL ("good")
cholesterol in women, and could increase the risk of heart disease, the leading
killer of older women. "We have no idea what DHEA might do to the risk of breast
cancer," says Dr. Nestler.

In men, the increased levels of testosterone seen with daily DHEA pills could
stimulate the growth of a tiny prostate tumor that would otherwise have remained
dormant. Excess testosterone could also cause the prostate to enlarge, making
urination difficult.

My Rheumatologist just prescribed a combination Vitamin called Folplex.
I just started taking it yesterday, but I will definitely share any
results I can with you about it.  The vitamin is a combo of Folic Acid,
Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.  Of course, I have had only 1 day to take
the vitamin, so no chance to see if it helps yet, but I will keep you
posted.

Thanks everyone for the response. I did some searching on the net and found
out that B-12 can be used to treat pain also. Hope it helps me. I am taking
a time-released tablet. Could not find the liquid.

Another thing I found out. Metformin, the meds my husband takes can cause a
B12 defiencency and also they used B12 to treat muscle cramping and restless
leg. My husband complains all of the time with being tired and he has muscle
cramps in his legs all of the time. Wondering if that could be some of his
problem. He has been taking Metformin for a long time in addition to other
drugs for his diabetes. The things doctors don't tell you about.
Another reason for us to find a new GP.

Thanks,
Paulette

Hi George,
Why aren't you on them anymore?

I seemed to feel that same way you did at the beginning but in retrospect and
looking at the numbers on the labtests, realize that once I was over the normal
range, I wasn't getting that "umph" feeling anymore.
So I stopped the injections and will get retested annually. If I see the numbers
lowering, I'll ask to restart a regimen of about 10 injections, one every week
until "topped up" again.
J