Pregnenelone & DHEA
Pregnenolone and DHEA are naturally occurring steroid hormones that serve as precursors to other hormones in the body. Pregnenolone is involved in the production of progesterone, cortisol, and neurosteroids, and is often discussed for its potential effects on mood and cognition. DHEA is a precursor to androgens and estrogens and is commonly used as a supplement for energy, libido, and hormonal support. Responses to both supplements vary widely, and their effects depend on individual hormone balance and metabolism.
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This page summarizes anecdotal reports and community observations, not medical evidence. Reports may be incomplete, biased or inaccurate and are not medical advice or recommendations. “Risk” here refers to how frequently severe or prolonged symptom worsening is reported, not to proven causation or population-wide probability. Individual responses vary widely, and absence of issues in some users does not rule out significant reactions in others.
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Within PFS/PSSD/PAS communities, pregnenolone and DHEA are discussed in relation to their potential interactions with neurosteroid and steroidogenesis pathways. Pregnenolone sits near the top of the steroidogenesis pathway and can be converted downstream into progesterone, cortisol, DHEA, and ultimately androgens/estrogens depending on enzymes and tissue context. DHEA is a downstream adrenal steroid that can convert into androstenedione → testosterone → estradiol (and in some tissues into DHT-related metabolites). Pregnenolone might influence neurosteroid balance (including pathways adjacent to allopregnanolone/GABA-A) and broader stress/hormone signaling. These mechanisms may interact with pathways involving neurosteroid synthesis, steroidogenesis, or hormone signaling that are often discussed in relation to PFS / PSSD / PAS.
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Community Reports: Mixed Outcomes & Variable Risk Signal
Pregnenolone: In community anecdotes, pregnenolone is often described as higher-risk than people expect. While a minority report mild benefits (sometimes framed as slightly improved stress tolerance, sleep, or “mental steadiness”), many reports describe flares/crashes—commonly worsening anhedonia/emotional blunting, anxiety/inner agitation, insomnia, brain fog, fatigue, and sexual symptoms. The way people interpret this is that pregnenolone can “feed into” multiple downstream hormones and neurosteroids, so if someone’s system is already unstable, it may push the wrong pathway or create an abrupt shift rather than a gentle correction. Because strong positive outcomes appear less consistently reported than negative reactions, many treat pregnenolone as a cautious/avoid item during stabilization, especially for crash-prone individuals.
DHEA: DHEA tends to be discussed as variable but sometimes less crash-heavy than pregnenolone, though reactions still range widely. Some report modest improvements (energy, mood, libido) while others report worsening (anxiety, irritability, insomnia, sexual instability, feeling “hormonally off”). A common theme is that DHEA can convert into androgens/estrogens differently person-to-person, so the same dose can feel “stimulating” for one person and destabilizing for another. It’s not commonly described as a cure, and benefits—when reported—are usually partial and sometimes transient.
Evidence basis:
Established steroidogenesis physiology; general neurosteroid concepts; anecdotal reports (online forums/self-reports). No controlled studies demonstrating benefit for PFS/PSSD/PAS specifically.
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Cure / Recovery Claim
Crash / Baseline Drop (Reported)
Mixed / Unclear
Public comments reflect individual experiences and opinions. They are not medical advice and may not be accurate or representative.