DHEA Dosing: 5 Mistakes I Made (So You Don't Have To)

So I'm sitting in my doctor's office at 34, staring at my bloodwork, and she circles this number: DHEA-S 140 μg/dL. "That's... low for your age," she says. Normal range for a guy in his thirties is like 280-640. I'm at half that. She mentions DHEA supplements casually, like it's no big deal, and I walk out thinking this is going to be easy. Just pop some dehydroepiandrosterone tablets, boost my levels, feel better. Right?

Wrong. So incredibly wrong.

Over the next three years, I made every DHEA dosing mistake you can possibly make. Took too much. Took it at the wrong time. Didn't test my levels. Ignored what my body was screaming at me. And yeah, I wasted probably $400 on DHEA supplements that either did nothing or made things worse.

TL;DR: DHEA supplementation isn't just "take a pill and feel better." Start low (10-25mg), test your DHEA-S and downstream hormones every 6-8 weeks, take it in the morning, and for the love of god, don't assume more is better. I learned all this the hard way so you don't have to.

Mistake #1: Starting With 50mg Because "More Must Be Better"

First mistake happened before I even opened the bottle. I'm at Whole Foods, looking at the supplement shelf, and I see DHEA in 10mg, 25mg, and 50mg. My brain does this thing where it goes: "Well, my levels are really low, so I should probably go with the highest dose, right? Get there faster."

I buy the dhea 50mg bottle. Pure Encapsulations brand because I'd read somewhere that pure encapsulations dhea was higher quality. $32.99 for 60 capsules. I remember because I kept the receipt in my supplement drawer like some kind of trophy.

Day one, I take 50mg with breakfast. Feel nothing. Day two, nothing. Day five, I wake up and my nipples are sore. Like, actually tender. I'm standing in the shower going "what the hell?" By day eight, I've got this puffy feeling in my chest and I'm weirdly emotional. Teared up during a car commercial. A car commercial.

Turns out, when you dump a massive dose of dehydroepiandrosterone into your system, especially if you're a guy, a lot of it converts to estrogen through aromatization. My body couldn't handle 50mg—it was converting too much to estradiol, and I was getting what's basically the early signs of gynecomastia. Scared me straight real fast.

I stopped immediately. Waited two weeks for things to normalize. When I finally got my bloodwork done (which I should've done before all this), my estradiol was at 52 pg/mL. For reference, normal range for men is like 10-40. I'd shot myself in the foot right out of the gate.

What I learned: Start with dhea 10mg or max 25mg. Seriously. Even if your DHEA-S is low, your body needs time to adjust. Most people don't need more than 25mg anyway. The idea that higher doses work faster is complete BS—they just create more side effects.

Mistake #2: Not Testing DHEA-S and Downstream Hormones

Okay, so I backed off to 25mg daily. Smart, right? I wait six weeks, get my DHEA-S tested again. It's up to 245 μg/dL. Great! Problem solved!

Except I'm still feeling off. Like, my energy is maybe slightly better, but I've got this weird skin thing happening—more oily than usual, couple of breakouts on my back. And my mood is all over the place. Good days, bad days, no consistency.

I mention this to a guy at my gym—Marcus, this older dude who's super into optimization—and he asks me, "Did you test your testosterone and estrogen when you checked your DHEA-S?"

I hadn't. I just assumed DHEA-S going up = problem solved.

Marcus looks at me like I'm an idiot. "Dude, DHEA is a precursor hormone. It converts to testosterone and estrogen. You have no idea what it's actually doing in your body unless you test everything."

So I order a full hormone panel. Quest Diagnostics, around $180 out of pocket because my insurance wouldn't cover it. Results come back and yeah—my testosterone barely budged (went from 420 to 445 ng/dL), but my estradiol was at 38 pg/mL. Not as bad as the 50mg disaster, but still higher than I wanted. And my DHT was elevated too, which explained the oily skin.

I was basically converting most of my dhea supplement into estrogen and DHT, not testosterone. My body's aromatase enzyme was working overtime.

What I learned: When you take DHEA, test the whole picture every 6-8 weeks initially: DHEA-S, total testosterone, free testosterone, estradiol, and ideally DHT if you can afford it. DHEA-S going up doesn't mean anything if it's all converting to hormones you don't want elevated. Some people need an aromatase inhibitor alongside DHEA (talk to your doctor), or they need to lower their dose, or they find out DHEA just doesn't work well for their body chemistry.

Mistake #3: Taking DHEA at Night

This mistake was pure laziness. I take most of my supplements at night before bed—magnesium, vitamin D, zinc, whatever. It's just my routine. So naturally, I added my dhea tablets to the nighttime pile.

For about three weeks, I'm taking 25mg DHEA at like 9 PM with my other stuff. And my sleep is trash. I'm waking up at 2 AM, 3 AM, mind racing. Can't fall back asleep for an hour. I blamed it on work stress, too much caffeine, the usual suspects.

Then I'm reading some thread on dhea reddit (yeah, I know, but reddit actually has decent anecdotal info sometimes), and someone mentions that DHEA can be stimulating for some people. Your adrenal glands naturally produce DHEA in the morning as part of your cortisol awakening response. Taking it at night is like telling your body "hey, it's morning!" when it's trying to wind down.

I switched to taking my dhea dehydroepiandrosterone supplement in the morning with breakfast. Within three days, my sleep normalized. I felt like such an idiot.

What I learned: Take DHEA in the morning, ideally with food containing some fat (it's fat-soluble). Mimics your body's natural rhythm and won't mess with your sleep. Some people can take it at night with no issues, but if you're having sleep problems and taking DHEA in the evening, switch it to morning first before blaming other stuff.

Mistake #4: Ignoring the Signs My Dose Was Too High

Around month four, I'm still at 25mg daily. My DHEA-S is sitting at 320 μg/dL now—solidly mid-range. Testosterone crept up to 485 ng/dL. Estradiol is 32 pg/mL. Not perfect, but better. I'm thinking, "Okay, this is working, let's just stay the course."

But I'm getting these signs. Subtle stuff I kept ignoring:

I kept telling myself it was other stuff. Diet, stress, not enough sleep. But deep down I knew something was off. I just didn't want to admit that my carefully dialed-in 25mg dose might still be too much for me.

Finally, around month six, I dropped to 15mg daily. Just to see. Within two weeks, the oily skin cleared up. Water retention gone. Mood stabilized. Heart palpitations stopped. And when I tested my levels again, my DHEA-S was still at 290 μg/dL—totally fine—but my estradiol dropped to 28 pg/mL and testosterone was at 495 ng/dL.

My body just didn't need 25mg. It needed less. But I was so attached to this idea of "more is better" or "gotta hit optimal ranges" that I ignored what my body was literally screaming at me.

What I learned: Your optimal dose isn't what works for someone else or what some online protocol says. It's what makes you feel best with the fewest side effects. If you're getting oily skin, acne, water retention, mood swings, or heart weirdness on DHEA, you're probably taking too much or converting it poorly. Drop the dose before adding more stuff to "fix" the side effects.

Mistake #5: Not Cycling or Reassessing After My Levels Normalized

Here's the mistake I'm still kind of working through. After I dialed in 15mg and my levels looked good, I just... kept taking it. Every single day. For over a year.

I didn't cycle off. Didn't reassess whether I still needed it. Didn't consider that maybe my adrenals had recovered a bit (I'd also fixed my sleep, reduced stress, started eating better—stuff that actually supports natural DHEA production). I just assumed this was my protocol forever now.

Around month 18, I decided to try stopping for a month just to see what happened. Maybe I was being paranoid, but I wanted to know if my body had become dependent on exogenous dehydroepiandrosterone supplement.

I stopped cold turkey. Week one, I felt fine. Week two, maybe slightly more tired, but nothing crazy. By week four, I got bloodwork: DHEA-S was at 210 μg/dL. Lower than on the supplement, but honestly not terrible considering I'd been at 140 before I started. My natural production hadn't completely shut down like I feared.

I ended up going back on 10mg daily, just as a maintenance dose, and my levels sit around 260-280 μg/dL now. I feel just as good as I did on 15mg, maybe better because I'm not overthinking it.

What I learned: DHEA isn't necessarily a "take it forever" supplement for everyone. If you're using it to address a deficiency, reassess every 6-12 months. Get bloodwork off the supplement to see where your natural production is. You might find you need less over time, or you might find you don't need it at all if you've addressed the root causes (stress, sleep, nutrition). Don't just blindly stay on the same dose forever because it's routine.

How I Dose DHEA Now (After All the Mistakes)

Current protocol, if you're curious:

My DHEA-S stays between 260-290 μg/dL. Testosterone sits around 510-530 ng/dL (up from 420 when I started, though I've also improved sleep and diet, so hard to say how much is the DHEA). Estradiol is 25-28 pg/mL. I feel... normal. Which is exactly what I wanted.

I also stack it with BPC-157 when I'm recovering from injuries and occasionally experiment with tesamorelin for body composition, but DHEA is my daily baseline hormonal support.

Other Stuff I Wish Someone Had Told Me

DHEA for women is different: If you're a woman reading this, your dosing is going to be different. Most women do better with 5-10mg because you're more sensitive to the testosterone conversion. The best dhea supplement for women is usually a lower dose formulation. I've heard women in menopause sometimes go up to 25mg for dhea for menopause symptoms, but that's something to work out with a doctor who knows your hormone levels.

DHEA-S vs DHEA: When you get bloodwork, make sure they're testing dhea s (DHEA-Sulfate), not just DHEA. DHEA-S is the stable form that circulates in your blood and is a better marker of your levels. Sometimes labs offer both dhea and dhea s, but DHEA-S is what you want to track.

DHEA isn't magic: This is a hormonal supplement, a precursor that your body converts into other hormones. It's not going to fix everything. If your sleep sucks, your diet is trash, and you're stressed out of your mind, DHEA isn't going to save you. Fix the foundational stuff first. I didn't really feel the benefits of DHEA until I also cleaned up my sleep and started managing stress better.

Quality matters: There's a lot of garbage DHEA out there. Stick with reputable brands like Pure Encapsulations, Thorne, or Life Extension. I wasted money on some random Amazon brand once—dhea pills that were like $12 for 120 capsules—and I'm pretty sure it was just rice powder. You get what you pay for.

Consider what else you're taking: If you're also on things like sermorelin or other peptides that affect your endocrine system, DHEA can interact. Not dangerously, but it adds another variable. I experimented with the wolverine stack at one point and had to dial back my DHEA because the combined effect on my hormones was too much. Just something to keep in mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if DHEA is high?

If your dhea is high, either from taking too much or from natural overproduction, you'll likely see elevated downstream hormones like testosterone, DHT, and estrogen. Symptoms can include acne, oily skin, hair loss (from DHT), mood swings, and in men, potential gynecomastia from estrogen conversion. High DHEA can also indicate adrenal issues like PCOS in women or adrenal tumors (rare). If your levels are high, work with a doctor to figure out why and adjust dosing or investigate underlying conditions.

What if DHEA is low?

If dhea is low, you might experience fatigue, poor stress resilience, low libido, mood issues, and weakened immune function. Low DHEA is common with aging (levels peak in your 20s and decline after), chronic stress, adrenal fatigue, or certain medications like corticosteroids. Supplementation can help, but it's worth investigating why your levels are low—fixing sleep, stress, and nutrition might bring them up naturally without needing to supplement forever.

What's the best DHEA supplement?

The best dhea supplement depends on your needs, but I've had good experiences with Pure Encapsulations DHEA (clean, third-party tested, consistent dosing). Thorne and Life Extension are also solid. For women or people wanting lower doses, look for dhea 10mg capsules. The best rated dhea supplement is usually one that's USP verified or third-party tested by ConsumerLab or Labdoor. Avoid sketchy Amazon brands with no testing transparency.

Should I take DHEA if I'm on other peptides?

Maybe. If you're using peptides like BPC-157 or tesamorelin, DHEA can complement them, but you need to monitor your hormone levels closely. Peptides that affect growth hormone or tissue repair don't usually directly interact with DHEA, but adding DHEA to a stack that already includes hormone-affecting compounds can complicate things. Start low, test often, and work with someone who understands both peptides and hormones.

What I'd Tell My 34-Year-Old Self

If I could go back to that doctor's office, staring at my low DHEA-S result, here's what I'd say:

Start with 10mg. Not 50. Not even 25. Just 10mg in the morning with breakfast. Test your full hormone panel—dehydroepiandrosterone dhea s, testosterone, estradiol, the works—before you start, then again at 6 weeks, then again at 12 weeks. Pay attention to how you feel, not just the numbers. Oily skin, mood swings, trouble sleeping—those are signals, not coincidences.

Don't assume more is better. Don't assume the dose that works for someone else will work for you. And for god's sake, don't ignore your body when it's telling you something's wrong just because you're attached to a protocol you read online.

DHEA can be genuinely helpful if you're deficient. My energy is better. My mood is more stable. My testosterone came up a bit, which helped with gym recovery and libido. But it took me three years of screwing around, wasting money, and dealing with side effects to figure out what actually worked for me.

I'm not a medical professional—I'm just a guy who made every mistake so you don't have to. Talk to your doctor before trying DHEA or any dhea food supplement. Get bloodwork. Start low. Test often. Listen to your body.

And if you're standing in Whole Foods staring at that shelf of dehydroepiandrosterone tablets wondering which one to buy, remember: the smallest dose is usually the smartest place to start.