Discussion
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Hi Dr. Ruscio,
I’d be interested to hear you expand your thoughts on the use of pregnenolone / DHEA as support – either here or in the podcast.
Reviewing these cases, and seeing the moderate female and allostatic load symptoms listed hereI assumed that you would have first added chaste tree extract / black cohost / dong quai or classic adrenal adaptogens for the allostatic load.
What was it about her presentation that made you go the DHEA / pregenolone route? Do you find difficulty in getting women to stop these support or wean off?
Joe Mather
Hi Joe,
Preg/DHEA are another form of adrenal support, I can’t say I feel them to be any better or worse than adaptogens. With adrenal support, you can get some spillover benefit for female hormones. Sometimes I start with Preg/DHEA, sometimes with adaptogens. If someone has a really impaired GI I might start with Preg/DHEA since they are sublingually dosed.
Hope this helps.
Thanks, It’s very helpful, especially to hear you don’t find them superior to adaptogens.
Would it be correct to assume that you typically give Preg/DHEA as support for somewhere around 3-6 months while you address other root issues?
So if GI (constipation, IBS, decreased motility) is more of an issue, you would choose hormones over adaptogens even without hormone testing?
Both preg and DHEA?
Hi Dr. Ruscio,
I’d be interested to hear you expand your thoughts on the use of pregnenolone / DHEA as support – either here or in the podcast.
Reviewing these cases, and seeing the moderate female and allostatic load symptoms listed hereI assumed that you would have first added chaste tree extract / black cohost / dong quai or classic adrenal adaptogens for the allostatic load.
What was it about her presentation that made you go the DHEA / pregenolone route? Do you find difficulty in getting women to stop these support or wean off?
Joe Mather
Hi Joe,
Preg/DHEA are another form of adrenal support, I can’t say I feel them to be any better or worse than adaptogens. With adrenal support, you can get some spillover benefit for female hormones. Sometimes I start with Preg/DHEA, sometimes with adaptogens. If someone has a really impaired GI I might start with Preg/DHEA since they are sublingually dosed.
Hope this helps.
Thanks, It’s very helpful, especially to hear you don’t find them superior to adaptogens.
Would it be correct to assume that you typically give Preg/DHEA as support for somewhere around 3-6 months while you address other root issues?
So if GI (constipation, IBS, decreased motility) is more of an issue, you would choose hormones over adaptogens even without hormone testing?
Both preg and DHEA?
Dr Ruscio – Given that her antibodies are still high and have not responded to AIP/GF diet, selenium or Vitamin D, what do you think the cause of her autoimmunity is?
Given that she has shown high TPO as well as multiple allergens positive on Cyrex test(while not noted in the case summary, but intuited from the history), would you start her on an immune modulator like Moducare?
Thanks,
Eric Nager
Hey Eric,
I think you might be missing the important message illustrated by this case study. She is healthy, and does not need to do more, she needs to do less, worry less, enjoy her life and depart the functional medicine indoctrination that can occur inadvertently subsequent to this type of thinking. This clinical over-thinking was leading her to think she is ill. Did that not come across in the write up? This is a KEY point. *on the go, sorry if this is not super polished*
Dr Ruscio, I have a similar patient, she has many gastrointestinal discomforts, she only makes use of the Tirosint 88mcg. Do you think I should start fodmaps with her?
It is certainly worth a trail if she has GI symptoms.
Dr Ruscio, I have a similar patient, she has many gastrointestinal discomforts, she only makes use of the Tirosint 88mcg. Do you think I should start fodmaps with her?
It is certainly worth a trail if she has GI symptoms.
Dr Ruscio – Given that her antibodies are still high and have not responded to AIP/GF diet, selenium or Vitamin D, what do you think the cause of her autoimmunity is?
Given that she has shown high TPO as well as multiple allergens positive on Cyrex test(while not noted in the case summary, but intuited from the history), would you start her on an immune modulator like Moducare?
Thanks,
Eric Nager
Hey Eric,
I think you might be missing the important message illustrated by this case study. She is healthy, and does not need to do more, she needs to do less, worry less, enjoy her life and depart the functional medicine indoctrination that can occur inadvertently subsequent to this type of thinking. This clinical over-thinking was leading her to think she is ill. Did that not come across in the write up? This is a KEY point. *on the go, sorry if this is not super polished*