Pregnenalone — The Mother of Steroid Hormones

One of the hormones you probably have not heard of is PREGNENOLONE (P). It is a hormone made in the adrenal gland and is considered the mother of steroid hormones because it is the precursor or the first hormone that then becomes the hormones testosterone, DHEA, estradiol, cortisol and progesterone. The physiologic effects of these hormones are dependent on the amount of Pregnenolone in the body.

As we age Pregnenolone decreases as do the other hormones it produces. Why don’t we just take pregnenolone then? Because it is a complex system that requires many enzyme reactions and the presence of other glands to process pregnenolone into other hormones!

Almost four in ten females and one in ten males will suffer from an eating disorder. Statistically, 4% of the females will die from complications from eating disorders. This is a dangerous and statistically common set of disorders. One in ten of us have the disorder or know someone who does. This week we will discuss eating disorders. We will look at causation, treatment, and symptoms of eating disorders.

Some individuals have issues that arise from chronic weight problems or from disfigurement of one kind or another, or from social-cultural expectations of beauty and attractiveness. Many of these can be neutralized by diet and exercise, by spending time learning how to dress and apply makeup in ways that cosmetically show you to your best advantage and make the problem manageable. Others require more extensive, expensive and elaborate interventions. Many of these interventions require surgery and if not, still require externally obtained help.

People who are obese suffer from social, psychological, and physiological issues that can destroy their ability to live healthy and happy lives. There are levels of obesity and each of them have interventions and treatments that are known to be of benefit.

If you have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above, and do not have any other medical conditions, it is recommended that you have a bariatric surgery. If your BMI is 30 or above, and you have another medical problem such as diabetes, it is recommended that you have bariatric surgery. These surgeries require the services of a specialist who has been trained and has expertise in the study of these issues and interventions. In most cases, you will also need the follow-up attention of a plastic surgeon and a nutritional specialist.

I diagnose women with testosterone deficiency (TDS) only when they have both symptoms and low blood levels of free (active) testosterone. Prior to the first appointment, I evaluate a new patient’s lab work and medical history. This process allows me to make logical medical decisions without pressure from patients who want testosterone even if it is not medically necessary for their particular problems. When I see new patients, I make sure both of us make the most of our time and their money. As with everything in medicine, I not only look for and diagnose the hormone deficiency I look for other illnesses that may masquerade as testosterone deficiency, and for those patients, I meet with them but give them the option to see their primary care doctor about the other diagnoses. I don’t treat them with testosterone unless that is also evident.

There are some men whose low testosterone symptoms are not severe enough to require replacement but instead need to have their own production of testosterone stimulated. Men in this situation with borderline blood levels like 405 Total Testosterone and 130 Free Testosterone may be symptomatic and may benefit from treatment.

References are made in this episode to Dr. Maupin's book, The Secret Female Hormone: How Testosterone Replacement Can Change Your Life

The loss of testosterone, estradiol in women, and growth hormone in both sexes robs us of restful sleep. The symptoms all follow the same pattern: “I can fall asleep easily, but I wake up multiple times in the early morning and eventually can’t go back to sleep, or if I do, I wake up exhausted.” When these hormones (T for men and T & E2 for women) are adequately replaced, 90% of insomniacs begin to sleep restfully.

Two very common causes of difficulties with sleep are anxiety and stress. If you are facing some impending event that is important to you, your adrenal glands will put you in a state of hypervigilance: flight or fight awareness, even when you are sleeping (in this case trying to sleep). It can cause you to have difficulty falling asleep or it can cause you to awaken frequently during your sleep period. If there is some worry or stress that you are experiencing beyond your normal concerns you will have the same reaction.

The decision to treat a man with testosterone (T) is not a slam dunk decision based on one test like the commercials for low T depict. Men come to me at any age over 40 (usually) with various levels of testosterone, medications that may affect testosterone levels, other illnesses that interfere with sexuality and T levels, as well as various viewpoints on taking a hormone or a “medication” to replace what they used to make naturally. The initial decision to treat is dependent on his symptoms, blood levels of T and Free T, and levels of other hormones that affect T levels.

If you suffer from headaches at the moment of orgasmic release, it is necessary to discuss it with your doctor and let them evaluate you for risks. You need to get a CT scan to assess this to rule out tumors and vascular abnormality. This conversation might just save your life or at the very least the quality of life you want to have.

Both men and women can experience headaches associated with sexual activity (HSA), but some studies indicate a ratio of 3×1 male over female. They are more likely to occur in people who have migraine headaches, tension headaches, or exertional headaches. Alcohol use and medications used to reduce erectile dysfunction may cause headaches but these are not classified as HSA headaches.