DHEA Use in Sjogren's Syndrome

This study, published in January 2010, investigated the use of DHEA in Sjogren's Syndrome for severe fatigue. You can click on the link, above, to learn more about this supplement. DHEA created naturally in our bodies is converted into male and female sex hormones. Patients with Primary Sjogren's syndrome frequently have low serum levels of DHEA.

The study was conducted at the Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki Finland.

OBJECTIVE: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is characterized by fatigue and low levels of serum dehydroepiandrosterone/dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA/DHEAS). Our aim was to study whether SS patients with severe fatigue and low serum DHEAS values benefit from DHEA substitution (50 mg/day)......CONCLUSION: Similar to earlier results using pharmacologic doses, substitution treatment with 50 mg of DHEA in DHEA-deficient and severely tired primary SS patients does not help against fatigue better than placebo. This may relate to the prohormone nature of DHEA and its recently described defective intracrine tissue-specific conversion to active sex steroids in SS.

It appears that the problem in supplementing DHEA arises when the body attempts to convert the supplement into the male and female sex hormones.

Mayo Clinic warns against using DHEA supplements without the advice of your doctor:

No studies on the long-term effects of DHEA have been conducted. DHEA can cause higher than normal levels of androgens and estrogens in the body, and theoretically may increase the risk of prostate, breast, ovarian, and other hormone-sensitive cancers. Therefore, it is not recommended for regular use without supervision by a licensed health professional.

You can read more about DHEA here and here.