Background

Pregnenolone is a chemical that comes from cholesterol. It's used to make steroid hormones in the body. It can also be made in a lab and used as medicine.

Pregnenolone affects many different chemicals in the brain and may play a role in certain psychiatric conditions.

People use pregnenolone for Alzheimer disease, autism, back pain, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Don't confuse pregnenolone with progesterone or with wild yam, which is sometimes used as a source of supplemental pregnenolone. These are not the same.

Safety Safety definitions

When taken by mouth: Pregnenolone is possibly safe when used for up to 12 weeks. It's usually well-tolerated. Side effects might include acne, agitation, diarrhea, drowsiness, excitement, hair loss, skin rashes, sweating, and tremor. There isn't enough reliable information to know if pregnenolone is safe when used for longer than 12 weeks.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if pregnenolone is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Children: Pregnenolone is possibly safe when taken by mouth in adolescents 11-17 years-old for up to 10 weeks. But there isn't enough reliable information to know if it is safe when used for longer than 10 weeks or in younger children.

Hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Pregnenolone is converted by the body to estrogen. If you have any condition that might be made worse by exposure to estrogen, don't take supplemental pregnenolone.

Effectiveness

Dosing & administration

Pregnenolone has most often been used by adults in doses of 50-250 mg by mouth twice daily for up to 12 weeks. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what dose might be best for a specific condition.

Interactions with pharmaceuticals

Estrogens

Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

Pregnenolone is used in the body to make hormones including estrogen. Taking estrogen along with pregnenolone might cause too much estrogen to be in the body.

Progesterone

Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

Pregnenolone is used in the body to make hormones including progesterone. Taking progesterone along with pregnenolone might cause too much progesterone to be in the body.

Progestin

Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

Pregnenolone is used in the body to make hormones. Progestins are hormones. Taking pregnalone along with hormones such as progestins might cause too much hormones in the body. This could increase the effects and side effects of progestins.

Sedative medications (Benzodiazepines)

Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

Pregnenolone may decrease the sedative effects of diazepam. It may also decrease the sedative effects of other benzodiazepines.

Testosterone

Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

The body changes pregnenolone into testosterone. Taking pregnenolone along with testosterone might cause too much testosterone in the body. This might increase the chance of testosterone side effects.

Interactions with herbs & supplements

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA): Pregnenolone might increase the effects of steroid hormone supplements, including DHEA.

Interactions with foods

There are no known interactions with foods.