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Reference only · Not medical advice · For adults 18+ · No dosing information is published here
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TRT & Hormones

Dhea — reference

Adrenal precursor steroid that converts downstream to testosterone and estradiol; sold over the counter in the US.

Regulatory statusMixed Regulatory Status
Published half-life~15–38 minutes (free DHEA); DHEA-S (sulfated) much longer, ~7–10+ hours
Evidence levelPK study
CategoryTRT & Hormones

Regulatory status

Mixed Regulatory Status. Sold legally as a dietary supplement in the US under DSHEA, meaning it is not FDA-approved as a drug and its content is not verified pre-market. Banned in competitive sport.

Reported cautions

⚠ Worth knowing. Converts to both androgens and estrogens, so it can raise estradiol unpredictably. Supplement labelling accuracy for DHEA has repeatedly tested poorly.

Pharmacokinetics

Published figures give an elimination half-life of ~15–38 minutes (free DHEA); DHEA-S (sulfated) much longer, ~7–10+ hours. Free DHEA clears fast; most circulating pool is the sulfated form with a much longer half-life.

This figure is tagged PK study in our evidence system. This figure comes from a published pharmacokinetic study rather than a label or registration trial. Sample sizes in such studies are often small and figures vary between them, so treat the number as a range rather than a constant. You can see the shape this implies between doses in the Half-Life Visualizer, and compare it against every other compound in the Half-Life Data Table. Our sourcing page explains what each tier means.

Remember that an estimated curve is a model built from a population figure, not a measurement of your blood. Individual clearance varies, and for depot injections the figure describes release from the injection site rather than the compound clearing. Half-life explained →

What Peptide Plug does and does not publish

This page carries regulatory status, general context and published pharmacokinetics. It carries no dose, frequency or cycle information — that is a deliberate editorial line, because dosing is a clinical decision rather than reference data. We also do not sell, supply, source or link to vendors for any compound.

Frequently asked

Is Dhea FDA-approved?
Mixed Regulatory Status. Sold legally as a dietary supplement in the US under DSHEA, meaning it is not FDA-approved as a drug and its content is not verified pre-market. Banned in competitive sport.
What is the half-life of Dhea?
Published figures give ~15–38 minutes (free DHEA); DHEA-S (sulfated) much longer, ~7–10+ hours. Free DHEA clears fast; most circulating pool is the sulfated form with a much longer half-life.
How reliable is that half-life figure?
It is tagged “PK study” in our system. This figure comes from a published pharmacokinetic study rather than a label or registration trial. Sample sizes in such studies are often small and figures vary between them, so treat the number as a range rather than a constant.
What cautions are associated with Dhea?
Converts to both androgens and estrogens, so it can raise estradiol unpredictably. Supplement labelling accuracy for DHEA has repeatedly tested poorly.
Does Peptide Plug publish dosing for Dhea?
No. This library publishes regulatory status, general context and pharmacokinetics only. Dose, frequency and cycle information is deliberately absent from these public pages — those are clinical decisions, not reference data.
Does Peptide Plug sell Dhea?
No. We do not sell, supply, source or link to vendors for any compound, and we have no affiliate arrangements with suppliers. Peptide Plug is a tracking and calculation tool.

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Pro Protocol Reference

The public research page intentionally does not publish dosing. Pro subscribers can open the separate Protocol Library for structured indication, frequency, duration, notes, and review-first Cycle Builder import when a matching reference is available.

View Protocol Reference
Reference information, not medical advice. This page describes regulatory status and published pharmacokinetics. It does not tell you whether to use this compound, how much to use, how often, or whether it is safe for you. Peptide Plug does not sell, supply or source any compound. Those decisions belong to you and a licensed clinician.

Part of the Peptide Plug research library · How we source our figures · All compounds A–Z