Progesterone In Men

[docall18]

Also, I am sceptical of a lot of these studies that get posted as fact, aswell and some of Peats ideas. I have below range Dhea and Preg. If i supplement even 1mg/day of either my estrogen shoots way over-range, especially with Dhea. Taking arimidex and DIM cant get it down.

Yet every study available shows no or only minor increases in Estrogen from Preg or Dhea. Ray Peat believes Preg wont raise estrogen at all. Besides myself, I know of numerous people that had estrogen increases from both.

I had oestradiol of 222 (44-156) while taking 50mg of preg/day. I was also taking 0.5mg Arimidex and 1 tab Indolplex Dim per day at the time.

 

[YuraCZ]

Also, I am sceptical of a lot of these studies that get posted as fact, aswell and some of Peats ideas. I have below range Dhea and Preg. If i supplement even 1mg/day of either my estrogen shoots way over-range, especially with Dhea. Taking arimidex and DIM cant get it down.

Yet every study available shows no or only minor increases in Estrogen from Preg or Dhea. Ray Peat believes Preg wont raise estrogen at all. Besides myself, I know of numerous people that had estrogen increases from both.

I had oestradiol of 222 (44-156) while taking 50mg of preg/day. I was also taking 0.5mg Arimidex and 1 tab Indolplex Dim per day at the time.

That's why I won't try preg or DHEA. Progesterone is a much safer choice..

 

[haidut]

Ah I said this is only from my own experience. I was on dessicated thyroid and HC for a few years. Without HC I could not tolerate much thyroid. Small amounts would cause high adrenaline symptoms. With the HC I was able to tolerate larger thyroid doses.
The accepted wisdom rightly or wrongly of many doctors and thyroid sites is that the body needs cortisol to utilise the thyroid hormone. I found this to be correct in practise.

Understood. I am just curious as to what is the mechanism of action resulting in improved thyroid utilization through cortisol. If you happen to have asked a doctor or somebody who knows the connection please post it here.
I do agree that progesterone can fill in for cortisol in hypothyroid people, but I do NOT agree that progesterone does this by increasing cortisol synthesis. Maybe a doctor on this forum can correct me and explain why / how this is wrong and cortisol is helpful directly.
Here are some other things to consider:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucocorticoid_receptor

"...Dexamethasone is an agonist, and mifepristone and cyproterone acetate are antagonists of the GR. Also, progesterone and DHEA have antagonist effects on the GR (glucocorticoid receptor)."

http://www.eje.org/content/146/6/789.full.pdf
"... Progesterone binds to the human mineralocorticoid receptor (hMR) with nearly the same
affinity as do aldosterone and cortisol, but confers only low agonistic activity. It is still unclear how aldosterone can act as a mineralocorticoid in situations with high progesterone concentrations, e.g. pregnancy. One mechanism could be conversion of progesterone to inactive compounds in hMR target tissues."

So, progesterone and DHEA are cortisol antagonists and progesterone and its metabolites are weak agonists of the aldosterone receptor in low concentrations and antagonists in high concentrations. Btw, the latter study suggests that one needs to be careful with higher progesterone doses since it may affect sodium / magnesium balance.
This effect on the mineralocorticoid "receptor" can explain how progesterone can fill in for the lack of cortisol and why dosage matters. But still, progesterone does not seem to either act like cortisol agonist or increase cortisol synthesis.

 

[haidut]

Also, I am sceptical of a lot of these studies that get posted as fact, aswell and some of Peats ideas. I have below range Dhea and Preg. If i supplement even 1mg/day of either my estrogen shoots way over-range, especially with Dhea. Taking arimidex and DIM cant get it down.

Yet every study available shows no or only minor increases in Estrogen from Preg or Dhea. Ray Peat believes Preg wont raise estrogen at all. Besides myself, I know of numerous people that had estrogen increases from both.

I had oestradiol of 222 (44-156) while taking 50mg of preg/day. I was also taking 0.5mg Arimidex and 1 tab Indolplex Dim per day at the time.

I don't post these studies as fact, and I am just as skeptical as you. All I am saying is that the studies (all of the ones I have seen) agree with Peat, my personal experience, and blood work I have seen from other people. The human study with 500mg pregnenolone a day for 8 weeks showed no change in estradiol and it was a decent size group of people. My estrogen does not move an inch from 600mg pregnenolone daily for a month, and finally I can't find a single study showing pregnenolone increases estrogen in humans. The theory behind it seems to be matches by results. If 80% of pregnenolone converts into progesterone, it is not likely to increase estrogen since all that converted progesterone will block it out and inhibit new synthesis.
Finally, I do not trust blood results for estrogen, including my own ones that show no increase in estrogen. However, in my case pregnenolone also lowered prolactin and blood tests for prolactin tend to be raliable and the most accurate measure of estrogen. This is not surprising since studies show pregnenolone and its metabolites to increase dopamine. Lower prolactin means both lower tissues estrogen (which blood tests cannot measure) and lower aromatase activity.
When women give birth their prolactin skyrockets, which means their estrogen is also very high and progesterone is very low. They cannot get pregnant again until their prolactin comes down and in some women it has to be done with drugs. Btw, over 90% of women with MS will have complete remission while pregnant and a nasty relapse within 1-2 months after giving birth, when prolactin is at its highest together with estrogen.
Btw, pregnenolone itself directly lowers aromatase as well so not sure why it would increase estrogen in your case, if it is increasing it at all. Here is the thread on pregnenolone and aromatase.

viewtopic.php?f=75&t=3596

The study from the thread above confirms once again Peat's views - testosterone is maybe just as dangerous as estrogen - i.e. it stimulated aromatase activity so high testosterone stimulates its own conversion into estrogen. Ask any bodybuilder and they will confirm this.

Anyways, my point is not to argue but to find out IF progesterone does indeed cause increase in cortisol (highly unlikely), and if pregnenolone causes increase in estrogen (also unlikely).
One way to do this is to always check estrogen and prolactin together. Checking serotonin together with these is also helpful. Prolactin is the real measure of tissue-bound estrogen and high blood results of estrogen may mean the body is actually getting rid of it. Peat said progesterone knocks estrogen out of the cell and it shows as high blood levels when in fact the body stores of estrogen are decreasing.
So, next time you see your doctor ask if she/he is willing to these additional tests.

 

[marsaday]

Cortisol balance works in a narrow range as i understand it. Too low and we have problems, too high we have problems. So maybe progesterone is the balance king hormone.

I do agree that maybe a low cortisol problem is actually a problem of too high a level.

How do you explain low DHEA then Haidut. What is happening there ? If we are not making enough, it is usually because the body is diverting the production of this hormone towards cortisol. So we have the cortisol steal theory. Why doesn't this make sense ?

Also why is it hypothyroid patients always have low DHEA levels. I have seen it time after time from saliva testing results ?

I will be rising to your challenge and seeing how progesterone affects cortisol and DHEA. I was actually going to do it anyway and will post up the results here. It may be a few weeks away, but i will get round to doing it. I have many saliva results from over the last few years, so plenty of info to compare with.

What i hope to see is DHEA up and cortisol in its usual curved shape and possibly a touch lower.

Do you mean prog RAISES TSH, not lowers it. It has certainly raised mine for the first time in 8 years and i have the recent bloods to prove it. Mine has been suppressed for 8 yrs, but is now at 0.5.

 

[haidut]

Cortisol balance works in a narrow range as i understand it. Too low and we have problems, too high we have problems. So maybe progesterone is the balance king hormone.

I do agree that maybe a low cortisol problem is actually a problem of too high a level.

How do you explain low DHEA then Haidut. What is happening there ? If we are not making enough, it is usually because the body is diverting the production of this hormone towards cortisol. So we have the cortisol steal theory. Why doesn't this make sense ?

Also why is it hypothyroid patients always have low DHEA levels. I have seen it time after time from saliva testing results ?

I will be rising to your challenge and seeing how progesterone affects cortisol and DHEA. I was actually going to do it anyway and will post up the results here. It may be a few weeks away, but i will get round to doing it. I have many saliva results from over the last few years, so plenty of info to compare with.

What i hope to see is DHEA up and cortisol in its usual curved shape and possibly a touch lower.

Do you mean prog RAISES TSH, not lowers it. It has certainly raised mine for the first time in 8 years and i have the recent bloods to prove it. Mine has been suppressed for 8 yrs, but is now at 0.5.

Low DHEA, in the absense of adrenal tumor, is most likely caused by hypothyroidism. The body synthesizes cortisol along the pathways, and progesterone is on the pathway to cortisol. I guess you can call that "cortisol steal from cholesterol" if we have to be accurate. However, if you supplement more cholesterol or more progesterone that does not mean that the body will synthesize more cortisol just b/c both substances are on the pathway to it. Supplementing progesterone should actually lower cortisol, so I am welcoming your suggestion to do blood tests and share results Maybe we can have some ore clarity.
As to the other question - I meant progesterone should lower TSH. Progesterone seems to quite down the pituitary and lower all of the hormones coming from it. However, TSH will probably go down if progesterone improves thyroid function shown by increase T4 and T3. If that does not happen then I guess progesterone won't lower TSH. Did you check your T4 and T3 levels together with TSH? If yes, did they rise or drop as a result of progesterone?

 

[docall18]

The way I see cortisol and thyroid is that they combine to regulate your metabolic rate. When cortisol & thyroid are low your metabolism is low. Increase thyroid above the setpoint for that mebabolic rate and your cortisol also needs to be increased.

I tested over-range E2 four times. Twice from Dhea and twice from Preg. Usually it is mid-range. Had prolactin tested twice when E2 was high, once was overrange, once near top of range.
The symptoms at the time were classic high E2. Taking DIM or Arimidex resolved them. So there is no doubt it is high E2.
I have seen others with high E2 labs from preg. Many get a bad rxn from preg but dont test E2 as 'preg doesnt cause high estrogen'. However preg can increase Dhea, Testosterone and then E2.

 

[haidut]

The way I see cortisol and thyroid is that they combine to regulate your metabolic rate. When cortisol & thyroid are low your metabolism is low. Increase thyroid above the setpoint for that mebabolic rate and your cortisol also needs to be increased.

I tested over-range E2 four times. Twice from Dhea and twice from Preg. Usually it is mid-range. Had prolactin tested twice when E2 was high, once was overrange, once near top of range.
The symptoms at the time were classic high E2. Taking DIM or Arimidex resolved them. So there is no doubt it is high E2.
I have seen others with high E2 labs from preg. Many get a bad rxn from preg but dont test E2 as 'preg doesnt cause high estrogen'. However preg can increase Dhea, Testosterone and then E2.

Hhhm, it is possible I guess. I can't argue with blood work. Were you taking anything else while on pregnenolone?
The high estrogen through high T from pregnenolone is possible in theory, but in practice highly unlikely b/c most of the pregnenolone will convert into progesterone and stay as progesterone for weeks. Of course, everything is possible so it would be interesting to know what else was going on with these people getting high E2 from pregnenolone. Do you know by any chance how was their liver function?
Thyroid and cortisol are antagonistic to each other. In normal doses T3 stimulates protein synthesis while cortisol powerfully inhibits it. However, overdoing T3 can become catabolic so this may be the reason some people link thyroid to cortisol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triiodothyronine#Protein
"...T3 stimulates the production of RNA Polymerase I and II and, therefore, increases the rate of protein synthesis. It also increases the rate of protein degradation, and, in excess, the rate of protein degradation exceeds the rate of protein synthesis. In such situations, the body may go into negative ion balance."

 

[docall18]

Maybe I just have a strange rxn to preg, but people on other forums have also found the same.

A months ago my E2 was high. Supplements at the time were 1mg/d TD preg, 5mg/d prog (to counter high E2), 2.5 grains thyroid-S, 50mcg T4, and all the Peat recommended supps and diet.
I had to stop the preg due to symptoms. My E2 over a week off the preg was 201 (99-192).


I believe low Dhea is also from low adrenal function due to HPA hypofunction. All steroids produced by the adrenals go to keeping cortisol up. Thyroid does nothing for my Dhea. I will check it shortly to see if progesterone has increased it.

 

[haidut]

Maybe I just have a strange rxn to preg, but people on other forums have also found the same.

A months ago my E2 was high. Supplements at the time were 1mg/d TD preg, 5mg/d prog (to counter high E2), 2.5 grains thyroid-S, 50mcg T4, and all the Peat recommended supps and diet.
I had to stop the preg due to symptoms. My E2 over a week off the preg was 201 (99-192).


I believe low Dhea is also from low adrenal function due to HPA hypofunction. All steroids produced by the adrenals go to keeping cortisol up. Thyroid does nothing for my Dhea. I will check it shortly to see if progesterone has increased it.

Adrenal synthesis of steroids like DHEA depends almost entirely on thyroid, UNLESS there is an exogenous production from a tumor. The HPA controls other adrenal steroids like cortisol through ACTH. I don't think it controls DHEA production. DHEA is also produced in gonads ans brain so it being low strongly suggests low thyroid function. If you know of a signal/hormone in the pituitary that signals adrenals to start producing DHEA please share.
So, low DHEA does not mean HPA hypofunction, it means low thyroid function or poor thyroid hormone uptake. It also means poor metabolism in brain and gonads (and probably overall), which is very easy to see as external signs in people with low DHEA.

 

[docall18]

Adrenocortical Responsiveness to Graded ACTH Infusions in Normal Young and Elderly Human Subjects
Ohashi M. · Kato K.-i. · Nawata H. · Ibayashi H.
Abstract
The responses of plasma cortisol, aldosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) to graded ACTH infusions (from 50 mU/h to 1,000 mU/h) in elderly subjects were compared with those in young subjects. There were no significant differences between young and elderly subjects in terms of the levels of plasma cortisol during ACTH infusion. The increment in median serum cortisol increase observed in elderly subjects was also equal to that found in young subjects. Plasma aldosterone concentration showed a gradual increase in response to ACTH infusion in both young and elderly individuals. There was no significant difference between the response of young and aged subjects. Significant increases in serum DHEA in response to ACTH infusion were observed in both young and aged individuals, however, the median increase of serum DHEA (ΔDHEA) in the elderly subjects was markedly lower than that in the young ones. Serum DHEA-S concentrations prior to ACTH infusion were significantly lower in the elderly subjects. With graded infusions of ACTH, plasma DHEA-S concentrations in young subjects tended to increase gradually, whereas there was no significant increase in plasma DHEA-S concentrations in the elderly. These results are indicative that the responses of adrenal androgens in elderly subjects to small, graded doses of ACTH infusion are preferentially impaired; however, the responses of cortisol and aldosterone are well maintained.




DHEA, PREG and Their Sulphate Derivatives on Plasma and Brain After CRH and ACTH Administration J. M. Torres, E. Ortega
Abstract
The term neurosteroids applies to steroids that are synthesized in the nervous system, either de novo from cholesterol or from steroid hormone precursors. RIA was used to determine plasma and brain levels of the neurosteroids pregnenolone (PREG), ehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and their sulfate derivatives (PREG-S and DHEA-S) in male and female rats after administration of two typical stress hormones: corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH). In all cases, the parameters measured were detectable in plasma and brain. PREG, PREG-S, and DHEA increased significantly in plasma and brain after CRH and ACTH administration in males and females. Because neurosteroids play an important role in mammalian physiology, including that of humans, stress situations may alter the physiological functions regulated by these neurosteroids.

 

[haidut]

Adrenocortical Responsiveness to Graded ACTH Infusions in Normal Young and Elderly Human Subjects
Ohashi M. · Kato K.-i. · Nawata H. · Ibayashi H.
Abstract
The responses of plasma cortisol, aldosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) to graded ACTH infusions (from 50 mU/h to 1,000 mU/h) in elderly subjects were compared with those in young subjects. There were no significant differences between young and elderly subjects in terms of the levels of plasma cortisol during ACTH infusion. The increment in median serum cortisol increase observed in elderly subjects was also equal to that found in young subjects. Plasma aldosterone concentration showed a gradual increase in response to ACTH infusion in both young and elderly individuals. There was no significant difference between the response of young and aged subjects. Significant increases in serum DHEA in response to ACTH infusion were observed in both young and aged individuals, however, the median increase of serum DHEA (ΔDHEA) in the elderly subjects was markedly lower than that in the young ones. Serum DHEA-S concentrations prior to ACTH infusion were significantly lower in the elderly subjects. With graded infusions of ACTH, plasma DHEA-S concentrations in young subjects tended to increase gradually, whereas there was no significant increase in plasma DHEA-S concentrations in the elderly. These results are indicative that the responses of adrenal androgens in elderly subjects to small, graded doses of ACTH infusion are preferentially impaired; however, the responses of cortisol and aldosterone are well maintained.




DHEA, PREG and Their Sulphate Derivatives on Plasma and Brain After CRH and ACTH Administration J. M. Torres, E. Ortega
Abstract
The term neurosteroids applies to steroids that are synthesized in the nervous system, either de novo from cholesterol or from steroid hormone precursors. RIA was used to determine plasma and brain levels of the neurosteroids pregnenolone (PREG), ehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and their sulfate derivatives (PREG-S and DHEA-S) in male and female rats after administration of two typical stress hormones: corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH). In all cases, the parameters measured were detectable in plasma and brain. PREG, PREG-S, and DHEA increased significantly in plasma and brain after CRH and ACTH administration in males and females. Because neurosteroids play an important role in mammalian physiology, including that of humans, stress situations may alter the physiological functions regulated by these neurosteroids.

Thanks. ACTH may stimulate DHEA synthesis in adrenals, but the majority of it is not made in the adrenals.
Here is one study showing thyroid is probably also a factor:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10759476
"...CONCLUSIONS:

Serum concentrations of DHEA, DHEA-S, and PREG-S were decreased in hypothyroidism, whereas serum DHEA-S and PREG-S concentrations were increased but DHEA was normal in hyperthyroidism. Thyroid hormone may stimulate the synthesis of these steroids, and DHEA sulfotransferase might be increased in hyperthyroidism."

What I do know is that without well functioning thyroid you will not be producing enough DHEA no matter how high ACTH rises and how much it stimulates the adrenals. I guess the low levels seen in hypothyroidism are just that - what the body can produce based only on stimulation from ACTH (which will also increase cortisol). The rest of the production will not go up until thyroid is restored.

 

[marsaday]

Low DHEA, in the absense of adrenal tumor, is most likely caused by hypothyroidism. The body synthesizes cortisol along the pathways, and progesterone is on the pathway to cortisol. I guess you can call that "cortisol steal from cholesterol" if we have to be accurate. However, if you supplement more cholesterol or more progesterone that does not mean that the body will synthesize more cortisol just b/c both substances are on the pathway to it. Supplementing progesterone should actually lower cortisol, so I am welcoming your suggestion to do blood tests and share results Maybe we can have some ore clarity.
As to the other question - I meant progesterone should lower TSH. Progesterone seems to quite down the pituitary and lower all of the hormones coming from it. However, TSH will probably go down if progesterone improves thyroid function shown by increase T4 and T3. If that does not happen then I guess progesterone won't lower TSH. Did you check your T4 and T3 levels together with TSH? If yes, did they rise or drop as a result of progesterone?

1) My testing is saliva for cortisol and not blood.

2) I have TSH and FT4 data only, not FT3 unfortunately. My Ft4 on 125 T4 was 18 before progesterone in January and the SAME after using progesterone for 3 weeks i think in April. However, TSH went from 0.01 to 0.5. So i assume my FT3 went down a bit because it was suddenly getting absorbed better by the body because of the prog, and so the body sensed it needed more T3 conversion. It is a shame i dont have the FT3 to confirm this, but UK testing is poor. I do know i am a very good converter of T4 to T3 and so i usually have an FT3 at the top of the range.

3) Also i dont know if you spotted an earlier comment i made on this thread that my testosterone has jumped 25% after using the progesterone. It went from 18 to 22.4 nmol/l (8-31). So i have a mid range testosterone level and now a little higher.

 

[haidut]

Low DHEA, in the absense of adrenal tumor, is most likely caused by hypothyroidism. The body synthesizes cortisol along the pathways, and progesterone is on the pathway to cortisol. I guess you can call that "cortisol steal from cholesterol" if we have to be accurate. However, if you supplement more cholesterol or more progesterone that does not mean that the body will synthesize more cortisol just b/c both substances are on the pathway to it. Supplementing progesterone should actually lower cortisol, so I am welcoming your suggestion to do blood tests and share results Maybe we can have some ore clarity.
As to the other question - I meant progesterone should lower TSH. Progesterone seems to quite down the pituitary and lower all of the hormones coming from it. However, TSH will probably go down if progesterone improves thyroid function shown by increase T4 and T3. If that does not happen then I guess progesterone won't lower TSH. Did you check your T4 and T3 levels together with TSH? If yes, did they rise or drop as a result of progesterone?

1) My testing is saliva for cortisol and not blood.

2) I have TSH and FT4 data only, not FT3 unfortunately. My Ft4 on 125 T4 was 18 before progesterone in January and the SAME after using progesterone for 3 weeks i think in April. However, TSH went from 0.01 to 0.5. So i assume my FT3 went down a bit because it was suddenly getting absorbed better by the body because of the prog, and so the body sensed it needed more T3 conversion. It is a shame i dont have the FT3 to confirm this, but UK testing is poor. I do know i am a very good converter of T4 to T3 and so i usually have an FT3 at the top of the range.

3) Also i dont know if you spotted an earlier comment i made on this thread that my testosterone has jumped 25% after using the progesterone. It went from 18 to 22.4 nmol/l (8-31). So i have a mid range testosterone level and now a little higher.

1) Yeah, the progesterone may have improved thyroid update and this caused the jump in TSH and fall in FT3. If you can please do a free T3 test next time.

2) Progesterone can raise testosterone as I mentioned earlier. The most pronounced effect is usually seen in men with low T but it can happen in women too, especially is they are taking DHEA concurrently or have high DHEA levels already.

 

[marsaday]

Yes next time i will do a full thyroid panel.

 

[marsaday]

Maybe I just have a strange rxn to preg, but people on other forums have also found the same.

A months ago my E2 was high. Supplements at the time were 1mg/d TD preg, 5mg/d prog (to counter high E2), 2.5 grains thyroid-S, 50mcg T4, and all the Peat recommended supps and diet.
I had to stop the preg due to symptoms. My E2 over a week off the preg was 201 (99-192).


I believe low Dhea is also from low adrenal function due to HPA hypofunction. All steroids produced by the adrenals go to keeping cortisol up. Thyroid does nothing for my Dhea. I will check it shortly to see if progesterone has increased it.

Adrenal synthesis of steroids like DHEA depends almost entirely on thyroid, UNLESS there is an exogenous production from a tumor. The HPA controls other adrenal steroids like cortisol through ACTH. I don't think it controls DHEA production. DHEA is also produced in gonads ans brain so it being low strongly suggests low thyroid function. If you know of a signal/hormone in the pituitary that signals adrenals to start producing DHEA please share.
So, low DHEA does not mean HPA hypofunction, it means low thyroid function or poor thyroid hormone uptake. It also means poor metabolism in brain and gonads (and probably overall), which is very easy to see as external signs in people with low DHEA.

1) My DHEA has never come up with thyroid treatment so i must have had bad thyroid uptake. I am hoping the progesterone has helped with this problem.

2) What are the external signs of people with low DHEA ?

3) Pregnenalone had a very good effect on me when i first started using it. 50mcg didn't really do anything, but when i used 100mcg per day i regained full health. Then after a few weeks things dropped off. I then only used preg occasionally and it helped, but not all the time.

Progesterone has been different. Similar to the preg, but the consistency of health is better.

 

[Entropy]

I took progest-e day before blood work and my testosterone results were above normal, however PTH and Prolactin were mid-rage.

Stopped progest-e when I'd started having fever like symptoms, body aches, fatigue & over heating.. I was probably using too much.

 

[docall18]

Yes, I agree progesterone probably does reduce cortisol. Supplementing HC (and Prog) must also have help by backfilling pregnenolone and Dhea.

After lowering my prolactin with b6 my libido is much better, however it has also uncovered high cortisol symptoms. It seems like the high prolactin was suppressing/masking high cortisol symptoms.

I have always had pretty high prolactin. I feel this may somehow have been giving me the bad reaction to preg and Dhea. I am going to supplement both again and see how I react.

 

[haidut]

One more study to consider.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3648625/

"...We have previously found that pregnenolone is preferentially metabolized to allopregnanolone, rather than other compounds such as cortisol or DHEA (43, 44); however these metabolites were also assayed. Allopregnanolone serum levels have been reported to triple two hours after oral administration of 400 mg pregnenolone (45). Thus, drug administration occurred two hours before neuroimaging to ensure elevated levels during the scan."

So, more evidence that pregnenolone does not raise cortisol. In addition, since it does not convert much into DHEA, it can't affect estrogen that much either. Both of these findings are consistent across many human studies and the theory behind it, so I tend to put more weight on the findings.
On the flip side, contrary to what Peat has suggested, it means that supplementing with pregnenolone alone may not be sufficient to replenish DHEA levels, so both pregnenolone and DHEA may have to be taken together.

 

[docall18]

Mmm, that is just one study and it is on schizophrenics who were taking other medications at the same time, not people with adrenal issues.