High pregnenolone - what does it mean?

[mscholtz]

I know this isn't about thyroid, but there's no general endocrinology forum, and I am hypothyroid so it might be related.

In an attempt to find the cause of some chronic symptoms that many of my doctors suspect are endocrine-related, my pregnenolone level was checked.  The suspicion was that it might be low.  But it came back singnificantly high.  (261 ng/dL, where the ref. range for my age/gender is 23-173).

I can hardly find anything online about what high pregnenolone means.  In general, good amounts of preg. seem to be good, but they must have a limited normal range for a reason!  I saw one kind of adrenal tumor can cause it, but there's got to be other possibilities beyond that, right?

BTW, my cortisol (production of which I understand can be affected by preg.) was measured variably.  Initially at the very top of normal range (blood), then a little later normal (urine), then much later low for part of the day (saliva).   Cortisol was not measured at the same time as the preg.

Thanks for any insight you can offer!

[Emilyn7Wood]

I was told I have PCOS but without the obesity, found out I have high pregnenolone, and the internet said it could be caused by congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) but I'm not sure if that's what I have yet. It said something to do with low enzymes used to make certain hormones, which causes high testosterone, similar to in PCOS. Look into CAH.
Pregnenolone is known as the "mother" hormone because it turns into other hormones, but for me I'm lower in the female hormones but higher in testosterone so trying to figure out how to lower pregnenolone and get it to make the right hormones but the internet doesn't seem to have any solutions for lowering it. CAH also is said to not have a cure but I don't believe that, I think people just haven't found a natural solution yet, though there probably are some out there.
I've been experimenting with different vitamins for PCOS and those have been helping me.
Possibly check your other hormone levels and see.

[Melba321]

Being on birth control lowers your pregnenolone - growing up I had high testosterone and PCOS .  Checking my blood every 6 months.. discovered when I was on birth control I did not have PCOS symptoms and my pregnenolone went down .  I was in trilevlen birth control.  

[gbelanger]

That's a sign of adrenal fatigue. Healthy response is really to have a high peak in the morning to get you out of bed, and a close to exponential fall off throughout the day, with a small blip in the late afternoon around 16-17 before the final drop off to the lowest levels for the night.

[gabes84]

when you are under stress, the high cortisol levels produced in the adrenal glands get first shot at the 'raw material' of pregnenolone to get you through the stressful period. Stress is supposed to last a short time, but many of you perceive CONSTANT stress and this puts you into a continual state of pregnenolone production, a phenomenon known as Pregnenolone Steal

[Hozzie]

I too have recently tested with high levels of pregnenolone. Additional test are going to be ran but was wondering what you ever found out. Dr. Seems perplexed and can't find anything on this.

[bergo]

have you found an answer yet ? i too have high pergnenolone but cant find anything on web

[stillsue]

Did you ever find a reason for the high pregnenolone? I just tested with high pregnenolone (232) and low progesterone (1.8). I can't find anything online about that combination. I'm very very tired, lots of PMS, this has been going on for years.

[mscholtz]

It was actually the opposite.  Well below normal in morning and mid-day, and then only a little lower in quantity (but right in normal range) in the evening & before bed.

So much closer to a flat line than it ought to be.

Still looking for help on the pregnenolone if anyone out there has any info!

Thanks much!

[stella5349]

Geez I can't answer the pregnenolone question - but if you had measurable cortisol levels that were high in the am and deplete through the day that is alright. I don't know your tests results but that pattern is normal.