PREGNENOLONE - Uses, Side Effects, and More

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.

Uses & Effectiveness ?

We currently have no information for PREGNENOLONE overview .

Side Effects

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 and Warnings

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.

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.

Interactions ?

Moderate Interaction

Be cautious with this combination

Estrogens interacts with PREGNENOLONE

Progestin interacts with PREGNENOLONE

Testosterone interacts with PREGNENOLONE

Sedative medications (Benzodiazepines) interacts with PREGNENOLONE

Progesterone interacts with PREGNENOLONE

Dosing

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.

REFERENCES:

Ayatollahi A, Bagheri S, Ashraf-Ganjouei A, Moradi K, Mohammadi MR, Akhondzadeh S. Does Pregnenolone Adjunct to Risperidone Ameliorate Irritable Behavior in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Clin Neuropharmacol. 2020;43(5):139-145. View abstract.

Ayatollahi AM, Ghanadian M, Att-Ur-Rahman R, Mesaik MA, Khalid AS, Adeli F. Methoxylated flavones from Salvia Mirzayanii Rech. f. and Esfand with immunosuppressive properties. Iran J Pharm Res 2015;14(3):955-60. View abstract.

Brown ES, Park J, Marx CE, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of pregnenolone for bipolar depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014;39(12):2867-73. View abstract.

Devlin TM, ed. Textbook of Biochemistry With Clinical Correlations. third ed. New York: Wiley-Liss Inc., 1992.

Fung LK, Libove RA, Phillips J, Haddad F, Hardan AY.Brief report: an open-label study of the neurosteroid pregnenolone in adults with autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2014;44(11):2971-7. View abstract.

Gaylis NB, Kreychman I, Sagliani J, Mograbi J, Gabet Y. The results of a unique dietary supplement (nutraceutical formulation) used to treat the symptoms of long-haul COVID. Front Nutr 2022;9:1034169. View abstract.

George MS, Guidotti A, Rubinow D, et al. CSF neuroactive steroids in affective disorders: pregnenolone, progesterone, and DBI. Biol Psych 1994;35:775-80.

Kardashev A, Ratner Y, Ritsner MS.Add-on pregnenolone with L-theanine to antipsychotic therapy relieves negative and anxiety symptoms of schizophrenia: an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Clin Schizophr Relat Psychoses. 2018;12(1):31-41. doi: 10.3371/CSRP.KARA.070415. View abstract.

Kashani L, Shams N, Moazen-Zadeh E, et al. Pregnenolone as an adjunct to risperidone for treatment of women with schizophrenia: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Psychiatr Res. 2017 Nov;94:70-77. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.06.011. View abstract.

Kreinin A, Bawakny N, Ritsner MS. Adjunctive pregnenolone ameliorates the cognitive deficits in recent-onset schizophrenia: an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Clin Schizophr Relat Psychoses. Winter 2017;10(4):201-210. doi: 10.3371/CSRP.KRBA.013114. View abstract.

Marx CE, Keefe RS, Buchanan RW, et al. Proof-of-concept trial with the neurosteroid pregnenolone targeting cognitive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2009;34(8):1885-903. View abstract.

Meieran SE, Reus VI, Webster R, Shafton R, Wolkowitz OM. Chronic pregnenolone effects in normal humans: attenuation of benzodiazepine-induced sedation. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2004;29(4):486-500. View abstract.

Milivojevic V, Charron L, Fogelman N, Hermes G, Sinha R. Pregnenolone Reduces Stress-Induced Craving, Anxiety, and Autonomic Arousal in Individuals with Cocaine Use Disorder. Biomolecules 2022;12(11):1593. View abstract.

Milivojevic V, Sullivan L, Tiber J, et al. Pregnenolone effects on provoked alcohol craving, anxiety, HPA axis, and autonomic arousal in individuals with alcohol use disorder. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023;240(1):101-114. View abstract.

Naylor JC, Kilts JD, Shampine LJ, et al. Effect of Pregnenolone vs Placebo on Self-reported Chronic Low Back Pain Among US Military Veterans: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(3):e200287. View abstract.

Ritsner MS, Bawakny H, Kreinin A. Pregnenolone treatment reduces severity of negative symptoms in recent-onset schizophrenia: an 8-week, double-blind, randomized add-on two-center trial. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2014;68(6):432-40. View abstract.

Ritsner MS, Gibel A, Shleifer T, et al. Pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone as an adjunctive treatment in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder: an 8-week, double-blind, randomized, controlled, 2-center, parallel-group trial. J Clin Psychiatry 2010;71(10):1351-62. View abstract.

Steiger A, et al. Neurosteroid pregnenolone induces sleep-EEG changes in man compatible with inverse agonistic GABAA-receptor modulation. Brain Res 1993; 615:267-74. View abstract.

Vallée M, Vitiello S, Bellocchio L, et al. Pregnenolone can protect the brain from cannabis intoxication. Science 2014;343(6166):94-8. View abstract.

Wang M, Seippel L, Purdy RH, Backstrom T. Relationship between symptom severity and steroid variation in women with premenstrual syndrome: study on serum pregnenolone, pregnenolone sulfate, 5 alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione and 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996;81:1076-82. View abstract.