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Pregnenolone

Hormoneoral · inferred

Master steroid hormone precursor synthesized from cholesterol. Upstream of DHEA, progesterone, cortisol, and all sex hormones. Pregnenolone sulfate has neuroactive properties (positive NMDA modulator, negative GABA modulator). Levels decline with age similarly to DHEA.

Projected serum levels — 30 mg, once daily

Pregnenolone
Pregnenolone modeled serum levels, 30 mg once daily over 15 days Population-based pharmacokinetic estimate. Steady state reached after approximately 1 days. 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 Day 0 Day 4 Day 8 Day 11 Day 15 Time on a regular schedule ≈ steady state · day 1
Pregnenolone modeled serum levels with a loading dose of 39.7 mg, then 30 mg once daily The first dose is larger so levels approach steady state faster. 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 Day 0 Day 4 Day 8 Day 11 Day 15 Time on a regular schedule

Maintenance schedule: 30 mg once daily (oral).

Loading schedule: 39.7 mg on day 1, then 30 mg once daily — reaching therapeutic levels sooner.

Modeled steady state after ~1 days: peak ≈ 6.4 mg, trough ≈ 1.9 mg body load. Population-based estimate over 15 days for a 30 mg dose at a 70 kg reference body mass — the interactive app scales curves to your doses, timing, and body mass.

Key facts

Category
Hormone
Route modeled
Oral
Model confidence
inferred
Half-life
11 h
Common dose
30 mg
Suggested maximum
100 mg/day
Reference dose range
15–100 mg (single dose)
Suggested cadence
once daily

Documented interactions

  • caution
    Levothyroxine (Synthroid) + Pregnenolone Potentiation

    Pregnenolone can influence multiple hormonal pathways including thyroid. May alter thyroid medication requirements.

  • watch
    3-MeO-PCP (3-Methoxyphencyclidine) + Pregnenolone Stacked effects

    3-MeO-PCP (3-Methoxyphencyclidine) and Pregnenolone both push the sigma 1 in the same direction.

  • watch
    Ayahuasca (DMT + Harmaline) + Pregnenolone Stacked effects

    Ayahuasca (DMT + Harmaline) and Pregnenolone both push the sigma 1 in the same direction.

  • watch
    Cocaine + Pregnenolone Stacked effects

    Cocaine and Pregnenolone both push the sigma 1 in the same direction.

  • watch
    Dextromethorphan (DXM) + Pregnenolone Stacked effects

    Dextromethorphan (DXM) and Pregnenolone both push the sigma 1 in the same direction.

  • watch
    DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) + Pregnenolone Stacked effects

    DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) and Pregnenolone both push the sigma 1 in the same direction.

Serum checks 18 modeled interaction pairings for pregnenolone across your whole stack — absorption conflicts, enzyme inhibition, and nutrient depletion included.

Research behind this entry

  1. Neurosteroids: Endogenous Regulators of the GABA-A Receptor Lambert JJ et al. · Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2003 DOI

    Foundational review establishing pregnenolone sulfate as a neuroactive steroid that modulates GABA-A and NMDA receptors, influencing memory, anxiety, and neural excitability.

  2. Pregnenolone Sulfate Enhances Post-Training Memory Processes When Injected in Very Low Doses into Limbic System Structures Flood JF et al. · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1992 DOI

    Demonstrated pregnenolone sulfate as the most potent memory-enhancing neurosteroid when administered to limbic structures, active at nanomolar concentrations.

  3. A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Pregnenolone for Bipolar Depression Brown ES et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology, 2014 DOI

    RCT showing adjunctive pregnenolone improved depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder with good tolerability and no mania induction.

  4. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of pregnenolone for bipolar depression. Brown ES, Park J, Marx CE, Hynan LS, Gardner C, Davila D, Nakamura A, Sunderajan P, Lo A, Holmes T · Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2014 DOI

    This citation reports a human clinical study involving Pregnenolone. It does not by itself establish a qualified dose, safety profile, efficacy claim, or pharmacokinetic route for this record.

4 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.