Supplementing DHEA shuts down endogenous DHEA production?

[Trenchant7]

This study is really messing with my head. Everywhere you read, doctors state that DHEA supplementation does not shut down endogenous production of DHEA. There are entire webpages dedicated to the fact that it is unique in this regard compared to supplementing with testosterone .

Yet this study not only shows that DHEA levels declined during supplementation, but that they shrank to even lower levels than baseline, after discontinuation. The very thing Testosterone supplementation does to endogenous Testosterone production.

So supplementing DHEA shuts down natural production of DHEA?

Effects of transdermal application of D - PubMed Mobile

Granted, the dose was ridiculously high. A healthy 25-year-old male only produces 10-25mg of DHEA daily. If one is deficient in this chemical, one need only supplement 5-20 mg, maximum. Not sure that would explain the findings of this study though.

Thoughts?