experimented with a bunch of SHBG lowering supplements and eventually even Proviron, in hopes of reducing my symptoms from hypogonadism.
then i was prescribed TRT, but didnt have enough time to let my body regenerate the SHBG levels before the first T Dose.
even tho intially my doc put me on gel, which didnt even raise my T levels but instead lowered them, it was still potent enough to prevent my SHBG from going up (exogenous T always has an SHBG lowering effect).
Then we switched to Enanthate due to no success with the gel, still no success tho due to low SHBG and Low E2
Dose and frequency: 250mg TE every 14 days (i know i know its trash but im glad im getting it since its been impossible to get TRT at all for almost all my life, im 35 now and had low T since about 20). Doc doesnt wanna change it but my total T levels are good so im not even that much worried about it.
SHBG levels currently: 2,9 (ref 5-15)
total T right before the next shot: 6.8ng/ml (ref 2.5-8.5)
FT at the top of the ref, cant remember the numbers right now
E2 is “<5” (ref 20-55)
DHT not tested
Things i already tried:
10 days of ethinylestradiol + levonorgestrel (from a friend), symptoms got much worse, especially the joint pain. Got back to what it was before after i stopped.
Keto + 500kcal deficit for 4 months, no improvement
all kinds of GDAs like berberine etc, no improvement (my hb1ac is always good anyway)
weightlifting, cardio (always) - no improvement
lowering prolactin with p5p, agnus castus and mucuna pruriens, libido got a little bit better but everything else was still shit
16/8 fasting - no improvement
I dont know wtf to do anymore. I thouht about HCG but the doc wont do it. I think it would be best to just stop TRT and wait a couple months, but the risk is too high that the doc will then decline TRT due to my test potentially being back in the reference range (they dont prescribe it here if youre in it).
I dont even understand why im having low E2 while having low SHBG, that doesnt even make any fuckin sense, even if my DHT was really high which i dont know if it is but still…
Any of the low SHBG guys in here got an effective method to get my SHBG up? For now im thinking about asking my doc for some estrogen gel, which according to studies wont increase my SHBG but would probably at least get rid of the low e2 symptoms to avoid developing bone/joint disease.
Microdosing T is not an option, doc is not willing to do it, also insurance wont cover it and i cant afford it privately. We dont have these multidose vials here, only the 1ml ampules.
Im neither obese btw and my thyroid as well as my liver and also everything else (other than my pituitary) are perfectly fine, good insulin sensitivity too. The low SHBG is simply due to me crashing it pre TRT.
Your massive dosage of Test and low E2 are contributing factors why your SHBG is low, androgens decrease SHBG, E2 increases SHBG and your massive dosage is going to hammer SHBG down!
You need smaller more frequent dosing. Right now you’re on a hormonal roller coaster. Your peak and trough numbers vary wildly due to this ill conceived protocol.
Whatever your SHBG is on TRT, you can’t increase it other than minimizing the effects of the androgens effects on SHBG. Mine is 18-24 and there’s nothing I can do about it.
As far as the low E2 with high Free T, you have an aromatase deficiency, lacking the enzymes required for conversion of testosterone to estrogen.
You either need to supplement estrogen or you need hCG.
As far as changing your protocol to include more frequent injections, you need to preload insulin syringes.
i cant microdose tho no matter how, because they dont allow me to do it at home. I gotta go to the doc every 2 weeks. If i could do it at home i would just inject all of the ampules into a sterile multidose vial
so what should i do? try to get an e2 prescription? however according to studies the estrogen gel wont increase my shbg
i dont really think i have an aromatase defficiancy either, because i just went through all of my bloodwork to see my estrogen levels throughout the years and theres even been times where ive had a test level of 0.4ng/ml and and e2 of 44 so that doesnt really make sense
but then also times where i was at a T of 2ng/ml and e2 at 16 so idk
I think you’re misunderstanding what I’m saying, your natural testosterone, you get estrogen from two different sources, within the testicles and via aromatase.
On TRT, due to the fact, it shuts down your testicles from functioning, you’re only getting estrogen from one source now, via aromatase and now you have low E2, hence the aromatase deficiency comment.
Unless there is an aromatase inhibitor mixed in with the testosterone E, or you’re on some type of supplement that acts like an aromatase inhibitor, then there’s no other explanation.
You can do anything you want, take control of the situation, you need to make other arrangements. As a man, I would NEVER accept this level of control over me!
If a doctor tried to force me to come in for an injection every two weeks, I’d say thank you very much for your time and I leave and never return.
List all supplements, or anything else you are taking. I had low e2 issues on TRT and it was supplements. Basically anything that increased liver detoxification dumped my e2 into the dirt. You’d be surprised by the list i have of what does it too.
hypogonadism (and now especially the low e2) gives me both insane joint pain aswell as insomnia, so im taking collagen and melatonin, thats it. And like i already said, in an effort to boost shbg during TRT i tried berberine and several gda things like myo-inositol, cinnamon extract, chromium and stuff like that but only short term, been off of those for a while.
This is why I wanted you to list all of your supplements, because I also found Melatonin to affect my E2. I also get very bad joint pain when my E2 is low and I would discover a supplement affected my E2 by lab as well as the joint pain that would come on.
Melatonin is seen to interfere with
i) the activation of the estrogen receptor. It is thus considered to be a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), that decreases both the expression of estrogen receptors alpha (ERα), and the ability of ERα to bind to DNA
ii) the invasiveness of breast cancer cells, thus reducing the risk of metastasis
iii) in the production and metabolism of estrogen. Melatonin inhibits the enzymes involved in the synthesis of estrogen, thus leads to lower levels of estrogens. It is thus considered to be a selective estrogen enzyme modulator.
iv) Melatonin is also seen to be involved in the metabolism of estrogen, transforming estradiol into its inactive estrogen sulphate/sulfate form. This is another example of SEEM activity.
okay ill test if it gets any better if i stop taking it (in the past it didnt because for some days i didnt have any melatonin left anymore but maybe it wasnt enough time to see any results).
I dont think it has that much of an effect since basically all melatonin consumers would experience low e2 and it would become famous as the new AI in town but we will see
I didnt think it would have that much of an affect either. But you seem to have a unique problem. Whatever the mechanism is, I seem to have an issue with supplements lowering my E2. Better to cut stuff out than suffer and say " I just dont understand why i have low e2"
Vitamin D also does it to me as well, and again, there are studies that show them using it to treat women with breast cancer, by lowering estrogen.
You make the assumption that everyone responds similarly to melatonin and its potential E2 lowering effect.
I took a low dose Cialis 2.5 mg and E2 dropped from the high end range to 18, while is suboptimal.
My E2 must have been even lower while on 5 mg daily, yet you don’t hear of the majority of Cialis users complaining of low E2 symptoms as it’s well tolerated.
any additional ideas tho? im honestly flabbergasted by the fact that this shbg thing (in men) seems to be almost non existant or at least you can find almost nothing about it online, neither a good amount of studies on it. Seems like most men either have normal SHBG or too high SHBG. Even E2 defficiancy seems ultra rare in men. Couldnt find much other than a bunch of forum posts mainly in bodybuilding communities
i do have some experience with it, however it is just too much BS being sold and i have personally talked to people in real life who have gotten very severe problems with it due it not being properly sterile and contaminated and so on, also its illegal as hell and can get u in huge trouble here. I did it sub Q, worked pretty well however that UGL eventually went completely out of stock and every single other one ive tried was junk. Im tired of having to be a criminal just to be healthy, yk? Thats why all this time i kept trying to get a legit TRT and it eventually worked out. Yes i knew all the problems i would have to deal with in terms of doctors being stupid dorks, 2 week intervalls, gels etc but im happy i have an official and legal TRT and im just trying to make the best out of it. Once i make enough money ill definitely go the private route one day, i already know of certain doctors here who support microdosing and are willing to do it but right now i just cant afford it.
little update 1 week into not taking melatonin or anything else: no changes at all. Joint pain went up by a million, im thinking about taking my collagen again. Its unbareable
I agree using UGL’s can be scary. If it were me, I would start HCG to get some natural Testosterone going. It is relatively cheap and won’t show up on a blood test while increasing your natural T levels, and E2 levels.
Going to a pharmacy and spending less than $150.00 the DEA will ignore it.
If you want the name of the pharmacy I use, post your email address.
EDIT: as long as the pharmacy is outside of the United States, Canada, etc.