How to Help Increase Free Test

Pharma
1

Just got labs done.

I was on trt for 3 years.

Got off trt for fertility and now want to get back on. I think I was last on test in Q4 2021 so it’s been a while

My E and SHBG seem higher than they used to be.

SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN

48

Reference Range: 10-50 nmol/L

TESTOSTERONE, TOTAL, MS

632

Reference Range: 250-1100 ng/dL

TESTOSTERONE, FREE

79.6

Reference Range: 35.0-155.0 pg/mL

FSH

3.5

Reference Range: 1.6-8.0 mIU/mL

PROLACTIN

5.7

Reference Range: 2.0-18.0 ng/mL

ESTRADIOL

25

Reference Range: < OR = 39 pg/mL

2

If you’re doing everything right, diet, exercise (lifestyle), then this is the best it’s going to get. There’s no escaping it, as healthy men age, the Total T remains the same (increasing SHBG) and the Free T drops 50% between ages 40-80, setting men up for prostate cancer (diseases of aging), and more aggressive cases and increase instances of re-occurrence.

If you somehow managed to decrease SHBG, this won’t necessarily increase the Free T, because decreasing SHBG doesn’t create more Free T in the testicles, there’s no mechanism for that.

Isolated changes in SHBG does not increase Free T.

3

:man_facepalming::man_facepalming::man_facepalming:

1 Like
4

Your labs are full on ‘normal bloke’.

You could bring SHBG down by supplementing with Boron and really limiting alcohol.

That woule increase your free T in your current natural state.

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5

This is not necessarily correct. Lowering SHBG doesn’t increase Free T, which is made inside the testicles. SHBG has no influence on T production because there’s no mechanism for it.

That’s a matter of simulation = LH.

If you take a sponge, which represents the SHBG molecule, pour water onto the sponge, which represents the Free T, once the sponge fully absorbs all of the water that it can (Free T), reaching full saturation, the body will reach equilibrium, regardless of the SHBG value.

Transit increases in SHBG might temporarily affect Free T, but again once you have equilibrium, the Free T is the same as it was before the increase in SHBG.

As far as boron, lowering SHBG, keep dreaming, because as men age, the SHBG increases in healthy men, and the Free T decreases.

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6

My bloods and physician would argue to the contrary.

I’m on TRT as my body created a lot of SHBG making me have free T at bottom ranges despite my total T being top quarter of range.

I had low T symptoms and monitored blood work over about 18 month’s.

Total T was always about 22. The few times my SHBG was lower Free T was higher.

I’d agree trying to lower it is difficult naturally.

I’d still always advocate doing that over using TRT in an initial phase.