Greetings gents.
Just got my labs back and my Total testosterone was 759… which sounds pretty good, but my free T was 8.7 which doesn’t sound very good considering the reference range is 7.2-24.
My SHBG was 59.
I am 53 years old. I am on thyroid meds (armour) and take propecia for my hair.
Just wondering if there is anyway to get that free T in the upper range by using nettle root or other natural means, or if I am a candidate for HRT.
Thanks in advance for any help.
[quote]bholiday wrote:
Greetings gents.
Just got my labs back and my Total testosterone was 759… which sounds pretty good, but my free T was 8.7 which doesn’t sound very good considering the reference range is 7.2-24.
My SHBG was 59.
I am 53 years old. I am on thyroid meds (armour) and take propecia for my hair.
Just wondering if there is anyway to get that free T in the upper range by using nettle root or other natural means, or if I am a candidate for HRT.
Thanks in advance for any help.[/quote]
Taking thyroid medicine can cause elevation in SHBG, but also can protein malabsorption, low GH levels , low dhea and also liver priblems. IF you have low GH then GHRT would be the solution which would help lower the SHBG. If not dr can prescribe danazol 50 mgs EOD which will cut SHBG in half. Also if your estrodial is sky high that can also cause high SHBG as well. Shbg is released by the liver which can be triggered by all the above.
Taking thyroid medicine can cause elevation in SHBG, but also can protein malabsorption, low GH levels , low dhea and also liver priblems. IF you have low GH then GHRT would be the solution which would help lower the SHBG.
If not dr can prescribe danazol 50 mgs EOD which will cut SHBG in half. Also if your estrodial is sky high that can also cause high SHBG as well. Shbg is released by the liver which can be triggered by all the above.[/quote]
Good info…hopefully I can get my doc to prescribe some danazol. I would love to increase my free t without having to go on hrt.
First get your serum E2 [estradiol] level checked. Elevated E2 increases SHBG. SHBG lowers FT. Lower FT also increases SHBG. Increasing T levels lowers SHBG. Note that more T usually means more E2. With TRT, E2 most always increases. Getting serum E2 into the lower 20’s [0-54pg/ml] improves many things. If your E2 levels are elevated, lowering with anastrozole might improve QOL quite a bit.
Your high T with high SHBG and low FT makes perfect sense. You need to get SHBG lower before you consider TRT as high SHBG would mess with that as well.
More T [free or bio available] lowers SHBG
DHT lowers SHBG and you are lowering DHT
More E increases SHBG
Your problem could be from the effects of [other] Rx or OTC drugs to some extent.
Propecia lowers DHT. DHT is more critical for libido than testosterone. Some guys get their HPTA screwed up long term from propecia.
Low protein diets increase SHBG.
Just found this elsewhere:
SHBG is made in the liver in response to levels of many hormones:
Normal thyroid levels should not cause any problems. Could be be using too much Armour thyroid?
I think that you need to get off the 5-alpha reductase inhibitor and see what your then perhaps normal endocrine system can do for you. We know that some really have problems with these drugs and you might part of that spectrum.
SHBG correlates to waist size and %BF. FAT = increased SHBG and lower FT.
Increased alcohol intake increases SHBG. But that is tangled up with estrogen increases.
[quote]KSman wrote:
First get your serum E2 [estradiol] level checked. Elevated E2 increases SHBG. SHBG lowers FT. Lower FT also increases SHBG. Increasing T levels lowers SHBG. Note that more T usually means more E2. With TRT, E2 most always increases. Getting serum E2 into the lower 20’s [0-54pg/ml] improves many things. If your E2 levels are elevated, lowering with anastrozole might improve QOL quite a bit.
Your high T with high SHBG and low FT makes perfect sense. You need to get SHBG lower before you consider TRT as high SHBG would mess with that as well.
More T [free or bio available] lowers SHBG
DHT lowers SHBG and you are lowering DHT
More E increases SHBG
Your problem could be from the effects of [other] Rx or OTC drugs to some extent.
Propecia lowers DHT. DHT is more critical for libido than testosterone. Some guys get their HPTA screwed up long term from propecia.
Low protein diets increase SHBG.
Just found this elsewhere:
SHBG is made in the liver in response to levels of many hormones:
Normal thyroid levels should not cause any problems. Could be be using too much Armour thyroid?
I think that you need to get off the 5-alpha reductase inhibitor and see what your then perhaps normal endocrine system can do for you. We know that some really have problems with these drugs and you might part of that spectrum.
SHBG correlates to waist size and %BF. FAT = increased SHBG and lower FT.
Increased alcohol intake increases SHBG. But that is tangled up with estrogen increases.[/quote]
Thanks for the reply…I tested my estradiol last year and it was 20 and the year before 23 so that doesn’t seem to be too out of whack.
My recent tsh was .035 with free t3 3.2 and free t4 1.08. The free t3 and t4 are right in the middle range, with my tsh showing low.