If the same amount of T is injected, then yes maybe the low SHBG men may have higher fluctuations. But if the same level of fT is targeted then maybe not, because the low SHBG men require a lower T dose.
But who knows, this is also just speculation. There is still a lot to be discovered until TRT becomes individualized right from the start of treatment.
Wouldnt AI solve that?
I think you had a pretty messy start to TRT with your biweekly protocol.
This is what I would do in your situation
Maybe, maybe not, it might make things much worse.
AIās are an evil drug for some of us men and am trying to spare you misery be going another route before going down the rabbit hole. You have no way of knowing if you are an AI over-responder, if you are then you might expect severe pain behind the eyes, loose, popping, clicking joints and fatigue feeling ten times worse than pre-TRT stuck in this state for weeks.
On very rare occasions there have been men who tried anastrozole which crushed their estrogen and have been trying to increase it for months or years without much success. I think it better to warn you and suggest other options first, now youāve been warned.
In my opinion you shouldnāt be blocking hormones unless life without doing so is so miserable quality of life is low.
@matias21cabrera you asked a few questions, Iām not sure how to multi quote so this is off memory, but basically you asked 1. If daily injections are not the answer, what is? 2. Why effects of trt donāt happen until week 3 when peak is 24-48 hours later?
I think the answer to the first is that there is no answer. We all can respond differently to different things. I canāt imagine systemlords 49 mg/week working even for low SHGB men. You can do a search on the forums and see topics posted about this and a main person responding is systemlord. A few low SHGB guys have actually had best results on the polar opposite, 300+mg a week with a AI.
My suggestion personally based on very little evidence and only my preference. Test you estrogen levels and if high try a AI. Iād stay on 200mg/week and you are welcome to switch up frequency. But who knows, you might not do well with that. Many people here have been playing around with this for years and still donāt have it dialed in.
@systemlord I tend to disagree here:
low SHBG men usually donāt do well with high testosterone
My friend for example has SHBG of 18 which is relatively low. His total testosterone is around 1100, his free testosterone is also avbove range, he is injecting 30mg ED and he feels awesome on that protocol. Iāve read for many other guys on the forums with similar experience
Otherwise I know this is Crislerās theory because of the testosterone hyper-excretion when you have low SHBG, that you pee it out much faster than the estrogen
@systemlord I feel low SHGB with higher T prescribed with a AI has a potential to be very effective. Being able to have the free T levels of men running a beginner+ cycle with half the dosage. That is the way I see it anyway. Iāve personally done significantly better with a AI but of course it might not be for everyone. Point being is that for those who do respond well to AI might be great candidates to run 200mg/week.
Just what I am thinking. You have been here much longer and Iām just trying to contribute to discussions.
Side note, Stargate fan?
I stated usually low SHBG men have problems with high testosterone, meaning not always. Your friend probably doesnāt represent the majority, but the minority. Itās typical of low SHBG men to be obese opening themselves up to diseases like diabetes.
Huge fan.
He is also overweight by the way yes, but he is motivated to go in shape with the elevated testosterone now
Did trt work for him with smaller frequencies like once a week?
Im testing testosterone, estrogen, shbg next week and will update
Initially he started 2 per week and did not feel much better than before TRT. After some weeks he switched to ED injections with sustanone 30mg per day and after 2 weeks started to feel much better.No HCG, no AI. When he was doing 2 times per week he was also doing HCG
@vonko1988 I too have a low SHGB (13 I think) and I am responding very well to 200mg/week injected daily.
I am sure there are more guys out there with low SHGBs responding very well to high doses. But kinda like with product reviews, you only really come to a forum to complain. So the people not doing well arnt on these forums so it probably just seems people with low SHGBs arnt doing well with high doses. Hope that makes sense.
There is so much misinformation about SHBG and E2 in this thread. I donāt even know where to start. @johann77 is right on the money about doing everything possible to minimize fluctuations. Low SHBG guys have to drop their dose because they need less? This is false. I know a ton of low SHBG guys (myself included). If I take anything less than 200mg a week, doing daily shots, every single one of my symptoms returns.
You do not assess dosage based on SHBG. You do not assess dosage based on ridiculous concerns regarding E2. You take the minimum amount required to resolve symptoms, whatever that dose is. You guys over complicate this stuff. Raise dose slowly over time until your symptoms resolve. If you get free T really high with no improvement, testosterone probably wasnāt your problem to begin with.
Men typically need more than they were led to beleive, they do not need to be concerned with estradiol or shbg, and frequent dosing is essential to minimize hormone fluctuations which is the primary cause of issue with men.
@dbossa I mostly agree in regards to the dosage. I personally feel I need 200/week and do it daily. But Iāve noticed some ED issues come when I donāt take a AI or take too little. So I donāt agree with not worrying about estrogen, especially in low SHGB men. So I understand why some low SHGB guys think lower doses help since estrogen will be minimized. But that isnāt the only way to control estrogen levels.
Why is this? May estrogen be the reason why trt is not working on me?
Have you had your levels checked? It could be a reason you are still experiencing negative symptoms. Doesnāt mean it is THE reason.
When you take an AI, less testosterone converts to estrogen which means you wind up with more testosterone. The opposite occurs when you donāt take an AI (you wind up with less testosterone). Quit the AI and increase your dose slightly to compensate. Again, if you want libido, it is ESTROGEN that is directly responsible for libido and erections.
I noticed a lot of people saying that low SHBG = obese/diabetes.
My SHBG is 9.2 (10-57) yet Iām not even close to obese, have no metabolic syndrome, my glucose and insulin are completely normal, HbA1c is 5.4%, liver, kidney, lipids are as well completely normal.
Iām curious where will SHBG sit after 6 weeks on 150mg/week. I meanā¦how low can it get?
My shbg is between 18-20ā¦Iām slimā¦ My genetic profile shows no risk for diabetes or obesity. Iām one example that contradicts this and I doubt Iām alone.