All my labs were normal except for these 2:
55 HIGH - SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN (Normal: 10-50 nmol/L)
40 HIGH - ESTRADIOL, ULTRASENSITIVE LC/MS/MS (Normal: < OR = 29 pg/mL)
Please help me understand what they mean? I have no idea…
Thanks in advance for your help!
SHBG binds up sex hormones and when SHBG is high it binds up your FT inflating your TT status creating symptoms of low T. If that wasn’t bad enough high E2 inhibits T’s effects on the body especially the mind.
https://naturalbiohealth.com/2015/05/06/shbg-critical-to-your-health/
https://t-nation.com/t/about-the-t-replacement-category/38/8
Thanks for the quick reply. I got the blood work done because I have chronic joint pain and my doctor wanted to look at my hormones because everything else looks normal. I’m a 28 year old male. I’ve never done a cycle or taken TRT (quite honestly, I don’t even know what any of that stuff is). All of my other labs were in normal range (Total Estrogen, Total Testosterone, Free Testosterone, IGF 1, DHEA, etc were all in normal range.)
2 questions:
These 2 labs that were abnormal - what exactly do they mean?
How do I get these levels to normal?
Thanks again.
If you are not OK loosing your fertility, you need to inject 250iu hCG subq EOD. Are your testes smaller now?
You need to study up on TRT because most doctors are idiots about doing TRT properly. Start on the learning curve. Passive does not work.
WE need all of your lab numbers. We dig a lot deeper than lab “normals” which are often flawed and not an indicator of optimal.
Labs in list format with ranges, or attached lab reports [not showing personal info].
Do not test total estrogens, test estradiol [E2]
SHBG is high causing liver to produce more SHBG.
Lower E2 with anastrozole, target level is E2=22pg/ml which is for most is optimal for energy, mood and libido.
Describe your TRT protocol, doses in mg’s, iu’s etc NOT VOLUMES
Inject 50mg T twice a week and do labs halfway between injections.
Take 0.5 mg anastrozole at time of injections.
Get labs done 10 days before you see the doctor so you can discuss the results instead of getting a stupid phone call from a nurse saying things are normal.
List all medications, Rx and OTC.
List all supplements.
See below re oral body temperatures and report them as well as your sources of iodine. This is not trivial. Most guys who come here have some degree of low thyroid function.
Please read the stickies found here: About the T Replacement Category - #2 by KSman
Evaluate your overall thyroid function by checking oral body temperatures as per the thyroid basics sticky. Thyroid hormone fT3 is what gets the job done and it regulates mitochondrial activity, the source of ATP which is the universal currency of cellular energy. This is part of the body’s temperature control loop. This can get messed up if you are iodine deficient. In many countries, you need to be using iodized salt. Other countries add iodine to dairy or bread.
KSman is simply a regular member on this site. Nothing more other than highly active.
I can be a bit abrupt in my replies and recommendations. I have a lot of ground to cover as this forum has become much more active in the last two years. I can’t follow threads that go deep over time. You need to respond to all of my points and requests as soon as possible before you fall off of my radar. The worse problems are guys who ignore issues re thyroid, body temperatures, history of iodized salt. Please do not piss people off saying that lab results are normal, we need lab number and ranges.
The value that you get out of this process and forum depends on your effort and performance. The bulk of your learning is reading/studying the suggested stickies.
Your going to have to share your labs, just because you’re in the normal ranges doesn’t mean you are alright, most doctors are idiots when it comes to TRT. If SHBG is greatly affecting your FT it doesn’t matter if you have 1000 TT if all FT is bound up non-bioavailable.
Most doctors don’t understand this and will proclaim you’re normal when lack of knowledge is preventing proper diagnosis. You’ve given us nothing, symptoms, age, weight etc.