In the event you haven’t read my other two threads, here’s a quick run down.
-36 year old male been weightlifting for a steady 15 years.
-been on propecia since 2009
-total test is always very high, 800-850
-7 weeks ago started TRT - labs had total test around 800 and free test low 5s, with SHBG at 150ish. I started with 160MG/week Cyp with HCG
-5 weeks in to TRT my total test went down to upper 600s and free test went down. SHBG was at 137. They bumped me up to 200mg/week
With that said, I’m planning on getting off propecia. Before I do that, I’m reducing my dose from 1mg/day to .5/day. I’m also skipping a day each week. I’m hoping this will help take my SHBG down while retaining some of my hair gains. I read a thread about a guy who went from 1mg/day to .5mg 3 days a week (1.5mg for whole week), but he never updated his results.
So has anyone experimented with this, and if so, what were the results?
Thank you in advance!
I haven’t taken finasteride in well over a year and my shbg is still as high as yours, so I highly doubt changing your dose will make a difference.
Adding more testosterone might help bring it down. Shbg isn’t always bad. But you’re going to need a lot of testosterone to overcome that much SHBG. Possibly more than 200mg even. I switched to the cream so I could get into higher doses a little more easily.
What’s your free T look like? My total T was anywhere from 500-1100 but free T was always very low.
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Before TRT my total T has always been 800-850. When I did my first labs before starting TRT my total was right at 800 and free was a 5.5 I think. SHBG was 152
5 Weeks in we did labs again. My total T went down to 672 I think, and free went down to 5.2. SHBG was 137.
So total test and free test went down after 5 weeks on TRT. I’m definitely noticing some changes in my physique (which wasn’t bad to start with) so something is working,
What happened with your hair? Did you just accept losing it or did you find an alternative. My good friend’s dad is a retired MD who started a hormone clinic and is big in peptides. They claim to have safe hair treatment so I’ll be checking that out soon.
So your T was at 850 and you decided to go on TRT for what reason? Your T has now dropped to the 600s and your noticing positive changes? Im confused…admittedly I havent read your other threads.
This question was already put to rest, I provided a study which shows no correlation to SHBG levels while on finasteride. It will be impossible to determine which lowered your SHBG, TRT or decreasing the finasteride dosage. The only way to do an A-B comparison is to stop propecia and stay off TRT and see if SHBG decreases.
TRT will accelerate hair loss in those prone to it, the only way around it is living the life as a low T man and a low quality of life. Once SHBG decreases and free more usable testosterone, you will likely lose more hair.
Correct. Now let me preface this by saying I don’t know whether the whole free test and SHBG is quack science used to justify giving people legal steroids, or if they are legit markers widely accepted by most doctors.
The way it was explained to me, total test is irrelevant. Free test is what matters. Pre TRT I am 6’5.5” and anywhere from 270-280 lbs, 18% body fat. I lift 5 days per week and 1.5-2 hours each session. I eat pretty well. I definitely feel for the effort I put in I should be in better shape.
I’ve also had a lot of the alleged low T symptoms. There’s a good chance that it’s related to propecia. To be frank, I wanted to see if I qualified and then try out TRT for 4-5 months off, cycle off and see what I can retain. Call it an experiment.
After I got tested and saw the “doctors” shock at how high my SHBG was and how low my free T was, I became concerned. Since then I’ve doing research.
Labs are done the day of my injection before I take it, so there’s a chance those numbers are low because of the hormone fluctuation. There’s s good chance those numbers are higher throughout most of the week.
Please excuse grammar/spelling. Eating lunch, on mobile
I do appreciate the study you provided. However I’m a glass is half full kind of guy. There are conflicting studies on a variety of topics, many with merit, so I’m still hopeful there’s a chance. It’s like in Dumb & Dumber…“More like one in a million…So you’re telling me there’s a chance!!!”
But yes, you’re absolutely correct. There will be no way to truly know unless I eliminate all other variables and only focus on the propecia. I’d just feel better if someone said, yes, I cut back my propecia, kept a lot of the hair I gained with it, and managed to get reasonable SHBG levels without going over the top on test dosage.
My hair has mostly stayed, so far anyways. I’m something like 6-8 weeks in on TRT so that could change. I def have more shedding than before but it isn’t falling out by the hand full or anything yet
Yes free T is what supposedly matters. It does sound like you need a higher dose since your total and free both went down… but who knows what works for those of us that took finasteride.
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Based on your shbg numbers, anecdotally you have finasteride damage and you will need trt because of it. I would use rogaine at most and accept your hairloss.
I would get off finasteride yesterday and try to heal with trt and time.
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