- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
My current understanding is this:
If one has low levels of free testosterone due to high levels of SHBG, one could find out the cause (low dhea, high estrogen, etc), and deal with it. BUT lowering SHBG will most likely cause your body to fight back and lower your free testosterone because the HPTA senses that there is more free testosterone available, therefore it will try and lower it by reducing total testosterone production at the testicles. Therefore, in order to maintain higher levels of free testosterone one would have to then find a way to boost testosterone production, and there would likely be other issues to deal with, ie, high E2. Is my understanding of this correct? If so, does that mean that those of us with high SHBG are just screwed and not meant to have decent sex drives? Maybe someone with more knowledge than myself can answer this.
That is not how it works first SHBG goes up as your Estradiol levels go up and Estradiol is made from Testosterone. So when you have high levels of Estradiol you brain will think it’s Testosterone and slow down your LH messages to your testis to make more Testosterone. Your brain will see the higher levels of Estradiol as Testosterone this is a problem in older men but I see it happen to younger men.
So getting your Estradiol down so goes your SHBG for most men and this Estradiol going down your brain will see your Testosterone is low and start sending more LH and FSH to your testis. And as your SHBG goes down it frees up your bound up Bio and Free T levels and these are a % or all your total t.
So if you read this link you will see men with high levels of Estradiol can end up with low T and getting the Estradiol down to about 20 pg/ml there T levels can go up some 200 to 300 points.
http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/89/3/1174Estradiol isn’t the only thing that influences SHBG. If the only problem one has is high levels of estradiol, then what you’ve posted is correct. But if high SHBG is correlated to factors other than estradiol then what?
62 nmol? If so that is even higher than my 52, which is already damn high. My dhea is on the low side, but still in range. Same goes for estradiol and progesterone.
I don’t fully understand SHBG in relation to libido. If lowering it will in turn just lower total testosterone (so that the same level of free testosterone is maintained) then what’s the point?
I have read Mariano’s writings on SHBG, where he states that SHBG is an indicator of something wrong, and not a problem in itself. I’m confused as to where he’s coming from. Maybe he means that, for example, if one has high SHBG and low dhea such as in my case, that treating the low dhea would be the concern, and any improvements in libido would be due to the increase in dhea alone, NOT the lowering of SHBG. I find this paradoxical considering all the information over the web which goes on about lowering SHBG and the importance of raising free testosterone bla bla bla. Maybe it’s all mis-information.
Dr. M has stated that SHBG is an indicator of a problem NOT a problem in itself. If you have SHBG problems then look to… Insulin/Glucose, Thyroid, Adrenals, E2, Testosterone, Nutrition deficiencies and you will likely find some imbalances. Work on those issues and don’t worry so much about SHBG.
@dehook 2553 wrote:
62 nmol? If so that is even higher than my 52, which is already damn high. My dhea is on the low side, but still in range. Same goes for estradiol and progesterone.
I don’t fully understand SHBG in relation to libido. If lowering it will in turn just lower total testosterone (so that the same level of free testosterone is maintained) then what’s the point?
I have read Mariano’s writings on SHBG, where he states that SHBG is an indicator of something wrong, and not a problem in itself. I’m confused as to where he’s coming from. Maybe he means that, for example, if one has high SHBG and low dhea such as in my case, that treating the low dhea would be the concern, and any improvements in libido would be due to the increase in dhea alone, NOT the lowering of SHBG. I find this paradoxical considering all the information over the web which goes on about lowering SHBG and the importance of raising free testosterone bla bla bla. Maybe it’s all mis-information.
That’s exactly what I wrote in my previous post. Maybe I’m not good at explaining myself.
I guess if high SHBG is lowered (via dhea or whatever), then there will be more free testosterone available even if total testosterone is lowered.
Yes and one thing I found is get all them treated and supported and if your not on T3 only thyroid meds your SHBG will fall in place mine settled at 20.
@wondering 2576 wrote:Dr. M has stated that SHBG is an indicator of a problem NOT a problem in itself. If you have SHBG problems then look to… Insulin/Glucose, Thyroid, Adrenals, E2, Testosterone, Nutrition deficiencies and you will likely find some imbalances. Work on those issues and don’t worry so much about SHBG.
My SHBG is 140 (10 – 85) This is while not treating my adrenals while on thyroid meds now on HC i feel this is lowering and i’m getting more of a sex drive then before. So i feel adrenal fatigue can infact be a cause of high SHBG.
You are correct, dhea plays a significant role in lowering SHBG (probably mainly via its actions on insulin), but one would imagine that any libido boosting effects of dhea would not be attributed to lowering SHBG, since in most cases total testosterone would be lowered as SHBG goes down. I have started a post on this at the meso rx men’s health forum. The answers so far seem to suggest this.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.