High SHBG, LDL and Normal Total T with Low Free T on KETO Diet

Hey guys,
I just started the keto diet about a month ago and I got my blood work done.
Total T 608 ng/dL
Free T 10.5 pg/ml

SHBG 70.4 nmol/L

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LDL 107 mg/dL

My libido has crashed pretty hard and I’m noticing losing facial and eyebrow hairs. Is this normal reaction to going to a low carb high fat diet? And I’m not in a calorie restriction I’m eating at maintence/surplus until I become fat adapted. Hey
I’ve read having high SHBG gives a false high total T level but your body is unable to use any of the T. Any help is appreciated thank you.

It’s normal for someone who doesn’t have enough testosterone to lose facial hair and have no libido, whether low T or bound up T it makes no difference as your body isn’t seeing any of it’s testosterone.

Your testosterone is inflated and is actually quite a bit lower.

TRT is your only hope.

Symptoms especially thinning facial hair do not happen in 30 days. High fat and protein diets do not lower testosterone. Assuming your calorie count is not extremely low

Your test results do not show ranges. Could you print everything you have? You heard right about SHBG. 608ng/dL is not that high depending on your age. For a lot of people that is enough. But not for everyone. Your eyebrows hint at a possible thyroid issue. KSman would be asking you if you use Iodized salt. A lot of people have damaged their thyroid due to a lack of iodine. The symptoms are similar to low T. Treating lowT while you have a thyroid problem doesn’t help a bit.

You need to read all of this, then get back to this entry with all the information asked for. It will answer a lot of your questions. So you then can ask even better ones

Sorry I should have included everything before but here’s my info and blood work from lab Corp:

29
5’10”
34”
200 lbs
12-15%?
Facial hair is scruffy but coming in lighter in color and wirey and falling out.
Carry fat in legs mostly.
April of 2017 I used Minoxidil Foam 1 time on my beard and hairline, also took one shot of test cyp at 120mg but stopped after that because wanted to get wife pregnant.(didn’t take any pct)
Current diet is keto for about 30 days.
This is what I ate today usually similar days with different meats.
Morning- 8 eggs, 2 pieces bacon, avocado, coconut oil, handful spinach, serving of sharp cheddar cheese

Lunch- mct oil, broccoli with ghee butter , avocado, 80/20 beef 6oz

Dinner- broccoli with olive oil, 80/20 beef 6oz, 4 hard boiled eggs

Snacks salted pumpkin seeds about 2 servings

For salt I use pink himaylin salt on all my foods and usually ground pepper. I’m not sure if that’s considered iodine?
Also take magnesium supplement,vitamin d12 and creatine mono 5g.
Train 3 days a week Monday Wednesday Friday , follow a Kinobody program currently to switch it up lol
No morning wood usually and feels like I’m in mood for sex about twice a month
And here’s my latest blood work:

You have no thyroid hormones tested, tests incomplete. Only questions remain.

TSH is thyroid function, not thyroid hormones.

Your TSH can look normal with with low fT3 and low fT4.

Most doctors only check TSH, this is a mistake and indicates a clueless doctor.

Most endo’s know very little about TRT and thyroid disorders even when considering its their area of expertise.

They seem almost like high school dropouts, dumb!

Thanks for reply I’ll have to get those hormones tested, in the mean time is pink Himalayan salt a good salt to be using?

Iodized salt, it’s the reason why there are so many people with thyroid disease. There’s no iodine in sea salt, although pink Himalayan salt may naturally contain some iodine, it most likely contains less iodine than iodized salt does.

Hey guys update with my new blood work, I now measured my T3 and T4 levels.
Results still show normal total T, low free T, low % free testosterone and high SHBG. I also had high EBV nuclear antigen IgG but not sure what that is.

Can any of you tell me what these labs mean exactly?
The doctor wants to put me on 10 mg of tamoxifen or nolvadex for 4 weeks and supplement DHEA,vitamin D3 and stinging nestle root before starting TRT to see if it lowers SHBG and increases free T. Also do my thyroids look normal?

Thanks in advance guys really appreciate it.

Ok I don’t know if anyone addressed this. But here you go bro.

Keto diet INCREASES SHBG! drastically. So much so, that women, who have PCOS, (which is caused by free testosterone) are advised to go keto, to increase their SHBG.

And some new info I just found out myself. CREATINE increases SHBG as well. By a decent margin.

Also, just be careful not to drive your e2 too low eating that many cruciferoius veggies (broccoli). Looks ok now, but just know, that it can lower e2 some.

Your libido tanked because your SHBG increased from KETO/Creatine.

If your doctor thinks Nolvadex or another SERM will LOWER your SHBG, you need to find a new doctor. Do a search on the internet, very simple to find. SERMS raise SHBG.

Vitamin D3 wont affect it, unless you are drastically low (tried it).
Stinging nettle works, off and on, not something that will be consistent. (tried it, still use infrequently for small boost, that works for few days)

Even if you managed to lower SHBG your TT will decrease to a level below ranges causing FT to increase, your testosterone production will not change simply because your SHBG is lower. SHBG is made in the liver and testosterone is made in the testicles, two separate systems. Thyroid looks fine.

Your doctors doesn’t quite get it yet.

Interesting stuff, I’ll tell my doctor no to the nolvadex than and that leaves me with 2 options stop keto and creatine and/or start trt. Based on this info would stopping keto and creatine have any effect on improving symptoms of low T?or like systemlord said reducing SHBG will just reduce my total T also.

You need to stop keto and creatine and also start TRT (at some point).

You may get some relief by lowering your SHBG, but you wont be optimal. Youll feel better because you will have more free T, but down the line, it will just get worse as your natural test lowers.

Edit: Don’t continue on keto and creatine once your on TRT, youll lower your free testosterone, the good stuff. If you have SHBG issues, keto and creatine shouldn’t be utilized.

Update: the doctor called back and also said they want to put me on armour thyroid medication for 90 days due to my T3 levels on the lower end of normal. They said it should be 3.5 and above. I never heard of this medication until today, is this good advice?

Also thanks alpha gunner will do.

Sorry to give you more bad news, but thyroid meds also increase SHBG.

Good luck, you have a lot of reading/research to do.