High SHBG, Unsure of Cause

Pharma / TRT Testosterone Replacement
1

I had made a previous post about low T. I’ve been feeling better (morning erections and better in the gym every day) but my most recent labs still came back slightly low, so I want to try to get them up as best I can naturally. I’m 20 so I’m not really sure where I fit in with the SHBG, but these numbers are all over the place except for the total which I’m glad to see is still climbing up. Currently supplementing zinc, Vit D, fish oils and a multi daily if that matters. Plenty of protein, carbs, fats, fiber in my diet and 6 days of lifting per week. 3-4 months ago I went on a super low calorie diet for 6-8 weeks because I didn’t know how to maintain proper nutrition while cutting, have heard this can affect hormones and SHBG for a while after. I also took Accutane for about a year when I was 17, and it worked (for the acne), idk if that could be something. Please respond when you have the time, thanks.

LH: 2.8 (1.7-8.6)
FSH: 3.2 (1.5-12.4)
Testosterone Serum: 557 (264-916)
Free Testosterone (Direct): >50 (9.3-26.5) High
Test Free MS/Dialysis Serum Total: 567 (264-916)
%Free Test Dialysis: 0.9 (1.5-3.2) Low
Free Testosterone Serum: 51 (52-280) Low
SHBG: 80.2 (16-100 Pubertal, 16.5-55.9 for 20-49 year olds) High

2

Any rx meds? Do you drink heavily? I also read that crash diets can increase SHGB as well. Mine started creeping up from 50 to 70 after I started taking Lisinopril. But has lowered back to high 40s. Is your free testosterone high or low? It’s hard to from the labs. I’m not familiar with some of them.

3

I also took accutane as a teenager but I’m not sure if any correlation, yet.

4

SHBG is made in the liver to scavenge steroid hormones [ T and estrogens]. Some liver problems can increase SHBG. Sometimes SHBG is high for no obvious reason.

How can FT be both high and low?
Something is wrong. With high SHBG we expect to see lower FT and TT inflated with more non-bioavailable SHBG+T.

Higher E2 increases SHBG, higher T lowers SHBG and we see expected %FT low.

E2 not reported.
Prolactin not reported.
These can lower LH/FSH.