@traveling-man well this has to be one of the more interesting threads. Well done on being so consistent in documenting the journey. And a journey i will continue to follow.
Its seems that you may jump the gun and and change things too often. Some changes occur without letting the first change take place.
What are your thoughts?
Without seeing an example, I really don’t know - because I am so close to it. I am trying to think of changes that I have made …
I have stopped and started Danazol twice - but I have had three blood tests during that time to verify the results. Same with Proviron. I also stopped 80% of all supplements and did multiple blood tests to see what was changing.
I am interested to know what you see that I have changed so quickly. Your perspective might help me see things differently. Thanks
Hey bud, was saying its a bad thing it looks like your finding you. It looks like you change something or multiple things evey month.
Would you agree its helped you?
1 month
1 month
Yes, you are right - I have changed quite a few things.
I said the other day that for the past week or so, I have felt the best I have in years. I still have off-days where it is not quite as good - but I hope I am finally on a positive trend.
I’m quoting myself again … because I have figured out something else that changed. I am up 15 pounds in weight since January. Of that, I put on 8 of those pounds from Sept 1 to now. And it isn’t muscle weight – and I haven’t intentionally changed my eating parameters except that I have allowed myself to eat more carbs.
Today, over 2 weeks from my last blood work – I received the results for my Estradiol test.
Here it is with a comparison to the last few tests …
1/19/18 10.8 sensitive (8-35 pg/mL)
3/26/18 24.6 sensitive (8-35 pg/mL)
4/23/18 27.0 sensitive (8-35 pg/mL)
6/25/18 28.8 NOT sensitive (25.8 - 60.7)
8/20/18 17.3 sensitive (8-35)
9/21/18 28.0 sensitive (8-35) (reduced dim intake)
So I have been all over the map. My T levels were still up (1210), and SHBG was still down (29.8) when I had this test performed. Cutting my DIM in half didn’t appear to cause my Estradiol to increase as I anticipated. (It increased, but because SHBG went down so much - I can’t tell that dim had any effect).
I’m 2 weeks from additional blood work; and 3 weeks from a pellet boost.
On 10/2/18, I tested my urine for “Intestinal Permeability” aka “Leaky Gut” syndrome. I created a new thread for this test. My results are here.
Basically it says I have a slightly elevated chance of having leaky gut issues …
Ugh that’s not very conclusive mate 
Considering fructose’s potent reduction of SHBG, and insulin as well, I think it’s interesting that no one ever told you to EAT MORE CARBS (as in, fruits primarily)
Oh, and proteins, too.
I’m the same low e2, low free T %, high SHBG type of guy. I wasn’t eating enough, I was training hard, there’s no mystery. At the time, just like your docs, I thought that the solution was TRT, and I eventually came off when I realized how bad my self diagnosis was (those were good years on the juice though). TRT won’t do shit to lower SHBG. It will improve your free T levels though, obviously.
Now that I’m still using SERMs on and off, I get a slow raise in hormones… and the side effects you describe when I’m on the SERMs. It’s crystal clear that your problem is either lifestyle or diet. Because that’s always pretty much the same story.
I’m a pharmacist, and no pharmaceuticals will fix a metabolic disorder.
Insulin regulates testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin concentrations in adult normal weight and obese men. (R Pasquali and al.)
Abstract : There are no studies in vivo on the effects of insulin on androgens and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in men. We, therefore, investigated the effects of insulin suppression on testosterone and SHBG in two groups of eight nondiabetic adult obese men and six healthy normal weight men who underwent diazoxide treatment (100 mg, three times daily) for 7 days. […] In conclusion, these results indicate that in vivo, insulin is capable of stimulating testosterone production and, simultaneously, of inhibiting SHBG concentrations in both normal weight and obese men.
your high urinary cortisol also indicates that you’re not eating enough carbs IMO. Could be Gluconeogenesis 101 right before your very eyes. And the best way to stop GNG would be more Glycogenolysis = more liver glycogen = more fruits. Circling around 
Wouldn’t metformin help?
Touché. I always forget about metformin/berberine. I’d rather lower fasted insulin and glucose tweaking the diet, but yeah.
@traveling-man Have you had your VitD level checked while off of Danazol since you have increased your supplementation from 4k to 12k? I recently read that low VitD can raise your SHBG and you def had low vitD earlier this year.
@NH_Watts
Hi, on Jan 9, I posted a link to the study that confirms what you read … but truthfully, I forgot that I had read that article.
To answer your question, “NO”, I have not had my VitD checked since I posted the results of that test 11/19/17. I didn’t think it mattered since I was boosting it so much.
However, I have tested my SHBG monthly, and watched it go up-and-down as I experimented with my medications.
However, Friday is a blood day, and for the sake of curiosity, I have added a vit D test.
I await the results.
My preliminary results are in – for some reason, Total Testosterone is not being reported yet, so I will update that later. I am going to post the actual results this time to save me from retyping.
Panel 1
Hematocrit is high. This high reading is a first. Everything I read is about how high hemactocrit = dehydration. But for the past 30 days, I have been serious about water intake - consuming a minimum of 2L per day of WATER (measured) – not counting anything else.
Panel 2
Alkaline Phosphatase was low again. I have read what I can on this and I was curious about my Vit levels because “excess ingestion of vitamin D,” was a cause of low ALP. Another is a calorie/protein deficiency which I am positive does not apply. This one has me stumped.
My DHEA-S is back “in range” after I decreased my DHEA supplement.
My aldosterone level was something I always wanted to know as a low level also causes some of the symptoms I have experienced (it is mid-range, so I can eliminate that).
Panel 3
@NH_Watts
This is the first Vit D test since I was tested deficient, and it is at the upper end of the range 99.7 (30-100). By the way, this test for Vit D is while I am on Danazol. There are no plans to stop Danazol again.
Estradiol took a major jump from 28 - 39.2! This is the biggest “shocker” of the test. 60 days ago I decreased my “DIM”, so I don’t know why Estradiol increased so much during this blood cycle.
I tested GH even though I know most on this board don’t place any relevance in GH testing … However, I wanted to compare it to a few years ago. Previous lab ranges were “less than 3” while LabCorp is less than 10.
And my old friend SHBG decreased slightly from 29.8 to 27.3.
A few comments:
For the past 30 days, I have felt REALLY good. Energetic, clear, with a few spontaneous chubbies here and there.
My Estradiol and SHBG have NEVER been close in numbers. Going back 10 years, I have always had low E2. Seeing it jump to 39.2 is a real surprise, especially since I feel really good.
I am still waiting on Total Testosterone and will calculate Free T once that is supplied.
I go to the doctor Monday for a pellet insertion.
As usual, any discussion is welcome
Vitamin D optimized! Nice.
And now, for the “How can this be” post of the day.
@hd44
My Testosterone level INCREASED. I tested 30 days ago at 1210.4. My most recent test is 1294.2!! How is that possible??
My free Testosterone percentage is 2.64% … no wonder I am getting some spontaneous chubbies.
I would never have imagined (or believed) that my T-levels could INCREASE. Lab error perhaps? Usually LabCorp retests when results are out of bounds …
Supplements kicking in?? My body temperature is up. And of course, I am hungrier than before.
Anyone??
See my previous response. 
Surely supplements won’t increase test if your only source of test is from the pellet… i.e. testicles have shut down.
Could it be something to do with the way the pellet releases the test?
Yeah not totally sure. I dont see any LH or FSH tests following initial pellet insertion so not sure if testes are completely shut down. Based on the T levels you would assume but not entirely sure.
