High T, High SHBG, Low Free Test. Anavar the Answer?

I’m with a pretty well known specialist. All they do is hormone wellness. I don’t know if I can name them here because of what’s already been discussed?

Should mention my brother (a couple years older than me) started with them a few weeks ago…was having similar symptoms and is doing great so far. I think that has me wanting to explore that route more.

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the doc also has already offered TRT as a solution haha, he kind of left the ball in my court on whether or not I want to move forward.

Good for you. Just making sure you have the right guidance :slight_smile:

That’s really high shbg. I wonder if some HCG would help or just t?

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Much appreciated.

Is HCG an option there? Haven’t looked into or asked him about that yet.

Yah sure it won’t shut down the system. I don’t know how much higher T can get with HCG. Because you need to be high total to reach a normal free t range.

Will run that by him tomorrow. I think his TRT protocol was heavy dose divided up into bi-weekly injections + hcg + .5mg/week anastrozole.

Would probably run the var with it eventually at a very low daily dose.

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Yet, they never mentioned Danazol. Hmmmmmm.

You make a great point @traveling-man. Thinking of getting a second opinion through defy, or bringing up Danazol to my doc.

I’ve read up on it through your story, but haven’t studied the mechanisms of Danazol as much as I should.

My biggest question with it (and anavar) is whether I would see any benefit from either without being on TRT. Because both would suppress my endogenous T production, correct? Without stable, exogenous testosterone, wouldn’t my levels drop low enough that my free T might end up just where it is now, even with significantly lower SHBG?

I might be totally wrong on this- just my thoughts!

I can cut my anavar troche down to 6.25mg servings. Again, just wondering whether I should wait to try that or Danazol once I’m on TRT and have stable overall levels.

Word of advice. Some will differ, but your making it harder than it needs to be. Don’t mess with your SHBG just let it be. Men with lower SHBG are Worse off than high when doing trt. Your shbg is fine where it’s at.

Why mess with the absorption of Free t, when you already have abnormal issues. All you need is more T than most guys. Find a doc who understands and work around it. Just Keep it simple and the less moving parts then better.

@physioLojik and @yeti308 can comment on this further. I’ve heard them both say not to worry about shbg because it’s not your ultimate variable. Crissler never said modify shbg. He said this is a reason why some needs more than others.

Maybe I’m reading this wrong but … @cd2917 has SHBG levels of 95.2! Regardless of whose playbook you are looking at – that is HIGH. He also does NOT suffer from low T.

And you are correct about Crisler – he believed “throw more t at it” - regardless of anything else. I consulted with Crisler and that was his answer … without taking other hormone levels into consideration.

My opinion is just like an asshole - we all have one. In the end, you are most likely going to end up on TRT to overcome the SHBG and obtain enough Free T. My system did not counteract SHBG by increasing T. I needed something else.

I wish IN MY SITUATION, I would have tried low dose danazol (less than 50mg/day) and then monitored T levels to see how much of an effect it had on the three hormones. I would have found it interesting to see how much of a drop I suffered - since I was naturally high T to begin with. A one month trial with labs before and after would have been a great trial.

My opinion is not shared by many people here … so take it as nothing more than the “devil’s advocate”. It is what I wish I would have tried before going the TRT route.

And one final comment … I would look to see that I am not taking foods that increase SHBG; and I would do a trial of Boron 6-12mg per day for a month and run tests before and after to see how much you can get out of an over-the-counter. Boron was successful in lowering my SHBG (but not enough because of my insane levels).

Another BTW … Ultawellness has a follow up panel of CBC, Estrogen (non sensitive), T, Free T, and SHBG for $79.

I just noticed your Estradiol levels are low … That is another factor to consider, as going on TRT (should) increase your E. I had E so low it was undetectable on the main test, and that is where my erection issues were originating.

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You are 28 with minimal if any symptoms related to low T. You are treating numbers. You don’t need TRT

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Then again if you truly do not have low t symptoms don’t mess with it. A few issues with energy and etc is not low t.

You will know low t when you have it. It’s the difference between being grazed or being punched hard. You can tell the difference.

Can’t wake up. Don’t feel good. No energy to eatrifjt, work or fitness. Sex is fartherst thing from your mind. You feel like your literally dying inside.

Your story does not resemble that.

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Try scrotal cream before you go with anavar. The conversion to DHT is optimal there and DHT is what brings SHBG down. Converstion to DHT systemically is low.

I don’t know as much about test and other anabolics as others here, so I’ll leave that to them.

but something else to notice in your blood work is that your total thyroid numbers are on the low side. The free numbers are okay and tsh is low enough where the pituitary doesn’t seem to be crying for more hormones, unless something else is messing up signalling.

But from studies, the mean/median total t4 is 7-9 and you’re down at 5 1/2 ish. And for total t3 the mean/median is 110-130 depending upon age and you’re around 80. If you’re into experimenting you could try 100 mcg of t4/day and see if you notice anything in a month or so.

I prefer to look at my total numbers for thyroid but some may only look at free numbers. Even if that’s your thinking, your free numbers have some room to be pushed up too.

You likely won’t find an endo willing to let you trial since you’re in the normal range but some endos can be pretty liberal with thyroid hormone given how harmless it is.

Alright guys, back with some updated labs, and it doesn’t look good. Went a few months with no test boosters, added vitamin D, boron, etc.

-Total test dropped from 927 to 765
-Free T dropped from 13.8 to 10.9
-SHBG for some reason was left off although I told this new doc that was my main marker. However I’m assuming it’s the same or higher, and what is continuing to eat up my test.
-LH cut in half (wondering if this is because I dropped the test booster. Down from 12 to 5.7
-Estradiol up to 18.2 from 14.5

I assumed this would be the case, as I’ve lost a bit of strength, vascularity, and motivation over the last couple months. Continuing to work just as hard if not harder, but gaining some body fat. Libido and overall sexual endurance has dropped slightly as well, along with energy throughout the day. I was never a nap guy, but im almost having to take one post work now.

Is it time to consider TRT? I’m still very nervous to make this kind of commitment at my age, but I also don’t want to waste these years living with the free test levels of someone 3x my age. My brother is two years older, started TRT about 16 weeks ago, and it’s changed his life.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

There’s no way you’ll ever produced >1200 ng/dL naturally which is more than likely what is needed to increase Free T to the optimal ranges. You may need quite a bit more than 1200, that’s a conservative estimate.

Your Total T is high normal and Free T in the basement. That 13.8 pg/mL needs to turn into a minimum 20 pg/mL and that is just not going to happen on natural Test.

You are spinning your wheels at this point.

Still have 50mg anavar troche that can be broken up as small as 6.25mg. Would you recommend trying that first, or just saving it for when i start TRT?

My fear is taking anavar at that low of a dose will lower SHBG yes, but also lower test, and at that dose I’ll just have lower overall androgen levels.

Thinking I may be able to do a slightly lower TRT dose if I have the anavar to lower SHBG.

Testosterone is closer to natural, drugs are well drugs and take the body outside of its natural state.