SEX HORM BINDING GLOB, SERUM
60.4
16.5-55.9
NMOL/L
Any thought on increased SHBG? I will be receiving my total testosterone and estradiol today and post asap, the nurse forgot to upload them to my patient portal. A little background. I had low testosterone and decided to use Clomid/Arimidex to help improve my numbers. I weaned myself off of Clomid and Arimidex and haven’t been using them for a little over three months. When using Clomid my Total testosterone was in the 650-750 range and estradiol floated right around 20. I’m a little concerned over the SHBG number here prior to receiving my other numbers. I have been taking kratom pretty regularly which may play a role in that number.
Total T would be high, high SHBG would inflate TT but your free T seems to be good also. Clomid can increase SHBG levels in some men and this inflates total testosterone measurement making them off better off number wise but little in the way of symptoms.
But FT suggests that restart is successful, however we will have to wait for TT measurement to come in and use calculated free testosterone to determine more accurate ft numbers to rule out inaccuracy of th direct test which can be unreliable for free testosterone.
I actually feel much better than before and when I was on Clomid. I didn’t really realize how Clomid was making me feel until I stopped. When I got off of it I felt much less didn’t have as many up/downs in mood. As far as lifting goes and activity levels my energy has increased, i’ve actually leaned out pretty significantly and I have maintained strength/improved.
Previous labs include: 2014
TSH 1.803 0.350-4.500 uIU/mL Normal
THYROID PEROXIDASE (TPO) AB <10.0 <35.0 IU/mL Normal Final
THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODY <20.0 <40.0 U/mL Normal
T3, FREE 3.9 2.3-4.2 pg/mL Normal
TESTOSTERONE, TOTAL 375.37 300-890 ng/dL Normal Final
SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN 42 13-71 nmol/L Normal Final
TESTOSTERONE, FREE (CALC) 65.0 47.0-244.0 pg/mL Normal Final
FSH 2.5 1.4-18.1 mIU/mL Normal Final
LH 4.3 1.5-9.3 mIU/mL Normal
TESTOSTERONE, % FREE (CALC) 1.7 1.6-2.9 % Normal Final
FREE T4 1.40 0.80-1.80 ng/dL Normal
ESTRADIOL 27.8 pg/mL 0.0 - 39.0 pg/mL Normal
TOTAL ESTROGEN 74.7 *** pg/mL 40.0-115.0 pg/mL Normal
PROLACTIN 11.4 2.1-17.1 ng/mL Normal
When I was on Clomid the endo ran total test and free test with SHBG and that was it. The past three results I had with him on Clomid from 2014 - 2016 (Jan) were. I will find a copy of the actual labs and post them.
Time is short right now, cannot go digging in old posts to find context.
When you stop a SERM, you need to taper off and preferably on 0.5mg anastrozole per week to head off estrogen rebound. SHBG on SERM suggests that E2 may have been high from SERM dose too high for you. Should test TT, FT, E2 LH/FSH.
TSH is oddly high while fT3 is +higher than midrange and fT4 as well. This makes me wonder if rT3 is blocking things. Are oral body temperatures low?
KSMAN these were the most current labs. I forgot to label estradiol on the last post. I have tested my body temperature in the morning on more than one occasion and it seems to float around 97.8 - 98.1 regularly. As far as tapering goes, I did a very slow taper of Clomid was taking 12.5mg EOD to 12.5 E3D to 6.25 E3D, 6.25 E4 Days … It was done over a two month period. While on the taper I maintained .5 mg anastrozole per week and continued for month after/ tapered down over a month. I can run a temperature test first thing in the morning again just to double check. Tried Iodine loading about a year ago and my TSH shot up to 4.34 UIU/ML.
IR does increase TSH and TSH labs are then not valuable aka worthless. Increased TSH then is OK.
Were you getting selenium?
TSH=2.18 not great.
What was iodine maintenance?
Seems like you are making an effort to control things properly.
Prolactin is not adverse. E2 balanced VS T OK. Seems like a typical secondary pattern except that SHBG is way out of balance VS E2 and T patterns. May have to do with total estrogens VS E2. Sometimes adverse gut fora [bacteria] can recycle estrogen metabolites in liver bile back to active estrogens that might explain SHBG levels. TRT with higher FT can be expected to push SHBG back to something lower. Your labs did not test FT but most would expect that your FT was low. Low FT increases SHBG, so there can be a self perpetuating problem. Human hormone systems are very often way less than well behaved. So the influences are the assumed low FT and the effect of total estrogens. Pls note that low E2 and elevated total estrogens are a definite concern.
That is a lot of shit to understand, but what to do.
try a good probiotic, google ‘ultimate flora’, may help, but ultimately you may need TRT to get the QOL that you seek. We really cannot go far if you can’t get FT tested to resolve some unknowns VS speculation.
Selenium - Eat brazil nuts daily, aboy 3-4 with breakfast which usually consists of eggs and bacon
Thyroid problems run in my family. My mother and grandfather both have hypothyroidism. As far as iodine maintenance, I unfortunately did not stay on a maintenance plan as I got a little nervous that the TSH shot up the way it did. I still have Lugols solution and could easily get back on a maintenance program.
Will try a probiotic and will order one today.
As far as free testosterone, Im guessing you need free testosterone percentage since direct was taken and is 15.18 PG/Ml.
While coming off of Clomid I added some supplements in to potentially help with any rebounds (apparently it didn’t help) Would any of these cause any issues?
Ionic Boron - 6 mg at night
Magnesium CItrate - 1000mg daily at night
Zinc citrate - 9 mg at bedtime
Resveratrol - 1000mg in morning
Mucuna Pruriens (L-Dopa) - 300 mg 5 days per week 2 off
Longjack 2% - 250 mg twice per day
I have also been using peptides the past 2 1/2 months to help lean out.
Ipamorelin - 100-200 mcg before bed
mod grf 1-29 100 mcg before bed
As far as boron goes, I know it can effect testosterone levels but one study suggests that it can also elevate estrogen
One last note, I have been taking Kratom with a little bit of regularity for the past 6 months. It helped me relax and destress at night due to a lot of life stresses recently. I have not used any in 1 week and plan on not using it again as I know it effects opioid receptors which can in turn lower testosterone.