Anyone successfully raised SHBG

[The slice]

Has anyone managed to successfully raise SHBG.

My SHBG is crazy low - Way below the reference range to the point sometimes is doesn’t even register.

I’ve tried changing injection frequency and it’s made zero difference. Has anyone managed to successfully raise it? I’ve always struggled with TRT and through the process of elimination I believe my low SHBG is the culprit.

Any experiences or suggestions would be massively appreciated.

 

[t_spacemonkey]

mine is 11. nothing worked. went to daily Tprop injections that works best for me in this case

 

[Systemlord]

Has anyone managed to successfully raise SHBG.

My SHBG is crazy low - Way below the reference range to the point sometimes is doesn’t even register.

Low SHBG strongly associated with metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes and you improve the condition, only then can your SHBG increase.

I have typed 2 diabetes. Pre-TRT my SHBG was 11, now it’s 20-24.

If you don’t have type 2 diabetes, and the low SHBG is due to genetics, TRT decreases SHBG and there’s nothing you can do about it.

I’ve tried changing injection frequency and it’s made zero difference.

The new oral testosterone undecanoate, Jatenzo, Orlando and Kyzatrex have less side effects than injections.

I’m on Jatenzo @237 mg twice daily and have amazing results. Not so with injections.

 

[Systemlord]

I’ve always struggled with TRT and through the process of elimination I believe my low SHBG is the culprit.

When men start TRT who are overweight, there are more likely to be side effects. People who are overweight, tend to have low SHBG, so it’s easy to blame low SHBG and not the excessive body fat.

 

[The slice]

When men start TRT who are overweight, there are more likely to be side effects. People who are overweight, tend to have low SHBG, so it’s easy to blame low SHBG and not the excessive body fat.

I’m definitely not overweight

 

[Systemlord]

I’m definitely not overweight

Some men are just overly sensitive to androgens and injections creating a near constant hormone levels across days can be a problem for these men.

These types of men with a high sensitivity to androgens would be better off on a short half-life formulation of TRT, like the newer oral testosterone undecanoate or topical cream.

I’m such a person and injections absolutely wrecks me.

 

[The slice]

Some men are just overly sensitive to androgens and injections creating a near constant hormone levels across days can be a problem for these men.

These types of men with a high sensitivity to androgens would be better off on a short half-life formulation of TRT, like the newer oral testosterone undecanoate or topical cream.

I’m such a person and injections absolutely wrecks me.

It’s interesting you say that - My free test is very high, due to low SHBG probably but my free androgen index is 325.8 (range 35-92)

Do you think there is value in trying to get the androgens within the normal range? This would mean massively lowering my trt dose (currently on 120mg / week)

My goal is improving my libido

 

[Systemlord]

Do you think there is value in trying to get the androgens within the normal range? This would mean massively lowering my trt dose (currently on 120mg / week)

I see the problem, you're afraid to lower your dosage, caught up in more is better mentality! Forget about the dosage, focus on the hormone levels and more importantly how you feel.

Due to the crazy low SHBG, you would have healthy youthful Free T levels with Total T at TT 450-500.

 

[The slice]

I am not at all worried about lowering my dosage - IMO the less I need to use the better. I do have aromatise issues as well which has held me back from lowering it, that being said I have just started estrogen therapy which should mitigate any low E2 issues. I’ll probably run that for another few weeks so as not to change too much too soon.

 

[Sergel]

I have low SHBG too... my free/bio available T is always super high... nothing worked to increase my libido except... lowering my dose!

I too was flying high at 140, 120 mg/ week for a few years until I finally tried lowering my dose... I now fly between 50mg and 70 mg/ week and never felt better.... I tend towards 50 when I take HCG and 70 when I cycle HCG off cause HCG spikes my own production and my T is higher...

Less is more with TRT, especially in time... SHBG goes down with TRT, so you get more sensitive to it... Anyhow, it takes every one a while to realize that lower dosing is better for how we feel... (less anxiety, better erections, more libido... ) ... Try to keep your levels in a normal range, as long as you are superphysiological you will be chasing the <feel good> ...

 

[The slice]

Thanks for your reply - Would you say the lower dose had a significant impact on your Libido?

What is your dosing schedule like - twice per week or more frequently? Lowering my dose is my next plan of attack.

 

[Sergel]

Yes, the lower dose influences my motivation towards sex and my erection quality... counter intuitive but it sort of makes sense, it probably mimics my youthful T levels better in a physiological sense.... total T is not the important number here, free/bio available T is... So even if I keep my total T in a physiological range, say 1000 which is high but in range, because of my low shbg, my free/bio available T is superphysiological... So my focus has been to get my free/bio available T levels in a phisiological range... Which brings my total T in the 500/600s as Systemlord mentionned...

That is funny because I started TRT at close to 500 total T but my free/bio T was very low... However, my libido was sort of ok ... lol Hormones are hard to understand...

So now that TRT fixed my shbg and sensitized me to T somwhat (my interpretation) I can go back to my body's preferred range and keep enough Free T to make me go...

In order to help with lowering the free T, I went to injections every two days... I was injecting twice a week before, now I do it every other day... I would love to try every day but darn, that is too many needles for me to handle... every two day is already a lot... lol

I am in Canada, so I do Enanthate (Delatestryl) ... and HCG as well at 1000 units per week. Both are split in eod doses... subcutaneous in my belly area...

Been on this 6 years and I am only starting to feel dialed in... lol I was a stubborn case ...

 

[The slice]

that’s incredibly helpful - I’ve been on TRT for 8 years and have had libido issues the whole time. I am a low aromatiser so my E2 has always been low so I’ve been hesitant to give the lower dosages a try but you have convinced me.

Out of curiosity, you said it fixed your low SHBG - Did you actually see a raise in your SHBG on your blood work? Not that it matters as long as you’re feeling better, I am just curious

 

[Sergel]

Oh it did not fix my low SHBG, lowering my dose fixed my chronically high Free T ... Sorry for the confusion...

 

[The slice]

Oh it did not fix my low SHBG, lowering my dose fixed my chronically high Free T ... Sorry for the confusion...

Oh I was just curious - It had been suggested that having higher than normal androgens could be a contributing factor to a suppressed SHBG. Your post has been extremely helpful. I’ll be lowering my dose to get my free T in range like you suggested and see what happens. Thanks again