Does Metformin Raise SHBG?

[CROM]

I have seen people say that studies suggest Metformin raises SHBG but I haven’t seen anyone say that Metformin actually raises SHBG through their own experience. My SHBG ranges from 8.9 to 11. Has anyone seen their SHBG raise as a result from taking Metformin?

 

[Vince Carter]

I have seen people say that studies suggest Metformin raises SHBG but I haven’t seen anyone say that Metformin actually raises SHBG through their own experience. My SHBG ranges from 8.9 to 11. Has anyone seen their SHBG raise as a result from taking Metformin?

People lay a lot on "Studies suggest"...which is so very flawed. Of the guys I can think of on this forum that use Metformin I can't think of one that has experienced an increase in SHBG.
Low SHBG is very easy to manage if you learn to do it.

 

[CROM]

One of the main reason I ask is because I’ve read that low SHBG can cause acne and when I am on TRT acne gets worse. But in the short time (2 weeks) I’ve been on Metformin my acne does seem to have improved (currently taking 500 mg per day). So I was wondering if maybe it is a result of SHBG increasing. And maybe by increasing to 850mg to 1000 per day it will improve more.

Btw I am not diabetic. I am taking Metformin to help with insulin resistance and my fasting glucose recently was 109, and to see if it would help me lose weight and suppress appetite.

 

[captain]

I think what your looking for is like using Metformin for PCOS in females. If the same things happen in males as females taking Metformin. The difference here is females with PCOS are not on TRT.

 

[Vince]

This something that Nelson posted about. Does anybody see a difference in shbg when using metformin. He never got any replies.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Effects of short term metformin administration on androgens in normal men. - PubMed - NCBI


Some studies show an increase in SHBG in obese women using metformin

Effects of diet and metformin administration on sex hormone-binding globulin, androgens, and insulin in hirsute and obese women. - PubMed - NCBI

Women with PCOS

The effects of metformin on endogenous androgens and SHBG in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-assessed Reviews - NCBI Bookshelf

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Good simple article

SHBG – A Modulator to be Modulated - The ZRT Laboratory Blog

 

[Nelson Vergel]

How can one increase SHBG when it is too low?

 

[DragonBits]

Good simple article

SHBG – A Modulator to be Modulated - The ZRT Laboratory Blog

The article states that "Production Signals: Estradiol, triiodothyronine (T3)".

So if an increase in either E2 or T3 triggers an increase in SHBG, that should mean taking any T3 hormone will reduce a man's free T.

If that is true, then I can see where someone might not feel as good as they thought they would when taking T3.

Is my thinking correct about this?

 

[Nelson Vergel]

T3 has a lot stronger effect on stamina than free testosterone. If you have low T3, increasing it will have a stronger effect on "feeling good" than a drop in free testosterone would have on "not feeling good".

Most good docs know that it is better to improve low thyroid first and then go for TRT if needed.

TRT also decreases thyroid binding globulin, by the way. That is why it is important to have a doctor that knows how to treat hypothyroidism and hypogonadism if you have both issues.

Does Testosterone Replacement Affect the Thyroid?

 

[DragonBits]

T3 has a lot stronger effect on stamina than free testosterone. If you have low T3, increasing it will have a stronger effect on "feeling good" than a drop in free testosterone would have on "not feeling good".

Most good docs know that it is better to improve low thyroid first and then go for TRT if needed.

TRT also decreases thyroid binding globulin, by the way. That is why it is important to have a doctor that knows how to treat hypothyroidism and hypogonadism if you have both issues.

Does Testosterone Replacement Affect the Thyroid?

I wonder how much this all affects SHBG, to what degree?

When I took NDT my FT3 went up quite a bit, from 2.7>4.3.my SHBG went from 36>41. We are assuming that an increase in FT3 implies an increase in T3?

I didn't think there was anything notable about the increase in shbg, to me it was a normal fluctuation and not dramatic enough to note. In the past my SHBG has ranged from 42-36 when my FT3 was ~2.7 and E2/TT was on the low side of the normal range.

But I have only tested SHBG 4 times in my life, for those times it seemed pretty stable despite changes in E2, TT, FT3.

I am taking metformin now, but I have yet to test SHBG since starting. I am not sure what I will test next, I tend to just look at TT/Ft/E2. If TT/FT is OK, I wouldn't test SHBG unless I needed to for some external reason. Like a doctor wanted to order the test.

 

[CROM]

I did full blood work right before taking Metformin. In 2 more weeks it will have been a month on Metformin. I am going to test Total T, Free T, SHBG and a few other things.

What I find really interesting is Metformin eliminated TRT induced acne. I don’t know why, maybe it lowered my free T.

 

[DragonBits]

I did full blood work right before taking Metformin. In 2 more weeks it will have been a month on Metformin. I am going to test Total T, Free T, SHBG and a few other things.

What I find really interesting is Metformin eliminated TRT induced acne. I don’t know why, maybe it lowered my free T.

IMO we all tend to overlook the possibility that one thing, Metformin, had noting to do with the other thing, eliminating your acne. Metformin should have lowered your blood glucose, maybe that was it?

After taking metformin, I seem to sleep better. Metformin? Lower blood sugar? Diet that lowered my carb intake? Maybe it's because I lost weight, maybe other supplements I added for prostate health, maybe it's only a temporary improvement in sleep.

 

[CROM]

Just an update, metformin did NOT raise my SHBG, in fact it went lower, from 8.9 to 6. The improvement in acne I experienced might have been from taking less HCG.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

The only way to prove this is to eat the same diet every day and test then.

 

[ERO]

I have seen people say that studies suggest Metformin raises SHBG but I haven’t seen anyone say that Metformin actually raises SHBG through their own experience. My SHBG ranges from 8.9 to 11. Has anyone seen their SHBG raise as a result from taking Metformin?

It had zero effect on raising mine and I have never seen anyone say it has on any TRT forum, either. The idea comes from the thought that I'd a guy has low SHBG then he must be fat and diabetic or pre diabetic, there for Metformin should "fix"him.

 

[Ardoc2]

I have been taking Metformin for many months and it has done nothing to increase my very low SHBG.