Low Estradiol May Cause Hot Flashes and Night Sweats in Men

Nelson Vergel

Founder, ExcelMale.com
EFFECTS OF TESTOSTERONE AND ESTRADIOL DEFICIENCY ON VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS IN HYPOGONADAL MEN


Alexander P. TaylorBA, Hang LeePhD, Matthew L. Webb AB, Hadine Joffe MD, MSc, and Joel S. Finkelstein MD



Vasomotor symptoms are usually described as night sweats, hot flashes, and flushes.



Context:


The hormonal basis of vasomotor symptoms (VMS) in hypogonadal men is incompletely understood.

Objective:


To determine the contributions of testosterone and estradiol deficiency to VMS in hypogonadal men.

Design:


Two randomized trials were conducted sequentially between September 2004 and April 2011. Controls were recruited separately.

Setting:


A single-site academic medical center.

Participants:


Healthy men ages 20-50, with normal serum testosterone levels.

Intervention:


Cohort 1 (n=198, 81% completion) received goserelin acetate every 4 weeks to suppress gonadal steroids, and were randomized to placebo or 1.25, 2.5, 5, or 10 grams of testosterone gel daily for 16 weeks. Cohort 2 (n=202, 78% completion) received the same regimen as Cohort 1 plus anastrozole to block aromatization of testosterone. Controls (n=37, 89% completion) received placebos for goserelin acetate and testosterone.

Main Outcome Measures:


Incidence of visits with VMS. This was a pre-planned secondary analysis.

Results:


VMS were reported at 26% of visits in Cohort 1, and 35% of visits in Cohort 2 (P=0.02), demonstrating an effect of estradiol deficiency. When adjacent estradiol level groups in Cohort 1 were compared, the largest difference in VMS incidence was observed between the 5-9.9 pg/mL and 10-14.9 pg/mL groups (38% vs 16%, P<0.001). In Cohort 2, the 10 g testosterone group differed significantly from placebo (16% vs 43%, P=0.048) after adjustment for small differences in estradiol levels, indicating that high testosterone levels may suppress VMS.

Conclusions:


Estradiol deficiency is the key mediator of VMS in hypogonadal men. At high levels, testosterone may have a suppressive effect.


- See more at: http://press.endocrine.org/doi/abs/10.1210/jc.2016-1612#sthash.FyWbpGpC.dpuf
 
Last edited:
This is great information as I think a common assumption is typically that only high estradiol causes these symptoms.
 
I have naturally low estrogen, but low estrogen never gave me any bad symptoms. Only low testosterone had a negative effect on me.
 

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Understanding Your Hormones

Estradiol (E2)

A form of estrogen produced from testosterone. Important for bone health, mood, and libido. Too high can cause side effects; too low can affect well-being.

DHT

Dihydrotestosterone is a potent androgen derived from testosterone. Affects hair growth, prostate health, and masculinization effects.

Free Testosterone

The biologically active form of testosterone not bound to proteins. Directly available for cellular uptake and biological effects.

Scientific Reference

Lakshman KM, Kaplan B, Travison TG, Basaria S, Knapp PE, Singh AB, LaValley MP, Mazer NA, Bhasin S. The effects of injected testosterone dose and age on the conversion of testosterone to estradiol and dihydrotestosterone in young and older men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Aug;95(8):3955-64.

DOI: 10.1210/jc.2010-0102 | PMID: 20534765 | PMCID: PMC2913038

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