SHBG / Free Test Advice

[UKEctomorph]

Hello,

I'm a 36 year old male living in the UK, and have some concerns regarding some possible long-term hormonal issues I may have been suffering with.

Factors which have led me to believe that I may have hormonal issues include patchy / sparse facial hair growth, lack of energy and muscle mass, and a pre-disposition to gain weight around my waist and thighs. I also have minor gynecomastia, though maintaining a healthy BMI means that it is only evident when wearing fitted T-Shirts. These characteristics have been existent since the on-set of puberty.

I have discussed my concerns with my GP who arranged for me to have a hormone profile taken. I have included the results below ;

• Serum Testosterone: 24.1 nmol/L (Normal Range 7.00-31.00 nmol/L
• Serum Sex Hormone Binding Globulin : 66.8 nmol/L (Normal Range 18.00 - 54.00 nmol/L)
• Free Androgen Index: 36.1 % (Normal Range 16.00 - 102.00%)
• Serum Oestradiol Level: 115 pmol/L (Normal Range 155.00 pmol/L)

I asked to be referred to an endocrinologist (under the NHS). When I finally saw an endo, they had no concerns about my hormone profile, even though I flagged the low FAI and high Oestradiol levels to them.

Unfortunately it feels as though I'm getting nowhere, and I just wanted some confirmation as to whether or not it is worth pursuing this further.

Many Thanks

Jon

 

[Systemlord]

Male hormones is one of those areas of medicine where very few doctors are very good at diagnosing and treating. Many fail to understand the relationship SHBG plays in sex hormones, SHBG when high gobbles up T shrinking free T which in turn can cause low T symptoms. Your first mistake was bothering with the NHS, their protocols are a joke even if you somehow manage to get treatment through them, their knowledge is seriously lacking and you need to go private. It's really that simple unless you want to fight the NHS. Often when one's SHBG starts climbing, the body attempts to compensate by increasing T, the more SHBG, more T in an attempt to raise free T.

A lack of energy and muscle mass doesn't necessarily mean you're suffering from low T, how about your thyroid? Do you have any sexual symptoms or is it just a lack of energy? Unless increased muscle mass in written into your genes, it's not going to happen for you.

 

[bm1981]

Interesting point that if SHBG is high the body will increase Testosterone to try and compensate.
In the UK proviron can be used to bring down SHBG however it would be hard to get the NHS to understand any of it. I agree going private would be best bet.

 

[UKEctomorph]

A lack of energy and muscle mass doesn't necessarily mean you're suffering from low T, how about your thyroid? Do you have any sexual symptoms or is it just a lack of energy? Unless increased muscle mass in written into your genes, it's not going to happen for you.

As part of a blood panel taken earlier this year, I had my Thyroid checked. Unfortunately only my TSH level was tested, though this returned a normal level of 0.95 mu/L (Normal Range 0.27 - 4.2). I did request that FT3 and FT4 were tested, though to no avail.

 

[Systemlord]

As part of a blood panel taken earlier this year, I had my Thyroid checked. Unfortunately only my TSH level was tested, though this returned a normal level of 0.95 mu/L (Normal Range 0.27 - 4.2). I did request that FT3 and FT4 were tested, though to no avail.

I figured as most doctors only run TSH because that's what they were trained to do, TSH only tells you the signing hormone is sufficient and unfortunately tells you nothing of the actual thyroid hormones, some have a tough time convincing doctors on how to do their job which end up losing a patient because the doctor refuses to self re-educate.

 

[CoastWatcher]

This thread directs you to a private, blood-testing company in the UK. https://www.excelmale.com/forum/showthread.php?12713&p=88170#post88170 Where in the UK do you live? If Dorset is within range we can refer you to an excellent, private clinic.

 

[OMI100]

If you wish to read up on thyroid:
Go here and look around and read first:
http://www.tiredthyroid.com/
http://www.tiredthyroid.com/index.html
http://www.tiredthyroid.com/tsh.html
http://www.tiredthyroid.com/what-labs.html
http://www.tiredthyroid.com/optimal-labs.html
Then order her book.
BEST web site and book covering thyroid.
Book is so well written and documented it could be used as a medical School text on thyroid conditions.
After that you will find some good information here:
http://hypothyroidmom.com/
then you might want to get this book:
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/
You can find on-line calculators to convert your reading to the ones in the references so you will be looking at apples and apples.

 

[UKEctomorph]

Thanks and good morning

I'm based in Reading, so Dorset isn't a huge distance. Unfortunately I had to surrender my driving licence earlier in the year due the onset of Epilepsy, so am restricted to locations accessible by train / bus.

I will get my Thyroid levels checked ASAP