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Anyone with Low SHBG as well as T?

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Hey guys,

First of all, I'm new here. Second, I've had secondary hypogondism

since I hit puberty. It was first officially diagnosed at 19.

One issue that doctors seem to ignore is that my SHBG is also low,

which means I always have way more free testosterone than I should.

This has interfered GREATLY with getting any sort of positive results

from testosterone replacement therapy.

Low T and low SHBG in combination are highly correlated with metabolic

syndrome/type 2 diabetes. I was pretty sure that I must have these

things -- but after a fasting insulin and glucose test -- it appears

that I do not have any obvious problems with insulin resistance.

Does anyone else here have SHBG that is in the lower end of the range,

or perhaps outside of the normal range?

Any ideas as to why my SHBG might be so low, if the cause /isn't/

insulin resistance?

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You did not say how low your SHBG is but mine stays at about 22 and this is

good. Having higher levels of Free T is not so bad yet Free T is only about 2%

of all the testosterone in your body.

Here is a cut and paste from Dr. nco his posts are in the files section he

was helping men at Meso with low T doing research on his new book. Because the

guys helped him with his research he tried his best to help answer there

questions. You can find his posts in the files section under marianco7 zip.

================================

SHBG low ; what can it indicate ?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by chip douglas

My latest SHBG was :

SHBG 17 ( 10 - 73 )

But I have low Total T, therefore what can this low SHBG can reveal in terms of

relationship to other hormones such as Estrogens and insulin ?

SHBG is reduced by: high insulin (insulin resistance/diabetes), low thyroid,

high testosterone, high DHEA, high growth hormone, low estrogens, low

progesterone, high dihydrotestosterone

SHBG is increased by: low insulin, high thyroid, high estrogens, high

progesterone, low testosterone, low DHEA, low growth hormone, low

Dihydrotestosterone.

Low SHBG increases Free Testosterone.

High SHBG reduces Fress Testosterone

The hormone with the strongest effect on SHBG is insulin.

Low SHBG is most often strongly correlated with diabetes or insulin resistance.

High androgen levels such as the use of supraphysiologic doses of testosterone

can also drive SHBG down.

Most cases of insulin resistance/type II diabetes start with hypothyrodism (low

thyroid hormone levels). Treating thyroid hormone deficiency can prevent the

development of insulin resistance and diabetes. Once the horse is out of the

barn - and diabetes type II is present, increasing thyroid hormone alone may not

always reverse insulin resistance since other hormone imbalances may occur to

perpetuate insulin resistance (e.g. testosterone deficiency or adrenal fatigue -

which in turn worsens conversion of T4 to T3, etc.) or end-organ damage may

occur which may be irreversible. Insulin resistance itself can worsen thyroid

function - thus causing a positive feedback loop or death spiral - by causing

loss of zinc and iodine and by causing nervous system damage. This is where the

relationships between hormone systems and nutrition become highly intricate and

undoing problems can become complex.

================================================================================\

===============================================

You can also go to Meso's Men's Health it was started by Dr. at

www.allthingsmale.com and just click on his nick and then click on read all his

posts.

http://forum.mesomorphosis.com/men-s-health-forum/

Or do a search on low SHBG.

Co-Moderator

Phil

> From: jamie.vegas <no_reply >

> Subject: Anyone with Low SHBG as well as T?

>

> Date: Thursday, September 18, 2008, 9:24 PM

> Hey guys,

>

> First of all, I'm new here. Second, I've had

> secondary hypogondism

> since I hit puberty. It was first officially diagnosed at

> 19.

>

> One issue that doctors seem to ignore is that my SHBG is

> also low,

> which means I always have way more free testosterone than I

> should.

> This has interfered GREATLY with getting any sort of

> positive results

> from testosterone replacement therapy.

>

> Low T and low SHBG in combination are highly correlated

> with metabolic

> syndrome/type 2 diabetes. I was pretty sure that I must

> have these

> things -- but after a fasting insulin and glucose test --

> it appears

> that I do not have any obvious problems with insulin

> resistance.

>

> Does anyone else here have SHBG that is in the lower end of

> the range,

> or perhaps outside of the normal range?

>

> Any ideas as to why my SHBG might be so low, if the cause

> /isn't/

> insulin resistance?

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

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my last blood tests showed:

SHBG of 8 with a reference range of 9-45 nmol/L

total T 585 with a range of 250-1100 ng/dl

free T 194.2 with a range of 46-224 pg/ml

bioavailable T 399.3 with a range of 110-575 ng/dl

fasting glucose was 95 with a range of 65-99 mg/dl

Dr. Crisler never mentioned anything about insulin and no one has ever tested

it. I am about 50 lbs overweight.

So now what?

Jim

From: pmgamer18@...

Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:10:07 -0700

Subject: Re: Anyone with Low SHBG as well as T?

You did not say how low your SHBG is but mine stays at about 22 and

this is good. Having higher levels of Free T is not so bad yet Free T is only

about 2% of all the testosterone in your body.

Here is a cut and paste from Dr. nco his posts are in the files section he

was helping men at Meso with low T doing research on his new book. Because the

guys helped him with his research he tried his best to help answer there

questions. You can find his posts in the files section under marianco7 zip.

================================

SHBG low ; what can it indicate ?

----------------------------------------------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by chip douglas

My latest SHBG was :

SHBG 17 ( 10 - 73 )

But I have low Total T, therefore what can this low SHBG can reveal in terms of

relationship to other hormones such as Estrogens and insulin ?

SHBG is reduced by: high insulin (insulin resistance/diabetes), low thyroid,

high testosterone, high DHEA, high growth hormone, low estrogens, low

progesterone, high dihydrotestosterone

SHBG is increased by: low insulin, high thyroid, high estrogens, high

progesterone, low testosterone, low DHEA, low growth hormone, low

Dihydrotestosterone.

Low SHBG increases Free Testosterone.

High SHBG reduces Fress Testosterone

The hormone with the strongest effect on SHBG is insulin.

Low SHBG is most often strongly correlated with diabetes or insulin resistance.

High androgen levels such as the use of supraphysiologic doses of testosterone

can also drive SHBG down.

Most cases of insulin resistance/type II diabetes start with hypothyrodism (low

thyroid hormone levels). Treating thyroid hormone deficiency can prevent the

development of insulin resistance and diabetes. Once the horse is out of the

barn - and diabetes type II is present, increasing thyroid hormone alone may not

always reverse insulin resistance since other hormone imbalances may occur to

perpetuate insulin resistance (e.g. testosterone deficiency or adrenal fatigue -

which in turn worsens conversion of T4 to T3, etc.) or end-organ damage may

occur which may be irreversible. Insulin resistance itself can worsen thyroid

function - thus causing a positive feedback loop or death spiral - by causing

loss of zinc and iodine and by causing nervous system damage. This is where the

relationships between hormone systems and nutrition become highly intricate and

undoing problems can become complex.

================================================================================\

===============================================

You can also go to Meso's Men's Health it was started by Dr. at

www.allthingsmale.com and just click on his nick and then click on read all his

posts.

http://forum.mesomorphosis.com/men-s-health-forum/

Or do a search on low SHBG.

Co-Moderator

Phil

> From: jamie.vegas <no_reply >

> Subject: Anyone with Low SHBG as well as T?

>

> Date: Thursday, September 18, 2008, 9:24 PM

> Hey guys,

>

> First of all, I'm new here. Second, I've had

> secondary hypogondism

> since I hit puberty. It was first officially diagnosed at

> 19.

>

> One issue that doctors seem to ignore is that my SHBG is

> also low,

> which means I always have way more free testosterone than I

> should.

> This has interfered GREATLY with getting any sort of

> positive results

> from testosterone replacement therapy.

>

> Low T and low SHBG in combination are highly correlated

> with metabolic

> syndrome/type 2 diabetes. I was pretty sure that I must

> have these

> things -- but after a fasting insulin and glucose test --

> it appears

> that I do not have any obvious problems with insulin

> resistance.

>

> Does anyone else here have SHBG that is in the lower end of

> the range,

> or perhaps outside of the normal range?

>

> Any ideas as to why my SHBG might be so low, if the cause

> /isn't/

> insulin resistance?

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

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Share on other sites

In the files containing Dr. no's posts (bundled in the " Files "

section of the group as marianco7.zip), Dr. no interacts with

folks concerning free T & SHBG. He confirmed many of the causes

already listed for low SHBG, but named a few more:

" SHBG is reduced by: high insulin (insulin resistance/diabetes), low

thyroid, high testosterone, high DHEA, high growth hormone, low

estrogens, low progesterone, high dihydrotestosterone

SHBG is increased by: low insulin, high thyroid, high estrogens, high

progesterone, low testosterone, low DHEA, low growth hormone, low

Dihydrotestosterone.

Low SHBG increases Free Testosterone.

High SHBG reduces Free Testosterone

The hormone with the strongest effect on SHBG is insulin.

Low SHBG is most often strongly correlated with diabetes or insulin

resistance.

High androgen levels such as the use of supraphysiologic doses of

testosterone can also drive SHBG down. "

He mentioned insulin specifically as one thing that lowers SHBG (since

people with higher insulin levels [ & body fat] have lower SHBG, &

their SHBG levels increase following weight loss & insulin decrease):

" Thus without these other measurements (of the other hormones listed

above), SHBG may tell very little. A low SHBG may correlate best with

insulin levels - i.e. diabetes or insulin resistance - and is thus

most useful for screening for diabetes. "

However, checking out the references of Wikipedia's SHBG page adds

another factor which makes sense: liver function. Since SHBG is

produced by the liver, things that affect the liver's lipid

production, such as dietary intake of simple sugars, can affect SHBG.

http://www.physorg.com/news113902673.html

The article states,

" Glucose and fructose are metabolized in the liver. When there's too

much sugar in the diet, the liver converts it to lipid. Using a mouse

model and human liver cell cultures, the scientists discovered that

the increased production of lipid shut down a gene called SHBG (sex

hormone binding globulin), reducing the amount of SHBG protein in the

blood. SHBG protein plays a key role in controlling the amount of

testosterone and estrogen that's available throughout the body. " ...

" 'We discovered that low levels of SHBG in a person's blood means the

liver's metabolic state is out of wack – because of inappropriate diet

or something that's inherently wrong with the liver – long before

there are any disease symptoms,' says Dr. Geoffrey Hammond, the

study's principal investigator, scientific director of the Child &

Family Research Institute in Vancouver, Canada, and professor in the

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of British

Columbia. "

This article echoes the previous one:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17992261

I remember Dr. no stating that both SHBG & free Testosterone tend

to be influenced by so many other hormones & factors that it really

isn't worthwhile to focus upon them, but rather to look at other

imbalances that may have caused irregular readings of those two.

If someone has symptoms AND irregularities of SHBG/free Testosterone,

it's worth checking other hormones & treating; however, if a person is

asymptomatic & has low SHBG- in spite of good health habits- it

probably isn't something worth worrying about.

~Xian

>

>

>

> > From: jamie.vegas <no_reply >

>

> > Subject: Anyone with Low SHBG as well as T?

>

> >

>

> > Date: Thursday, September 18, 2008, 9:24 PM

>

> > Hey guys,

>

> >

>

> > First of all, I'm new here. Second, I've had

>

> > secondary hypogondism

>

> > since I hit puberty. It was first officially diagnosed at

>

> > 19.

>

> >

>

> > One issue that doctors seem to ignore is that my SHBG is

>

> > also low,

>

> > which means I always have way more free testosterone than I

>

> > should.

>

> > This has interfered GREATLY with getting any sort of

>

> > positive results

>

> > from testosterone replacement therapy.

>

> >

>

> > Low T and low SHBG in combination are highly correlated

>

> > with metabolic

>

> > syndrome/type 2 diabetes. I was pretty sure that I must

>

> > have these

>

> > things -- but after a fasting insulin and glucose test --

>

> > it appears

>

> > that I do not have any obvious problems with insulin

>

> > resistance.

>

> >

>

> > Does anyone else here have SHBG that is in the lower end of

>

> > the range,

>

> > or perhaps outside of the normal range?

>

> >

>

> > Any ideas as to why my SHBG might be so low, if the cause

>

> > /isn't/

>

> > insulin resistance?

>

> >

>

> >

>

> > ------------------------------------

>

> >

>

> >

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Hi

I have low T & SHBG

My results were;

Total T: 10.4 nmol/L (or 300 ng/dL) (ref range 10-36)

SHBG : 19 nmol/L (ref range 13-70)

LH :4.5 U/l

FSH : 4.7 U/l

estrodiol : 4.90 pg/ml (ref range 0-50)

I need to now get diagnosis for whats causing this - like you had

this since puberty (29 now) but did not go to doctor as symptoms mild

and would not have know what to ask basically

What was reason (diagnosis) for you being secondary?

I am really worried I am primary but LH & FSH would maybe indicate

something different.

Cheers

Chris

>

> Hey guys,

>

> First of all, I'm new here. Second, I've had secondary hypogondism

> since I hit puberty. It was first officially diagnosed at 19.

>

> One issue that doctors seem to ignore is that my SHBG is also low,

> which means I always have way more free testosterone than I

should.

> This has interfered GREATLY with getting any sort of positive

results

> from testosterone replacement therapy.

>

> Low T and low SHBG in combination are highly correlated with

metabolic

> syndrome/type 2 diabetes. I was pretty sure that I must have these

> things -- but after a fasting insulin and glucose test -- it

appears

> that I do not have any obvious problems with insulin resistance.

>

> Does anyone else here have SHBG that is in the lower end of the

range,

> or perhaps outside of the normal range?

>

> Any ideas as to why my SHBG might be so low, if the cause /isn't/

> insulin resistance?

>

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Share on other sites

He may not have said anything because there is not a problem. I know Dr.

tests everything and remembers older labs. So if this problems has to do with

just getting your levels up and keeping them there the old saying the rest will

follow should apply here. But it never hurts to question low labs.

I do this with my Dr. all the time hell he would not test my Ferritin levels and

when I pressed to do them and they come back below normal he never said a thing

to me about it. I went home with my copy of labs I always get a copy and when I

seen this I called him and said WTF don't you feel I need some Iron to treat

this. Yep he missed it but we are only human.

Co-Moderator

Phil

>

>

>

> > From: jamie.vegas <no_reply >

>

> > Subject: Anyone with Low SHBG as well

> as T?

>

> >

>

> > Date: Thursday, September 18, 2008, 9:24 PM

>

> > Hey guys,

>

> >

>

> > First of all, I'm new here. Second, I've had

>

> > secondary hypogondism

>

> > since I hit puberty. It was first officially

> diagnosed at

>

> > 19.

>

> >

>

> > One issue that doctors seem to ignore is that my SHBG

> is

>

> > also low,

>

> > which means I always have way more free testosterone

> than I

>

> > should.

>

> > This has interfered GREATLY with getting any sort of

>

> > positive results

>

> > from testosterone replacement therapy.

>

> >

>

> > Low T and low SHBG in combination are highly

> correlated

>

> > with metabolic

>

> > syndrome/type 2 diabetes. I was pretty sure that I

> must

>

> > have these

>

> > things -- but after a fasting insulin and glucose test

> --

>

> > it appears

>

> > that I do not have any obvious problems with insulin

>

> > resistance.

>

> >

>

> > Does anyone else here have SHBG that is in the lower

> end of

>

> > the range,

>

> > or perhaps outside of the normal range?

>

> >

>

> > Any ideas as to why my SHBG might be so low, if the

> cause

>

> > /isn't/

>

> > insulin resistance?

>

> >

>

> >

>

> > ------------------------------------

>

> >

>

> >

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Chirs the lower your Estradiol the lower your SHBG. You need to figure out why

your T levels are so low. If it's a fatty liver or something like this fixing

it will bring levels back up some are like your labs do to high Iron levels.

You just need more tests.

Co-Moderator

Phil

> From: chrisdl2008 <chrisdl2008@...>

> Subject: Re: Anyone with Low SHBG as well as T?

>

> Date: Friday, September 19, 2008, 3:12 PM

> Hi

>

> I have low T & SHBG

>

> My results were;

>

> Total T: 10.4 nmol/L (or 300 ng/dL) (ref range 10-36)

> SHBG : 19 nmol/L (ref range 13-70)

> LH :4.5 U/l

> FSH : 4.7 U/l

> estrodiol : 4.90 pg/ml (ref range 0-50)

>

> I need to now get diagnosis for whats causing this - like

> you had

> this since puberty (29 now) but did not go to doctor as

> symptoms mild

> and would not have know what to ask basically

>

> What was reason (diagnosis) for you being secondary?

>

> I am really worried I am primary but LH & FSH would

> maybe indicate

> something different.

>

> Cheers

>

> Chris

>

>

>

>

>

> >

> > Hey guys,

> >

> > First of all, I'm new here. Second, I've had

> secondary hypogondism

> > since I hit puberty. It was first officially

> diagnosed at 19.

> >

> > One issue that doctors seem to ignore is that my SHBG

> is also low,

> > which means I always have way more free testosterone

> than I

> should.

> > This has interfered GREATLY with getting any sort of

> positive

> results

> > from testosterone replacement therapy.

> >

> > Low T and low SHBG in combination are highly

> correlated with

> metabolic

> > syndrome/type 2 diabetes. I was pretty sure that I

> must have these

> > things -- but after a fasting insulin and glucose test

> -- it

> appears

> > that I do not have any obvious problems with insulin

> resistance.

> >

> > Does anyone else here have SHBG that is in the lower

> end of the

> range,

> > or perhaps outside of the normal range?

> >

> > Any ideas as to why my SHBG might be so low, if the

> cause /isn't/

> > insulin resistance?

> >

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

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Share on other sites

Cheers Phil

I'm aware I need more tests to find problem - I'm just trying to

figure out all things I need tested for now so I'm not going to

doctor on loads of visits which will result in me be labelled as a

hyochondriac which the doctor as already hinted at even though Ive

only been to doctors 3 times in my life (all this year) for IBS and

lot T symptoms - probably inter-related no doubt

> > >

> > > Hey guys,

> > >

> > > First of all, I'm new here. Second, I've had

> > secondary hypogondism

> > > since I hit puberty. It was first officially

> > diagnosed at 19.

> > >

> > > One issue that doctors seem to ignore is that my SHBG

> > is also low,

> > > which means I always have way more free testosterone

> > than I

> > should.

> > > This has interfered GREATLY with getting any sort of

> > positive

> > results

> > > from testosterone replacement therapy.

> > >

> > > Low T and low SHBG in combination are highly

> > correlated with

> > metabolic

> > > syndrome/type 2 diabetes. I was pretty sure that I

> > must have these

> > > things -- but after a fasting insulin and glucose test

> > -- it

> > appears

> > > that I do not have any obvious problems with insulin

> > resistance.

> > >

> > > Does anyone else here have SHBG that is in the lower

> > end of the

> > range,

> > > or perhaps outside of the normal range?

> > >

> > > Any ideas as to why my SHBG might be so low, if the

> > cause /isn't/

> > > insulin resistance?

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> >

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Share on other sites

Here is a link to test I tell men to get at my Thyroid forum this should help

you figure out what labs you might need and if you go to Dr. 's site Reat

TRT: A Recipe for Success in this are the labs and why.

http://forums.realthyroidhelp.com/viewtopic.php?f=5 & t=7059

Co-Moderator

Phil

> From: chrisdl2008 <chrisdl2008@...>

> Subject: Re: Anyone with Low SHBG as well as T?

>

> Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008, 4:53 AM

> Cheers Phil

>

> I'm aware I need more tests to find problem - I'm

> just trying to

> figure out all things I need tested for now so I'm not

> going to

> doctor on loads of visits which will result in me be

> labelled as a

> hyochondriac which the doctor as already hinted at even

> though Ive

> only been to doctors 3 times in my life (all this year) for

> IBS and

> lot T symptoms - probably inter-related no doubt

>

>

>

>

>

>

> > > >

> > > > Hey guys,

> > > >

> > > > First of all, I'm new here. Second,

> I've had

> > > secondary hypogondism

> > > > since I hit puberty. It was first

> officially

> > > diagnosed at 19.

> > > >

> > > > One issue that doctors seem to ignore is

> that my SHBG

> > > is also low,

> > > > which means I always have way more free

> testosterone

> > > than I

> > > should.

> > > > This has interfered GREATLY with getting any

> sort of

> > > positive

> > > results

> > > > from testosterone replacement therapy.

> > > >

> > > > Low T and low SHBG in combination are highly

> > > correlated with

> > > metabolic

> > > > syndrome/type 2 diabetes. I was pretty sure

> that I

> > > must have these

> > > > things -- but after a fasting insulin and

> glucose test

> > > -- it

> > > appears

> > > > that I do not have any obvious problems with

> insulin

> > > resistance.

> > > >

> > > > Does anyone else here have SHBG that is in

> the lower

> > > end of the

> > > range,

> > > > or perhaps outside of the normal range?

> > > >

> > > > Any ideas as to why my SHBG might be so low,

> if the

> > > cause /isn't/

> > > > insulin resistance?

> > > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > ------------------------------------

> > >

> > >

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