Just a few basics. Fish oil, multi-vitamin, magnesium to help me sleep. With my SHBG level, TRT is just not going to work. It is the hand that I have been dealt.
Low SHBG guys
- Thread starter Jpin22
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Just a few basics. Fish oil, multi-vitamin, magnesium to help me sleep. With my SHBG level, TRT is just not going to work. It is the hand that I have been dealt.
Yes, I had been doing ED injections for a good 18 months a 26mg/day and then lower by a few mgs/day as that started to put me over 1500 Total T. In terms of maintaining a solid Total T & E2 level it "worked" but it still felt like I was injecting water. I am trying topical gel now and have been for a few months, but I can't really say I feel anything from that either.
ERO, were you always low SHBG? Or do you remember a point in time where you felt "normal?"
I have bloodwork showing I once had SHBG well within range a few years ago. But the past 4 years it has been below normal. I was once incredibly healthy and active and whatever has happened to me has made that feel like a former life ago.
My symptoms are, sadly, not uncommon for guys with very low SHBG. Google "Low SHBG TRT" (no quotes) and you will see what I mean. No amount of T seems to do much of anything if one does not have enough SHBG.
Since I do not really respond in any useful way to Testosterone, my symptoms are exactly those of Low T. Low libido, along with the inability to gain muscle or loose fat. My muscles take forever to recover from a workout even though I know how to calculate my macros and I do so while following a solid diet. I don't smoke, rarely drink (and by drink I mean like 1 glass of wine with dinner once in a while) and I don't use recreational drugs. I work each body part once a week and I am often not really recovered the next week when that body part rolls around again in my rotation. Plus if not for my need to work fulltime, I would take a nap every afternoon like my dad used to when he was in his 80s. I am 53.
Since I do not really respond in any useful way to Testosterone, my symptoms are exactly those of Low T. Low libido, along with the inability to gain muscle or loose fat. My muscles take forever to recover from a workout even though I know how to calculate my macros and I do so while following a solid diet. I don't smoke, rarely drink (and by drink I mean like 1 glass of wine with dinner once in a while) and I don't use recreational drugs. I work each body part once a week and I am often not really recovered the next week when that body part rolls around again in my rotation. Plus if not for my need to work fulltime, I would take a nap every afternoon like my dad used to when he was in his 80s. I am 53.
I felt fine when I was younger and I had a decent libido. I could never really build muscle though, at least not compared to most guys. I just never have recovered well from any muscle building exercise. I am not an Ectomorph either so I don't look like I should not be able to build muscle. I now know its because of my low SHBG.
cleverusername
Member
Do you experience any sides from Tamoxifen? The list looks pretty crazy, vaginal bleeding, breast lumps and so on. Granted I know you cant have a few of them, but just wondering if there are any adverse effects.
For me it made me feel tired. But some people have no bad side effects. I used it to get rid of trt induced gynecomastia and when i ran labs i noticed the increased SHBG in a few different occasions.
Not sure how safe it is to use long term but it definitely raised my SHBG significantly
It's probably a long shot, but have you checked your vitamin D levels. Supplementing with vitamin D3 has helped a lot of athletes. Have it checked and starting a dosing protocol, recheck with blood test every 30 days. Keep escalating the dosage until it's with in the new ranges for vitamin D. This can take several months to find your optimal level. But it's cheap and an easy fix. Not saying it will work, but at this point what do you have to loose.
Charliebizz
Well-Known Member
I was thinking the same thing. I once had normal shbg and when I was on clomid it went to top of range. What if you tried a little clomid with trt?
All the sudden for me my my shbg is around 15 on trt wasn’t the case when I tried trt a few years ago
Charliebizz
Well-Known Member
Crazy though as soon as I started trt I'm having a lot of muscle twitching in my whole body but mostly legs and my one eyelid. I've had twitching on and off for years but it's way worse on trt
Systemlord
Member
Your experience mimics my own, muscle twitching started after I went on TRT, after 3 months on TRT I had crazy repetitive muscle twitching throughout my body, mostly legs. Minutes ago I had a itch on my shoulder blade, then muscle started twitching. It used to be a lot more frequent but as time goes on it's lenssoning, it's possible since it happened before TRT and that TRT is only exacerbating an existing undiagnosed medical condition. Were your muscles soft and wasting before you started TRT? Mine were found wasting by neurologist.
Charliebizz
Well-Known Member
no muscle wasting. However I've alwas had a hard time putting muscle on. Even on trt. Back 5 years ago when I tried trt my shbg numbers were normal and I still didn't get much benefits from trt so I'm not really sure what is the problem in my case.
But this twitching drives me mad. I'll even get it in my mouth when I purse my lips for a sip of something they shake like mad. It only happens on trt.
Charliebizz
Well-Known Member
Have any of you guys with the muscle twitching had your cortisol levels checked. I'm just curious cause I always blamed my lowish cortisol on the twitching and some say trt can lower cortisol even more. So I'm just curious.
madman
Super Moderator
You may want too look into polymorphism of the AR (androgen receptor) gene and CAG repeat lengths (short/long) as there are many studies showing how CAG repeat lengths can have a positive or negative effect on how one responds to testosterone. I think there is a test for CAG repeat lengths but not sure if it is available to the average joe. At your next consult with Dr. Saya you should ask about this as aside from your low shbg it could be a possible cause for your unresponsiveness to trt. I will try to dig up some studies when I have time. Here is one http://www.jsm.jsexmed.org/article/S1743-6095(15)30922-X/fulltext
madman
Super Moderator
From what I understand polymorphism of the AR and CAG repeat length testing may eventually be used when diagnosing testosterone deficiency in men. It seems like a very interesting field to look into and more discussions should be generated on this forum.http://www.jsm.jsexmed.org/article/S1743-6095(15)30163-6/fulltext
madman
Super Moderator
Studies by Zitzmann and Nieschlag (2 prominent researchers in the field of endocrinology) come to mind as good resources regarding CAG repeat lengths.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19663677
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