Has anyone on here successfully raised their SHBG

[Rampage0331]

If so, please tell me how you did it. I was at a 13 before TRT and I’ve been at an 8 for the last three years. Started doing research and it seems like I would be in a better spot if I had an SHBG in the 20s. Having trouble finding anything other than blasting HCG and taking a SERM to get it to go up.

 

[jumdumpster]

im also wondering
mine is usually 13 or 14, how would i benefit from raising it? i know im within normal range, but would it benefit me to get it up? does low shbg mean its all being used up to shuttle test around?

 

[Rampage0331]

I was always under the impression low SHBG was good. From my research the last few days I think it’s not the case. Low SHBG means your testosterone is not bound up and being transported around the body. In turn you will burn through it faster meaning more conversion to estrogens and dht, so more side effects like hair thinning acne sex drive issues etc. I feel fine, but based on the stuff I’ve been reading it seems I’d feel better if my SHBG was higher. I’m having a hard time finding good information though. Seems like blasting hcg while taking a serm raises it, barberine or metformin in combo with a serm can raise it. But these were just from comments on r/steroids and I haven’t found anything to back it up.

 

[jumdumpster]

I was always under the impression low SHBG was good. From my research the last few days I think it’s not the case. Low SHBG means your testosterone is not bound up and being transported around the body. In turn you will burn through it faster meaning more conversion to estrogens and dht, so more side effects like hair thinning acne sex drive issues etc. I feel fine, but based on the stuff I’ve been reading it seems I’d feel better if my SHBG was higher. I’m having a hard time finding good information though. Seems like blasting hcg while taking a serm raises it, barberine or metformin in combo with a serm can raise it. But these were just from comments on r/steroids and I haven’t found anything to back it up.

i probably read the same post. seems like low shbg means your gear runs through and is excreted quicker.

 

[Rampage0331]

Yup that’s also true. I’m more concerned about the dht/estrogen issues if I was to add on more gear and simultaneously lower my SHBG in the process

 

[Case-Akilleez]

I was always under the impression low SHBG was good. From my research the last few days I think it’s not the case. Low SHBG means your testosterone is not bound up and being transported around the body. In turn you will burn through it faster meaning more conversion to estrogens and dht, so more side effects like hair thinning acne sex drive issues etc. I feel fine, but based on the stuff I’ve been reading it seems I’d feel better if my SHBG was higher. I’m having a hard time finding good information though. Seems like blasting hcg while taking a serm raises it, barberine or metformin in combo with a serm can raise it. But these were just from comments on r/steroids and I haven’t found anything to back it up.

That’s the impression I was always under as well. There’s that Anabolics book by William Llewellyn linked in the wiki here, I wonder if it has anything about it.

I may take a look though and see what I can find, I probably need to brush up on a few things anyway. It’s been a while since taken a deep dive into nerdville concerning AAS

Edit: here it is https://www.dropbox.com/s/xllb4bjomwebjtt/11th Edition - William Llewellyn.pdf?dl=0

 

[Case-Akilleez]

Looks like page 10 is relevant to our interests

 

[Bigdovis2]

How much does is it actually affecting you to wanting to go through trying to figure out how to get it rasied?

Like is ur acne really that bad? Or hair loss. Some of these things are just genetic and some mayb be hygiene as well.

 

[Rampage0331]

How much does is it actually affecting you to wanting to go through trying to figure out how to get it rasied?

Like is ur acne really that bad? Or hair loss. Some of these things are just genetic and some mayb be hygiene as well.

So that’s the thing, I’ve always had some acne on my back ever since highschool. Based on having a low SHBG of 13 before even getting on trt and having some gyno from puberty that never went away (I have a big chest so it’s not really noticeable) I’m wondering if these issues are due to my body having a naturally low SHBG level. So since I’ve been looking into all of this shit it’s just been making me wonder how I’d look and feel if I was to raise my SHBG to an “optimal level”.

I have very good hygiene, always have so I don’t think that’s the issue. I’ve also tired every acne and skincare product other than accutane. I’m wondering if this could be a missing piece here. I honestly have no idea as I’m just starting to get in depth in my research here.

Also, I want to add more gear on, but that will further suppress my SHBG and I don’t want that to happen.

 

[Rampage0331]

Looks like page 10 is relevant to our interests

Dude badass, thank you. I’m bout to read through it. Let me know if something stands out just in case I miss it

 

[Rampage0331]

Looks like page 10 is relevant to our interests

Ok so it sounds like liver health could play a factor. But mine is healthy.

It also seems like estrogen has an impact so I’m assuming that’s why serms raise the SHBG as it will keep estrogen in your body from getting into the receptor and it will in turn raise the SHBG (even tho I’m confused as to how it does that).

Seems like thyroid is also a big factor here so I think I need to get my thyroid levels checked and make sure it’s good to go.

Thanks for getting this information to me.

 

[Case-Akilleez]

Ok so it sounds like liver health could play a factor. But mine is healthy.

It also seems like estrogen has an impact so I’m assuming that’s why serms raise the SHBG as it will keep estrogen in your body from getting into the receptor and it will in turn raise the SHBG (even tho I’m confused as to how it does that).

Seems like thyroid is also a big factor here so I think I need to get my thyroid levels checked and make sure it’s good to go.

Thanks for getting this information to me.

All good man, don’t mention it. I’ll do a more thorough read through tomorrow and try to write you back.

 

[Rampage0331]

Awesome, thanks dude!

 

[Deucalion]

Raising SHBG will be like taking a longer acting ester essentially. Yes, you will lose less T through liver oxidation and then thus excretion, but will also have less to be bio-available at a certain time. SHBG and other binding proteins like albumin (weaker binding affinity) just hold on to T. Free T that is not bound by a protein/globulin asserts its effects on the body through 4 pathways depending on what androgen receptor it binds to.

There is no way around DHT or E2 sides unless you block them with finasteride or an AI....

Raise your SHBG to supraphysiological ranges if you want, it will not do anything but delay T's metabolism within the body...

 

[Rampage0331]

Definitely makes sense and I think I got that aspect of it, I’m not thinking I can totally eliminate e2 or dht sides, but I don’t like how I feel on an AI and it seems like they are not good for your health and although I haven’t taken finnasteride it seems it has its own negatives associated with it. Wouldn’t finding a good way to raise SHBG (if that exists) be a healthier option to mitigate e2 and dht sides for someone with a low SHBG?

 

[Deucalion]

Definitely makes sense and I think I got that aspect of it, I’m not thinking I can totally eliminate e2 or dht sides, but I don’t like how I feel on an AI and it seems like they are not good for your health and although I haven’t taken finnasteride it seems it has its own negatives associated with it. Wouldn’t finding a good way to raise SHBG (if that exists) be a healthier option to mitigate e2 and dht sides?

No, because you are just delaying their conversion haha. Take less T, take a more steady ester, or pin daily. This will have the same effect as raising SHBG which is a more steady release of bio available T. It is just holding on to it. Like I said, 4 pathways, Muscle= Obvious effects MPS etc., prostate/hair (DHT conversion via 5a- reductase), brain+bone (Aromatizes to E2), Liver to be oxidized. When it unbinds from the SHBG, albumin, etc. It will just follow one of these 4 pathways... Not much you can do to make it choose one versus the other, it is set to have % affinity for each one.

 

[Rampage0331]

No, because you are just delaying their conversion haha. Take less T, take a more steady ester, or pin daily. This will have the same effect as raising SHBG which is a more steady release of bio available T. It is just holding on to it. Like I said, 4 pathways, Muscle= Obvious effects MPS etc., prostate/hair (DHT conversion via 5a- reductase), brain+bone (Aromatizes to E2), Liver to be oxidized. When it unbinds from the SHBG, albumin, etc. It will just follow one of these 4 pathways... Not much you can do to make it choose one versus the other, it is set to have % affinity for each one.

Ok, I’m learning alot here and I really appreciate you taking your time to answer my questions.

Ive been pinning daily since I started. Shit kind of sucks but its become routine and I don’t mind.

Ok, So I get that it will eventually unbind and take one of the aforementioned pathways even if you have adequate SHBG levels, nothing I can do about that. But wouldn’t having the higher SHBG mean less of it is converting at once? So even if it will eventually convert, it won’t be happening as quickly and in as high of a concentration, meaning lower dht and e2 levels at a more consistent rate? In my mind having more testosterone bound up would mean a lower level of conversion happening at once as apposed to big spikes equating out to overall lower levels of the converted hormones. I’m sorry if I’m not understanding an aspect of this, I haven’t really gone super deep into this shit until now, so again, I appreciate your time here and I enjoy getting some good info. I was on the phone with my current trt doc today and he told me he has no idea and it sounds like I’ve done more research on this than he has lol.

 

[Deucalion]

Ok, I’m learning alot here and I really appreciate you taking your time to answer my questions.

Ive been pinning daily since I started. Shit kind of sucks but its become routine and I don’t mind.

Ok, So I get that it will eventually unbind and take one of the aforementioned pathways even if you have adequate SHBG levels, nothing I can do about that. But wouldn’t having the higher SHBG mean less of it is converting at once? So even if it will eventually convert, it won’t be happening as quickly and in as high of a concentration, meaning lower dht and e2 levels at a more consistent rate? In my mind having more testosterone bound up would mean a lower level of conversion happening at once as apposed to big spikes equating out to overall lower levels of the converted hormones. I’m sorry if I’m not understanding an aspect of this, I haven’t really gone super deep into this shit until now, so again, I appreciate your time here and I enjoy getting some good info. I was on the phone with my current trt doc today and he told me he has no idea and it sounds like I’ve done more research on this than he has lol.

No problem we are all learning here. Honestly, I had no clue testosterone was neutralized in the liver via oxidation to be excreted. It makes sense since the liver usually does have a process to change substances form (like ammonia to BUN) to then allow for easier excretion but I didn't know the specifics of it.

Is this for TRT or Blasting?
If you are looking to use a higher SHBG as a buffer for any initial injection, it is doubtful it will be impactful? As only 1-3% of T is unbound naturally, SHBG has a high affinity for binding so it is already bound with androgens, more transiently, albumin would be better to initially bind as there is a lesser chance that it is fully bound due to its weak affinity.

It is kind of hard to explain.
Initially, it may help a little bit... But if you slam exogenous hormones you will have a small upshoot in your blood regardless, it will take time to bind to anything.
Eventually, either binding stops or occurs at the same rate as unbinding, making it useless unless you continuously increase SHBG which is not sustainable or really possible. The only real function of SHBG is to hold onto DHT,E2, or T until a receptor has a higher affinity for it than the SHBG. SHBG has an affinity to bind E2 and DHT due to the molarity but again it will then also unbind faster since androgen receptors also have a high affinity for them haha. I mean it may be a tad bit healthier since there is research saying that if an androgen receptor NEEDS a hormone to be bound, it may have a small advantage to be transported on a weakly bound albumin or strongly bound SHBG. Again though, in any excess of hormones TRT or Blast this would never be the case...

Then actually increasing SHBG is hard to impossible, low insulin or high thyroxine increases SHBG, high E2 or low T will too. Anticonvulsant drugs can increase SHBG, while IGF1, non-aromatizing androgens, and Hgh decrease it.

If you are just looking for a steady release undecanoate T is best bet.

 

[Bigdovis2]

So that’s the thing, I’ve always had some acne on my back ever since highschool. Based on having a low SHBG of 13 before even getting on trt and having some gyno from puberty that never went away (I have a big chest so it’s not really noticeable) I’m wondering if these issues are due to my body having a naturally low SHBG level. So since I’ve been looking into all of this shit it’s just been making me wonder how I’d look and feel if I was to raise my SHBG to an “optimal level”.

I have very good hygiene, always have so I don’t think that’s the issue. I’ve also tired every acne and skincare product other than accutane. I’m wondering if this could be a missing piece here. I honestly have no idea as I’m just starting to get in depth in my research here.

Also, I want to add more gear on, but that will further suppress my SHBG and I don’t want that to happen.

Yeah just a thought I was trying to put out thereof how much you really wanted to go though trying to figure it out.

Personally for me as long as it’s a shower a day, I clean my sheets 2x a week. Keep an extra shirt, my acne and what not is ok

 

[Rampage0331]

Y

Yeah just a thought I was trying to put out thereof how much you really wanted to go though trying to figure it out.

Personally for me as long as it’s a shower a day, I clean my sheets 2x a week. Keep an extra shirt, my acne and what not is ok

Yea no worries brother I didn’t take it the wrong way. Most people have poor hygiene and then wonder why their shit is all fucky lol we clean the sheets a lot and I try to swap out shirts. I’m not like covered in acne by any means, I just get the cystic ones that hurt real bad and take a while to go away. I’d love to not have that problem anymore.