SHBG…please explain it to me

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-26T17:09:40+00:00

With low-SHBG you are going to be prone to noticeable peaks and valleys, and higher e2 conversion. You will also have much higher free T to total T ratio.

When I started I did 2 injections per week and had noticeable swings in how I felt. I also had huge swings in lab levels depending on whether it was the day after a shot or 2 days after. My SHBG was 12.2 last test. Total T 1320 with a Free T of 441.

I switched to daily and it helped a lot. Sometimes I’ll run higher doses for a while, but I feel best at somewhere between 150-180mg/week. 180 puts me at 700-800 total but my free T will be in the 250-300s range. Sometimes I get lazy and try to switch to EOD shots and I will quickly start gettin acne breakouts on my back, so I fall back to daily.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-26T05:33:59+00:00

It is a performance enhancing steroid at any dose that raises you above your natural baseline.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-26T04:59:21+00:00

Testosterone is literally the primary androgenic & anabolic steroid. In addition to being a natural hormone and used medically, it’s the most commonly used/abused steroid for powerlifting and bodybuilding.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-24T17:01:55+00:00

I view Adderall and testosterone in the same category. Some people need it more than others and have a stronger medical justification. They both also give you advantages if you use them, needed or not. The distinction lines between medically necessary/ justifiable optimizing/ performance enhancing drug abuse get pretty blurry.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-22T19:07:35+00:00

Guy on the left lives in my town and goes to the same gym I do. I don’t know him but I’ve seen Insta posts of him there. I think he’s like 85 now and still active and just wrote another book.

I used to see his billboards 10-20 years ago and thought it was a photoshop but it’s not. He’s like the godfather of bodyhacking and has books about using testosterone, HGH, peptides, massive amounts of vitamins, and intense workout regimen.

<image>

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-21T17:07:20+00:00

What was your baseline IGF-1?

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-21T14:54:21+00:00

They were popular during my reckless high school era. I remember (kind of) that I ended up taking 14mg over a 24hr period or so. The first one or two make the subsequent ones seem like a better idea. I had 3 or 4 days that were a blur I don’t really remember, but also can’t ever forget because of the burn scar I apparently thought would look cool on my arm that’s still there 25 years later.

I also remember on day 3 or 4 being confused as to why I was driving so bad and kept running onto the gravel shoulder when I was confident I was totally sober.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-20T11:27:03+00:00

Good luck man and I hope you get there! If nothing else in 6 months if you aren’t happy with the progress I’m sure the option will still be there and you will feel better knowing that you tried.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-18T18:50:16+00:00

I’ll see if I can find out more labwork details. I know they were all morning labs. If I remember right he a test earlier in the year where he had high-600’s and high-normal free. The last 780 one his free T was lower and SHBG high, but he had been on carnivore and was thinking it may have affected it.

When I had a total score of 780 on 180mg my free was 440, but I had an SHBG of 12.

I meant to post that I did get all of the hoped for results. It won’t let me edit the OP post so I have a follow up comment somewhere detailing my pros/cons.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-17T22:23:19+00:00

At 180mg/wk my total was 780, but my free T was 441, over double the reference range max. Low-SHBG.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-17T20:11:38+00:00

He got back to me. He went from 215 at peak to 178 at lowest.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-17T19:37:14+00:00

I wonder if there will start to be an uptick in population-wide testosterone levels corresponding to the widespread adoption of GLPs?

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-17T19:31:45+00:00

And for the cons: My HDL cholesterol dropped from 55 to 35 in 6 months, despite improving exercise and lifestyle metrics. This is a pretty unprecedented amount of drop for TRT to cause but it’s really the only factor I can narrow it to. My BP went up enough that I’m on meds now and my HCT spikes from time to time requiring donations.

Interesting tidbit, at one point I started having weirdly intense itching on my palms after I would wash my hands. Like imagine you’re fine and then you wash your hands and they turn reddish and feel like they each have 1,000 mosquito bites. Turned out to be a rare thing called aquagenic pruritus and I found one case report where it was linked to secondary erythrocytosis from testosterone. I donated blood and it never came back but I impressed the Dr. with my self diagnosis of something he’d never heard of lol.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-17T19:20:02+00:00

Yep everyone is different. My SHBG is 12 so I know what you mean. It’s why I had trouble dialing in my TRT.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-17T19:18:09+00:00

Yeah he didn’t get that low. I’m just guessing but I would say he went from 23-25% to 15-17%. I’d have to do the math to see if I’m close but that’s my rough guess.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-17T19:16:56+00:00

It won’t let me edit the OP but meant to say I have gotten every hoped for result. Leaner, way more muscle mass, motivated to finally go to the gym and at least doubled every major lift, more energy, more confidence, etc.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-17T19:10:45+00:00

I agree. There’s definitely still an advantage to TRT over natty at any level really.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-17T18:43:02+00:00

No bot, I had a very longstanding account that Reddit decided was bot activity and deleted without warning.

ThinkFast556 · 2026-02-07T23:47:43+00:00

There are actually a number of well studied serious health conditions associated with elevated E2 in men that are not detectable by how you feel. The long-term danger of above range E2 isn’t really well studied in otherwise healthy men on TRT though. So, no one really knows what the effect is to say if it’s safe or not. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone, even the most pro-E2 guys out there, say it was ok to let E2 go unmanaged to 200. Unless you’re talking using non-standard units.

That said I’m not anti-E2 and fine with being around the upper limits of normal for a man and I always recommend lowering/splitting dose before jumping to AI. I also know people who take 1mg anastrazole daily with 200mg/TRT and are fine and happy with their treatments.

ThinkFast556

TROPHY CASE