SHBG question

[Guest guest]

Hi, everyone,

I have had some hormonal issues I wanted to run by our panel of

experts here. :-)

Last December I starting having amenorrhea. Ie-I had no period for

five or six months. Although I am in good health, no acne, no weight

gain, I was diagnosed by a " specialist " at UC with PCOS. I

took metformin and my periods started.

Several months later I got a second opinion from a much more

experienced boutique doc who took about an hour with each patient.

He looked at all the bloodwork taken by the UC specialists.

Insulin-normal (unusual with PCOS), Testosterone-slightly high but

not in PCOS range or even near it, SHBG-high, Insulin resistance-in

the incredibly healthy range (also not normal with PCOS). He looked

at my ovaries via an ultrasound-NO evidence of cysts.

I went off the metformin seven months ago and have had very regular

cycles since and I've ovulated each cycle.

So I asked this same doc about topical testosterone. He wanted to

get my levels checked first. So as of two weeks ago my testosterone

is in the low-normal range by my SHBG is still very high. My doc

said he would consider topical T, but since I'm trying to conceive

right now he said it wasn't a good idea until I have had a baby " just

in case. " That's fine...but any thoughts on why the high SHBG?

Anything I can do to lower it nutritionally, exercise, diet, etc?

Any books to recommend?

I was on birth control pills for almost 10 years, but I went off two

years ago.

Lindsey

[Guest guest]

Are you taking any supplemental estradiol, either orally or transdermally?What is your SHBG level? HollisHi, everyone, I have had some hormonal issues I wanted to run by our panel of experts here. :-) Last December I starting having amenorrhea. Ie-I had no period for five or six months. Although I am in good health, no acne, no weight gain, I was diagnosed by a " specialist " at UC with PCOS. I took metformin and my periods started. Several months later I got a second opinion from a much more experienced boutique doc who took about an hour with each patient. He looked at all the bloodwork taken by the UC specialists. Insulin-normal (unusual with PCOS), Testosterone- slightly high but not in PCOS range or even near it, SHBG-high, Insulin resistance-in the incredibly healthy range (also not normal with PCOS). He looked at my ovaries via an ultrasound-NO evidence of cysts. I went off the metformin seven months ago and have had very regular cycles since and I've ovulated each cycle. So I asked this same doc about topical testosterone. He wanted to get my levels checked first. So as of two weeks ago my testosterone is in the low-normal range by my SHBG is still very high. My doc said he would consider topical T, but since I'm trying to conceive right now he said it wasn't a good idea until I have had a baby " just in case. " That's fine...but any thoughts on why the high SHBG? Anything I can do to lower it nutritionally, exercise, diet, etc? Any books to recommend? I was on birth control pills for almost 10 years, but I went off two years ago. Lindsey

[Guest guest]

I am not taking any oral hormones. I use estrace cream topically 1x per day. I am on levoxyl and allergy medicines (allegra and singulair). But I'm not on any oral hormones.

Lindsey

[Guest guest]

Lindsey, In that case, as hard as it is for me to believe, perhaps it really is your prior use of birth control, as the article that Chelle posted suggests. If so, it's amazing how longterm the effects can be. The only other idea i have is that there's some kind ofinterplay between the levoxyl and the SHBG (see Reiss' quote below).Trying to figure out the relationship between SHBG and all the hormones is, at least for me, difficult and frustrating. Definitely, oral use and, to a lesser extent, transdermal use of estradiol and birth control pills can drive it up, binding free testosterone and a certain amount of estradiol and other hormones with it. Here's some quotes from a discussion Dee and i were having about the significance ofmy very high SHBG a few months ago:from Reiss (Natural Hormone Balance, p. 38): " Estrogen's chapeone is the sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). When your estrogenlevel goes too high. . . .your liver can produce up to three times the normal amount ofSHBG.The problem is that this special protein doesn't just bind up some of the excess estrogen.It also binds -- and inactivates -- some of the other important hormones, such asthyroid hormone, human growth hormone, and testosterone. " To make it more complicated, he writes: " The interplay between SHBG ad hormones can be quite complex. Technically, eachhormone has its own specific sex hormone-binding globulin, but they are all affecteddirectly or indirectly by the estrogen level and how estrogen is administered. " And Vliet's definition just says, " A carrier protein in the bloodstream (made in theliver) that binds or carries estrogen, testosterone, progesterone to provide areservoir of hormones ready for release into the free fraction to become the activeform. " Exactly how high IS your SHBG? Have you had your total and free testosterone checked? The free is probably low if your SHBG is high.Hollis I am not taking any oral hormones. I use estrace cream topically 1x per day. I am on levoxyl and allergy medicines (allegra and singulair). But I'm not on any oral hormones. Lindsey

[Guest guest]

It's so devastating to think OCs caused problems that I'm still

grappling with. I've been off of them two full years. I was diagnosed

with " heat in the liver " by a Chinese medicine doc/acupuncturist and

I've got to wonder, since SHBG is made by the liver-if that has

anything to do with it. I'm hoping that maybe if I do things to heal

the liver (ie-milk thistle and Chinese herbs) that it might help?

I'm not sure what the EXACT levels are. My copies of the labs are in

the mail to me as we speak. The doc just said that testosterone was on

the low side, but not off the charts, and SHBG was fairly high. He's a

pretty good doc-he as Dr. Vliet's " Screaming To Be Heard " book on his

desk along with only two or three other books, so I think he takes this

hormone stuff seriously. He says this shouldn't interfere with me

getting pregnant and I am ovulating normally but I do wonder if it

impacts my vulvar tissue's ability to heal, or even fight off the

recurrent infections I've had on and off. I guess the only uptick is

that if my T is fairly low then I probably DON'T have issues with

PCOS.

thanks for your feedback!

Lindsey