I had my 15 month endo appt yesterday and got the blood test results back already.  Everything looked great; sodium was borderline low and potassium was in the normal range.  My blood sugar was normal and lower than last time reflecting my new dietary lifestyle.

My HRT dosage adjustment last Sept had the intended effect.  The numbers below I know are good, but other than the Total Testosterone and Estradiol I don't know the significance of the other numbers.  Can anybody help?

TESTOSTERONE, FREE AND TOTAL. 19 ng/dL
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin     128 nmol/L
Testosterone, Free (Calc)    1.3 pg/mL
Testosterone, % Free (Calc)  0.7 %
Estradiol. 152.1 pg/mL

Quote from: Deborah on March 10, 2016, 01:54:28 PM
TESTOSTERONE, FREE AND TOTAL. 19 ng/dL

Many endos strive for values below 60 .
There might be the possibility of fine tuning.
Some people report loss of libido and overall drive if levels are too low or unreadable meaning zero. 

Quote
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin     128 nmol/L

SHBG LEVELS     nmol/l
Females    
18-114
Males    
7-50

Quote
Testosterone, Free (Calc)    1.3 pg/mL
Testosterone, % Free (Calc)  0.7 %

FREE TESTOSTERONE LEVELS ng/dl    pg/ml                % Free Range
Females                                   0.3-1.9     0.6 - 6.8            0.4 - 2.4
Males                                     9-30         47.0-244.0        1.6 - 2.9

Quote
Estradiol. 152.1 pg/mL

Many endos strive for values of 200 pg/ml or above.
With internal applications like implants and injections higher values are often reached.
In the first days after injections levels can be well above.
Cis females during pregnancy have much higher levels, without adverse effects.


Some people additionally use bioidentical progesterone.
There are studies showing that complete breast tissue like some glands needs some progesterone.
Many people report more rounded breasts instad of a conical form.


You might talk all of this through with your doc.


*hugs*

I have been taking progesterone and the shape is good.  They just don't test for it.

SHBG level is a little high.  What does that mean and what effect does it have?

I'm pretty happy with the T level.  I feel great and it has dropped 807 points since I started.  Uncontrollable libido is gone but drive is very high.  Push ups are harder to do though LOL.




Sapere Aude

Quote from: Deborah on March 10, 2016, 02:22:43 PM
I have been taking progesterone and the shape is good.  They just don't test for it.

SHBG level is a little high.  What does that mean and what effect does it have?

I'm pretty happy with the T level.  I feel great and it has dropped 807 points since I started.  Uncontrollable libido is gone but drive is very high.  Push ups are harder to do though LOL.

Sapere Aude

They don't test for the shape ?

Sex Hormone Binding Globulin  -  the principle blood protein that ties up the bulk of the steroids that the body produces. For example, it binds with about 98% of the total testosterone, but binds with other steroids as well. As androgen production increases, available SHBG decreases.

Well its good if you feel energized.
Yes muscle build up and strength should decrease some


*hugs*

LOL.  No, I meant the blood test had no measurements for progesterone.


Sapere Aude

Quote from: Deborah on March 10, 2016, 02:29:36 PM
LOL.  No, I meant the blood test had no measurements for progesterone.


Sapere Aude

*hugs*

SHBG increases as estradiol increases because estradiol stimulates its synthesis when it passes through the portal vein. SHBG is usually higher when estradiol is taken orally as more E streams through the portal vein but during pregnancy, when E levels get really high, SHBG also significantly increases. Mine is unreadable, above 200 nmol/L.

SHBG binds certain sex hormones, more strongly DHT, then T, then Estradiol so the more you have, the more androgen is tied up and there is less of it able to bind receptors, a good thing if you want androgens to affect you as little as possible.

In the end, what really counts is how you feel and overall feminization. Whatever the numbers may be.

Quote from: KayXo on March 10, 2016, 05:09:10 PM
In the end, what really counts is how you feel and overall feminization. Whatever the numbers may be.

I feel really good so that's a plus.  I also recently noticed that all my body hair has stopped growing.  So there is no need to shave anything except my face for now.

Body changes are a little hard to judge because I'm in the process of trying to lose ALL fat around my waist.  So everything from head to toe is shrinking right now.  However, over the holidays I gained around 10 lbs and I noticed that virtually none went to my waist while both hips and breasts grew.

Since then I've lost about 13 lbs.  so hopefully in another 10 lbs or so I can gain some back in the right places.  No shortcuts.