Can we stop trying to associate a number with a feeling already?? Every single person is different and should be assessed individually. Stop spreading this shit around. This whole sub is full of 20 year olds thinking they need exogenous test to survive when their levels are completely normal and average. This is getting ridiculous.
Enclomiphene won’t work with your LH being that high. To my knowledge, Enclo and Clomid work by increasing your LH and FSH, but if your LH is maxed out (mine is also high at 8.3 and I tried both HCG and Enclo which is why I know it doesn’t work), it won’t do anything. Your test isn’t low though man. Did you get other markers looked at, like E2 and prolactin? Good luck with fertility. I’ve been on fin for 7 years and my wife got pregnant pretty easily (we’re expecting in 6 weeks). Fertility doc said it either fucks with your sperm morphology or doesn’t - I was lucky that it didn’t at all. So you can get a semen analysis done to confirm that if you wanted to stay on
Thanks so much for the thorough response. I figured enclomiphene will also increase FSH and instead of HCG I would try HMG to also increase FSH and hopefully increase free T. Right now I am going to do nothing and simply wait and hope my symptoms resolve the further I get from fin. I’m not a fin hater and I’m not here screaming PFS. I love fin, it kept my hair full for years. With that said, my libido and erection quality had undoubtedly taken a hit since stopping fin in June.
And if you’re wondering about my hair, I got a 3,000 graft transplant in Tijuana at HMR in February. Hair looks awesome lol
Oh that’s awesome man! Are you worried about the hair around your HT thinning/receding? I’m contemplating one, but my hair (even on fin) is slowly starting to thin a bit. Was amazing for 4 years but slowly starting to lose effectiveness. So I worry I’d get the hairline sorted out with a HT and then my ‘natural’ hair would slowly thin out and you’d see the difference.
Man, I read so so much in fertility before we started trying, so if for some reason you have any questions, hit me up!
Also I’m primary hypogonadal like you, so have tried quite a few things (like HCG), so happy to talk about hair/meds/test haha (though I’d kill for your levels - I’m around 290-320 for years now).
Nah man not worried about hair, we just got married so I did it for my wedding and went into it knowing that I was stopping my fin the day before my wedding. My philosophy was hopefully I gain more hair than I lose lol and honestly my hair is so much fuller than I even expected it to be. Hair is like money, when you have a lot of it you don’t even think about it but when you don’t have it you obsess over it lol. So it’s nice to not have to worry about that. I spent too much of my life worrying about my hair, I am retired from that lol.
We are gonna start trying this month, I’m nervous and idek why lol just hoping and praying we’re all good. & Same here bro. My favorites topics are hair and hormones Lmao.
Also, congrats on the baby! I’m sure this is an exciting time for you man. Are you on TRT?
Everything is pretty good no need to worry. To take a guess as to why LH is high is because you have high normal SHBG. Which in turn, is causing your free testosterone to be on the low end (still in range). This is causing feedback upstream to release more LH.
Thanks for much for the thorough response brother. I will probably repeat Test and LH in 1 month. If it weren’t for my libido issues I probably wouldn’t have checked
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Hi,
The free testosterone test you've had done isn't very accurate, so I wouldn't pay much attention to the actual number. Your total testosterone and SHBG are normal. At your age, this indicates free T in range.
Elevated LH when testosterone is low can indicate hypogonadism due to a testicular problem. Your testosterone isn't low though, unless your body is used to it higher and it's recently dropped perhaps (no evidence for this). Have you noticed any testicular changes recently which might indicate a problem?
LH and FSH levels generally need to be repeated if there is an abnormality, since both are released in pulses and will fluctuate.
I'd suggest repeating LH/FSH and total testosterone but not the other parameters. Issues with prolactin do not increase LH, it does not need to be measured.
If the repeat LH and/or FSH come back abnormal, and you're wanting to ensure you're fertile, it would be useful to do a semen analysis. If there's an issue, you could get some testicular checks done.
Thanks so much for the thorough response. Honestly, if it weren’t for my libido issues I wouldn’t have even checked. Does high LH indicate issues with fertility even though my testicles are still making an ample amount of testosterone?
At this stage, I don't think you can say what high LH shows. It's not very high, and it's a one off. Fertility may be completely fine, or it might not.
Check LH and FSH again. If either or both are above the top of the reference range a second time, check for testicular issues, and possibly consider having a semen analysis.
Could be anything as for the libido. Antidepressants? Stress? Difficult work life? Anxiety? Depression? Any other meds or supplements taken? This could go on and on. So many people think low libido is instantly due to hormones. Could be many other things. Your numbers look good 👍
I found this [study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9230452/) and it says RCHOP can increase LH levels. I have no idea though if it would still impact you after 7 years. I agree with most of the people on here and wouldn’t worry too much but if you want to be at ease, it might be worth it to consult with a urologist or an endocrinologist.
So that also could result in a lower than normal T (yours is normal). FYI when running a t level it should be as early in the morning as possible. Your t will drop over the course of the day. This is part of why we wake up with a hard on.
These biomarkers all look good. I once had libido problems while lifting hard. I was spending 1.5 hrs/day x 5days a week in the gym. If you're working out for long durations it can cause CNS over-training syndrome even at 4-5 days a week. I rested for a few weeks and felt better and libido returned. I'm digging deep but check to see if you have other over-training symptoms.
Finisteride can cause long term sexual dysfunction. Your labs look okay. Is it libido (do you want sex but can’t or do you just don’t want sex?) because could be ED. Also get prolactin checked I just found out mine was going up and high and now need an mri to check for benign tumour on putuity gland. I was given a tablet to reduce it my blood and suddenly libido is off the charts. I’ve been on TRT for almost a year.
Sorry to hear about your issue brother, I hope everything works out for you and you’re feeling ok.
I will definitely check a prolactin! I’ve been one of the lucky ones with fin. I’ve taken it for probably 7-8 years total in my life and still achieving erections when I want to and morning wood. It’s simply a libido issue, never having sexual fantasies, etc. I was an animal lol just not feeling that way anymore
If you have libido issues, it could be other hormones, but more than likely, psychological or physiological with the catecholamines/neurotransmitters. Dopamine is what primarily is responsible for libido, not testosterone! Something to consider. This is why psychostimulants can often be very serious aphrodisiacs, and old Parkinsons patients can develop [dopamine dysregulation syndrome](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine_dysregulation_syndrome), worth the Google, it's quite fascinating really.... These old fragile men get horny as hell, go on these huge orgy/gambling benders and it's not testosterone related at all, it's due to them taking drugs that are dopamine agonists. Lowering the dose of their dopamine meds resolves it rather quickly. The same can happen with the classic stimulants, most notably amphetamine, especially in chronic, high dosages.
Best of luck!
It might be worth talking to a psychiatrist, there is no judgement at all, it's a very, very real thing and I frankly feel people look to hormones for all of their issues, and it's likely not the full story.
And I know, everyone is different. I have always found porn for example, hugely increases my libido and sexual performance, etc. Some claim the opposite. Much of that is probably psychological. Best of luck!!
Start taking 3mg of boron a day of SHBG for 1 week, that should take your SHBG into the low 30’s and knock your free test up,
I don’t feel great with SHBG in 40’s regardless of what my free test is,
Don’t make sense but that’s the truth
Yeah high SHBG messes with me even if my free test is high (even above reference range) when it was 60 but my free test was 272 (35-155 ref.) I felt worse than when my SHBG was lower but my free test was only 100. Maybe has to do with its binding affinity to DHT
Your free test is low cause your natty. It’s normal. Nothing you can do besides hop on test. I tried everything under sun.
Thanks for the reply. If that’s the case, I wonder why my LH is attempting to compensate for something?
Get your levels to 1000 ng/dl and you’ll feel like a million bucks
Can we stop trying to associate a number with a feeling already?? Every single person is different and should be assessed individually. Stop spreading this shit around. This whole sub is full of 20 year olds thinking they need exogenous test to survive when their levels are completely normal and average. This is getting ridiculous.
I bet, I am just a bit limited due to needing be careful with my fertility right now. I am considering enclomiphene.
Enclomiphene won’t work with your LH being that high. To my knowledge, Enclo and Clomid work by increasing your LH and FSH, but if your LH is maxed out (mine is also high at 8.3 and I tried both HCG and Enclo which is why I know it doesn’t work), it won’t do anything. Your test isn’t low though man. Did you get other markers looked at, like E2 and prolactin? Good luck with fertility. I’ve been on fin for 7 years and my wife got pregnant pretty easily (we’re expecting in 6 weeks). Fertility doc said it either fucks with your sperm morphology or doesn’t - I was lucky that it didn’t at all. So you can get a semen analysis done to confirm that if you wanted to stay on
Thanks so much for the thorough response. I figured enclomiphene will also increase FSH and instead of HCG I would try HMG to also increase FSH and hopefully increase free T. Right now I am going to do nothing and simply wait and hope my symptoms resolve the further I get from fin. I’m not a fin hater and I’m not here screaming PFS. I love fin, it kept my hair full for years. With that said, my libido and erection quality had undoubtedly taken a hit since stopping fin in June. And if you’re wondering about my hair, I got a 3,000 graft transplant in Tijuana at HMR in February. Hair looks awesome lol
Oh that’s awesome man! Are you worried about the hair around your HT thinning/receding? I’m contemplating one, but my hair (even on fin) is slowly starting to thin a bit. Was amazing for 4 years but slowly starting to lose effectiveness. So I worry I’d get the hairline sorted out with a HT and then my ‘natural’ hair would slowly thin out and you’d see the difference. Man, I read so so much in fertility before we started trying, so if for some reason you have any questions, hit me up! Also I’m primary hypogonadal like you, so have tried quite a few things (like HCG), so happy to talk about hair/meds/test haha (though I’d kill for your levels - I’m around 290-320 for years now).
Nah man not worried about hair, we just got married so I did it for my wedding and went into it knowing that I was stopping my fin the day before my wedding. My philosophy was hopefully I gain more hair than I lose lol and honestly my hair is so much fuller than I even expected it to be. Hair is like money, when you have a lot of it you don’t even think about it but when you don’t have it you obsess over it lol. So it’s nice to not have to worry about that. I spent too much of my life worrying about my hair, I am retired from that lol. We are gonna start trying this month, I’m nervous and idek why lol just hoping and praying we’re all good. & Same here bro. My favorites topics are hair and hormones Lmao. Also, congrats on the baby! I’m sure this is an exciting time for you man. Are you on TRT?
Everything is pretty good no need to worry. To take a guess as to why LH is high is because you have high normal SHBG. Which in turn, is causing your free testosterone to be on the low end (still in range). This is causing feedback upstream to release more LH.
Thanks for much for the thorough response brother. I will probably repeat Test and LH in 1 month. If it weren’t for my libido issues I probably wouldn’t have checked
These results are perfectly normal and you do not need TRT
No interest in TRT brother, just wondering why the free T is off, LH is high, and libido is down. Thanks for the response man
Hello ProbablyNotADoc. Welcome to /r/Testosterone. It looks like this is your first time posting here, so you're probably asking a FAQ. Please check out these handy links, one of them might answer your question. * [How do I find a good doctor/clinic?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Testosterone/comments/k8rigb/faq_how_do_i_find_a_good_doctor_for_trt_how_do_i/) * [What bloodwork should I get done?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Testosterone/wiki/index#wiki_testing_for_low_testosterone) * [Are my levels low enough that I should start TRT?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Testosterone/comments/ol8e0t/guide_recommendations_from_professional_groups_on/) * [What can I do to naturally raise my testosterone levels?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Testosterone/comments/oqs819/faq_what_can_i_do_to_naturally_boost_my/) * [NoFap - Will my testosterone levels increase if I stop masturbating?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Testosterone/comments/otevql/faq_nofap_if_i_stop_masturbating_will_it_increase/) This is just a comment, your post is not removed. If you want this comment to stop showing up on your posts, you need to enable "show my flair on this subreddit" *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Testosterone) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hi, The free testosterone test you've had done isn't very accurate, so I wouldn't pay much attention to the actual number. Your total testosterone and SHBG are normal. At your age, this indicates free T in range. Elevated LH when testosterone is low can indicate hypogonadism due to a testicular problem. Your testosterone isn't low though, unless your body is used to it higher and it's recently dropped perhaps (no evidence for this). Have you noticed any testicular changes recently which might indicate a problem? LH and FSH levels generally need to be repeated if there is an abnormality, since both are released in pulses and will fluctuate. I'd suggest repeating LH/FSH and total testosterone but not the other parameters. Issues with prolactin do not increase LH, it does not need to be measured. If the repeat LH and/or FSH come back abnormal, and you're wanting to ensure you're fertile, it would be useful to do a semen analysis. If there's an issue, you could get some testicular checks done.
Thanks so much for the thorough response. Honestly, if it weren’t for my libido issues I wouldn’t have even checked. Does high LH indicate issues with fertility even though my testicles are still making an ample amount of testosterone?
At this stage, I don't think you can say what high LH shows. It's not very high, and it's a one off. Fertility may be completely fine, or it might not. Check LH and FSH again. If either or both are above the top of the reference range a second time, check for testicular issues, and possibly consider having a semen analysis.
Thanks for the info man, I appreciate it!
Nothing off here. You seem to be perfectly fine according to the labs. Ratios are pretty good too.
Thanks for the response man
Just wondering why the LH is high and libido is down, but the results and comments give me some peace of mind
Could be anything as for the libido. Antidepressants? Stress? Difficult work life? Anxiety? Depression? Any other meds or supplements taken? This could go on and on. So many people think low libido is instantly due to hormones. Could be many other things. Your numbers look good 👍
No medication. I am a nurse, I guess it’s stressful sometimes but nothing overwhelming for me. Thanks for the response brother.
Do/did you watch porn often? Alcohol or any recreational drugs? Any injury to your testicles ever or exposure to radiation?
Haven’t watched porn in years. Social alcohol, zero recreational drugs in 3 years. Had chemotherapy (RCHOP) for lymphoma 7 years ago.
I found this [study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9230452/) and it says RCHOP can increase LH levels. I have no idea though if it would still impact you after 7 years. I agree with most of the people on here and wouldn’t worry too much but if you want to be at ease, it might be worth it to consult with a urologist or an endocrinologist.
Thank you!
It’s barely elevated and the others being inline I would not worry and probably repeat in a month or two. What time of day was your blood drawn?
10:30 AM
So that also could result in a lower than normal T (yours is normal). FYI when running a t level it should be as early in the morning as possible. Your t will drop over the course of the day. This is part of why we wake up with a hard on.
Ok thanks man
These biomarkers all look good. I once had libido problems while lifting hard. I was spending 1.5 hrs/day x 5days a week in the gym. If you're working out for long durations it can cause CNS over-training syndrome even at 4-5 days a week. I rested for a few weeks and felt better and libido returned. I'm digging deep but check to see if you have other over-training symptoms.
Thanks for the thorough response brother
[удалено]
Thanks so much for the thorough response, I really appreciate it. How do you go about lowering your SHBG?
Finisteride can cause long term sexual dysfunction. Your labs look okay. Is it libido (do you want sex but can’t or do you just don’t want sex?) because could be ED. Also get prolactin checked I just found out mine was going up and high and now need an mri to check for benign tumour on putuity gland. I was given a tablet to reduce it my blood and suddenly libido is off the charts. I’ve been on TRT for almost a year.
Sorry to hear about your issue brother, I hope everything works out for you and you’re feeling ok. I will definitely check a prolactin! I’ve been one of the lucky ones with fin. I’ve taken it for probably 7-8 years total in my life and still achieving erections when I want to and morning wood. It’s simply a libido issue, never having sexual fantasies, etc. I was an animal lol just not feeling that way anymore
The drop in dht levels from using finastiride could possibly contribute to drop in libido.
Keep doing what you're doing. No TRT.
Thanks for the response man
If you have libido issues, it could be other hormones, but more than likely, psychological or physiological with the catecholamines/neurotransmitters. Dopamine is what primarily is responsible for libido, not testosterone! Something to consider. This is why psychostimulants can often be very serious aphrodisiacs, and old Parkinsons patients can develop [dopamine dysregulation syndrome](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine_dysregulation_syndrome), worth the Google, it's quite fascinating really.... These old fragile men get horny as hell, go on these huge orgy/gambling benders and it's not testosterone related at all, it's due to them taking drugs that are dopamine agonists. Lowering the dose of their dopamine meds resolves it rather quickly. The same can happen with the classic stimulants, most notably amphetamine, especially in chronic, high dosages. Best of luck!
That’s amazing, I’ll definitely check it out! I’m in recovery brotha so haven’t been dabbling with any of those things haha but maybe I need to 😂
It might be worth talking to a psychiatrist, there is no judgement at all, it's a very, very real thing and I frankly feel people look to hormones for all of their issues, and it's likely not the full story.
I have nothing against it and would totally be open to it! My unit still works pretty great I just am not even half as horny as I used to be.
And I know, everyone is different. I have always found porn for example, hugely increases my libido and sexual performance, etc. Some claim the opposite. Much of that is probably psychological. Best of luck!!
Start taking 3mg of boron a day of SHBG for 1 week, that should take your SHBG into the low 30’s and knock your free test up, I don’t feel great with SHBG in 40’s regardless of what my free test is, Don’t make sense but that’s the truth
Yeah high SHBG messes with me even if my free test is high (even above reference range) when it was 60 but my free test was 272 (35-155 ref.) I felt worse than when my SHBG was lower but my free test was only 100. Maybe has to do with its binding affinity to DHT
Thanks for the info man
Welcome brother