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[pepperminty]

Hi Ladies any thoughts  would be welcomed please.

 I think I can probably safely say that I am in the post menopause camp now. My estrogen readings ( I do them privately every so often for my own personal reference) seem to be stable over the last few years . No major dips and no major highs. (Always around 300's currently 332)

My SHBG is 183 and high but now in range, so my Free T can be calculated . ( in 2019 it was above the high  range, so could Free T could not be calculated)

My testosterone is 1.42 mnol/L    - so within range , but at the top.    (  in 2019 it was 1.31)

My Free T is 0.007   ( lower end of scale)

It says on the test blurb-What might a low result mean?
Even if you have normal total testosterone levels you might have low free testosterone levels, especially if you have elevated SHBG. Low free testosterone can lead to symptoms which can include of lack of libido, difficulty gaining muscle, and low mood. Sex hormone binding globulin tends to increase naturally with age. It can also be increased by exercise, liver or thyroid problems, as well as by high oestrogen levels.

Can anyone tell me what are the  higher Testosterone ranges that we should not safely go beyond? Does having a high T range but a low Free T mean
 you should not take T?  Or should you just concentrate on the FREE T?

Thank you in advance 

Peppermintyxx

[juliemargaret]

Hi again PM - just replied on my post to your reply 😊. Sorry I’m
No use and I hope someone else comes long with more knowledge and can answer your questions . Can I though just ask where you get your private bloods ? Is it a general company as I’d like to do that too as my GP surgery will probably not agree to it so soon and I need exact testo and sghb and free testo levels as well as estrogen. Please do let me know if you can point me in the right direction x

[pepperminty]

Hi Jmargaret,

it is medichecks. I wait for the special offers. I know you are supposed to go by how you feel etc, but if you are post meno you should get a stable reading. It is all so complicated!

PMXX 
 

[Postmeno3]

Could be interesting to get a concensus of those in postmenopause who are getting readings? See if there's a similar range? 🤔

[juliemargaret]

I’m not sure you know as surely anyone regardless of peri or post once taking hormones especially testosterone needs a check at least to ensure they’re not getting too much? I can’t even relax into how I feel as it’s all so muddled and at the back of my mind is the worry that just what if I had enough testo to begin with and now adding more is too much? Or my estrogen levels following 3 months aren’t improving or you know ... I am going to seek some bloods. Thank you for your help- I’ll look at medichecks x

[VictoryV]

JMargaret, I wouldn’t worry. You’re using Androfeme which is designed for women so even if you used slightly more by accident it’s so low in Testosterone it’s not going to harm you.
On the Studd website it says the initial blood test reading is not important, it’s the follow up bloods that are of interest.
I’m assuming you’ve got a private MS as you’re using Androfeme, did they say when you’d get follow up bloods done?

Are your boobs feeling any better?

Victoria.x

[juliemargaret]

Hi Victoria - yes I’m aware but mean a blood test after a few months of use at least. My Meno doc hasn’t been useful and didn’t have much to say about anything as she doesn’t have a blood clinic and doesn’t tread bloods and she didn’t even give me any guidance or suggestions to any clinics I could go  that she may work with - cos she doesn’t ! Boobs - nope. Stil the same I went back to 100 today on patch change day. Reduced to 75 didn’t I thurs eve but couldn’t relax into it as was worried so went back to what I was on. I may have another appt this week with another specialist I hope (newsons) so hope by can get the help and guidance I so desperately need/want.

[pepperminty]

Hi Postmeno3,

Yes I wonder if we could use this thread for readings post menopause as you say , just as a matter of interest?

I wonder if I should change the title- and to what? As the estrogen reading  would be needed also .

PMXX

[Postmeno3]

You could start a new thread? It could be a very rough, but useful benchmark and reference point for folk? Maybe NHS or specialist readings only, though, as there seem some misgivings about other testing methods? Definitely a postmenopause resource, I feel, so good plan! 😊

[Hurdity]

Hi pepperminty

I've bumped the thread where I outline how to calculate the Free Androgen Index (FAI) and the link in my post goes to a paper which gives the reference ranges.

This thread: https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,51122.0.html

So your total T is within range and according to the ref range - not at the top end - although ideally there should be a ref range for the lab.

SHBG is high yes assuming it has also been given in the same units as T ie in nmol/l.

FAI is therefore 0.77 which is at the lower end of the range.

As far as I understand it, total T must remain within the range for women, but ideally once should have an FAI high enough to have some libido and good response, and this should aldo remain within range.

Notwithstanding that one reading on its own may not mean a lot - it looks like you have more wiggle room in your T levels and you could reduce your SHBG. As you are taking oral oestrogen then this could explain it.

Re posting your own levels I went through the "tesosterone here we go " thread and found where I had last posted about this - so here is what I said in June 2019:

"the first T tests I had was when I first got the T from NHS GP which was last April/May (2018) although I started T in May 2015. The first 3 years I was given it on symptoms alone and the two boxes lasted 3 years - no mention was made of testing. So first blood test May 2018. T 2.2 SHBG 87.9, FAI 2.5. Just had them done again just over a year later: serum T 1.5, SHBG 96.5, FAI 1.7. Looks like mine has decreased."

So interesting contrast with you pepperminty....

Hurdity x

[pepperminty]

Hi Hurdity ,

thank you for replying with this useful info.

So the FAI is the FREE T calculation.

The calculation they gave me was 0.007 - so that is a bit out from your calculations  of  0.77- which I know would be right!

the range is Testosterone (female) 0.5-3.0 nmol/l - so no wonder my  symptoms are as they are - as I am on the low side if i am 1.42 and only a bit is getting out to do its job in the the free T . 

I know the oral estrogen can raise the  SHBG - but I wonder what the ladies do if they do not absorb transdermal and still require T ?

SHBG can go up with exercise also.

Such a shame that we all do not have these   hormone references done in an enormous study / trial- to get a good handle on how it works. To get the best treatments for us ladies, and more information .
Hate to say it again but if it were men they would have it all worked out by now and we would all be having tailored HRT measured to suit via genetics etc - Nick Panay thinks this will be the future.
Lets face it we are only replacing what we have lost - we used to pop our clogs by 50 ish  - all this is preventative - or should be!

Thanks again and what a gold pot of information this forum is.

Peppermintyxx