Thread: Is Ephedra Legal?

Or was yours elevated by high estrogen or estrgen like compounds in BC.

Originally Posted by MasterChemist

High SHBG is sometimes linked to high DHT. SHBG has a high affinity for DHT (higher than test and est) which is essential for females to control this hormone.

Please expand upon this. If SHBG has a high affinity for DHT, then less DHT would be free. For a woman, this is a good thing, isn't it?

Originally Posted by MasterChemist

So if you supplemnt test in this situation (depending on the type) you might make it worse not better. Anavar would be an obvious choice in this situation.

Because oxandrolone is a DHT derivative, and thus not prone to 5-alpha reduction, is this what you mean? It's a moot point; oxandrolone is not used as a prescription drug in Canada. Testosterone is, and I have a prescription for it.

Originally Posted by MasterChemist

I am not sure how test would help that situation it would seem like you would have to just keep taking more ane more. And any test cypionate, enathate or other is open for this reduction.

I use transdermal testosterone base, no ester. Works a charm.

Originally Posted by MasterChemist

Did the contraceptive screw with your 5-AR enzymes??

Not that I am aware of. I have not taken OC for well over ten years now. Currently, I am 47 years old.

Originally Posted by MasterChemist

Or was yours elevated by high estrogen or estrgen like compounds in BC.

Ah - I suspect you may not be up on the research behind my earlier statement. I offer it here for your reference.

From 2006:
Impact of oral contraceptives on sex hormone-bindi... [J Sex Med. 2006] - PubMed result

"In women with sexual dysfunction, SHBG changes in "Discontinued-Users" did not decrease to values consistent with "Never-Users." Long-term sexual, metabolic, and mental health consequences might result as a consequence of chronic SHBG elevation. Does prolonged exposure to the synthetic estrogens of OCs induce gene imprinting and increased gene expression of SHBG in the liver in some women? Prospective research is needed."

Prior to transdermal HRT, my estrogen was through the roof. Mid-folicular Oestradiol (pmol/L) normal range is 110-184. Mine was 1,248. It dropped to 100 after three months on transdermal testosterone and progesterone. Sadly, my testosterone was too high so I had to reduce my dose.
SHBG (Sex hormone binding globulin) (nmol/L) range 20-100; mine was 140. It dropped to 48 after three months on transdermal testosterone and progesterone. I went off everything for a few months earlier this year and my testosterone dropped like a stone back down to post-menopausal levels, as it had been earlier. SHBG rose; up to 83, at least it was still in range. I'm back on my gear now. MUCH better!

Normal aging consists of a progressive decrease in free testosterone with a marked increase in cortisol. As men age past 40, cortisol begins to dominate, and the catabolic effects associated with growing older begin to dominate.
Testosterone production begins in the brain. When the hypothalamus detects a deficiency of testosterone in the blood, it secretes a hormone called gonadotrophin-releasing hormone to the pituitary gland. This prompts the pituitary to secrete luteinizing hormone (LH) which then prompts the Leydig cells in the testes to produce testosterone.

In some men, the testes lose their ability to produce testosterone, no matter how much LH is being produced. This type of testosterone deficiency is diagnosed when blood tests show high levels of LH and low levels of testosterone. In other words, the pituitary gland is telling the testes (by secreting LH ) to produce testosterone, but the testes have lost their functional ability, so the pituitary gland vainly continues to secrete LH because there is not enough testosterone in the blood to provide a feedback mechanism that would tell the pituitary to shut down. In other cases, the hypothalamus or pituitary gland fail to produce sufficient amounts of LH, thus preventing a healthy pair of testes from secreting testosterone. Blood testing can determine if sufficient amounts of LH are being secreted by the pituitary gland and help determine the proper therapeutic approach.
(Taken from my HRT article)

One further complication of excess estrogen is that it increases the body's production of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG binds free testosterone in the blood and makes it unavailable to cell receptor sites. Since this binds free test, it will lead to very little DHT conversion so I don't think that is a problem.

wow that study raises alot of qurestions huh.
"Does prolonged exposure to the synthetic estrogens (SE) of OCs induce gene imprinting and increased gene expression of SHBG in the liver in some women?"

what effect do 'Evironmental estrogens" have?? My freind was a researcher in biology and he first brought this up to me years ago. These are compounds, both naturally occuring and man made, that are increasing in our food supply.

I did not belive this at first but look it up there is alot of reserach on it.

"Other sites that produce SHBG include the brain, uterus, testes, and placenta" WIKI.

Or could it be altering or incresing the amount form any of these other tissues (obviously not testes)

Also was 6 months being off OC long enough to make this determination.

Take this further, what about the use at a younger age?

Take this even further what about the current use of PH among teenagers? What is that doing to there sytem.

When I was younger I was all for hormones and all that but now as I have aged I try everything other that that... reaserch... diet.. phytonutrients.

It seems in your case you need the test/prog to treat the SHBG, and I am deeply sorry to hear that. IT seems when ever one drug is used then another needs to be used to counteract the effect.

but remember the high SHBG is a symtom not the reason... possible reasons the reason is either your tissues that produce the SHBG have been artifically stimulated by those SE so long that they now pump them out on a regular basis.. OR maybe the OC stay in system longer than they expect?? 1 year?? Or may the SE permanatly altered your genes?

Why would it not effect all women this way?? are ther other cominalities in those women??

I will comment on other stuff you said as I can but this week is busy for me.

But this is an interesting topic..

Originally Posted by Built

I'm interested to hear your thoughts on my other points - that is to say, the effect of nutrient supplementation when no nutrient deficiency is noted (ie taking zinc when there is no zinc deficiency), and why you feel it is important to eat six times a day.

othin
As far as zinc excess zinc does nothing for increasinging test above normal but low zinc will cause low test.

the 6 times a day is more just a prefernace you can eat less frequently but I have found to go by the generl rule eat 12 for 12 hours then fast for 12 hours (IE eat form 6 am to 6 pm, fast from 6 ap to 6 am). By fasting I mean only take in teas, specialty amino acids, and nutrients nothing realy for calories though.
during my 12 hours of eating I just break that up in to 6 meals, breakfast Lunch Dinner PReworkout, post workout and one more snack.

I am 240 so my amount of protien needed is pretty high and I find it easier to break that up into more meals than less. The protien I take in will be split between protien from complete sources (80%)
by combining protiens from vegitable/grain (20%) legumes veg are not complete but contain high levels of imporant aminos, aspartic acid (includng D) arginine, glycine, glutamine (for example) in higher ratios thatn the meats. Where as the meats and dairy contain high levels of BCAA, creatine (some read meat and salmon), also the collagen you taks in with meats contains proline and glycine.. very important for soft tissue.

Fats come from the meats, nuts (peanuts are important), tahini or seasame, and I also use Hummus which will have either tahini or olive oil.

Probably more than you wanted to know

Not really. Nothing I didn't already know; good to know we're on the same page here.

I tend to lean rather heavily on walnuts vs peanuts - my body just seems to like 'em. Sesame's good stuff; gotta watch it when it oxidizes though. Very tasty.

it is banned for major list

Originally Posted by LAM

yes it is legal but it is "illegal" to market it for weight loss in the US.

Thank you Lam, for I didn't know that.