Re: hirsutism hormone test-need your help!

> Hey 'Zoners, i need your help with something...

> I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow

This isn't going to be much use to you for the intitial purpose -- sorry, I was away for a few days.

> because i want
> to get my hormones tested for hirsutism, as nothing i have
> tried (NAC, SAw Palmetto)to reduce my facial hair naturally
> is working and i need to know the exact cause, its impossible
> to second guess this stuff, as i am finding out!

Even hormone testing doesn't necessarily produce all the answers.

> anyways so, bascally when i go tomorrow i need to know what
> i have to ask for, ie...do i just explain that i want to get
> my androgen levels tested and he will know what i mean?, or
> is it just testosterone i need to get checked? because i dont
> really have a clue, and i want to sound like i have some idea
> of what i am asking for :) (because my doctor is a bit of a
> lemon and he makes me feel like he is doing me a favour by
> sparing me five minustes to hear what i say!)

No, you need a much broader test than just testosterone. Your testosterone levels alone are not what necessarily causes hirsutism. You need to have the level of free testosterone checked. But you really should have your estrgen levels tested as well.

It's quite possible for you to produce a lot of testosterone but have high estrogen levels and high levels of SHBG which binds the testosterone and effectively stops it doing anything. Or you can have normal levels of testosterone but low levels of estrogen and low levels of SHBG so that most of the testosterone is "free" to act on your body.

And it's also possible that you have high testosterone levels and low estrogen levels with low levels of SHBG -- and that tends to produce the testosterone-caused effects that are more commonly associated with males but also occur in a lot of females, especially facial hair.


> any help greatly appreciated!

I hope this helps some, even belatedly.

It can even be that the areas of your body which in a male are responsive to testosterone stimulation have been sensitized to testosterone in such a way that they're responding much more than normal to fairly average levels of testosterone in your bloodstream.

For myself (in my case high testosterone, low estrogen) I'd sooner not try to redress the balance by artificial means. I'm moderately happy to accept that I have a hormone balance more typical of a male than of a female. I've facial hair -- so I shave, like my husband and sons. It's just how I am and I (and my husband and the boys) just accept that that's how it is. It's not a problem and I refuse to let it spoil my life.