ust that question. Trying to figure if brain to sexual organs connection can be off due to low LH, FSH or if testosterone is high it automatically means LH/ FSH is sufficient even when low.
These were my thoughts on this question almost 10 years ago:
I still believe the reasoning for this is along those lines. Perhaps it is not so much the estrogen/androgen ratio, but rather an overexpression of the AR which is implicated here, through a resulting deregulation of the AR signal (expression of androgen responsive genes) - I touched on this further down in the post.
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I really see the logic of this it really does make sense what I don’t understand is why is it 10 years later and we are still no further on with explanation of what the underlying problems are post Finasteride.
This article / information really does make sense
Certainly in my case. My LH fell by two thirds to bottom of the range and my T near doubled as a result of severe PFS.
My LH and T are usually well into the normal range. Free-T sometimes very high.
On the other hand, my FSH is always very low and I had a borderline low sperm count when I had it tested.
Do you think that clomid could trick the pituary gland to kickstart Lh production again and potientally reverse some of the LH down regulation ? Is it worth a shot ? even if PFS is mostly related to DHT… Maybe LH has an influence on how we feel (brain to physical sexual connection) at least…
Yes, my FSH is low as well, lower than my LH at the bottom part of the range. What’s confusing is how testosterone remains high. Could DHT desensitization keep Testosterone higher even after ceasing Finasteride ?
Thanks. I think it’s a good idea for people with PFS to address it as a " fertility issue" to their doctor so that they look at PFS more seriously (upon realizing fertility is affected, they might feel more urgency to address the situation) They seldom care about sexual function issues as long as the “values” are within range.
Makes sense. I want to try and address both LH and FSH cuz they are very low. I guess it’s worth a shot. By the way i have all the symptoms of PFS sufferer having taken Finasteride, some more severe than others. I know Clomid has mixed results but since my issues don’t seem to corrolate with my testosterone levels (prolactin and SHBG are in good range as well) but mostly LH and FSH that are at complete bottom of the range, might be worth a shot with clomid ? To trick/reeducate brain on how to release proper levels of LH… Would clomid affect FSH at all ? I know it affects mostly LH but i really would like it if my FSH is also kickstarted since FSH is even lower.
Can’t find the exact source at the moment, but someone once mentioned to me that DHT exerts a positive influence on FSH. Meanwhile LH is negatively regulated by androgens and estrogens. So, reduced 5-ar-type-I activity could result in an abnormally low ratio of FSH/LH. But as you see, many of us have very low levels of both gonadotropins.
Some related info: https://academic.oup.com/mend/article/20/9/2062/2738338
Several lines of evidence indicate that androgens
regulate the levels of FSH  and LH  mRNAs in the
anterior pituitary. Studies in castrated, GnRH antago-
nist-treated rats have shown a selective increase in
FSH  mRNA upon treatment with testosterone (24–
27). Subsequent studies in primary rat pituitary cells
confirmed that the activation of FSH  expression by
testosterone occurs at the level of the pituitary (28–30).
In contrast to FSH  , androgens repressed LH  -sub-
unit gene expression in both castrated, GnRH antag-
onist-treated rats (26, 27) and primary pituitary cell
culture (29). Additionally, the effects of androgens on
transcription of the LH  subunit have been studied in
gonadotrope-derived immortalized cell lines. Jor-
gensen and Nilson (31) found that androgens sup-
press bovine LH  subunit gene expression through
protein-protein interaction between ligand-bound AR
and steroidogenic factor 1. Using a Ϫ617/ϩ44 rat LH
promoter, Curtin et al. (32) determined that androgen
treatment suppressed GnRH-induced LH  subunit
gene transcription as well. However, they found that
the suppression occurred primarily as a consequence
of direct protein-protein interaction between AR and
Sp1
My LH rose quite a bit under a clomiphene stimulation test, but FSH only slightly rose. This seems to be the case for some PFS patients: Possible connection between low FSH and ejaculation quantity/viscosity
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Wow, that explains why all my values come to normal except for FSH which is extremely low (as well as LH but even more.) Is there any medication that improves FSH Values primordially or is it only Clomid that has the closest impact. I know all serms affect LH and FSH to a certain degree but i really want to target my FSH.
Unless you are actively trying to have children, I don’t know what you would gain by increasing FSH.
I’m not aware of any drug that works to specifically raise FSH.
The study I posted suggests DHT or progesterone could work, but members of this site have tried both treatments to lessen PFS symptoms, with a very mixed bag of results. Some got worse, so it is a big risk.