The Connection Between Low T and Estrogen
Estrogen levels and testosterone levels are closely related. In fact, one of the primary causes of low estrogen is actually low testosterone.
Men’s bodies produce estradiol, a form of estrogen is found in estrogen-producing tissue, such as the adrenal glands, the brain, fatty tissue, and even the testicles.
Estradiol is likely the main estrogen you need to worry about.
The production of estrogen in a male body is a completely normal and necessary. Estrogen is required for the healthy functions.
A correlation of the level of estradiol that men require is derived from testosterone.
If your testosterone is low, your body doesn’t have the raw materials needed create more estradiol. If you have low testosterone, you may have low estrogen (estradiol) too, probably leading to the symptoms of hormone imbalance.
That’s why low testosterone symptoms and low estrogen symptoms often look so similar: they’re occurring at the same time, and it’s hard to determine what’s causing what. That’s why it’s important to get that your levels checked regularly.
2. Normal Estradiol Levels in Men
Normal total estradiol levels in men are somewhere between 20–55 pg/mL (2.0–5.5 ng/dL) and 10-40 pg/mL (1.0-4.0 ng/dL), depending on whom you ask.
3. Symptoms of Low Estrogen in Men
Symptoms of low estrogen in men include:
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Depression
- Forgetfulness
- Oversleeping or sleeping too often
- Sexual dysfunction
- Water retention
- Bone loss
- Fat accumulation
Most of these, especially the symptoms related to how you feel on a daily basis, could appear on a list of either low testosterone or low estrogen symptoms. These are simply symptoms of overall hormone imbalance.
To summarize, you can have low testosterone by itself, or low estrogen by itself, but often, they go hand in hand. The symptoms are very similar, which means that it’s almost impossible to determine which hormone is insufficient without proper blood testing.
4. Causes of High Estrogen (Estradiol) in Men
Many of the symptoms of male menopause go along with excess estrogen as well, likely because estrogen levels tend to rise as testosterone levels dip. When estrogen far outweighs testosterone, the health dangers for men begin to pile up.
For example, a 2007 study suggested that an increase in men’s estradiol levels increased their risk of stroke. And as LifeExtension reported in 2008, men with coronary artery disease and male heart attack victims tended to have higher estrogen levels and lower testosterone levels.
In the setting of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), we are much more likely to deal with increased estradiol levels, called hypoestrogenism.
There are many reasons why your body may be producing too much estrogen. For instance, if you suffer from obesity, your excess fat can actually start producing additional estrogen beyond what your body already produces.
While we occasionally do see elevated estrogen levels prior to starting treatment for Low T, this is most often a problem that arises because of higher testosterone levels achieved as the result of TRT that’s practiced improperly, including the following poor practices:
- Your hormone levels are not being regularly or carefully measured
- You’re not receiving an aromatase inhibitor at appropriate levels
- Your medical provider isn’t extremely careful about his or her methods
In these cases, much of the extra testosterone being introduced into your body can be converted into excess estradiol.
If you like more information and checking your laboratory and getting TRT treatment reach out to MensActiveHealth.com and we can walk you through what’s required.
(Operating in Florida only)
Dr. Kay, FNP-DNP
