Reducing red blood cell count by donating blood?

[KeyMastur]

http://www.sanguinarius.org/articles/bloodsafety2.shtml

[BUYLONGTERM]

Very interesting thread, though it has me a bit worried. I know EQ can raise RBC, but Test can do that as well??? Can someone explain to me how they relate? I'm curious to know because being on a high dose of test and 400mg of EQ, I want to make sure I am being safe. Lately, every night I have tingling in my arms or my arms/hands are falling asleep. I better go get some blood work done.

BLT

[kaorialfred]

Since this is in the realm of the topic I will ask. I know they put you through a few screening questions when you donate blood, mostly for AIDS concerns, but would there not be concerns about donating blood while a person is on AAS?

I have had my blood accepted, but I told them I was on TRT and they called my dr. and accepted the samples from there on.

[TheChosenOne]

Very interesting thread, though it has me a bit worried. I know EQ can raise RBC, but Test can do that as well??? Can someone explain to me how they relate? I'm curious to know because being on a high dose of test and 400mg of EQ, I want to make sure I am being safe. Lately, every night I have tingling in my arms or my arms/hands are falling asleep. I better go get some blood work done.

BLT

Yeah it is a little startling. I woke up a number of times while my arms were asleep thinking about this d*mn thread. This may be one explanation as to why my veins stay jacked up even when off cycle. Not to the extent of Tren but they are still more profound than before cycling.

[BASK8KACE]

Since this is in the realm of the topic I will ask. I know they put you through a few screening questions when you donate blood, mostly for AIDS concerns, but would there not be concerns about donating blood while a person is on AAS?

I had the same question and did some reading about it already:
There are certain steroids that are NOT okay to have in your system when donating blood. One that is mentioned on blood donating websites is GH (Human Growth Hormone ).

A few thoughts:
Can you imagine some guy getting steroid laced blood? He'd be loving the gym for weeks after the transfusion. But, the women wouldn't be too happy with their new deep voice and mustache!

I wonder whether little kids would have problems from testosterone laced blood.

[BASK8KACE]

Very interesting thread, though it has me a bit worried. I know EQ can raise RBC, but Test can do that as well???

Yes, testosterone can raise RBC count.

"The link between androgenic steroids [such as testosterone] and hemoglobin has to do with your body's production of erythropoietin. Testosterone stimulates your kidneys to make and release more erythropoietin, which in turn stimulates your bone marrow to produce additional new red blood cells. Polycythemia is the medical condition of having red blood cells above the normal range. If severe enough, polycythemia can increase your risk for stroke and blood clots."

--By Dr. Robert J. Frascino (see note below)

For more info about how RBCs are created, check out the following link (artilce printed below):
http://www.all-science-fair-projects...Erythropoiesis
Erythropoiesis


Erythropoiesis is the process by which red blood cells (erythrocytes) are produced. In human adults, this usually occurs within the bone marrow; in humans with certain diseases, in fetuses and in some animals, erythropoeiesis also occurs outside the bone marrow, within the spleen, liver, or yolk sac . This is termed extramedullary erythropoiesis.

The tibia and femur cease to be important sites of hematopoeisis by about age 25; the vertebrae, sternum, and ribs continue to produce red blood cells throughout life.

In the process of red blood cell maturation, a cell undergoes a series of differentiations. A pluripotent stem cell becomes a multipotent stem cell, in turn becoming a unipotential stem cell, a pronormoblast , a basophilic normoblast , a polychromatophilic normoblast , and orthochromatic normoblast , a reticulocyte, at which point the cell is released from the bone marrow, and ultimately becomes an erythrocyte or mature red blood cell circulating in the peripheral blood. These stages correspond to specific appearances of the cell when stained with Wright's stain and examined by light microscopy, but correspond to other biochemical changes.

In the process of maturation a basophilic pronormoblast is converted from a cell with a large nucleus and a volume of 900µm3 to an enucleated disc with a volume of 90µm3.

A feedback loop involving erythropoietin helps regulate the process of erythropoiesis, so that, in non-disease states, the production of red blood cells is equal to the destruction of red blood cells and the red blood cell number is sufficient to sustain adequate tissue oxygen levels but not so high as to cause sludging, thrombosis, or stroke.

See also:

• polycythemia: a condition with an abnormally high level of red blood cells
• anemia: a condition with an abnormally low level of red blood cells

NOTE:
Dr. Robert J. Frascino President and Founder of The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation. A Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Frascino has served as Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Immunology, Rheumatology, and Allergy, at Stanford University Medical Center from 1983 until 2001. He is a member of the American Academy of HIV Medicine and has also been a distinguished member of the executive boards of numerous state and regional associations, including Past President of the California Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology, the Allergy/Immunology Association of Northern California, and Past President of the Allergy, Asthma, Immunology Foundation of Northern California.

[TheChosenOne]

Alright you bastards got me all concerned about my RBC Count so I went ahead and donated blood. It may just be me but I think my veins are far less pronounced now than they were when I walked into the donor center.

[longhornDr]

I had the same question and did some reading about it already:
There are certain steroids that are NOT okay to have in your system when donating blood. One that is mentioned on blood donating websites is GH (Human Growth Hormone ).

A few thoughts:
Can you imagine some guy getting steroid laced blood? He'd be loving the gym for weeks after the transfusion. But, the women wouldn't be too happy with their new deep voice and mustache!

I wonder whether little kids would have problems from testosterone laced blood.

The amount of androgen in a unit of blood would be insignificant and have no effect at all.

Hardly anyone recieves whole blood anyways. The blood you donate gets seperated into different components.

[gino_slayer]

theres dialysis machines that can seperate the different parts of your blood and pump the rest of the blood back into you.

[BASK8KACE]

The amount of androgen in a unit of blood would be insignificant and have no effect at all.

Hardly anyone recieves whole blood anyways. The blood you donate gets seperated into different components.

Thx.

Are you a medical doctor? Some of the members have doc or doctor in their name aren't medical doctors, so I'm curious.

[Ntpadude]

Since this is in the realm of the topic I will ask. I know they put you through a few screening questions when you donate blood, mostly for AIDS concerns, but would there not be concerns about donating blood while a person is on AAS?

Technically AAS donated blood is ideal for what they need blood for. Usually the RBC is good, the WBC is also above average, blood cell size is typically idea, its generally some of the best quality blood around. They will test it for the obvious HIV/HEP, etc but otherwise AAS use is unnecessary disclosure.

[guest589745]

So whats the verdict on this..........??

[tommy39]

Donation does lower your RBC. I have donated for years and the red cross
will only let you donate once every 8 weeks. Your in their computer and have
to show id or donor card so they know if your early and make you wait. I go to ANY LAB TESTS here in GA we have them all around Atlanta, Me and several friends from the gym go regular. Im telling you with no doubt it lower
your counts alot. I mainly started donating cause my iron levels went to 260
and shouldnt be over 150. I was eating tons of quaker square cereal and it has 90% of your needed iron a cup. Well i eat 5 cups in a big bowl at a time plus all the meal replacement shakes which have high iron ect. Anyway donating every 8 weeks for three donations total lowerd my RBC from 6.9 to
5.8. 5.60 is the high limit but its still alot lower. Hematocrit went from 59 to 51. Hemoglobin went from18.8 to 17.4. All were still a tad high but much lower with the donations. I also got tests no sooner than 2 weeks after donating. So though blood volume returns with fluids the rbcells take quite some time to regain. I was looking at these numbers from this year from my sheets from ANY LABS but have done this for years just dont have those sheets anymore. Just know when i donate every 8 weeks the counts will continue to drop. I will go 12 weeks once they get right on normal'

[Ufa]

Lab Corp just lowered it upper limit to 5.6 for RBC seven months ago it was 5.8. from same lab. Worked great for me. Solved all kinds of problems.