High iron

**Test Monsterone** · 05-23-2021, 12:24 AM

Have any if you checked your iron levels lately? High iron levels can be dangerous. It stores in your organs, including the heart and brain and can cause arrhythmias. I just got bw and it’s 197 (50-150) mcg/dl.

I’m only on TRT so this surprised me. High iron is believed to have a negative feedback loop with testosterone . Essentially, if iron levels are too high, the body will try and reduce testosterone levels , because T increases iron levels. I have never had my iron levels checked, and my cardiologist never thought to check it when I was having irregular heartbeats years ago.

Just letting y’all know to check it next time you get bw.

**tarmyg** · 05-23-2021, 01:20 AM

I get mine checked each time I donate. I was a bit low last time. I had 22 micrograms/L. Reference value is 25 micrograms/L. On iron pills now.

**almostgone** · 05-23-2021, 06:20 AM

I keep an eye on mine because it usually runs upper end, but I have tanked ferritin due to ditching too much blood. I try to pull an iron panel at least once/year including: iron, transferrin, total iron binding capacity and % of saturation.

**Test Monsterone** · 05-23-2021, 07:16 AM

How high does it run for you, AG?

I'm a little worried because I just started my cycle and my blood levels are bad to begin with. LDL and cholesterol is already too high, hematocrit and hemoglobin are at the upper limit of normal, and now my iron. I'm not sure if the iron thing is related to testosterone for me or if I was already absorbing too much. Checking the symptoms of high iron, and I seem to have had them all (irregular heartbeat, lethargy, pain in index and middle finger joints).

I researched how to reduce iron, and in the same results it says to eat beans, whole grains, legumes to reduce iron.... then a sentence below it says to eat beans, whole grains, and legumes to increase iron.

**almostgone** · 05-23-2021, 07:52 AM

For Hgb and Hct, mine were pretty elevated at the beginning of the year, although I think some of that was due to COVID.

Hgb was 57% and HGB was 19.9 g/dL. However, at the time my WBC was elevated, so I still may have been fighting off something.

My last TIBC was low, around 211 mcg/dL, and my iron was a tad above 200mcg/dL.

My CBC and iron has always been a little screwy. After being off cycle of any kind for over a decade and prior to TRT, my Hct was 52.8% and HGB 18.1 g/dL if I recall correctly. Some of the Hct issues could be cardiac related in my case?

T is going to blunt your HDL for sure, especially if you're at blast levels.

I can't comment on the irregular heartbeat, I stay in AFib due to left bundle branch block.

If your chloseterol levels are chronically bad, there's no shame in taking a statin. On the other hand, if you can bump up your fibrous carbs and keep your LDL, triglycerides, total cholesterol in line and your cardiac risk ratio is low, I wouldn't fiddle with a statin until necessary.

**Test Monsterone** · 05-23-2021, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by almostgone

For Hgb and Hct, mine were pretty elevated at the beginning of the year, although I think some of that was due to COVID.

Hgb was 57% and HGB was 19.9 g/dL. However, at the time my WBC was elevated, so I still may have been fighting off something.

My last TIBC was low, around 211 mcg/dL, and my iron was a tad above 200mcg/dL.

My CBC and iron has always been a little screwy. After being off cycle of any kind for over a decade and prior to TRT, my Hct was 52.8% and HGB 18.1 g/dL if I recall correctly. Some of the Hct issues could be cardiac related in my case?

T is going to blunt your HDL for sure, especially if you're at blast levels.

I can't comment on the irregular heartbeat, I stay in AFib due to left bundle branch block.

If your chloseterol levels are chronically bad, there's no shame in taking a statin. On the other hand, if you can bump up your fibrous carbs and keep your LDL, triglycerides, total cholesterol in line and your cardiac risk ratio is low, I wouldn't fiddle with a statin until necessary.

Man, you haven't done a cycle in a while, but I don't blame you. It's strange, but the longer I'm around the more I start thinking that one of these days I'm just gonna stay on TRT and feel healthy.

I think I can make some improvements to my diet and do some more cardio before I resort to cholesterol meds. Cholesterol is 203 (0-200), LDL is 133 (0-130), and HDL is surprisingly good at 52 (40-60). I've seen a strange pattern in my last few blood tests, and it seems that when my LDL goes up, so does my HDL. When my HDL was 40, my LDL was sub 100.

My glucose, since starting TRT has been consistently better (below 90) than before. It used to hover in the top 90's.

Total protein is above normal and creatinine is high normal.

I've read that reducing Vitamin C consumption should help with absorbing less iron, which I'm gonna try. I was taking a vitamin C supplement and drinking about two glasses of grapefruit juice a day, so that wasn't helping the iron much.

Anyway, don't wanna bore you with all my numbers, but those were the interesting ones. I'm thinking I'm going to continue this cycle and donate in about a month, then cut it short shortly after. I'll take an aspirin EOD for good measure.

**almostgone** · 05-23-2021, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by Test Monsterone

Man, you haven't done a cycle in a while, but I don't blame you. It's strange, but the longer I'm around the more I start thinking that one of these days I'm just gonna stay on TRT and feel healthy.

I think I can make some improvements to my diet and do some more cardio before I resort to cholesterol meds. Cholesterol is 203 (0-200), LDL is 133 (0-130), and HDL is surprisingly good at 52 (40-60). I've seen a strange pattern in my last few blood tests, and it seems that when my LDL goes up, so does my HDL. When my HDL was 40, my LDL was sub 100.

My glucose, since starting TRT has been consistently better (below 90) than before. It used to hover in the top 90's.

Total protein is above normal and creatinine is high normal.

I've read that reducing Vitamin C consumption should help with absorbing less iron, which I'm gonna try. I was taking a vitamin C supplement and drinking about two glasses of grapefruit juice a day, so that wasn't helping the iron much.

Anyway, don't wanna bore you with all my numbers, but those were the interesting ones. I'm thinking I'm going to continue this cycle and donate in about a month, then cut it short shortly after. I'll take an aspirin EOD for good measure.

I'd definitely drop the Vitamin C supplement and probably keep 1 of the glasses of grapefruit juice.

It's good that you're watching the trends and not relying on just 1 set of results. Like Kel has told me in the past, lab results are just a snapshot in time. You need several views to get a good overall picture

**Chicagotarsier** · 05-25-2021, 04:37 AM

Originally Posted by almostgone

For Hgb and Hct, mine were pretty elevated at the beginning of the year, although I think some of that was due to COVID.

Hgb was 57% and HGB was 19.9 g/dL. However, at the time my WBC was elevated, so I still may have been fighting off something.

My last TIBC was low, around 211 mcg/dL, and my iron was a tad above 200mcg/dL.

My CBC and iron has always been a little screwy. After being off cycle of any kind for over a decade and prior to TRT, my Hct was 52.8% and HGB 18.1 g/dL if I recall correctly. Some of the Hct issues could be cardiac related in my case?

T is going to blunt your HDL for sure, especially if you're at blast levels.

I can't comment on the irregular heartbeat, I stay in AFib due to left bundle branch block.

If your chloseterol levels are chronically bad, there's no shame in taking a statin. On the other hand, if you can bump up your fibrous carbs and keep your LDL, triglycerides, total cholesterol in line and your cardiac risk ratio is low, I wouldn't fiddle with a statin until necessary.

Agree with don't mess with statins. If your HCT was 57% (assume a typo in your post) you are way overdue for a blood removal session. If you are removing blood properly you will be 44-46 HCT and the extra iron will be used to replace the removed blood cells. If your HCT is high it causes a multitude of problems especially with the liver. My sides begin at 45 Hct and escalate from there.

**almostgone** · 05-25-2021, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by Chicagotarsier

Agree with don't mess with statins. If your HCT was 57% (assume a typo in your post) you are way overdue for a blood removal session. If you are removing blood properly you will be 44-46 HCT and the extra iron will be used to replace the removed blood cells. If your HCT is high it causes a multitude of problems especially with the liver. My sides begin at 45 Hct and escalate from there.

It's a combination of a genetic issue and possibly partially due to a chronic health condition ( CHF). Upper end of reference range for LabCorp is 50.4%

There was no typo in my post.

Edit: The 57% Hct value was right after recovering from COVID-19. Have since done a double red donation, a therapeutic phlebotomy. Also squeezed in a double harvest of platelets as soon as I was eligible.

As I pointed out in my earlier post, my normal Hct sans any AAS for over a decade was right at 53%. Been like that my whole life, even as a teen. Have had several genetic tests done when I had an episode of throwing clots. Clotting disorder confirmed ( Leiden Factor V), but hemochromatosis ruled out.

**Test Monsterone** · 05-25-2021, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by almostgone

It's a combination of a genetic issue and possibly partially due to a chronic health condition ( CHF). Upper end of reference range for LabCorp is 50.4%

There was no typo in my post.

Edit: The 57% Hct value was right after recovering from COVID-19. Have since done a double red donation, a therapeutic phlebotomy. Also squeezed in a double harvest of platelets as soon as I was eligible.

As I pointed out in my earlier post, my normal Hct sans any AAS for over a decade was right at 53%. Been like that my whole life, even as a teen. Have had several genetic tests done when I had an episode of throwing clots. Clotting disorder confirmed ( Leiden Factor V), but hemochromatosis ruled out.

What was the process to get the genetic tests? Do you have to go through a doctor, or can you order labs online? I don't have a primary care.

**almostgone** · 05-25-2021, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by Test Monsterone

What was the process to get the genetic tests? Do you have to go through a doctor, or can you order labs online? I don't have a primary care.

My cardiologist sent me to an oncologist. Freaked me out at first because when I hear oncologist, I think cancer, but oncologists can order a shitload more tests, including genetic tests...it's in their specialty.
A PT-INR would give you a starting point, but wouldn't be a definite answer.

If you're worried about a clot, a D-dimer test should indicate the presence or optimal conditions for a clot. After that an APC, then if that indicates resistance go to the Leiden Factor V.

If you've not had any clots, you're probably fine. Leiden Factor V is present in around 5% of Caucasians if I recall correctly.