Donating blood to lower RBC

**funkymonk** · 08-27-2011, 06:56 PM

So I'll be donating blood this week to keep my RBC in check preemtively, and since I think it's for a good cause.

Should I be donating "blood" or "platelets"?

**im83931** · 08-27-2011, 08:03 PM

Why are you interested in getting RBC down?

**funkymonk** · 08-27-2011, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by im83931

Why are you interested in getting RBC down?

Isn't it prone to elevation on TRT? I know several guys on TRT donate regularly for that (or some other?) purpose.
Mine isn't high right now, but if it does creep out of range in the future, the question OP is info I'd need to have.

Like I said, I'm donating blood for the moral/social reasons as well.

**im83931** · 08-27-2011, 08:44 PM

I did not know that. But if your way out of range and you can do something to help others while bringing it back to where it should be then it can't be a bad idea. I know my RBC was way high on cycle.

**Bonaparte** · 08-27-2011, 10:35 PM

Problem is that once it gets out of range, the blood banks won't take it. So you'd need to get a phlebotomy prescribed by your doc, then give blood later.

And you want to give whole blood (which contains RBCs), not just platelets.

**funkymonk** · 08-28-2011, 12:10 AM

Originally Posted by Bonaparte

Problem is that once it gets out of range, the blood banks won't take it. So you'd need to get a phlebotomy prescribed by your doc, then give blood later.

And you want to give whole blood (which contains RBCs), not just platelets.

Didn't know that, but that's EXACTLY the sort of thing I'm trying to avoid.

Thanks man.

**GotNoBlueMilk** · 08-28-2011, 06:37 AM

I donate whole blood. Donating platelets will accomplish the same thing; however, it is a longer process. You can donate platelets more frequently, so if you do have an issue and need to get your RBC count down more, and quickly, donating platelets would be a good option.

**sirupate** · 08-29-2011, 06:07 AM

Donated yesterday. I've been a pretty regular every 8 weeks donor. My hemoglobin counts are now down in the normal range. I was just above normal range when I began to donate again.

**optionsdude** · 08-30-2011, 12:01 PM

I just donated for the second time and my RBC count was higher this time. I went in the first day I could 56 days after the first donation and it was over 18. It was only 17 when I went in the first time. Is this something thats going to take a while to get down? I am going to com off therapy in a few months so I can get my hernia fixed so hopefully my RBC will go back to normal.

**sirupate** · 08-30-2011, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by optionsdude

I just donated for the second time and my RBC count was higher this time. I went in the first day I could 56 days after the first donation and it was over 18. It was only 17 when I went in the first time. Is this something thats going to take a while to get down? I am going to com off therapy in a few months so I can get my hernia fixed so hopefully my RBC will go back to normal.

Mine declined by a small amount at each donation. Don't know why yours would go up. Maybe going off TRT for a bit for your surgery, and then donating again will help.

**arizona32** · 08-30-2011, 12:52 PM

I donate 3-4 times a year, always whole blood

**bass** · 08-30-2011, 01:47 PM

mine goes up all the time since i started TRT, if i could I'll donate every month! but the rules are every 56 days.

**zaggahamma** · 08-30-2011, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by funkymonk

Didn't know that, but that's EXACTLY the sort of thing I'm trying to avoid.

Thanks man.

cuz its for the most part not true...i believe from time to time there are exceptions like bass was rejected from donating...but usually the only reason they wont take your blood is if the rbc/iron is TOO LOW....where i donate they drop a drop of blood in water or liquid if it drops fairly fast they dont even measure it and then its possibly too low in iron/b

**flatscat** · 08-30-2011, 06:51 PM

if mine is too high - only whole blood donation is allowed.....

AND since we can talk about price now, lol what do you all get for your blood? I dont get shiat - maybe a fckn beach towel or a cook book.......

**Sicko** · 08-30-2011, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by bass

mine goes up all the time since i started TRT, if i could I'll donate every month! but the rules are every 56 days.

Bass wasnt it you that said you drain yourself into a soda bottle in your bathroom?

**blacksmoke** · 08-30-2011, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by flatscat

if mine is too high - only whole blood donation is allowed.....

AND since we can talk about price now, lol what do you all get for your blood? I dont get shiat - maybe a fckn beach towel or a cook book.......

They don't pay in Canada as far as I know. I got nothing. Since starting trt I have donated once with no issues.

**funkymonk** · 08-30-2011, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by flatscat

if mine is too high - only whole blood donation is allowed.....

AND since we can talk about price now, lol what do you all get for your blood? I dont get shiat - maybe a fckn beach towel or a cook book.......

plasma instead of full blood.

**bass** · 08-30-2011, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by Sicko

Bass wasnt it you that said you drain yourself into a soda bottle in your bathroom?

yes until i found this place where they check by squeezing a drop of blood into liquid like JPK noted! all they cared about is that i had enough iron to donate! blue-cross and SBB rejected me! but lifeStream took my blood!

**sirupate** · 08-31-2011, 05:50 AM

My Red Cross (region?) has a machine that measures hemoglobin level....they prick your finger, squeeze a drop of blood onto a small slide, insert slide into machine and out pops a number for hemoglobin. I remember from years ago the cylinders with the blue-ish liquid in them that they dropped your blood into to check iron level.

I donate...get nothing but some satisfaction and a free draining for my health.

**GotNoBlueMilk** · 08-31-2011, 07:33 AM

My center has the machine too, which is nice because the tech even tells me my number so I can track it.

**zaggahamma** · 08-31-2011, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by sirupate

My Red Cross (region?) has a machine that measures hemoglobin level....they prick your finger, squeeze a drop of blood onto a small slide, insert slide into machine and out pops a number for hemoglobin. I remember from years ago the cylinders with the blue-ish liquid in them that they dropped your blood into to check iron level.

I donate...get nothing but some satisfaction and a free draining for my health.

thats what they do know and if it doesnt sink in a certain time frame then they do the machine thing