Donated blood and my RBC is still a little high

**dfwo** · 02-07-2012, 06:15 PM

I donated two weeks ago, and then had blood drawn yesterday.

RBC is 5.58 (4.10-5.60)

(it was 5.67 before donating)

is this anything to be concerned about?

**Nofinshline** · 02-07-2012, 06:19 PM

How about your HCT?

**dfwo** · 02-07-2012, 06:23 PM

Hct 47.4 (36.0-50.0)

**jamotech** · 02-07-2012, 07:08 PM

maybe try a double red next time, I just gave whole blood for the first time tonight and asked as many questions as I could!

**Vettester** · 02-07-2012, 07:23 PM

Just get in the mode of going every two months and you will see a gradual decline with your numbers. You can also look at the double reds like Jtech mentioned, but you will see improvements if you just keep going on a regular basis.

**dfwo** · 02-07-2012, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by vetteman08

Just get in the mode of going every two months and you will see a gradual decline with your numbers. You can also look at the double reds like Jtech mentioned, but you will see improvements if you just keep going on a regular basis.

ok, I guess that's the answer I was hoping for. I put it on my calendar to make it a reglar thing.

**bass** · 02-07-2012, 11:43 PM

also drink lots of water, it helps a little! you can also find another blood drive and give another pint!

**Nofinshline** · 02-08-2012, 09:45 AM

OP, did you drink any liquids before blood was taken? if so, how much? I find that hct varies much with liquid intake... someone told me that to know your max hct value during the day you must draw blood as soon as possible after you wake up and fasting from food and drink. If your hct is below 50, you are GTG as you'll be below that number all day as long as you are well hydrated.

**Nofinshline** · 02-08-2012, 09:48 AM

Pardon my ignorance, but what is "double reds" ?

**kelkel** · 02-08-2012, 10:11 AM

They can remove just double red blood cells instead of whole blood if you choose. The machine literally filters out the drbc and puts back the rest. I understand it pulls out over 2 times the amount of drbc that a whole blood draw does. I did it last time.

Bass! Aren't you going to describe your bathroom blood letting protocol? Lots of newbies would love to hear it!

**bass** · 02-08-2012, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by kelkel

They can remove just double red blood cells instead of whole blood if you choose. The machine literally filters out the drbc and puts back the rest. I understand it pulls out over 2 times the amount of drbc that a whole blood draw does. I did it last time.

Bass! Aren't you going to describe your bathroom blood letting protocol? Lots of newbies would love to hear it!

LOL! i haven't needed it as of yet, but maybe its worth pinning myself with 18 g. just to show how its done!

**jamotech** · 02-09-2012, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by bass

LOL! i haven't needed it as of yet, but maybe its worth pinning myself with 18 g. just to show how its done!

Haha, that is some funny shit, I almost freaked when she pulled out a 16 gauge needle. Ill normally watch being stuck, but that thing was huge.

**PPC** · 02-12-2012, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by bass

also drink lots of water, it helps a little! you can also find another blood drive and give another pint!

Have they let you do this before your 56 day window is up? That would be great for my husband who has high hemoglobin issues. They send him notices about other drives on our area but we were under the impressio he coudn't give until the appropriate amount of time had passed.

**PPC** · 02-12-2012, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by bass

also drink lots of water, it helps a little! you can also find another blood drive and give another pint!

Oops double post

**dfwo** · 02-12-2012, 01:13 PM

In my area at least, they're *very* careful about this. They check ID and keep a detailed record on how often you donate. When I donated a couple of weeks ago, they told me exactly how many times I'd donated going back like ten years.

**nyjetsfan** · 02-12-2012, 06:36 PM

I have the same issues and donate regularly. I've also read a baby aspirin and fish olis will help thin the blood (i take both) At the end of the day donating on a regular basis is the key.

**bass** · 02-12-2012, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by PPC

Have they let you do this before your 56 day window is up? That would be great for my husband who has high hemoglobin issues. They send him notices about other drives on our area but we were under the impressio he coudn't give until the appropriate amount of time had passed.

i checked with them and each blood drive center keep their records/data private, in other words they don't share your information with other blood drives centers, so you can go to totally different (not affiliated) blood drive center and donate. i know this because two major blood drive centers declined me due to high hemoglobin, they labeled me with a disease called polycythemia, of course i don't have that disease, its high becasue i am on TRT, but thats how they labeled it. anyway, if they share this information with other blood drive centers it would have shown in the date base and every center would have declined me, but i donate regularly with another BD center with no problems!

**flatscat** · 02-13-2012, 07:49 AM

Just donated doubles Friday. Hematocrit was 57! But they just asked me if i had been diagnosed with any condition and I said no they said ok and proceeded. They said if I had been diagnosed I would need a script to have any procedure done but i could come on as often as i wanted then. Only difference is they would dispose of it instead of use it.

**bass** · 02-13-2012, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by flatscat

Just donated doubles Friday. Hematocrit was 57! But they just asked me if i had been diagnosed with any condition and I said no they said ok and proceeded. They said if I had been diagnosed I would need a script to have any procedure done but i could come on as often as i wanted then. Only difference is they would dispose of it instead of use it.

and will charge you for doing it, its not free, it cost me $85 each time i did it because of my high hemoglobin until i found a BD center that didn't care about high hemoglobin!