Update on high Hematocrit levels

**gon3r** · 10-25-2012, 03:53 PM

Starting a new thread:

9/12/2012 Hematocrit was at 56 after being on 200mg/week of T-Cyp so I gave a pint of blood and cut down to 150mg/week

9/26/12 Hematocrit was 46 after the donation and two weeks at 150mg

10/25/12 Hematocrit was at 53, so even at 150mg/wk for 6 weeks, my level is still rising

I go in for full blood work shortly, but I've been keeping an eye on this hematocrit for obvious reasons. I guess I will end up dropping down to 100mg/wk and seeing what that does after speaking with dr. and reviewing full blood work.

Is hematocrit always an issue with folks in the higher ranges of T? Every aspect of life is good at these levels, except the headaches and haze I get in the later months as my hematocrit rises. I'm sure I could stay at these levels and just continue to donate, but I'm really young and lifelong donations every month will have negative effects of their own.

**bass** · 10-25-2012, 04:33 PM

donating as often as you can is part of TRT, your hematocrit will go up at any dose, so donate as often as they allow. i do it every two months, and some times thats not enough, so i do one in between myself every once in a while. i am on 100 mgs test ew.

**Times Roman** · 10-25-2012, 04:44 PM

I'm down to 70mg test c / week, and give blood every other month. Right now, i'm jjust a shade over 50.

I also take a baby aspirin daily.

a high level is nothing to mess around with.

**gon3r** · 10-25-2012, 08:33 PM

Bass - How do you test your Hematocrit level? If I'm at 53 at 6-weeks, two months may be too long for me.

Times Roman - I know, that's why I'm checking my level often and trying to figure out if I should lower dose or just keep donating as often as possible.

Will Iron become an issue with the increase in donations?

Thanks!

**Times Roman** · 10-25-2012, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by gon3r

Bass - How do you test your Hematocrit level? If I'm at 53 at 6-weeks, two months may be too long for me.

Times Roman - I know, that's why I'm checking my level often and trying to figure out if I should lower dose or just keep donating as often as possible.

Will Iron become an issue with the increase in donations?

Thanks!

two things:

with trt, "less is more"
don't be afraid to lower your dose so that you can minimize your sides.

about the iron. if you are eating correctly, and taking in sufficient amounts of red meat, and supplementing with vit/min, then you should be g2g.

**labuski** · 10-25-2012, 09:36 PM

Im at 49 before starting trt tgis week. I guess this will be something i need to keep an eye on. At what level is too high?

**GetItHot** · 10-25-2012, 10:16 PM

What are some symptoms of being too high? Im on my second blast and I have been experiencing shortness of breath alot. I was high before my last donation in may, so i know im due but just cant get to a place to donate.

**TraceMYD** · 10-25-2012, 10:22 PM

Is it even possible to tell if your levels are getting high without bloodwork?

**Times Roman** · 10-25-2012, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by TraceMYD

Is it even possible to tell if your levels are getting high without bloodwork?

NO!

High is over 50 imo.

**bass** · 10-25-2012, 11:31 PM

the risks of having high Hematocrit is heat attach or stroke, like TRT said its nothing mess with. been doing BW every 6 weeks lately but once i know where my protocol should be to keep it in range by giving eom like TR then no need to do BW that often. sides of high Hematocrit are HBP, heart thumping hard, headaches, not breathing right kind of like gasping for air. sign up with two different blood drive companies and donate every month if you have too until you get in range, or have your doc write a prescription for blood letting, any blood drive will do it, some will charge and some will do it for free.

**xcraider37** · 10-26-2012, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by gon3r

Bass - How do you test your Hematocrit level? If I'm at 53 at 6-weeks, two months may be too long for me.

Times Roman - I know, that's why I'm checking my level often and trying to figure out if I should lower dose or just keep donating as often as possible.

Will Iron become an issue with the increase in donations?

Thanks!

These guys are right this is something to watch out for. Keep in mind if you were not properly hydrated during your BW, it can give a false high hct result. One more thing my hct rose the first few months of treatment but has stayed steady at 48 which is my pre-trt number, so not everyone's hct continues to elevate. But none the less you really need to check this every few months and donate blood if needed.

**gon3r** · 10-27-2012, 08:39 AM

Yeah, still working on protocol myself. Hematocrit before TRT was 49, which is the highest still considered normal, so mine will probably be an issue no matter what dosage TRT I take. I guess it is just a a frequency issue (i.e 200mg/wk would need blood donate monthly, 150mg/week seems I can go 6 weeks, haven't gone to 100mg/wk yet, but assuming every couple months).

For me I can tell when Hematocrit is high because of headache in same spot throughout the day, 'fogginess' of thought, and breathing changes a bit.

**Sworder** · 10-28-2012, 03:17 AM

Supraphysiological ranges of testosterone /estrogen raise hematocrit levels and it is the most common causation for TRT patients. It is the body's response to receiving too much hormones.

**Renholder** · 10-28-2012, 04:43 AM

Originally Posted by bass

donating as often as you can is part of TRT, your hematocrit will go up at any dose, so donate as often as they allow. i do it every two months, and some times thats not enough, so i do one in between myself every once in a while. i am on 100 mgs test ew.

Does that apply to everyone? I thought normal TRT doses would mimick the testosterone levels in a normal male.

This is a topic I rarely hear spoken about except on this forum, so I`m a little puzzled.

**xcraider37** · 10-28-2012, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by Renholder

Does that apply to everyone? I thought normal TRT doses would mimick the testosterone levels in a normal male.

This is a topic I rarely hear spoken about except on this forum, so I`m a little puzzled.

No it does not apply to everyone. As we all know we are different, but you still need to keep a close eye on it through bw. But its good to give blood anyways.

**bass** · 10-28-2012, 09:52 AM

^^^^what he said!

**Renholder** · 10-28-2012, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by xcraider37

No it does not apply to everyone. As we all know we are different, but you still need to keep a close eye on it through bw. But its good to give blood anyways.

I was a stable blood donor for two years and felt really good about it, both for my own health and for helping people, but the rules here are very strict. I`m single now and not in a stable relationship, so I`m not allowed to give.

The alternative is of course to do it at home, but I` not really sure I need it.

**HEVEW8** · 10-28-2012, 05:48 PM

I think I may have thick blood too,.. I have been experiencing symptoms, itchy after showers, and my blood pressure is high flux's between 135/80 - 155/75, I sometimes have to stop and catch my breath... I get my blood work done this week, would you guys recomend
Taking a few Beyer aspirin to help with the symptoms? Sorry don't mean to take over your thread..

**gon3r** · 10-28-2012, 05:56 PM

Renholder, your have other options. Blood banks do 'thearaputic' withdrawals with a prescription. They draw it and throw it away. Cost me $20.

Hevew8, you are shooting in the dark without numbers. My blood bank will test hematocrit for free. I walk in, the prick my finger, and give me result. In and out in 5 min.

All - my plan is to drop from 150/mg week to 100/mg week starting tomorrow. I'll also be giving a pint of blood on Tue, so w/ the reduction in dosage and the blood letting I'm hoping I'll get back into the mid 40's for a hematocrit. Then I'll check it in a couple weeks and go from there.

Thanks!

**Renholder** · 10-29-2012, 04:14 AM

Originally Posted by gon3r

Renholder, your have other options. Blood banks do 'thearaputic' withdrawals with a prescription. They draw it and throw it away. Cost me $20.

Hevew8, you are shooting in the dark without numbers. My blood bank will test hematocrit for free. I walk in, the prick my finger, and give me result. In and out in 5 min.

I`m not sure if they do it here in Norway, unless I in fact have a prescription which I do not have at this point.

My last hematocrit was 0,48. The reference range is 0,40-0,50. So, I will probably need to pass 0,50 in order to qualify, if at all.

Do you notice any changes in sexual function when your hematocrit is high?

**gon3r** · 10-30-2012, 12:06 PM

No, I do not.

**THE-DET-OAK** · 10-30-2012, 12:19 PM

I agree that HH is something to be concerned with, and should be monitored. Steps should be taken to reduce your HH.

With all of that being said, although HH is a risk factor for your stroke or heart attack, no one has actually ever had one from HH in relation to TRT.

For example, testosterone can increase the hematocrit, the percentage of red blood cells in the bloodstream. If the hematocrit goes up too high, we worry about the blood becoming too viscous or thick, possibly predisposing someone to stroke or clotting events. Although, frankly, in a review that I wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine* where we reviewed as much of this as we could, we found no cases of stroke or severe clotting related to testosterone therapy. Nevertheless, the risk exists, so we want to be careful about giving testosterone to men who already have a high hematocrit, such as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or those who have a red-blood-cell disorder.

http://www.harvardprostateknowledge....cement-therapy

Another thing you can do is check to make sure your not ingesting too much Iron and Zinc, vitamin B's can also cause HH.

**Juced_porkchop** · 10-30-2012, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by xcraider37

No it does not apply to everyone. As we all know we are different, but you still need to keep a close eye on it through bw. But its good to give blood anyways.

yeah i never give blood, i hate it, even blood test. (also cant i think they told me before because of tattoos)
but i also do NOT eat meat or fish, so maybe thats why mine is norm? (cept on higher dosed cycles)

going for bloods next week myself.

**THE-DET-OAK** · 10-30-2012, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by Juced_porkchop

but i also do NOT eat meat or fish, so maybe thats why mine is norm?

I think your suspicions may be correct, or it could simply be your one of the lucky ones, not everyone has a problem with it.

**gon3r** · 11-27-2012, 09:44 AM

Dropped from the 150mg/wk to 100mg/wk for the last three weeks to see if that helps HH. I'm starting to notice some of the original symptoms coming back though, so not sure this will work in the long-term. Back to the anxious, moodiness, etc.

**shanebrandon** · 10-02-2013, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by gon3r

Starting a new thread:

9/12/2012 Hematocrit was at 56 after being on 200mg/week of T-Cyp so I gave a pint of blood and cut down to 150mg/week

9/26/12 Hematocrit was 46 after the donation and two weeks at 150mg

10/25/12 Hematocrit was at 53, so even at 150mg/wk for 6 weeks, my level is still rising

I go in for full blood work shortly, but I've been keeping an eye on this hematocrit for obvious reasons. I guess I will end up dropping down to 100mg/wk and seeing what that does after speaking with dr. and reviewing full blood work.

Is hematocrit always an issue with folks in the higher ranges of T? Every aspect of life is good at these levels, except the headaches and haze I get in the later months as my hematocrit rises. I'm sure I could stay at these levels and just continue to donate, but I'm really young and lifelong donations every month will have negative effects of their own.

Hi,
Was you extremely weak when your levels was up?. I've been going to literally over 20 doctors and i've had all sorts of test done and nothing has come up except now that I just reviewed all my older/ newer labs I see my hematocrit level is 50 . I've been extremely fatigued and it's not like me because before I started roids I would work out and travel to Thailand and train for 9 hours a day and was always jacked and now it's been a year and I've lost tons of weight even tho my levels of testosterone are great and i have trouble walking up the stairs that's how weak i'm getting along with such bad vision i'm having hard times seeing text and my vision is ''perfect'' as the doctors say .