How long after my TRT start should I donate blood?

**ctenosaura** · 12-16-2012, 12:17 PM

How long after my TRT start should I donate blood? How often should I do it after that. The Red Cross blood bank where I live only allows you to donate every 56 days. Theres also a double red cell donations too and one has a wait 112 days between.
Thanks

**bass** · 12-16-2012, 02:35 PM

id say start now, there no harm in doing it every two months. red cross are very strict, they rejected me due to high hemoglobin, don't let you levels go to high otherwise they'll reject you, so my advice is start now!

**PistolPete33** · 12-16-2012, 04:30 PM

I just started my Protocol yesterday so should I donate blood this week? I'm guessing it shouldn't hurt or should I just wait another 2 months?

**bass** · 12-16-2012, 05:23 PM

i was rejected after two months on TRT due to high hemoglobin, we all react differently to medications, but it wouldn't hurt to start now. i'd say you will be safe for another month before your levels start to go up.

**wifor** · 12-29-2012, 10:17 PM

I started TRT (.75 ml test cyp) with my hemoglobin in the normal range.
In 2 weeks my hemoglobin was up to 19.3. I donated 1 pint of whole blood.
The 3rd week I continued with .75 ml of test cyp. My hemoglobin was up to 19.6. I donated 1 pint of whole blood.
The 4th week I backed off the .75 ml of test cyp and went with .50 ml. My hemoglobin dropped to 16.6. I donated 1 pint of whole blood.
The 5th week I went back to .75 ml (in 2 doses .50 ml and then .25 ml 4 days later). My hemoglobin dropped to 15.3. I donated 1 pint of whole blood.
The 6th week I went back to .75 ml of test cyp (1 dose). My hemoglobin was 15.4. I did not donate blood.
I will continue to check my hemoglobin every week. My phlebotomy script states I can give a pint anytime it is above 15 but I can live with it being in the low 15 range.

Obviously, my doctors are concerned about my hemoglobin levels and would not proscribe enough testosterone to get me in the high average range. Consequently, I felt like crap for a prolonged period of time and suffered all the symptoms of low T. Primarily, the inability to lose weight (I trained for and ran 2 marathons), sleep apnea and significant depression. Hopefully, with the hemoglobin in an appropriate range, I can finally get my test levels to where they need to be and then see some results from working out. We will see!

Wifor

**wifor** · 01-02-2013, 12:37 PM

Well,

Week #7: .75 ml of Test Cyp. My hemoglobin went up to 17.0. I donated 1 pint of whole blood.
(Blood Pressure was 137/88, Pulse was 74)

wifor

**Nate02** · 01-02-2013, 02:27 PM

Its not as if donating blood will hurt you. I would start now. I'd imagine the determinant for how often is your blood levels. I am sure you'll see differing opinions from everyone. The best way is to take the suggestions from this thread, and then modify your donation time frame as you find out what works for your body.

**wifor** · 01-11-2013, 10:04 PM

Well,

Week #8: .50 ml of Test Cyp. on Saturday and .25 ml on Wednesday. My hemoglobin went down to 14.7. I did not donate 1 pint of whole blood.
I'm fairly pleased at this point and am thinking of requesting an increase in dose to 100 ml/ week. We will see.

wifor

**nyjetsfan** · 01-12-2013, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by wifor

I started TRT (.75 ml test cyp) with my hemoglobin in the normal range.
In 2 weeks my hemoglobin was up to 19.3. I donated 1 pint of whole blood.
The 3rd week I continued with .75 ml of test cyp. My hemoglobin was up to 19.6. I donated 1 pint of whole blood.
The 4th week I backed off the .75 ml of test cyp and went with .50 ml. My hemoglobin dropped to 16.6. I donated 1 pint of whole blood.
The 5th week I went back to .75 ml (in 2 doses .50 ml and then .25 ml 4 days later). My hemoglobin dropped to 15.3. I donated 1 pint of whole blood.
The 6th week I went back to .75 ml of test cyp (1 dose). My hemoglobin was 15.4. I did not donate blood.
I will continue to check my hemoglobin every week. My phlebotomy script states I can give a pint anytime it is above 15 but I can live with it being in the low 15 range.

Obviously, my doctors are concerned about my hemoglobin levels and would not proscribe enough testosterone to get me in the high average range. Consequently, I felt like crap for a prolonged period of time and suffered all the symptoms of low T. Primarily, the inability to lose weight (I trained for and ran 2 marathons), sleep apnea and significant depression. Hopefully, with the hemoglobin in an appropriate range, I can finally get my test levels to where they need to be and then see some results from working out. We will see!

Wifor

FYI- Sleep apnea will make RBC's climb sky high. Did for me (I also donate every 2 months). I often wonder: could test cause sleep apnea which in turn causes the high hemoglobin counts? Or is it the test by itself causing the high levels. My 2 cents

**wifor** · 01-29-2013, 09:08 PM

Week #9: .75 ml of Test Cyp. on Saturday. My hemoglobin went up to 15.1. I did not donate 1 pint of whole blood.

Week #10: 1.00 ml of Test Cyp. on Saturday. My hemoglobin went down to 14.7. I did not donate 1 pint of whole blood.

**wifor** · 01-31-2013, 08:07 PM

Week #11: 1.20 ml of Test Cyp. on Sunday. My hemoglobin went up to 15.5. I did not donate 1 pint of whole blood but am now thinking that maybe I should have. I increased my dose from 1.0 ml to 1.2 ml of test and my hemoglobin went up almost 1 point (from 14.7 to 15.5). It wont kill me to wait until next week and test again.

Wifor

**Kalani9976** · 02-03-2013, 04:47 PM

How much blood do they usually take at blood banks

**wifor** · 02-04-2013, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by Kalani9976

How much blood do they usually take at blood banks

500 ml or 1 pint max!

Wifor

**wifor** · 02-08-2013, 10:52 AM

Week #12: 1.20 ml of Test Cyp. on Sunday. My hemoglobin went down to 15.2. I did not donate 1 pint of whole blood. So, I have not had to donate since 1/2/2013. I am coming up on 6 weeks since my last blood donation and over that time i have slowly increased my Test dosage from .75 ml/ week to 1.2 ml/ week. Believe it or not, I am beginning to feel better. I have done this experiment 'unofficially' as my doc prescribed the .75 ml dose. I will go back down to 1.0 ml this week as I am scheduled for blood work and I don't want to make the doc mad for not following directions. I think my little experiment has produced some good results for analysis. Now I am curious about what the Test levels turn out to be. Libido is certainly up but morning wood is almost non existant. I'm on .5 anastrozole 2x/week but don't know my E2 levels yet either. More later.

Wifor

**ozley62** · 02-10-2013, 09:00 AM

Sleep Apnea can definitely get worse after starting TRT from everything I've read. I was very overweight when I started TRT and I ended up having to use a BiPAP machine my sleep apnea got so bad. My RBC has been much easier to control since I started using it, so you're correct.

**wifor** · 02-16-2013, 05:06 PM

Week #12: 1.00 ml of Test Cyp. on Sunday. My hemoglobin went up from 15.5 to 16.2. I did donate 1 pint of whole blood this week.

This was the 1st donation in 6 weeks. I decreased my dose from 1.2 ml to 1.0 ml of test but I did not feel on top of my game all week. I began a new part time job that adds 20 hours to my work schedule for a total of 60 hrs/week. On tues/thur night I was awake until 12:30 am and woke up at 6:30 am. I was pretty tired on Wednsday and Fridays and don't think the lower dose of 1.0 ml of test helped me any. more later.....

Wifor

**wifor** · 03-08-2013, 03:20 PM

Week #13: 1.25 ml of Test Cyp. on Sunday. My hemoglobin went down from 16.2 to 14.9. I did not donate 1 pint of whole blood this week.

Week #14: 1.00 ml of Test Cyp. on Sunday and .25 ml on Thursday. My hemoglobin went down from 14.9 to 14.8. I did not donate 1 pint of whole blood this week.

Wifor

**junk2222yard** · 03-08-2013, 06:13 PM

One thing I recommend: get ferritin checked before donating blood. This is 10x more important if you have a thyroid condition, too.

I donated every 3 months and my hemoglobin and hematocrit checked out fine at the clinic, and then I checked ferritin and found out I am waaay below the bottom of the range entirely! Now I am stuck trying to rebuild my iron reserves with oral iron (hard on stomach) and iron shots.

**61er** · 03-08-2013, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by ctenosaura

How long after my TRT start should I donate blood? How often should I do it after that. The Red Cross blood bank where I live only allows you to donate every 56 days. Theres also a double red cell donations too and one has a wait 112 days between.
Thanks

I don't understand your issue. Donate if your blood work indicates a problem OR for personal satisfaction.

**ctenosaura** · 03-08-2013, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by 61er

I don't understand your issue. Donate if your blood work indicates a problem OR for personal satisfaction.

LOL, three months after the fact, but my original question was posted when I was new to TRT and was trying to learn how and when others with more experience were donating.

**Vinman** · 03-10-2013, 08:33 PM

A quick question about donating blood- I donated yesterday for the first time in my life, and felt pretty shitty the rest of the day. I looked back at my BW for the past two years while on TRT and noticed that my hemoglobin levels never got above 14. Should I be concerned that my levels never increase while using test, seeing as though most other people get an increase in red blood cells while on the protocol ??

**ctenosaura** · 03-10-2013, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by Vinman

A quick question about donating blood- I donated yesterday for the first time in my life, and felt pretty shitty the rest of the day. I looked back at my BW for the past two years while on TRT and noticed that my hemoglobin levels never got above 14. Should I be concerned that my levels never increase while using test, seeing as though most other people get an increase in red blood cells while on the protocol ??

Very common for people to feel crappy after giving blood. I feel fine after but a friend of mine has to take the day off and lay down all day. Really hydrate and chow down 6 hours prior to giving blood.