How many give blood regularly to combat high RBC?

[pyramid]

I have high hemoglobin 18, hemocratin 55, and RBC was at 6.25%. I am thinking about giving blood every 6 weeks to keep this in check. Of those who do this does it help with the pounding heart rate and sometimes tense feeling? Thanks.

[zaggahamma]

I used to all the time and went without for 2 years...i started getting pretty bad headaches and felth very lethargic...ONE donation and headaches gone and more energy....this is all going by feel...i would assume my numbers were up there with yours...i had only checked blood pressure the day of the donation and was a bit high 140 over 80 or 78 (i'll double check and edit) i hadnt been checking like i should....but since the donation i've been ranging 115-125 over 75-78 for a week...this is like 10 consecutive tests and 2 showing 130/78 so 10 out of 12 were ideal and i guess the 130 is borderline for blood pressure...the phlebotemist(sp?) guaranteed my headaches would subside....she was right

[sirupate]

I gave last Saturday. Red Cross said my hemoglobin was 18. It had been just over 17 at my last BW and high in the range in previous BW. I see a hematologist tomorrow at the recommendation of my endo. doc. Hopefully hematologist just says keep giving blood to the Red Cross every 6-8 weeks. My endo. guy is very conservative and I'll keep playing along as long as I am getting the test. cyp. prescriptions.

Jeff

[ecsaaron]

I give every 56 days.At about 35-40 days i start to get the head aches and feel like a slug.The day i give blood i feel like crap so i drink lots of water and the next day I feel good until about 35-40 days again

[sirupate]

I give every 56 days.At about 35-40 days i start to get the head aches and feel like a slug.The day i give blood i feel like crap so i drink lots of water and the next day I feel good until about 35-40 days again

More education for me...I never knew that marginally high levels of RBC would make you feel poorly. I guess the Red Cross and I are gonna become familiar.

[sirupate]

Saw the hematologist this morning. He told me two things can cause high hemoglobin. One is TRT. In the other case, your bone marrow just makes too much. In both cases, the "cure" is to get drained periodically. If your bone marrow is making too much, he didn't think that the Red Cross would want me. If the cause is TRT, donating to the Red Cross is fine. He thought every 8 weeks would be sufficient. Did more BW to determine the cause of my high hemoglobin.

Jeff

[zaggahamma]

Saw the hematologist this morning. He told me two things can cause high hemoglobin. One is TRT. In the other case, your bone marrow just makes too much. In both cases, the "cure" is to get drained periodically. If your bone marrow is making too much, he didn't think that the Red Cross would want me. If the cause is TRT, donating to the Red Cross is fine. He thought every 8 weeks would be sufficient. Did more BW to determine the cause of my high hemoglobin.

Jeff

this is the frequency the blood center in central florida allows (56 days)

[Termin8r27]

this is the frequency the blood center in central florida allows (56 days)

Yep, same here. Just gave blood today!