High HCT low iron

[greenwaters]

It seems I must go donate some blood. My hematocrit is 50%. However, my MCV and MCH are slightly low, indicating a iron deficiency. My MCV and MCH were low before ever starting trt, and I had a borderline low iron level years prior, without finding the reason. After seeing several doctors, and a upper and lower GI, nothing was found. Celiac test was negative. Im feeling like crap, not sure if its the high HCT or low iron, I havent had a full iron panel done this year, but Im sure much has changed. Im scared to add some iron(which is what I done off and on for years) due to the high HCT. Hemoglobin is 15.4

 

[Vince Carter]

Common rock and a hard place to find yourself in...Dr's make us donate, kills your iron/ferritin, and you're just stuck in a vicious cycle. There's some though to that supplementing iron to replenish post donation just spurs the HCT and HGB. Some Dr's are moving past the HCT and donations as misdiagnosed PCV, benign Erythrocytosis, etc etc
Some have not adopted this new way of thinking.

 

[greenwaters]

Common rock and a hard place to find yourself in...Dr's make us donate, kills your iron/ferritin, and you're just stuck in a vicious cycle. There's some though to that supplementing iron to replenish post donation just spurs the HCT and HGB. Some Dr's are moving past the HCT and donations as misdiagnosed PCV, benign Erythrocytosis, etc etc
Some have not adopted this new way of thinking.

Thanks Vince, I always appreciate your input. For now, I cut my dosage in half. as only on .5 ml, now going to .25 ml till I donate next week. Im in a rural area, so due to work schedule cant get to a city till next off day. I think need to try to get to why my body doesnt absorb iron like it should. I thought it had something to do with the low T, and low thyroid, but Im optimum in both now. Going to bring this up to my endo next week.

 

[pmgamer18]

Hi greenwaters.

Get a full set of labs done it can be your thyroid is making your iron levels low. I don't give blood to keep my Hemoglobin or Hematocrit down doing the big set of labs I do every 90 day helps with the high levels.

I need to take an Iron pill 3x's/week to keep my levels up.
pmgamer18

 

[Vince Carter]

A place to look at for iron problems is gut issues like reflux or GERD, etc etc Can all lead to malabsorption of nutrients, like Iron. To help with Iron try adding at least 1G of Vitamin-C, and also L-Lysine is reported to aid Iron absorption.

 

[Systemlord]

It seems I must go donate some blood. My hematocrit is 50%. However, my MCV and MCH are slightly low, indicating a iron deficiency. My MCV and MCH were low before ever starting trt, and I had a borderline low iron level years prior, without finding the reason. After seeing several doctors, and a upper and lower GI, nothing was found. Celiac test was negative. Im feeling like crap, not sure if its the high HCT or low iron, I havent had a full iron panel done this year, but Im sure much has changed. Im scared to add some iron(which is what I done off and on for years) due to the high HCT. Hemoglobin is 15.4

My iron and ferritin were low normal pre-TRT and after being on TRT for 2 and a half years I had full blown microcytic anemia and still doctors missed it. It would seem most of my doctors do not know how to spot iron deficiency when they see it.

When I started TRT hemoglobin was high normal, sometimes higher with a Total T of 500 ng/dL and 2 and half years later with similar Total T numbers hemoglobin was bottomed out while HCT was still high normal and below MCH and bottomed out MCV.

I had the same problem, GI problems, inflammation in esophagus and stomach, chronic cough and dry damaged skin at times which turned out to be iron deficiency or microcytic anemia indicated by abnormally below range MCH and bottomed out MCV.

This iron deficiency which cause the GI issues also prevented me from absorbing potassium and vitamin D which were also subterrain. Do not take iron ferrous, a common iron tablet, it's poorly absorbed and you can get GI side effects, you should take amino acid chelated iron also known as Iron bis-glycinate.

You could start low and go slow and see how you do, you could take Iron-C 15mg 3x per week and tally up as needed. My iron is more than sufficiently elevated now and off and TRT my CBC are about the same as pre-TRT except for the low hemoglobin, low MCV and low MCH.

As of right now your body is probably pulling iron from storage (ferritin) and eventually it will run out if you do not supplement iron worsening your iron deficiency.

 

[Scors60]

I had a similar issue just recently. At least I THINK it's similar. My HCT was elevated slightly for the first time in 6 years of TRT. However, my B12 was low. Sort of confusing. If I supplement B12, will that send my HCT even higher? And if I donate blood will that drive my B12 even lower? Or are they not related that directly?

 

[Gman86]

I had a similar issue just recently. At least I THINK it's similar. My HCT was elevated slightly for the first time in 6 years of TRT. However, my B12 was low. Sort of confusing. If I supplement B12, will that send my HCT even higher? And if I donate blood will that drive my B12 even lower? Or are they not related that directly?

Pretty sure donating blood has no effect on b12. What was your Hemaglobin level? Heard multiplying that by 3 is a better way to see what your HCT level is than actually testing HCT itself, as there are other factors that can falsely increase HCT. I forget what those factors are. Maybe illness or inflammation or something like that.

When donating blood, they only test your hemaglobin level. They don’t even bother checking HCT.

 

[Scors60]

Thank you. My HCT was 52 and my Hg was slightly high at 17.0. 3 times that would be 51, so it's in the ballpark.

 

[Gman86]

Thank you. My HCT was 52 and my Hg was slightly high at 17.0. 3 times that would be 51, so it's in the ballpark.

Awesome. Ya 51 is perfect. It’s the perfect balance between optimizing oxygen in the blood, and minimizing side effects from it being too high.

 

[pmgamer18]

Hi All,



If your dehighdreaded your levels will test higher. spelling??????????

 

[Scors60]

Oh, yes, absolutely, but if I'd been any more hydrated for that blood pull I would have floated away.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Iron Deficiency Without Anemia – Common, Important, Neglected

Iron Deficiency Without Anemia – Common, Important, Neglected (2019) Esa Soppi* Department of internal medicine, Eira Hospital, Laivurinkatu 29, FI-00150 Helsinki, Finland Abstract A serum ferritin concentration of

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