HGB is in red blood cells, so both ur HGB and ur HCT will drop instantly as soon as ur done donating
High HGB/HCT
- Thread starter GreenMachineX
- Start date
GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
I actually thought hct wouldn't drop until fluid is replaced 24 hours later because it's a % of blood?
Oh maybe actually. So maybe HGB and red blood cell count will both drop immediately and then HCT will drop once fluids are replaced. That might be how it works
GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
That sounds right from my light research.
GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
@Cataceous @Nelson Vergel
Is there any health concern with just stopping for a while, other than just being hypo? I've read that test increases NO to help prevent problems from high H/H, but if I stop, then that protection is gone. I have donated, but I'm tripping still and can't afford any adverse health outcomes (no one can obviously).
Is there any health concern with just stopping for a while, other than just being hypo? I've read that test increases NO to help prevent problems from high H/H, but if I stop, then that protection is gone. I have donated, but I'm tripping still and can't afford any adverse health outcomes (no one can obviously).
GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
Altitude adaptation through hematocrit changes - PubMed
Adaptation takes place not only when going to high altitude, as generally accepted, but also when going down to sea level. Immediately upon ascent to high altitude, the carotid body senses the lowering of the arterial oxygen partial pressure due to a diminished barometric pressure. High altitude...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
If the cause of erythrocytosis is elevation, apparently hematocrit will drop in 18 to 23 days. But for TRT, it lasts 2-3 months...?
GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
It's been a few since my last injection, and I feel better. Sleeping better, less anxiety, and libido is on fire..granted, it's only been since Friday (which was only a 4mg dose though). Obviously I could crash in a few days, but I think this gives me perspective on how much i actually need (if I do crash that is). Perhaps this entire TRT journey I've been overdosed and my trough free T should be more like midrange or even a bit under.
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GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
Had a follow up CBC done today, 3 days after donating. RBC at 5.55, hgb at 16.8 and hct at 48.8. So that's a 2 point drop in hgb about 5 points in hct. Pretty dramatic. Now I need to restart at a dose that won't do that again...
GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
After looking at my labs from over the year, it looks like my mcv is usually 88 or 89. One month ago, it was 85. Now it's 88 again after increasing b12 dose, while my rbc is down just a little. I am thinking that the increase in mcv and hgb the past month was from increasing b12, fixing the deficiency (I'm actually sleeping decent now, up to 8 hours, just waking up a lot), and the lower testosterone dose didn't have time to show the reduced amount of rbc since it's only been 4 weeks. I think 7mg would've likely still been too high though for comfort for me as I want my H/H comfortably under 51 and 18.
I'm still having nightly brain fog from 5pm to 8pm which is annoying. Muscles feel like they are fatigued way too easy, and cramping or pulling too easy. Knees cracking. I think holding water (or maybe just a worse body composition since the last time at this weight, can't tell). Anxiety ready to fly at a moments notice. Palpitations. Wild blood pressure fluctuations. But actually had a mild morning wood today...? Bizarre. I know the answer is to stick with a plan for 6 weeks and retest. That's not an exhaustive symptom list, but the most concerning.
Otherwise, while the b12 has made great progress in sleep, I'm super sensitive to it and feel on overdrive for several hours in the middle of the day. Adding methylfolate calms it down a little bit but gives us own side effects which are even more uncomfortable. Yet, when I took nothing, I was up all night.
@Cataceous @madman @Nelson Vergel @Gman86 any thoughts?
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GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
I've restarted test cyp as of yesterday at right above the 4mg line daily. I plan to keep this dose for a while as I really just want to make sure my HH doesn't get that high again, but I also want to ensure I'm not in hypogonadal territory after reading some research about covid deaths and low testosterone levels. I'll probably get labs in a couple weeks to get a ballpark idea of where I'm at. I know it's supposed to be 6 weeks.
On the other hand, I saw a new doctor Tuesday who is fine with HH as high as mine was (18.8 and 53.2), but I still don't know how high it would've went, or if it would've dropped lower.
@Cataceous if 9-10mg had me at higher free T then any previous plan I've done, very top of range, with more side effects like hair growing on ears and some other things I won't mention, if I drop to 5mg, how confident should I be I'll at least stay in "normal range" (I know nothing is ever set in stone, just trying to get a ballpark idea, covid risk is number 1 priority with this)?
I should also mention, based on previous lab work, if I can get my free T down to 117, my rbc should be 5.7, HH 17.1 and 50.8, or better since that was on EOD protocol still causing spikes in theory more than this daily protocol.
On the other hand, I saw a new doctor Tuesday who is fine with HH as high as mine was (18.8 and 53.2), but I still don't know how high it would've went, or if it would've dropped lower.
@Cataceous if 9-10mg had me at higher free T then any previous plan I've done, very top of range, with more side effects like hair growing on ears and some other things I won't mention, if I drop to 5mg, how confident should I be I'll at least stay in "normal range" (I know nothing is ever set in stone, just trying to get a ballpark idea, covid risk is number 1 priority with this)?
I should also mention, based on previous lab work, if I can get my free T down to 117, my rbc should be 5.7, HH 17.1 and 50.8, or better since that was on EOD protocol still causing spikes in theory more than this daily protocol.
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The 5 mg dose should in theory proportionally lower free testosterone. In this case that is a 50% reduction, to around 70-80 pg/mL on the Quest test. That's still in the normal range, and surely would not increase COVID risk. It should improve H&H. You'll have to see if it's enough to yield good subjective results as well.
GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
Right on. Hoping it turns out like that. Today is day 3 actually on 4mg. Slept like trash again last night but that could be from starting dhea again yesterday. No more dhea for a while, while I get testosterone dialed in.
GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
One more thing...if I want to track what my HH is doing, would it be best to test every 2 weeks, wait 4? I don't know how quickly it raises, or if it's linear...as in as the body adapts to a new test level, does the HH gain momentum? Or in my case of lowering dose, perhaps a lag in slowing down in erythrocytosis, so maybe hct goes up a 1 each week the first 2 weeks, then .75 the next few weeks, etc... any thoughts?
Smokin Joe
Active Member
I'm coming in late on this thread but wanted to chime in.
Iv been back on T for three weeks.
This time I'm trying 20mg every other day for 80mg .
Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
After 3 weeks my total T is at 670. Only a 2 day trough though. Still taking Ashwagandha daily.
Hematocrit 50.5 and hemoglobin 16.3. I have Immune Thrombocytopenia so my platelets are normally low.
Historically for me when my Hematocrit bumps 50 I feel shallow breathing.
Such was the case this time.
I gave blood today and feel soooo much better.
I give blood for testing again this week and am curious to see how much Hematocrit dropped.
Will post.
Iv been back on T for three weeks.
This time I'm trying 20mg every other day for 80mg .
Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
After 3 weeks my total T is at 670. Only a 2 day trough though. Still taking Ashwagandha daily.
Hematocrit 50.5 and hemoglobin 16.3. I have Immune Thrombocytopenia so my platelets are normally low.
Historically for me when my Hematocrit bumps 50 I feel shallow breathing.
Such was the case this time.
I gave blood today and feel soooo much better.
I give blood for testing again this week and am curious to see how much Hematocrit dropped.
Will post.
GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
I definitely can't feel a hct of 50. The only hct I'm sure I felt was 57 as I was getting dizzy too easy. Curious to see how much your hct dropped too
Based on what others have said it sounds like the H&H stabilization period is longer than a month after making changes. I don't know enough to even speculate on the linearity of the process.
GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
It's been 2 weeks since my last CBC with a HH of 16.8 and 48.8. Today, 15 days later, I'm at 17.2 and 49.8. This is at 5mg daily. I know it's early, but I also did test free and total and e2 sensitive. It looks like I'm gaining 1 point in hematocrit in 2 weeks at this rate. I might just drop to 4mg while I wait for the test levels to come back. Obviously this dose is still enough to promote RBCs erythrocytosis. I'd like to get ahead of it early. I definitely don't feel hypogonadal either.
And 17.1 is now the upper limit for hemoglobin? Seems pretty low...
Systemlord
Member
Male reference ranges are ->14-18 g/dL.
GreenMachineX
Well-Known Member
I thought so, but not according to Quest Diagnostics.
Systemlord
Member
The normal ranges depend upon the population that's being tested.
The normal ranges for the population living in the Himalayas is going to be different from the population living at sea level.
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