70 Year Old Grandfather Restarting TRT

[BrooklynJerry]

i just registered today. I'm a 70yo grandfather. I just began TRT this week. I had done this for about a year 2 years ago but for so e reason decided to stop.
I haven't been feeling depressed at all but my libido was low. It may just be I was bored with the GF( she is getting older too).
I do workout with weights 2 to 3 days a week. I've just been able to maintain my strength in the past few years .
The T clinic tested and said
my free T was 468 not bad for a guy my age but said my SBGH was not letting me use much. Started me off with .3cc twice a week. They told me my feritin was low and to take black strap molasses to help.
i am a regular blood donor whole blood and platelets. I just donated whole blood 1/5/2020 and have another scheduled for 3/1. Sorry for the long intro.

 

[Ronnny]

Welcome. Never heard black strap molasses. This is a refined suger and any kind of refined sugar is bad for health as far as I know of. I don't know how sugar is going to increase your ferritin level. I think you meant your Total T was 468 NOT free T. May be your ferritin level was low because you just donated blood this month. May I know why you donate blood regularly?

 

[BrooklynJerry]

Welcome. Never heard black strap molasses. This is a refined suger and any kind of refined sugar is bad for health as far as I know of. I don't know how sugar is going to increase your ferritin level. I think you meant your Total T was 468 NOT free T. May be your ferritin level was low because you just donated blood this month. May I know why you donate blood regularly?

Hi Ronny, I guess the total T was what I meant. I was told my feritin level was low.Iron supplemtation was reccomended. I was told blackstrap molasses was a good source 30mg of iron per tbl.spoon.Rather than taking molasses I bought Swanson capsules 29mg per capsule.
I have been donating blood to keep my hemocrotcit levels lower. I was told in the past TRT can raise them and thicken the blood. Maybe that's what my level is low?

 

[Systemlord]

Welcome brooklynjerry.

I was borderline iron deficient upon starting TRT and full blown iron deficient in no time flat. Turns out all I needed was vitamin C, vitamin C = iron absorption.

 

[BrooklynJerry]

Thanks Systemlord, I will make sure to up my VitC intake.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to Excelmale. I'm 65, it seems that older men do better on trt then younger men. I wish you the best of luck. Keep us posted as your results.

 

[dnfuss]

Hi Ronny, I guess the total T was what I meant. I was told my feritin level was low.Iron supplemtation was reccomended. I was told blackstrap molasses was a good source 30mg of iron per tbl.spoon.Rather than taking molasses I bought Swanson capsules 29mg per capsule.
I have been donating blood to keep my hemocrotcit levels lower. I was told in the past TRT can raise them and thicken the blood. Maybe that's what my level is low?

What are your most recent lab values for hematocrit and ferritin?

I had a similar issue. My hematocrit was never really high (pre-TRT level of 44.8, rose as high as 47.2), but my ferritin certainly was (596 pre-TRT). I now think that was probably more of an indication of inflammation than excessive iron stores (ferritin is also an acute phase reactant). But I wanted to reduce it and thought best way would be blood donation. I was a little too zealous and began to donate every two months, which is generally the maximum frequency allowed by donation centers. I had my ferritin measured again after three donations (six months later).

My ferritin measured at 3!!

I stopped donating and began taking a low-dose iron supplement every day (ferrous bisglycinate, 25 mg.) until the bottle ran out (three months). I then had new labs done, and my ferritin was back up to 174. Since then I have not taken any supplemental iron nor donated blood more frequently than every six months.

It's very easy to get on a roller coaster, taking ferritin too low with too-frequent blood donation and then raising it too high with supplemental iron. Preferable to find stability without either if possible.

 

[BrooklynJerry]

I just looked some old lab.results.In 2016 before every taking TRT and donating blood my HCT was 48.9 Feritn 44.3 Iron106
This Dec before TRT but after making a platlett donation a month earlier the readings.were HCT 50.6 iron 76 feritn 23.5.
I have a whole blood donation scheduled for March 1, I guess I'll keep it and see what my HCT level is.They give the result at the donation center. I will continue to take the blackstrap molasses with iron and take am 8mg aspirin daily for now. Thanks for taking those time to read my posts and your replies.

 

[dnfuss]

I just looked some old lab.results.In 2016 before every taking TRT and donating blood my HCT was 48.9 Feritn 44.3 Iron106
This Dec before TRT but after making a platlett donation a month earlier the readings.were HCT 50.6 iron 76 feritn 23.5.
I have a whole blood donation scheduled for March 1, I guess I'll keep it and see what my HCT level is.They give the result at the donation center. I will continue to take the blackstrap molasses with iron and take am 8mg aspirin daily for now. Thanks for taking those time to read my posts and your replies.

Of course, you should consult with your doctor regarding this, but ...

You might consider having more current iron labs nearer to your scheduled donation: serum iron, iron saturation, TIBC and ferritin (and of course hemoglobin and hematocrit as part of a CBC).

But just looking at your most recent labs, your ferritin is already quite low. My lab's (LabCorp) low end of range is 30. If I had those numbers for hematocrit and ferritin, I would definitely postpone donating for now.

P.S. FWIW, donation centers generally do not test hematocrit pre-draw. They test hemoglobin and multiply by three, which is a pretty good approximation most of the time but in certain cases may differ from measured hematocrit. (Hematocrit is also a calculated value, determined by multiplying red cell count by mean cell volume, but this method is considered slightly more accurate.)