At home phlebotomy

[Tremonti22]

Really sucks having to go to the blood center to do this considering it’s really not that complex. Anyone ever done this at home and just have the wife poke you? I recognize there are several variables one must watch out for (where to stick) etc. but certainly seems one could learn

 

[Cataceous]

This guy makes it look easy to do, even by yourself. But I think I'd research it a bit more.

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[mooseman109]

We do it at home. My wife is trained though. We can buy 16 ga kits online. Big bore needle does not feel good poking around in there if the person doing the poking is unskilled. So if you have large veins that stick out you can probably be ok. Pay attention next time you go to red cross or wherever to things like how they lay your arm, angles/direction. Do they take tourniquet off after blood flows or leave it on. How they tape things up...... Then you can assist your chosen poker person!
So we did this one time. I took a shower as it was cold in the house, I sat up in a chair rather than laying down and she drained out 550-600 units as it was a 600 unit bag. I passed out as soon as the needle was pulled out. Too much vasodilation prior to beginning. Be smart, but it can be done at home.

 

[Tremonti22]

This guy makes it look easy to do, even by yourself. But I think I'd research it a bit more.

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Yea that just confirmed that there really isn’t anything to it. I’ll keep kicking the idea around.

 

[madman]

Really sucks having to go to the blood center to do this considering it’s really not that complex. Anyone ever done this at home and just have the wife poke you? I recognize there are several variables one must watch out for (where to stick) etc. but certainly seems one could learn

You are getting ahead of yourself here!

From your previous thread:

Ok here are labs taken on 12-20-2020
Again these were at 160mg injected once a week (every 6 days) , cypionate, IM injection. No E2 / anastrazole taken.

As I stated in the previous thread that your RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit is at the top end due to your very high TT/FT levels!

Nothing to be concerned about to the point of needing to donate let alone perform at-home phlebotomy as they are not absurdly high let alone you just dropped your fairly high T dose 160 mg every 6 days --->100 mg every 6 days which is a large drop and it will result in lower TT/FT which will have a big impact on bringing down your RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit in due time.

Top it off that you are considering starting daily injections using lower doses T (14mg/day).

 

[Tremonti22]

You are getting ahead of yourself here!

From your previous thread:

Ok here are labs taken on 12-20-2020
Again these were at 160mg injected once a week (every 6 days) , cypionate, IM injection. No E2 / anastrazole taken.
View attachment 12447


As I stated in the previous thread that your RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit is at the top end due to your very high TT/FT levels!
View attachment 12448
View attachment 12449


Nothing to be concerned about to the point of needing to donate let alone perform at-home phlebotomy as they are not absurdly high let alone you just dropped your fairly high T dose 160 mg every 6 days --->100 mg every 6 days which is a large drop and it will result in lower TT/FT which will have a big impact on bringing down your RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit in due time.

Top it off that you are considering starting daily injections using lower doses T (14mg/day).

Thanks @madman great advice as usual. I’ll hang back and wait. Do have a question. After 7 days of daily injection of 14mg like I say I feel good, no more foggy head, good energy, but I do notice right nipple pain a bit. I’ve experienced this before like when I first started TRT. Perhaps just the change in hormone? Isn’t bad and I’ve only experienced the last two days. Just curious what thoughts are. I’m not a high armotizer and would really rather not mess with any AI’s if possible. Of course labs in 5 weeks will tell us what’s going on. But I do feel something in my right nipple. Thoughts?

 

[xqfq]

You should not do this alone or you may pass out and bleed to death.

 

[Queequeg]

I tried a home therapeutic phlebotomy a few years ago.
I was desperate because my hgb was high, so the Red Cross wouldn't do it. Also, I was supposed to fly internationally in two weeks and had two Dr's telling me that flying would be dangerous. Unfortunately, for some reason my pcp was dragging her feet scheduling me to have it done at the hospital.
So, I bought tubing to fit on the base of an 18g hypodermic at the hardware store, and a paint bucket with volume marks.
I disinfected everything and had a friend insert the needle. I have video of the blood flowing into the bucket with us cheering! Then it stopped. He tried five more times, and the same thing happened.
A week later, I finally was phlebotomized at the hospital. It took over an hour, because my hgb combined with high natural clotting factors kept blocking the system. They use a saline backwash to clear the block.
I wore long sleeves because one of my arms looked like a heroin addicts arm.

 

[jadenfox]

Yes, I've done myself, and would agree with mooseman109's description. If you are not afraid of needles, then it's quite straight forward... if you are, then you'll need to find someone who has training or at least some skill in tapping a vein.

 

[t_spacemonkey]

i completely ignore hematocrit/rbc, till my blood work, then i do 2 donations. red cross cuts off at 20htc, but vitalant does not, i do vit first, gets it below, then RC, gets it just into the range