Daily TRT (subq) to help with hematocrit?

[BeardedButcher55]

Switched my protocol from 2x a week (Monday Am and Thursday PM) of Test Cyp 140mg a week (70 per shot). I was on that protocol for over a year and my blood tests kept giving me high hematocrit numbers like 56, 58, 54.

Donations (double red) helped a bit but still higher than I had liked.

About 8 weeks ago I switched to Sub-q daily injections of 20mg test cyp. My hope is this should help with a few of the sides such as the higher hematocrit. I also stopped my Arimidex to see where my estrogen was at with ED trt.

I plan on getting my bloodwork at 10 weeks to see where I am at.

I can say that my sex drive is waaaaay higher after starting ED injections. Way higher!

 

[madman]

Switched my protocol from 2x a week (Monday Am and Thursday PM) of Test Cyp 140mg a week (70 per shot). I was on that protocol for over a year and my blood tests kept giving me high hematocrit numbers like 56, 58, 54.

Donations (double red) helped a bit but still higher than I had liked.

About 8 weeks ago I switched to Sub-q daily injections of 20mg test cyp. My hope is this should help with a few of the sides such as the higher hematocrit. I also stopped my Arimidex to see where my estrogen was at with ED trt.

I plan on getting my bloodwork at 10 weeks to see where I am at.

I can say that my sex drive is waaaaay higher after starting ED injections. Way higher!

Where did your hematocrit sit at baseline before you jumped on T?

Definitely need to address the elevated hematocrit especially if it is >54%.

Most struggling with elevated hematocrit are running too high trough/steady-state FT.

Frequent blood donations is not the way to go as many end up crashing iron/ferritin which can open up another can of worms.

Have you been keeping an eye on your iron/ferritin?

Chances are if you were donating too frequently let alone double reds to manage your hematocrit it can easily backfire and crash your iron/ferritin.

Yes injecting daily in the hopes of bringing down the hematocrit or estradiol can work for some but it is far from a given as many men still end up running too high a trough/steady-state FT on dailies.

Keep in mind it is not just the high peaks/peak--->trough that drives up the hematocrit.

Running too high a trough/steady-state FT will play a big role here.

Switching from twice-weekly to dailies will clip the peak--->trough and the difference between the peak/trough would be minimal, blood levels will be very stable throughout the week but if you still end up hitting a high steady-state FT it can still have a big impact on elevating the hematocrit let alone estradiol.

Many tend to lower the weekly dose when switching to dailies otherwise they may still end up hitting too high a steady-state FT.

Even though you are not increasing your weekly dose and you will be clipping your peak--->trough, blood levels will be more stable throughout the week the same weekly dose split into dailies may still have your steady-state FT level too high.

Keep in mind when one is starting therapy or tweaking a protocol (increasing dose of T/manipuolating injection frequency) the hematocrit will start to increase within the 1st month and the biggest increase will be seen at the 3-6 month mark.

For many men hematocrit will reach a plateau at 6 months but some men will continue to see increases until 9 to 12 months before levels fully stabilize.

Would not get too caught up on the high libido just yet as you are only 8 weeks in and things can easily settle down over the following months.

Its going to take longer for your body to adapt to its new set-point.

For many libido tends to wane over time.

If you maintain it consider yourself one of the lucky ones.

Big benefit here so far is you dropped the AI and your libido is lit.

Hopefully dailies work out for you!

 

[radman]

Where did your hematocrit sit at baseline before you jumped on T?

Definitely need to address the elevated hematocrit especially if it is >54%.

Most struggling with elevated hematocrit are running too high trough/steady-state FT.

Frequent blood donations is not the way to go as many end up crashing iron/ferritin which can open up another can of worms.

Have you been keeping an eye on your iron/ferritin?

Chances are if you were donating too frequently let alone double reds to manage your hematocrit it can easily backfire and crash your iron/ferritin.

Yes injecting daily in the hopes of bringing down the hematocrit or estradiol can work for some but it is far from a given as many men still end up running too high a trough/steady-state FT on dailies.

Keep in mind it is not just the high peaks/peak--->trough that drives up the hematocrit.

Running too high a trough/steady-state FT will play a big role here.

Switching from twice-weekly to dailies will clip the peak--->trough and the difference between the peak/trough would be minimal, blood levels will be very stable throughout the week but if you still end up hitting a high steady-state FT it can still have a big impact on elevating the hematocrit let alone estradiol.

Many tend to lower the weekly dose when switching to dailies otherwise they may still end up hitting too high a steady-state FT.

Even though you are not increasing your weekly dose and you will be clipping your peak--->trough, blood levels will be more stable throughout the week the same weekly dose split into dailies may still have your steady-state FT level too high.

Keep in mind when one is starting therapy or tweaking a protocol (increasing dose of T/manipuolating injection frequency) the hematocrit will start to increase within the 1st month and the biggest increase will be seen at the 3-6 month mark.

For many men hematocrit will reach a plateau at 6 months but some men will continue to see increases until 9 to 12 months before levels fully stabilize.

Would not get too caught up on the high libido just yet as you are only 8 weeks in and things can easily settle down over the following months.

Its going to take longer for your body to adapt to its new set-point.

For many libido tends to wane over time.

If you maintain it consider yourself one of the lucky ones.

Big benefit here so far is you dropped the AI and your libido is lit.

Hopefully dailies work out for you!

Do you have any references for the association of hematocrit too high a trough/steady state free testosterone?
I have not seen any data on this point.

 

[BeardedButcher55]

Where did your hematocrit sit at baseline before you jumped on T?

Definitely need to address the elevated hematocrit especially if it is >54%.

Most struggling with elevated hematocrit are running too high trough/steady-state FT.

Frequent blood donations is not the way to go as many end up crashing iron/ferritin which can open up another can of worms.

Have you been keeping an eye on your iron/ferritin?

Chances are if you were donating too frequently let alone double reds to manage your hematocrit it can easily backfire and crash your iron/ferritin.

Yes injecting daily in the hopes of bringing down the hematocrit or estradiol can work for some but it is far from a given as many men still end up running too high a trough/steady-state FT on dailies.

Keep in mind it is not just the high peaks/peak--->trough that drives up the hematocrit.

Running too high a trough/steady-state FT will play a big role here.

Switching from twice-weekly to dailies will clip the peak--->trough and the difference between the peak/trough would be minimal, blood levels will be very stable throughout the week but if you still end up hitting a high steady-state FT it can still have a big impact on elevating the hematocrit let alone estradiol.

Many tend to lower the weekly dose when switching to dailies otherwise they may still end up hitting too high a steady-state FT.

Even though you are not increasing your weekly dose and you will be clipping your peak--->trough, blood levels will be more stable throughout the week the same weekly dose split into dailies may still have your steady-state FT level too high.

Keep in mind when one is starting therapy or tweaking a protocol (increasing dose of T/manipuolating injection frequency) the hematocrit will start to increase within the 1st month and the biggest increase will be seen at the 3-6 month mark.

For many men hematocrit will reach a plateau at 6 months but some men will continue to see increases until 9 to 12 months before levels fully stabilize.

Would not get too caught up on the high libido just yet as you are only 8 weeks in and things can easily settle down over the following months.

Its going to take longer for your body to adapt to its new set-point.

For many libido tends to wane over time.

If you maintain it consider yourself one of the lucky ones.

Big benefit here so far is you dropped the AI and your libido is lit.

Hopefully dailies work out for you!

I am not donated 2x double red in a year. I didn’t have hematocrit numbers before starting trt.

 

[madman]

Do you have any references for the association of hematocrit too high a trough/steady state free testosterone?
I have not seen any data on this point.

T formulation, the dose of T, genetics (polymorphism AR), age all play a role in the impact a T protocol will have on blood markers (RBCs/hemoglobin/hematocrit).

In most cases when using injectable T high supra-physiological peaks post-injection and the overall FT level as in steady-state will have a big impact on increasing HCT.

When it comes to steady-state/trough levels too high a FT as in supra-physiologic is going to drive up the hematocrit.

Manipulating injection frequency by injecting more frequently using lower doses of T resulting in minimizing the peak--->trough and maintaining more stable levels would lessen the impact on HCT especially if you maintain levels within the physiological range but it is not a given as many men still end up running too high a FT level 24/7 steady-state.

Even when using daily compounded higher strength transdermal gel/cream if you push the FT too high 24/7 steady-state it will drive up the hematocrit.

No matter what protocol you follow whether once weekly, twice-weekly, M/W/F, EOD or daily your trough/steady-state FT level is still key here.

Many tend to overlook this.

This is why very short-acting nasal T (Natesto) and short-acting oral TU (Jatenzo, Tlando, Kyzatrex) have the least impact on driving up the hematocrit as the daily peaks are short-lived and blood levels remain well within physiologic over a 24 hr period 24/7 steady-state.

Trough level between doses can be close to or back to baseline.

The body is not amped up on T 24/7!

Many men on injections even dailies are blowing way past their natty genetic set-point running high/absurdly high FT levels well beyond physiologic and this is at the trough we are talking about here.

The body is amped up on T 24/7 steady-state!

 

[madman]

I am not donated 2x double red in a year. I didn’t have hematocrit numbers before starting trt.

I see.

Would have been nice to know where your baseline sat.

Any doctor in the know would be checking this as some men can have high-end/high levels due to OSA, smoking, COPD, obesity.

It is a given if your baseline levels were high-end/high this would need to be addressed before jumping on exogenous T especially injectable T.

Still should always keep an eye on your ferritin/iron on therapy even if you are not donating too frequently.