Measuring HCT at home
- Thread starter 30005Gator
- Start date
DragonBits
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't buy it. CBC - Complete Blood Count is $32 from discount labs, I think it's even cheaper if you buy from Defy.
Two Amazon users rate the meter as not accurate at all for HG, off by so much it's worthless. Maybe they are doing something wrong when testing? Who knows.
https://www.amazon.com/Germaine-Labs-AimStrip-Hemoglobin-Meter/dp/B07592VHZ2#customerReviews
And it's hard to determine how you do measure HCT, the company talks only about hemoglobin, there is only one reference to HCT in the text without explaining how HCT is measured.
Vince
Super Moderator
Through discount lab the cost of a CBC test is $31.97 and I believe he's offering a discount. The last time I had just a CBC test through defy medical I believe the cost was under $15. If it was me I wouldn't buy a home monitor.
madman
Super Moderator
Waste of money and it is no where near as accurate as having blood work done at a lab!
M
MarkM
Guest
I am going to offer a different opinion than those already posted. I've been on TRT for over 13 years and have always been one that has to pay attention to Hb and HCT because it wants to creep up on me. Unlike some, my Hb and HCT have never seemed to normalize. Although I have blood work done on a very regular basis, there are times in life when I just can't get down to the lab because other commitments and travel. So, about 6 months ago my wife and I purchased one of these monitors to attempt to track those two elements between blood draws.
We wondered how accurate it would be, but figured that while it might not be as accurate as results from a lab, maybe it would provide some trending if it was consistent in how it calculated the results. If that was true, at least I would be able to see some trending. To our surprise, the monitor has been relatively accurate. We use the monitor prior to having blood work done and then compare that result to what the lab results show. Normally the monitor is only two or three tenths off the lab result. Once, it was a little higher than that; the monitor gave me a result of Hb 16.0 and HCT 47.0% and the lab results on the same day gave me a result of Hb 16.4 and HCT 48.%.
We do not use it to replace having blood work done, we simply use it as another tool to assist me in my TRT therapy and managing my protocol.
We wondered how accurate it would be, but figured that while it might not be as accurate as results from a lab, maybe it would provide some trending if it was consistent in how it calculated the results. If that was true, at least I would be able to see some trending. To our surprise, the monitor has been relatively accurate. We use the monitor prior to having blood work done and then compare that result to what the lab results show. Normally the monitor is only two or three tenths off the lab result. Once, it was a little higher than that; the monitor gave me a result of Hb 16.0 and HCT 47.0% and the lab results on the same day gave me a result of Hb 16.4 and HCT 48.%.
We do not use it to replace having blood work done, we simply use it as another tool to assist me in my TRT therapy and managing my protocol.
30005Gator
Member
I am in the same boat, where getting labs isn't always convenient. If you don't mind me asking, which monitor do you have?
M
MarkM
Guest
I have the same one in your original post.
Nelson Vergel
Founder, ExcelMale.com
There is one way to prove how far off the meters are from actual measurement.
Get your CBC done and measure your hematocrit close to the blood draw time. Spend 38 dollars to prove this.
https://www.discountedlabs.com/cbc-complete-blood-count-includes-hematocrit
Get your CBC done and measure your hematocrit close to the blood draw time. Spend 38 dollars to prove this.
https://www.discountedlabs.com/cbc-complete-blood-count-includes-hematocrit
30005Gator
Member
For some reason, I cannot open the discountedlabs.com website. Never have been able to. Security.
Vince
Super Moderator
I have one of the hemoglobin/hematocrit testers and I've found it's very accurate as well. As a poster above said, the measurement on the at home testing device was only a few tenths different than my bloodwork. I was a little skeptical when I bought it but surprisingly it works very well. I can also test it once a month or every other month without having to buy a script and go to lab corp or quest. It's super convenient if you worry about HCT and hemoglobin rising.
On a side note, when I first started TRT my Hgb and HCT would rise every 3 months or so and I'd have to give blood. After a year, maybe a year and a few months of injections everything normalized and I don't have to give blood anymore. I've been on injections for over 2 years now. I was on T pellets for 3 years before injections and never had to worry about HCT or hemoglobin on those. I was a big fan of pellets because you get that slow drip of T(similar to daily injections) which was awesome but I had problems with one or two pellets falling out every now and then. No Bueno!
On a side note, when I first started TRT my Hgb and HCT would rise every 3 months or so and I'd have to give blood. After a year, maybe a year and a few months of injections everything normalized and I don't have to give blood anymore. I've been on injections for over 2 years now. I was on T pellets for 3 years before injections and never had to worry about HCT or hemoglobin on those. I was a big fan of pellets because you get that slow drip of T(similar to daily injections) which was awesome but I had problems with one or two pellets falling out every now and then. No Bueno!
Rock H. Johnson
Active Member
I just bought a GlucoRx HCT Connect.
www.glucorx.co.uk
Which is a multimeter for BG, HCT and Ketones.
With 60 enzyme strips it will be enough to measure HCT once a week for a year for only $40. As I get a cupping biweekly and let approximately 100-200ml. I thought it would be a nice way to see if cupping works for HCT control. I will start a new thread when I start the experiment.
GlucoRx | GlucoRx HCT Connect
The GlucoRx HCT Connect is an integrated multiparameter monitoring system for your smartphone designed for use with our app.
www.glucorx.co.uk
With 60 enzyme strips it will be enough to measure HCT once a week for a year for only $40. As I get a cupping biweekly and let approximately 100-200ml. I thought it would be a nice way to see if cupping works for HCT control. I will start a new thread when I start the experiment.
Deleted member 16042
Member
I just bought a GlucoRx HCT Connect.
Which is a multimeter for BG, HCT and Ketones.GlucoRx | GlucoRx HCT Connect
The GlucoRx HCT Connect is an integrated multiparameter monitoring system for your smartphone designed for use with our app.
With 60 enzyme strips it will be enough to measure HCT once a week for a year for only $40. As I get a cupping biweekly and let approximately 100-200ml. I thought it would be a nice way to see if cupping works for HCT control. I will start a new thread when I start the experiment.
What is "cupping"?
Rock H. Johnson
Active Member
In TCM acupuncture there is a technique called cupping where they suck on specific poiints along the body the skin into a vacumcup so the bloodflow, etc is enhanced underneath. I puncture the skin so blood can be vacum sucked through. There is much more to it, I use this already for many years for all kinds of health issues. Women blood let once a month naturally to create space for the new, why can we men not do the same.
My thought was if my HCT will rise from TRT and doing Phlebotomy´s creates all kind of havoc on iron and ferrin levels, why not cup 100-200ml every 2-3 weeks to control HCT levels when needed. I have integrated this practise with my own TRT cycle. If done properly it is a very refreshing and energising experience which lasts for days to a week after the cupping.
Deleted member 16042
Member
That is a significant amount of blood letting, similar to theraputic phlebotomy about every 2 months. You note the concern for ferritin, but do you actually monitor it?
Rock H. Johnson
Active Member
no, I feel great, I am not anemic, no tiredness, etc. I have no concerns for iron or ferretin levels, but I have read many posts here from members who do phlebotomies every 2 months and they get issues with ferretin. So as far as I know I do not have these issues which could come from a steady every 2-3 weeks 100-200ml good old fashion blood letting. I am doing this already for 15 years and as a vegetarian you are predisposed to low HgB but I do not feel different then when I gave full blood on a regular basis 25 years ago.
As soon as I can do some testing I will do a full CBC etc.
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