More Hemoglobin Issues

[GreenMachineX]

For quite a while I was using 50mg twice per week and that kept my trough about 500-600 with free T about 19-20. My blood pressure was elevated throughout the day but fine when I first woke up and my hemoglobin would be 17.5 and hematocrit around 51. I would also have sleep issues. I decided to try 40mg every 3 days for a few weeks, but then decided 20mg every other day. I've been doing that about 3 weeks and decided to donate. My blood pressure is always raised when someone else takes it but here at the red cross it was 178/90 and my hemoglobin was 18.5. They barely let me donate.

Is 20mg every other day a lot??? Should I drop lower or get blood work first?

I've also been experimenting with transdermal DHEA and pregnenolone but I doubt either of these would make those issues worse, right?

 

[madman]

For quite a while I was using 50mg twice per week and that kept my trough about 500-600 with free T about 19-20. My blood pressure was elevated throughout the day but fine when I first woke up and my hemoglobin would be 17.5 and hematocrit around 51. I would also have sleep issues. I decided to try 40mg every 3 days for a few weeks, but then decided 20mg every other day. I've been doing that about 3 weeks and decided to donate. My blood pressure is always raised when someone else takes it but here at the red cross it was 178/90 and my hemoglobin was 18.5. They barely let me donate.

Is 20mg every other day a lot??? Should I drop lower or get blood work first?

I've also been experimenting with transdermal DHEA and pregnenolone but I doubt either of these would make those issues worse, right?

When you were injecting 100 mg/week (50 mg every 3.5 days) your TT trough 500-600 and FT 19-20 (reference range?) let alone the testing method used.

As you know peak TT/FT would be higher.

You have only been on the new protocol 20 mg EOD for 3 weeks and levels will be in flux until they stabilize (4-6 weeks).

No point in dropping your dose any further as you have no idea where your current protocol (dose T/injection frequency) will have trough TT/FT/e2 levels and for all we know may end up being too low on such dose.

The key when lowering the dose T is to try and minimize/avoid any sides while at the same time maintaining the beneficial effects of having a healthy FT level.

Easier said than done but patience is key!

 

[GreenMachineX]

When you were injecting 100 mg/week (50 mg every 3.5 days) your TT trough 500-600 and FT 19-20 (reference range?) let alone the testing method used.

As you know peak TT/FT would be higher.

You have only been on the new protocol 20 mg EOD for 3 weeks and levels will be in flux until they stabilize (4-6 weeks).

No point in dropping your dose any further as you have no idea where your current protocol (dose T/injection frequency) will have trough TT/FT/e2 levels and for all we know may end up being too low on such dose.

The key when lowering the dose T is to try and minimize/avoid any sides while at the same time maintaining the beneficial effects of having a healthy FT level.

Easier said than done but patience is key!

The reference range for total T was usually 300-1000 or close to it, and free T was ?-25. I don't recall the bottom but maybe it was 9...?

I'm just shocked my hemoglobin was so high because I've verified over the past several years of TRT 50mg every 3.5 days keeps my hemoglobin about 17.5 without donating. That's what leads me to believe the 40mg every 3 days and 20mg EOD is worse for me. That is, unless their hemoglobin machine at the red cross is off.

I am also thinking the transdermal DHEA is causing side effects, because there's some other things that have been happening the past week since switching brands of it, eye twitching, strange sensation in jaw, crazy anxiety of the "am I gonna die?!" type, increased water retention but mild. I started using it because my levels were super low, and I'm trying to find a fix for...let's call it, frightened turtle syndrome. It does help that a little, erections are better as well, but the other sides are bad.

I'm quite sure my crazy bp today was as a result of anxiety.... scared of bp being too high making my bp too high, then when it is, anxiety goes absolutely nuts. I perpetuate the problem in my mind. But all that meditation and whatnot doesn't work for me. I know it's related to one of these hormones being off. Because I have been to the place where I don't care about any of it (opposite of anxiety) but I know that's not healthy either of course.

 

[S1W]

I agree with madman that you have not been on your new protocol long enough for changes to materialize.

And as a side note - I would never make any changes based off of an HGB reading at blood donation center like Red Cross. The tests they use are not known to be very precise.

 

[Novaman]

How's the sleep on the new protocol?

 

[GreenMachineX]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

My sleep is actually fantastic. For the most part, I think I feel better overall but when that anxiety hits, it's something crazy. The most bizarre things can get into my mind stuff that might happen to 1 in a billion, but I can't let it go. I gotta figure that out. I also still believe I have too much adrenaline throughout the day.

 

[S1W]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

My sleep is actually fantastic. For the most part, I think I feel better overall but when that anxiety hits, it's something crazy. The most bizarre things can get into my mind stuff that might happen to 1 in a billion, but I can't let it go. I gotta figure that out. I also still believe I have too much adrenaline throughout the day.

Just out of curiosity, would you consider the things that get into your mind to be “intrusive thoughts”?

Are there specific subjects that you usually dwell on, or is it totally random?

 

[GreenMachineX]

Just out of curiosity, would you consider the things that get into your mind to be “intrusive thoughts”?

Are there specific subjects that you usually dwell on, or is it totally random?

Intrusive? Absolutely. Particularly when I've messed up my protocol or something, and it's always health anxiety as in "am I gonna die?!?!" But when I'm dialed in (to a certain degree that is and the anxiety is controlled), then the exact same palpitations won't bother me at all.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Intrusive? Absolutely. Particularly when I've messed up my protocol or something, and it's always health anxiety as in "am I gonna die?!?!" But when I'm dialed in (to a certain degree that is and the anxiety is controlled), then the exact same palpitations won't bother me at all.

@S1W
Do you have any suggestions for that? I could use any recommendations possible lol

 

[S1W]

@S1W
Do you have any suggestions for that? I could use any recommendations possible lol

Unfortunately not lol.

Though the feeling of rapid heart rate and that general anxiety that you can feel in your chest has only happened to me when my dose was way too high.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Unfortunately not lol.

Though the feeling of rapid heart rate and that general anxiety that you can feel in your chest has only happened to me when my dose was way too high.

Interesting. I need to get labs pulled soon then.