Prevent High Hematocrit

[MOMAN]

General Question,
When comparing the same weekly dose of testosterone, will smaller more frequent doses cause a smaller increase in hematocrit? Or is hematocrit more closely tied to the total dose given per week? Or maybe how high your testosterone numbers get? Trying to keep my hematocrit closer to the normal range. Thanks!

 

[Vince]

Hard to tell, CoastWatcher and Me are the only two members that I know of, that was able to control HCT by daily injections. I think the best way to control HCT is by long-term trt, two years plus. I believe once your body gets used to your good healthy testosterone levels, your HCT should normalize. I had to donate blood every 8 weeks for over 2 years, then when I went to daily injections of testosterone my HCT finally normalize. The last time I donated blood was February of 2017.

 

[MOMAN]

Hard to tell, CoastWatcher and Me are the only two members that I know of, that was able to control HCT by daily injections. I think the best way to control HCT is by long-term trt, two years plus. I believe once your body gets used to your good healthy testosterone levels, your HCT should normalize. I had to donate blood every 8 weeks for over 2 years, then when I went to daily injections of testosterone my HCT finally normalize. The last time I donated blood was February of 2017.

"Thank you for the info. Will try be more patient . Just not real sure how concerned to be about the elevated levels (averages around 50-52.5%)"

 

[Vince]

When my levels got to 50% that's when I donated blood, now my levels hold steady at 47%.

 

[captain]

55 is the point most doctors would take you off TRT. Make sure your not dehydrated on lab day.

 

[CoastWatcher]

55 is the point most doctors would take you off TRT. Make sure your not dehydrated on lab day.

Now would be a good time to consider a blood donation. You don't want to have a discussion with your doctor AFTER he has told you to discontinue TRT in which you have to talk him into letting you into continue with promises of blood donations. Get out ahead of it.

 

[MOMAN]

"Yeah I totally agree. I donated on the the 20th and checked it with my own electronic meter on the 24th and it was 50% "

 

[Starplex]

There is still the debate that the high Hemocrit numbers (from being on TRT) are nothing to be concerned with. I'm not stirring the mud on this one and giving my own body the test currently. Haven't given blood since Oct. and my labs are in July, so interested in seeing the numbers. Currently seeing zero effects of thickened blood, no red face, no high bp, cardio is just fine, and I bet my number is at least 50 on paper.

Funny, how the post that linked to Jay Cambell's video about this very subject was deleted, yet the link to the book (ad sponsor) is still there just to the right of the page.

 

[Mountain Man]

Hard to tell, CoastWatcher and Me are the only two members that I know of, that was able to control HCT by daily injections. I think the best way to control HCT is by long-term trt, two years plus. I believe once your body gets used to your good healthy testosterone levels, your HCT should normalize. I had to donate blood every 8 weeks for over 2 years, then when I went to daily injections of testosterone my HCT finally normalize. The last time I donated blood was February of 2017.

I agree with Vince. Mine was at 46 preTRT, got as high as 50.5 and at 2 years was back to 46 even though I upped dose from 100 mg test cypionate to 120. I know I have posted on this and I have discussed this with Abraham Morgantaler, as I am with his clinic in Boston and occasionally get to see him. He said 55 is when he would do a donation. I know that other doctors differ, but when it comes to this kind of stuff he's pretty knowledgeable.

And coastwatcher is right. Be proactive and donate anyway.

 

[Vince Carter]

increasing HCT is really just a sign that youre probably using too much Test and should target your Free T numbers vs run high TT that is so very common. Stabilizing HCT over the long term is more Unicorn type response in guys.

 

[Vince Carter]

Now would be a good time to consider a blood donation. You don't want to have a discussion with your doctor AFTER he has told you to discontinue TRT in which you have to talk him into letting you into continue with promises of blood donations. Get out ahead of it.

Very sound advice

 

[Vince Carter]

"Yeah I totally agree. I donated on the the 20th and checked it with my own electronic meter on the 24th and it was 50% "

No such thing. Just because you finger stick and get a HGB reading != Hematocrit.

 

[blitzen]

increasing HCT is really just a sign that youre probably using too much Test and should target your Free T numbers vs run high TT that is so very common. Stabilizing HCT over the long term is more Unicorn type response in guys.

Well that might be the case but I got my TT from 300>915 (Top of LabCorp range) while the Free T just increased from 9 to 14.2 (just middle of the range) and I didn't feel any big improvement (my SHBG increased from 23 to 33).... so am I using too much T? The HCT climbed from 44.2 to 50.0
Will get the results of a follow-up soon

 

[HealthMan]

Well that might be the case but I got my TT from 300>915 (Top of LabCorp range) while the Free T just increased from 9 to 14.2 (just middle of the range) and I didn't feel any big improvement (my SHBG increased from 23 to 33).... so am I using too much T? The HCT climbed from 44.2 to 50.0
Will get the results of a follow-up soon

What is your albumin levels? This FT is too low for your TT levels and SHBG. Maybe your albumin is very high. That would lower FT but you would still have a decent amount of bio available testosterone

 

[blitzen]

4.2 and going to 4.6 the second test
So that shouldn’t be the culprit (alone)
Can it be that I was doing M/W/F based on the old SHBG and the “new” value might be better suited for twice a week ?
No idea why the FT was so low in comparison

 

[HealthMan]

4.2 and going to 4.6 the second test
So that shouldn’t be the culprit (alone)
Can it be that I was doing M/W/F based on the old SHBG and the “new” value might be better suited for twice a week ?
No idea why the FT was so low in comparison

Despite injection frequency I would imagine that FT should be always correlated to TT SHBG amd albumin so your values are indeed weird. Some people in this forum say that FT fluctuates a lot during the day so that TT would be a better gauge. But i dont think that is true for people on TRT.

 

[madman]

General Question,
When comparing the same weekly dose of testosterone, will smaller more frequent doses cause a smaller increase in hematocrit? Or is hematocrit more closely tied to the total dose given per week? Or maybe how high your testosterone numbers get? Trying to keep my hematocrit closer to the normal range. Thanks!

To many factors come into play regarding increased hematocrit/hemoglobin....................search the forum and it is not as simple as just total t/free t levels!

 

[madman]

There is still the debate that the high Hemocrit numbers (from being on TRT) are nothing to be concerned with. I'm not stirring the mud on this one and giving my own body the test currently. Haven't given blood since Oct. and my labs are in July, so interested in seeing the numbers. Currently seeing zero effects of thickened blood, no red face, no high bp, cardio is just fine, and I bet my number is at least 50 on paper.

Funny, how the post that linked to Jay Cambell's video about this very subject was deleted, yet the link to the book (ad sponsor) is still there just to the right of the page.

Regardless of symptoms thicker blood is thicker blood and puts undue stress on the cardiovascular/endothelial system and I would not rely on symptoms as just because one feels well having thicker blood is much harder on the system.

 

[madman]

I agree with Vince. Mine was at 46 preTRT, got as high as 50.5 and at 2 years was back to 46 even though I upped dose from 100 mg test cypionate to 120. I know I have posted on this and I have discussed this with Abraham Morgantaler, as I am with his clinic in Boston and occasionally get to see him. He said 55 is when he would do a donation. I know that other doctors differ, but when it comes to this kind of stuff he's pretty knowledgeable.

And coastwatcher is right. Be proactive and donate anyway.

Sure 55 is the cut-off point but I would definitely not wait until it is that high 50-52 would be a good time to look into donating.

 

[blitzen]

Despite injection frequency I would imagine that FT should be always correlated to TT SHBG amd albumin so your values are indeed weird. Some people in this forum say that FT fluctuates a lot during the day so that TT would be a better gauge. But i dont think that is true for people on TRT.

Got the latest results back (limited panel)
T 960 (264-916)
FT 26.6 (6.8-21.5)
E 39.1 (8-35)
and HCT back to 48 (maybe the 50 value was slightly dehydrated)