Cycle Recommendation / Hematocrit

[Nick_Vaz]

No. I’m one of the main reasons for the extra blood test was to check hct levels. To be honest I was surprised it had fallen. I was expecting to need to try and arrange phlebotomy.

Full disclosure the 2 tests were done in different labs.

I think a combination of reducing test dose significantly and adding a grapefruit per day (plus the use ancillaries like bo meds, statin, fish oils etc) moved my haematocrit by c.3pp

I mean even despite the different labs making changes like that it definitely make sense to have better looking bloodwork

 

[nathenking]

Do you think NPP or any of the popular orals have their place 2-3 cycles down the road?

I would say yes on your fourth cycle. I never used orals the first few years and I grew like a weed without them.

 

[BigDadd7]

No. I’m one of the main reasons for the extra blood test was to check hct levels. To be honest I was surprised it had fallen. I was expecting to need to try and arrange phlebotomy.

Full disclosure the 2 tests were done in different labs.

I think a combination of reducing test dose significantly and adding a grapefruit per day (plus the use ancillaries like bo meds, statin, fish oils etc) moved my haematocrit by c.3pp

Grapefruit and statin meds are usually a no go together.

 

[Manualtrt]

Grapefruit and statin meds are usually a no go together.

I agree that’s the usual position. My understanding is that pitavastatin is different.

Here is what ChatGPT has to say…

grapefruit is generally considered safe to take with pitavastatin.

Why this is different from other statin

• Grapefruit interferes with the CYP3A4 enzyme in the gut.
• Many statins (like simvastatin, lovastatin, and atorvastatin) rely heavily on CYP3A4, so grapefruit can dangerously raise their levels.
• Pitavastatin is not significantly metabolized by CYP3A4. It’s mainly processed by other pathways (glucuronidation), so grapefruit has little to no effect on its blood levels.