Need Help with hct.

[mathews67]

I feel like I've read all the forums I can and haven't found too much useful info. Been on 100 mg trt for a couple years and hct has always been on high end. Decided to do my first cycle 350mg weekly. Doing .6 of 250mg/ml every 3 days. I donated right before and again 2 weeks later bringing it down from a start of 52. Been on for a month now and feel my face starting to flush which is usually the sign for me. Checked ferritin before I donated last time and was 122 so it seems this recovers very fast for me. I could realistically keep donating since my levels are always good but they wont let me any sooner. Has anyone ever done at home phlebotomy or if I go to walk in clinic will they prescribe me one. Or any other tips for a high responder to androgens. I love the progress im making and the way I feel but I hate my face always getting red at inconvenient times.

 

[BigDadd7]

Do a "double reds" next time

 

[RockyP]

I feel like I've read all the forums I can and haven't found too much useful info. Been on 100 mg trt for a couple years and hct has always been on high end. Decided to do my first cycle 350mg weekly. Doing .6 of 250mg/ml every 3 days. I donated right before and again 2 weeks later bringing it down from a start of 52. Been on for a month now and feel my face starting to flush which is usually the sign for me. Checked ferritin before I donated last time and was 122 so it seems this recovers very fast for me. I could realistically keep donating since my levels are always good but they wont let me any sooner. Has anyone ever done at home phlebotomy or if I go to walk in clinic will they prescribe me one. Or any other tips for a high responder to androgens. I love the progress im making and the way I feel but I hate my face always getting red at inconvenient times.

If you search the forum there is lots of discussion about this topic. It's a tricky one because having persistently elevated HCT at / beyond 53-54 can indicate a rather steep sloping increase in blood viscosity. However, there are several other factors that are not readily measurable which also impact blood viscosity, HCT just being one that is identifiable and measurable. Serial blood donation can lead to iron depletion, and there are several threads on the board about that also (it sounds god awful TBH). Furthermore, the blood donation is a temporary fix to the issue. It's a complicated issue. I've had several doctors speak authoritatively about it one way or the other, but I've learned that their evoked confidence is inversely proportional to their actual grasp of the subject, because the truth is, we just don't know.

What we do know is that high HCT and high blood pressure do not mix. That is a danger zone. Do what you can to keep your BP under 130 / 80. I would also highly recommend 5 mg daily tadalafil for anyone on TRT / PEDs. It can help with vasodilation as well as improved endothelial function.