Lowering T dose to reduce Hemoglobin - how much to lower?

[MarkLA]

I'm taking 76mg of T-Cypionate twice per week, so 152mg/week. My T-Level is about 900 at trough, so probably 1100 peak.

My Hemoglobin and Hematocrit rise and then I get a therapeutic phlebotomy.

The problem with this is that it has depleted my Ferritin to 7. While I don't want a high Ferritin, I think this may be contributing to my slow thyroid so I want to restore it to a normal value. I can't eat iron, because it accelerates the growth of the red blood cells.

I want to reduce my T dosage so that it does not elevate my Hemoglobin anymore, then I can eat a little more iron.

Absent any advice, I'm going to propose to my physician that I reduce the dose 10% then wait a month or two and repeat and see experimentally what that does to the rise in hemoglobin.

It would be good to hear from some others who have done this how much they had to reduce their dose or reduce their T-Levels to achieve a solution. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone.

Thanks,

Mark

 

[MakaveliThaDon]

What about just donating blood?

 

[MarkLA]

What about just donating blood?

That's what I have been doing. Per my original post, I get a therapetic phlebotomy (i.e. donate blood) and that works but it has dropped my Ferritin (storage iron) low. I want to reduce the rate of red blood cell production by reducing my dose. The question is how much?

 

[Gutterpump]

how often do you give blood?

 

[MakaveliThaDon]

I think you're doing exactly what you can and should be doing. It's pretty much just "the nature of the beast" If you want to keep your T levels that high, you're going to have to donate blood every once in a while. I'm on trt, and also take ferrous sulfate for my iron levels, and then just donate blood every few months. Testosterone increases RBC, plain and simple. It is what it is pretty much...

 

[The Matrix]

I'm taking 76mg of T-Cypionate twice per week, so 152mg/week. My T-Level is about 900 at trough, so probably 1100 peak.

My Hemoglobin and Hematocrit rise and then I get a therapeutic phlebotomy.

The problem with this is that it has depleted my Ferritin to 7. While I don't want a high Ferritin, I think this may be contributing to my slow thyroid so I want to restore it to a normal value. I can't eat iron, because it accelerates the growth of the red blood cells.

I want to reduce my T dosage so that it does not elevate my Hemoglobin anymore, then I can eat a little more iron.

Absent any advice, I'm going to propose to my physician that I reduce the dose 10% then wait a month or two and repeat and see experimentally what that does to the rise in hemoglobin.

It would be good to hear from some others who have done this how much they had to reduce their dose or reduce their T-Levels to achieve a solution. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone.

Thanks,

Mark

152.mgs per.week at 900 trough tells.me you.may want to look to.see what it is.converting to.mainly e2. Unless you are obese or not getting needle in deep enough . Your numbers are low. Should be easily 1200-1300 on that dose. Are you well.hydrated before the test draw as.this can cause dehydration which can thickening blood. People usually let their ferritin out to 75-100 other wise below 20 they can experience iron insufficiency symptoms .

 

[MarkLA]

I think you're doing exactly what you can and should be doing. It's pretty much just "the nature of the beast" If you want to keep your T levels that high, you're going to have to donate blood every once in a while. I'm on trt, and also take ferrous sulfate for my iron levels, and then just donate blood every few months. Testosterone increases RBC, plain and simple. It is what it is pretty much...

Thanks for your reply. My reading tells me that the dose and the rate of increase are correlated. I'm wondering how much I'd have to drop my dose (and my levels) to see a slower rate of increase..

 

[MarkLA]

152.mgs per.week at 900 trough tells.me you.may want to look to.see what it is.converting to.mainly e2. Unless you are obese or not getting needle in deep enough . Your numbers are low. Should be easily 1200-1300 on that dose. Are you well.hydrated before the test draw as.this can cause dehydration which can thickening blood. People usually let their ferritin out to 75-100 other wise below 20 they can experience iron insufficiency symptoms .

Thanks for your reply. I'm not obese. I'm not sure about bodyfat, but probably about 10%. (I can see abs

I've seen as high as 980, so 900-1000 is what my total T looks like at my dose.

My E2 (Quest Ultrasensitive) is 10-20 so no issues there.

DHT was about 3/4 of the range.

Other than low-ish free T3, free T4 I don't have any symptoms I would trace to the low Ferritin.