How to lower hematocrit other than donating blood?

[sledge84]

So I've been on TRT for a little over 2 years. Was prescribed by my current TRT clinic 200mg a week to be injected once weekly. Well, being of the smallest dose to get the desired effect guy, I came to find 120mg a week (60mg x2 a week) worked well enough for me. I always come out high with H+H levels when doing labs. But this last one recently had me a little worried although I've been seeing a lot of videos on TRT related effects on H+H not being as critical as previously thought. I don't feel any negative effects with the higher level but it has me a little worried in the back of my mind. So thinking of ways that can lower it without having to donate blood as the last time I did, I felt like crap for a few months due to ferritin levels taking a dump as I had previously posted on another thread on this board. So some thoughts were to lower my dose or maybe taking lower doses more times a week. Maybe switching blood pressure meds from Norvasc to Enalapril as I've read Enalapril can slightly lower H+H. I've been taking Nattokinase but that doesn't seem to be doing anything. Or just coming off TRT and trying Enclomphine as there seems to be a lot of success stories with this serm. Here's a look at my latest labs..

Edit-for reference platelets are WNL at 202.

 

[PhantomReaper]

Not anything I know of that works as good as donating..
Sorry..maybe some new stuff or a guru here might know..something to atheist try..
Z...

 

[WesleyInman]

Eat grapefruit every day.

 

[sledge84]

Eat grapefruit every day.

I take medications that are contraindicated with grapefruit.

 

[Steuss]

I have no personal anecdotal experience, but elsewhere people indicate that nattokinase helps them.

Here's an in vitro study (can't find any in vivo).

Effects of nattokinase, a pro-fibrinolytic enzyme, on red blood cell aggregation and whole blood viscosity - PubMed

The vegetable cheese-like food, natto, is extremely popular in Japan with a history extending back over 1000 years. A fibrinolytic enzyme, termed nattokinase, can be extracted from natto; the enzyme is a subtilisin-like serine protease composed of 275 amino acid residues and has a molecular...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[sledge84]

I have no personal anecdotal experience, but elsewhere people indicate that nattokinase helps them.

Here's an in vitro study (can't find any in vivo).

Effects of nattokinase, a pro-fibrinolytic enzyme, on red blood cell aggregation and whole blood viscosity - PubMed

The vegetable cheese-like food, natto, is extremely popular in Japan with a history extending back over 1000 years. A fibrinolytic enzyme, termed nattokinase, can be extracted from natto; the enzyme is a subtilisin-like serine protease composed of 275 amino acid residues and has a molecular...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Thanks. But stated in my post I've already been using it.

 

[Steuss]

Thanks. But stated in my post I've already been using it.

Sorry dude. Sh!te reading comprehension on my part.

What dosage? 8000-12000+ FU is the range recommended yonder. Much higher than labels recommend, or most take.

 

[Smont]

Eat grapefruit every day.

I was gonna say punch yourself in the nose but grapefruit works too

 

[Smont]

I take medications that are contraindicated with grapefruit.

High dose Fish oil
Eat more fiber
More antioxidants
Baby asprin
Stay hydrated/drink more water
Turmeric chelates iron and there's other supplements that lower iron too but there slipping my mind right now.

 

[Stacks1]

How much water are you drinking per day OP? Smont gave some good tips. Increasing fiber could help. I believe increasing insoluble fiber would be most ideal for this.

 

[PhantomReaper]

Staying properly Hydrated is so underrated and looked over constantly..
Baby aspirin..
But..too what extent..maybe half a point..??
Hard to really get a read without properly studied..then it's so individual..
Blood Letting..still the fastest way to drop that Number..
Z...

 

[sledge84]

High dose Fish oil
Eat more fiber
More antioxidants
Baby asprin
Stay hydrated/drink more water
Turmeric chelates iron and there's other supplements that lower iron too but there slipping my mind right now.

Yep do all that except Tumeric.

 

[sledge84]

How much water are you drinking per day OP? Smont gave some good tips. Increasing fiber could help. I believe increasing insoluble fiber would be most ideal for this.

I average just under a gallon a day

 

[sledge84]

Staying properly Hydrated is so underrated and looked over constantly..
Baby aspirin..
But..too what extent..maybe half a point..??
Hard to really get a read without properly studied..then it's so individual..
Blood Letting..still the fastest way to drop that Number..
Z...

Yeah I'll be donating tomorrow. Just looking for a way to not get so high in the future. I'm looking at lowering my TRT dose a tad and switching out my blood pressure med. Just looking for any other things that may help that I'm not aware of.

 

[PhantomReaper]

I average just under a gallon a day

A gallon..summer and winter is a good normal..
Z...

 

[Mathb33]

I have the same problem as you and I’ve noticed the only thing really fixing it is when I do some heavy cardio daily as well as staying lean. Anytime I would drop my 30-45 mins of cardio daily (intense) it would creep up. I also donate 3-4 times a year.

Other than that, telmisartan somehow managed to keep it within range.

 

[Resolve10]

Turmeric chelates iron and there's other supplements that lower iron too but there slipping my mind right now.

Calcium and Zinc to a lower extent inhibit absorption, while Chlorogenic Acid and Quercetin are also Iron chelators.

 

[sledge84]

Yep do all that except Tumeric.

Just started Tumeric today lol

 

[Smont]

Warning: this is not advice......

I wasn't kidding about punching yourself in the nose lol. When I was a kid I got chronic nosebleeds, and it caused me to be borderline anemic and low hematocrit ect to the point where they wouldn't let me give blood sometimes. I know it might sound a bit ridiculous to some but giving yourself a nosebleed and letting it bleed for 10min or so will let you dump about a cup lol

 

[Stacks1]

Warning: this is not advice......

I wasn't kidding about punching yourself in the nose lol. When I was a kid I got chronic nosebleeds, and it caused me to be borderline anemic and low hematocrit ect to the point where they wouldn't let me give blood sometimes. I know it might sound a bit ridiculous to some but giving yourself a nosebleed and letting it bleed for 10min or so will let you dump about a cup lol

Punch myself in the nose until I bleed a cup of blood... or donate blood? Hmmm these are the tough decisions we have to make it life.

 

[sledge84]

Warning: this is not advice......

I wasn't kidding about punching yourself in the nose lol. When I was a kid I got chronic nosebleeds, and it caused me to be borderline anemic and low hematocrit ect to the point where they wouldn't let me give blood sometimes. I know it might sound a bit ridiculous to some but giving yourself a nosebleed and letting it bleed for 10min or so will let you dump about a cup lol

I just donated blood today. I think end result was better considering I already have a big nose as is

 

[Smont]

I just donated blood today. I think end result was better considering I already have a big nose as is

So let me get this straight, you started this thread yesterday and 24 hours later you already started some of the supplement reccomendations, made a appointment for a blood let and got it done?

 

[Smont]

I'm extremely confused

 

[sledge84]

So let me get this straight, you started this thread yesterday and 24 hours later you already started some of the supplement reccomendations, made a appointment for a blood let and got it done?

Yes. Was already scheduled for a donation a few days ago. Ordered Tumeric on Amazon last night with overnight delivery. Things happen fast in 2023 lol

 

[sledge84]

And I still have my dressing on

 

[Smont]

Yes. Was already scheduled for a donation a few days ago. Ordered Tumeric on Amazon last night with overnight delivery. Things happen fast in 2023 lol

Man I'm getting old lol

 

[Smont]

You kids have fun, I'm off to cribbage night at the V.F.W.

 

[sledge84]

Man I'm getting old lol

LoL. I'm older than you

 

[Punkrocker]

Warning: this is not advice......

I wasn't kidding about punching yourself in the nose lol. When I was a kid I got chronic nosebleeds, and it caused me to be borderline anemic and low hematocrit ect to the point where they wouldn't let me give blood sometimes. I know it might sound a bit ridiculous to some but giving yourself a nosebleed and letting it bleed for 10min or so will let you dump about a cup lol

I wish I could give this response an award. Most punk rock solution ever posted to anabolic minds. Actually now that I think about it, way back in 2016 I remember some dude on here took a pint of his own blood with a Gatorade bottle and a rigged setup from a veterinarian supply store lol God I love you guys

 

[Smont]

I wish I could give this response an award. Most punk rock solution ever posted to anabolic minds. Actually now that I think about it, way back in 2016 I remember some dude on here took a pint of his own blood with a Gatorade bottle and a rigged setup from a veterinarian supply store lol God I love you guys

I also know a guy who did his own blood dump, no thank you lol

 

[KvanH]

Eat grapefruit every day.

Did anyone else read this in Nate Dogg's voice?

 

[Mikereyn513]

Did anyone else read this in Nate Dogg's voice?