To drain or not to drain (hematocrit)

Punkrocker

Punkrocker

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There seems to be this big fear in the TRT/anabolics community about high hematocrit/hemoglobin in which we have to keep donating blood in order to prevent strokes heart attacks etc. I recently saw a video from some doctors saying that secondary erythrocytosis from testosterone is really not that big of a deal because all the other blood cells remain normal and the red ones are the only ones that increase. They basically said that people overreact and doctors are too scared of getting sued so the minute somebody's blood hematocrit is over 50%, they have them donate blood. Apparently people who live at high altitudes already have hematocrites over 50% also people who have lung conditions like COPD or smokers have hematocrites in the fifties as well. Long story short these doctors in the video basically said if you are otherwise healthy and have no health conditions or cardiovascular conditions, having a Hematocrit in the 50s really isint a big deal and that people like lance armstrong who used EPO to achieve a higher red blood cell count most likely had a Hematocrit in the 60s when he was doing the tour de france. What do you guys think? Anytime my hematocrit gets beyond 52 I panic and think I'm about to die until I donate blood. I then feel dizzy and lightheaded all the time and then I don't feel better until I donate however my anxiety is so severe that I'm starting to think this whole entire thing is placebo. Does anybody know anyone who actually suffered some kind of cardiovascular event from having a high hematocrit because I personally do not and I haven't heard of it either it's just this big risk everybody talks about but I personally have not seen it or heard of it. I'm getting kind of sick of donating blood all the time and I'm wondering if it's really not necessary unless my hematocrit gets to some retarded like 60+% level.
 
ohiostate2827

ohiostate2827

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drink 32oz of water an hour before getting labs drawn...donating blood you risk messing up your iron lvls and opening another can of worms... if you are not having symptoms don't worry about it
 

kisaj

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I'm at 6000 feet and it is true that we naturally run higher levels of HCT, but TRT does add to it. My specialist(s) all agree that the concern is way overblown. They don't even mention it until it hits 55 and even at that point would say just to monitor and stay hydrated. General consensus seems to be from all of them that donation isn't needed unless you are consistently in the high 50s AND have high RBC. These guys have 50 years of combined experience and said they have never seen any patient being negatively impacted by having higher HCT.

It should be noted that donation is good to help others, but it is not a solution. It is a band-aid approach because your levels will always climb back up.
 

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