Consistent high hematocrit, low ferritin

[HealthMan]

Vince is an unicorn! Got my HCT tested and is up from ~ 46 to ~ 52 after switching to daily injections. Not sure where my T levels are. I will test that in 1-2 weeks. Back to donating blood

 

[HealthMan]

The doc had me try splitting and increasing the dose of gel from 3 pumps to 4. The result was lower TT with morning labs with higher HCT/HGB. I think it has more to do with the amount of T and not the spike. I also find Fortesta works better than Androgel. It may be the area of application works better for Fortesta as you have more area to spread it on the inner thigh. The amount of skin contact makes a big difference in results you get.

For me TT of 700 and 1400 yielded same increase in HCT unfortunately

 

[Vince Carter]

For being the cost of admission to the TRT game and how easily it's dealt with thru a donation there's too much static about HCT being a gremlin of sorts.

 

[HealthMan]

For being the cost of admission to the TRT game and how easily it's dealt with thru a donation there's too much static about HCT being a gremlin of sorts.

Unfortunately for me is not that easy. I have white coat syndrome and sometimes i have to try more than once to be able to donate. If it wasn’t for that... also i travel a lot to South America and some places erroneously don’t accept blood if you have travel to some of these countries. And i have to show them they are wrong sometimes unsuccessfuly. To add to the drama my last 2 blood works show a high serum iron despite low ferriting and a % saturation high as well. So now i am trying to schedule a consultation with a hematogist to check that out.
Add to that elevated creatinine (which i think is due to my muscle mass) and an inexplicable high fasting glucose (1 month ago was completely and has been since i started testing).
Now i am not sure if switching to daily injections caused the increase in HCT or if it was just the 3 months without donating.
Sorry I just feel frustrated as hell

 

[Vince Carter]

It is frustrating, I deal with the white coat syndrome at donation, too. I recently got some beta blockers which seem to help. I mean they say let's check your pulse and BP...and they skyrocket. I've been turned away a few times.

Ive yet to see one person that has had high HCT and had to deal with it and they do anything, at all, that resulted in no longer having to donate. Not to be a wet blanket. I know maybe one guy or two seems to have some kinda sorta success but they fall in the unicorn variety, too.

 

[HealthMan]

It is frustrating, I deal with the white coat syndrome at donation, too. I recently got some beta blockers which seem to help. I mean they say let's check your pulse and BP...and they skyrocket. I've been turned away a few times.

Ive yet to see one person that has had high HCT and had to deal with it and they do anything, at all, that resulted in no longer having to donate. Not to be a wet blanket. I know maybe one guy or two seems to have some kinda sorta success but they fall in the unicorn variety, too.

Sucks indeed. Now I am worried because i think I have something called “iron avidity”. Low-low normal ferritin due to frequent donations and high % iron saturation (with high serum iron). In that case seems like doctors recommend limiting donation which doesn’t seem to be an option for me since i need to control HCT due TRT. So the obviou advice from a non TRT doctor will be... stop TRT. Lets see. One day at a time but cant imagine living like i was before TrT

 

[FeelingLost]

Sucks indeed. Now I am worried because i think I have something called “iron avidity”. Low-low normal ferritin due to frequent donations and high % iron saturation (with high serum iron). In that case seems like doctors recommend limiting donation which doesn't seem to be an option for me since i need to control HCT due TRT. So the obviou advice from a non TRT doctor will be... stop TRT. Lets see. One day at a time but cant imagine living like i was before TrT

I know you have said you like to run 1200 but until you get your blood stablized not just HCT you might need to run 900. Hell that has to be better than going off TRT completely.

 

[HealthMan]

I know you have said you like to run 1200 but until you get your blood stablized not just HCT you might need to run 900. Hell that has to be better than going off TRT completely.

At 700TT i was having the same HCT issues i had when i was 1400TT

 

[HealthMan]

It is frustrating, I deal with the white coat syndrome at donation, too. I recently got some beta blockers which seem to help. I mean they say let's check your pulse and BP...and they skyrocket. I've been turned away a few times.

Ive yet to see one person that has had high HCT and had to deal with it and they do anything, at all, that resulted in no longer having to donate. Not to be a wet blanket. I know maybe one guy or two seems to have some kinda sorta success but they fall in the unicorn variety, too.

Vince do you always test serum iron and %iron saturation when you test for ferritin? If yes are these levels normal?

 

[Match]

At 700TT i was having the same HCT issues i had when i was 1400TT

My TT similar to yours, 637, but HCT always kind of low, 41. I wanted to raise it, but it's hard. You know how, without increasing ferritin, already elevated?

 

[HealthMan]

My TT similar to yours, 637, but HCT always kind of low, 41. I wanted to raise it, but it's hard. You know how, without increasing ferritin, already elevated?

I would try increasing T dose

 

[Match]

I don't intend to do that, HealthMan.
What is the % Transferin Saturation ratio with Ferritin, HCT and Sumiron? Qto more saturated %, more HCT and lower Ferritin?

 

[realdeal1977]

VC has an important point w/ vit c. I had the same problem. My ferritin was too low and taking Iron supps brought my HCT too high. So I would give blood and then my ferritin would tank and I'd suffer from low iron symptoms which includes hypothyroid symptoms. My labs for vitamin c looked fine but I wasn't supping vit c. I had read here that others who had the same problem started supping vit c and it solved their problem. So I tried it and sure enough my ferritin finally got back to normal range and my HCT was no longer a problem. This may not work for everyone with this problem but it was a lesson for me.

How much Vit C?