Hands turn bright red when lower to the body.

[Systemlord]

I am noticing when I put my hands down on the floor to pick up something, my hands turn bright red and I experience burning sensation in the affected area, but when I raise the hands above my head, the redness and burning disappears instantly. These redness appear under the skin all over the body at different times.

I'm at a loss as to what's happening, doesn't anyone know what could be causing this?

Thanks.

 

[Rabbit91476]

been a nurse for 16 years and havent heard this one before.
Do the hands turn red instantly or does it take a few minutes. also does it go away instantly or over few.
is this problem brand knew or been slowly increasing over time. any new shortness of breath
do you have any heart problems?
do you have swelling in your feet?
do you get orthostatic hypotension?
how old are you system?

 

[Vince]

I know when I raise my hands up in the air, the blood in my veins in my arms disappears. When I lower my arms down again, my veins fill up the blood again. Could it be the same thing happening to your hands?

 

[Systemlord]

I'm having a bit of realization, I had a complete CBC lab testing done yesterday and it would seem it matches those for 6 weeks ago when I was in the emergency room accept now I'm not on TRT and have been supplementing 650mg iron since 325 barely got me in range 2 weeks ago.

The symptoms are the same, last night the throbbing in the legs was do to high RBC, add below range potassium and thick blood and you have a recipe for vasoconstriction, throbbing in the legs and swelling in the abdomen.

I thought how could my symptoms be coming back, I'm not on TRT and then it hit me why I was having so much trouble on TRT. My natural labs listed below hint that I wasn't too far off the mark from optimal testosterone.

As of right now I have no idea what my natural Total T numbers are, testicles are actively moving and active, but seem to pull up a bit when potassium is low because cramping begins do to low potassium.

Last night when the ER doctor and I talked extensively, agreed with me and proceeded to prescribe a potassium pill which within 20 minutes cleared all symptoms of leg throbbing, abdominal throbbing and freezing cold feet was moving upwards towards my knees quickly became very hot and then back to normal, than again this morning was a repeat of last night, I took potassium and symptoms vanished.

Low iron and low potassium is a major electrolyte imbalance which resulted in the edema which then increase sodium which then required a diuretic which then lead to crushed potassium which is why I stopped taking the diuretic. I always wondered why I was so damn freezing when I was diagnosed with low testosterone even though TSH was .610/FT4 1.45/T4 8.5, vasoconstriction do to abnormally low iron and low potassium.

Every time I take my potassium, I feel amazing within a short while which is much faster than any T injection initial response and result. By the end of day it's as if I'm stable and balanced out.

-->Hypokalemia decreases testosterone production in male mice by altering luteinizing hormone secretion.

Potassium deficiency produced by feeding mice a low potassium diet caused a marked decrease in plasma and testicular testosterone concentrations and a concomitant fall in the weight of seminal vesicles and in renal ornithine decarboxylase activity.

All of these parameters were rapidly restored when potassium supply was normalized. Immunocytochemical analysis of gonadotropes and plasma LH values suggested that the pulsatile liberation of LH by the pituitary was impaired in the potassium-deficient male mice.

Because the synthesis of testosterone in the potassium-deficient mice was stimulated by exogenous LH, hCG, or GnRH, one can conclude that alteration of the transcellular potassium gradient could affect the regulation of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-testicular axis by affecting the pulsatile release of GnRH.

Our results showing that the stimulation of LH secretion after castration was similar in control and potassium-deficient male mice suggest that a testicular factor(s) different from testosterone could be implicated in the abnormal regulation of LH secretion in potassium-deficient mice.

We conclude that plasma potassium concentration is an important factor in the regulation of gonadotropin secretion and testicular functions.

I cannot tolerate these CBC results even on TRT which means my natural optimal T is lower than 500 ng/dL which I have suspected for some time. The reason I had so many problems on TRT was an iron and potassium deficiency and I was pushing supraphysiological doses for me anyway.

If I really was naturally on the lower end of the ranges, than this would explain how I could experience red blood cell excess in the high normal ranges. I have to stop iron supplements for a couple of weeks because I doubled up about two weeks ago and the symptoms started as recently as Saturday.

Original pre-TRT labs:
RBC, 5.10 4.14-5.80 x10E6/uL
HGB 15.3 12.6-17.7 g/dL
HCT 43.6 37.5-51.0 %

Now:
RBC, 6.00 Mill/mcL4.70 - 6.10 Mill/mcL
HGB 16.6 g/dL14.0 - 18.0 g/dL
HCT, 48.4 %42.0 - 52.0 %

5/29/19 325mg->650mg iron
Iron 81 mcg/dL 59 - 158 mcg/dL
Total Iron Binding Capacity 422 mcg/dL 250 - 425 mcg/dL
Iron Saturation 19% 20 - 50 %
Ferritin 82 25-336 ng/mL

 

[GreenMachineX]

Regardless of my hematocrit, my hands and face turn red just as easily. I have histamine issues though.

 

[Systemlord]

RDW is right at the top of the ranges and MCV bottomed out still indicating iron deficiency, I am still iron deficient and will take time to heal I guess. See my hemoglobin is small, the red blood cells are free floating through the blood not sticking to the low mass hemoglobin. This is why I'm still iron deficient.

I stopped the diuretic because I got tired a crushing potassium, I just struggled to increase it.. I started on a beta blocker until such time I'm all healed from the iron deficiency, it seems to be working on day one, slowly though.

Insulin levels are now increasing >200, need to take care of it, I have sides on metformin, so does anyone have a recommendations?

Doesn't anyone have an idea how long it will take to see iron deficiency more or less completely reversed?

 

[Vince Carter]

Did you run Ferritin in those iron labs just not enter it in your post?

 

[Systemlord]

Did you run Ferritin in those iron labs just not enter it in your post?

My ferritin after supplementing iron on 5/29 ferritin is 82.

I have read you need >70 ferritin to support optimal thyroid function, so I have reach my goal and now in recovery mode.

 

[Vince Carter]

Ive had fair Thyroid with subterranean Ferritin in the teens just a little pooling. I was just curious about your Ferritin there.

 

[dnfuss]

Insulin levels are now increasing >200, need to take care of it, I have sides on metformin, so does anyone have a recommendations?

IIRC, you have untreated diabetes. Proper treatment would likely ameliorate many other health issues.

 

[Systemlord]

My diabetes was more or less getting under control as early as 2 months ago, morning insulin (120) and night time was closer to 90 and then bamb, emergency visits became the norm for over a week and you can clearly see why in the graphs below.

I have gathered blood testing for CBC and potassium, 4/27 was etched in memory and was was the start of the worst week of my life, as you can see on this day potassium is recorded as dipping below range.

I can tell you the first year on TRT was the most memorable, none of these symptoms were encountered and you can see it in the labs pictured below show no iron deficiency, but if you look directly at my pre-TRT iron labs, you'll see serum iron was already very low. You can see the MCV, MCH and MCHC are declining and problems are encountered when at the lowest points.

I'm piecing together on my calendar, my first 20mg EOD protocol (9/5/18) days before reaching a stable state, routine labs were done which is showing the very beginning decline of all biomarkers for the decline into what would lead to iron deficiency further down the road.

I'm seeing a pattern, when RBC is highest and MCV and MCH are lowest, these are the times I have the red burning skin problems and are worst when the RBC is high and MCV low indicating iron deficiency.

TRT is causing the iron deficiency and at the same time driving up RBC and causing problems. I wonder if the iron deficiency somehow caused potassium to crash suddenly, the two labs both show a rapid decline in both iron and potassium.

 

[dnfuss]

My diabetes was more or less getting under control as early as 2 months ago, morning insulin (120) and night time was closer to 90

Are the numbers you cite serum glucose levels?

 

[Systemlord]

Are the numbers you cite serum glucose levels?

Those were showing the decline in levels indicating iron on the decline. The glucose graphs are more erratic do to changing protocols too often, so I must go off memory.

 

[dnfuss]

Those were showing the decline in levels indicating iron on the decline. The glucose graphs are more erratic do to changing protocols too often, so I must go off memory.

I guess I'm confused. You had said "morning insulin (120) and night time was closer to 90." My question was were the 120 and 90 your serum glucose levels?

 

[Systemlord]

I guess I'm confused. You had said "morning insulin (120) and night time was closer to 90." My question was were the 120 and 90 your serum glucose levels?

The 90-120 are measured on a daily basis twice daily hours before and after meals.

 

[dnfuss]

The 90-120 are measured on a daily basis twice daily hours before and after meals.

The 120 in the morning, is that upon arising or some time following breakfast?

 

[Joe Sixpack]

The 90-120 are measured on a daily basis twice daily hours before and after meals.

I have the same question as dnfuss. You say that your morning insulin was 120 and evening was 90. That is astronomical insulin. Do you mean your glucose is 120 in the morning?

 

[Systemlord]

Didn't know there was a difference, not bad for someone with SHBG <20. It hasn't really changed with a Total T of 97 ng/dL down from 400-500.

 

[dnfuss]

Didn't know there was a difference, not bad for someone with SHBG <20. It hasn't really changed with a Total T of 97 ng/dL down from 400-500.

Completely different. In this country, serum insulin usually is expressed as uIU/mL, with fasting level of 3-8 uIU/mL generally considered euinsulinemic and levels higher than 10 or 12 uIU/mL indicating the beginnings of hyperinsulinemia. Serum glucose in this country is generally expressed as mg/dL, with fully euglycemic adults having fasting levels typically in the mid-80s (teenagers and children often run lower). A persistent fasting serum glucose upon arising of 120 mg/dL is consistent with diabetes.