Hematocrit roller coaster

thedeparted · Dec 31, 2016

Alright I'm going on 70+ days on low dose closed and my hematocrit is a roller coaster. I did a blood donation 2 months ago to keep my #s low, and it worked up to 13days before my last blood donation. Labs were 48 and 13 days later were 55 and they almost didn't do the donation. Why is my natural hematocrit so high? And why do I fluctuate so much? I drink a gallon of water daily.

[TABLE="width: 713"]
[TR="class: odd, bgcolor: #F9F9F9"]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: name fixed"]Hematocrit 38 - 50 %
[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]49 on 11/18/15[/TD]
[TD="class: rsltflag_5 scroll"]53 H on 8/3/16 preclomid

[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]46 on 8/10/16 follow up lab[/TD]
[TD="class: rsltflag_5 scroll"]51 H on 9/13/16 month on clomid[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]48 on 12/13/16 month after donation [/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"] 55 H on 12/27/16 at blood draw [/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Vince · Dec 31, 2016

Your hematocrit really does rise a lot, were you on TRT before clomid.

thedeparted · Dec 31, 2016

Vince said:
Your hematocrit really does rise a lot, were you on TRT before clomid.

PH and AAS usage but not for years. Never any TRT though.

johndoesmith · Dec 31, 2016

Post the full results. There are some other possibilities but with this limited information, it's hard to tell, so it'll help.

thedeparted · Dec 31, 2016

johndoesmith said:
Post the full results. There are some other possibilities but with this limited information, it's hard to tell, so it'll help.

The 55 on 12/27/17 was a finger poke test at the blood donation clinic. I have a lot of other labs as well if needed, but these are the main blood ones. Meds are 12.5mg clomid daily, vitamin c 500 mg 3x day, arimidex 2x a week, multi vit, fish oil, selenium.

Only medical conditions are low t, and hashimotos thyroiditis which is euthyroid at the moment.

My iron did spike after starting clomid as well.
[TABLE="width: 713"]
[TR="class: header bottomheader"]
[TH="class: name fixed, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: left"]AMESTANDARD RANGE
[/TH]
[TH="class: scroll, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: left"]8/10/16[/TH]
[TH="class: scroll, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: left"]11/1/16[/TH]
[TH="class: buffer scroll, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: left"][/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd, bgcolor: #F9F9F9"]
[TD="class: name fixed"]% SATURATION15 - 50 %
[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]30[/TD]
[TD="class: rsltflag_5 scroll"]57 H[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer rsltflag_5 scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: name fixed"]IRON52 - 150 ug/dL
[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]100[/TD]
[TD="class: rsltflag_5 scroll"]198 H[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer rsltflag_5 scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd, bgcolor: #F9F9F9"]
[TD="class: name fixed"]TIBC240 - 400 ug/dL
[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]329[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]347[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="width: 713"]
[TR="class: header bottomheader"]
[TH="class: name fixed, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: left"]AMESTANDARD RANGE[/TH]
[TH="class: scroll, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: left"]11/18/15[/TH]
[TH="class: scroll, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: left"]8/3/16[/TH]
[TH="class: scroll, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: left"]8/10/16[/TH]
[TH="class: scroll, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: left"]9/13/16[/TH]
[TH="class: scroll, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: left"]12/13/16[/TH]
[TH="class: buffer scroll, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: left"][/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd, bgcolor: #F9F9F9"]
[TD="class: name fixed"]Basophils, Absolute0.0 - 0.2 K/uL[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]0.03[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"][/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]0.02[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]0.05[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]0.10[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: name fixed"]COMMENT[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"][/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"][/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"][/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"][/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]Automated differential[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd, bgcolor: #F9F9F9"]
[TD="class: name fixed"]Eosinophils, Absolute0.0 - 0.5 K/ul[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]0.26[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"][/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]0.28[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]0.21[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]0.20[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: name fixed"]HEMATOCRIT38 - 50 %[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]49[/TD]
[TD="class: rsltflag_5 scroll"]53 H[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]46[/TD]
[TD="class: rsltflag_5 scroll"]51 H[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]48[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd, bgcolor: #F9F9F9"]
[TD="class: name fixed"]HEMOGLOBIN13.2 - 17.4 GM/DL[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]17.4[/TD]
[TD="class: rsltflag_5 scroll"]18.0 H[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]16.8[/TD]
[TD="class: rsltflag_5 scroll"]18.2 H[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]17.0[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: name fixed"]Lymphocytes, Absolute1.00 - 3.40 K/uL[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]1.86[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"][/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]1.71[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]2.25[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]1.70[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd, bgcolor: #F9F9F9"]
[TD="class: name fixed"]MCH27 - 34[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]32[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]31[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]32[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]32[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]31[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: name fixed"]MCHC33 - 37 %[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]35[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]34[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]36[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]36[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]35[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd, bgcolor: #F9F9F9"]
[TD="class: name fixed"]MCV80 - 98[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]90[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]91[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]88[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]89[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]89[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: name fixed"]MONOCYTES, ABSOLUTE0.00 - 0.80 K/uL[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]0.38[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"][/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]0.33[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]0.49[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]0.50[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd, bgcolor: #F9F9F9"]
[TD="class: name fixed"]Neutrophils, Absolute2.00 - 7.30 K/uL[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]3.11[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"][/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]2.37[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]2.55[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]2.80[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: name fixed"]PLATELET COUNT140 - 450 10*3[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]224[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]216[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]205[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]209[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]197[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd, bgcolor: #F9F9F9"]
[TD="class: name fixed"]RBC4.20 - 5.60 10*6[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]5.47[/TD]
[TD="class: rsltflag_5 scroll"]5.78 H[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]5.28[/TD]
[TD="class: rsltflag_5 scroll"]5.71 H[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]5.45[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: name fixed"]RDW8.0 - 18.5[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]12.7[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]13.1[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]13.2[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]13.3[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]13.1[/TD]
[TD="class: buffer scroll"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd, bgcolor: #F9F9F9"]
[TD="class: name fixed"]WBC4.0 - 10.7 K/uL[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]5.6[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]5.3[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]4.7[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]5.6[/TD]
[TD="class: scroll"]5.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Vince Carter · Dec 31, 2016

I would steer towards where all this iron is coming from, perhaps a multivitamin.

thedeparted · Dec 31, 2016

Vince Carter said:
I would steer towards where all this iron is coming from, perhaps a multivitamin.

Edited: after looking at the label, my current and previous multi do not contain iron.

I heard vit C can increase iron absorption, and that wasn't added to my diet until early November. A few days ago I switched to ester-c because it isn't supposed to absorb iron as badly. Other than that my diet is pretty set, so not much had changed with it between blood draws.

johndoesmith · Dec 31, 2016

thedeparted said:
Edited: after looking at the label, my current and previous multi do not contain iron.

I heard vit C can increase iron absorption, and that wasn't added to my diet until early November. A few days ago I switched to ester-c because it isn't supposed to absorb iron as badly. Other than that my diet is pretty set, so not much had changed with it between blood draws.

Were you natty on 11/18/15?

If so, it looks like you had this problem before clomid. That is a lot of iron like vince carter said, and AFAIK clomid isn't known for causing HCT issues that often. Might be some issue you had before.

Check ferritin.

thedeparted · Dec 31, 2016

johndoesmith said:
Were you natty on 11/18/15?

If so, it looks like you had this problem before clomid. That is a lot of iron like vince carter said, and AFAIK clomid isn't known for causing HCT issues that often. Might be some issue you had before.

Check ferritin.

I know my Dr. was worried about polycythemia vera, after my August results, but test went in my favor on that one. And yes I was natty in 2015.

[TABLE="class: components, width: 713"]
[TR="class: odd"]
[TD="class: nameCol srchbl"]JAK2 MUTATION[/TD]
[TD="class: valueCol"]NEGATIVE pg/uL[/TD]
[TD="class: rangeCol"]pg/uL[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: components, width: 713"]
[TR="class: odd"]
[TD="class: nameCol srchbl"]ERYTHROPOETIN[/TD]
[TD="class: valueCol"]Value: 11 mU/mL[/TD]
[TD="class: rangeCol"]Range: 4 - 27 mU/mL[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: components, width: 713"]
[TR="class: odd"]
[TD="class: nameCol srchbl"]TRANSFERRIN on 11/1/16[/TD]
[TD="class: valueCol"]Value:219 mg/dL[/TD]
[TD="class: rangeCol"]Range:188 - 341 mg/dL
[TABLE="class: components, width: 713"]
[TR="class: odd"]
[TD="class: nameCol srchbl"][/TD]
[TD="class: valueCol"][/TD]
[TD="class: rangeCol"][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: components, width: 713"]
[TR="class: odd"]
[TD="class: nameCol srchbl"]FERRITIN on 8/10/16 Value: 66 ng/mL Range: 30-400 ng/ml[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Vince Carter · Dec 31, 2016

I had to switch off Iron as my HGB/HCT went way up between blood donations, so now I just use Vitaminc C @ 1000mg/daily, though my Ferritin is extremely low. went I was supplementing iron I never felt better, or worse, so I just dropped it.