Low Ferritin Solutions With Frequent Blood Donations

[Vince]

How quickly does Ferritin levels come up on their own?

Very slowly.

 

[ManOnMission]

Do iron supplements accelerate Ferritin rising?

 

[ERO]

Yes, as a simplified explanation, think of it like this: You are taking extra iron supplements and then you are having to donate blood all the time because your blood iron levels are too high.

 

[ManOnMission]

Is there a point where Ferritin will be back in a decent range and H&H will be in range at the same time? How do I get there? Do I take iron for the next 30 days adn then donate blood and then reevaluate?

 

[Vince Carter]

Is there a point where Ferritin will be back in a decent range and H&H will be in range at the same time? How do I get there? Do I take iron for the next 30 days adn then donate blood and then reevaluate?

I'm starting to question at what point an answer or suggestion doesn't beget, more questions here. Take iron. Test your blood. Stop taking iron. test your blood...decide to take iron, or don't, I'm not sure where this is going anymore or what answer you'll be given that you'll find acceptable.

 

[CoastWatcher]

Is there a point where Ferritin will be back in a decent range and H&H will be in range at the same time? How do I get there? Do I take iron for the next 30 days adn then donate blood and then reevaluate?

Self-testing (Discountedlabs.com) puts a valuable tool in the hands of the patient. Take iron, test your levels, adjust, test again, adjust...in time your physiology will become evident.

 

[ManOnMission]

Thank you. Good advice

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Graph shows ferritin versus number of blood donations in 3 years in men NOT on TRT. Men on TRT may have a better ferritin recovery but they still need to be careful not to fall below 55.

 

[Vince Carter]

My Ferritin stayed low (15) supplementing 65mg(?) of elemental iron daily, this was appx 6 months between donations that my HCT appeared to be stabilizing. My serum Iron was only midrange of lab value.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

We have had a lot of discussions on ferritin. Here are some of the best posts:

Starting Testosterone with Low Iron and Ferritin

www.excelmale.com/showthread.php?3713-Starting...Ferritin

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Whats up fellow TRT users!! Age: 33 Sex: Male Height: 6'1" Weight: 225 I have been trying to eat clean and healthy, but I am an addict for sugar ...

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I don't understand Iron and Ferritin levels

www.excelmale.com/showthread.php?7879-I-don-t...Ferritin...

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13 May 2016 Ferritin: 13 (20-380) Hematocrit: 50.7 Hemoglobin: 16.3 Started taking Vitron-C daily, 65mg elemental iron 18 Jul 2016 Ferritin: 15 ...
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Low Ferritin is bad

www.excelmale.com/showthread.php?5829-Low-Ferritin-is-bad

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Low Ferritin is bad. Thanks everyone and being very new to TRT I learned a lot from you guys. Taked to Dr Saya and I am so greatful that he got ...

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TRT, Therapeutic Phlebotomy, Low Ferritin, and Iron Replacement

www.excelmale.com/showthread.php?3734-TRT...Low-Ferritin...

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My ferritin was first measured on 9-17-14 at 5.6ng/mL. Last week it was 5.3ng/mL. Both are very low. He wants me to take a iron supplement.

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balancing low ferritin levels and frequent donation.

www.excelmale.com/showthread.php?5271-balancing...ferritin...

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Nelson, I'd love to hear your opinion on balancing low ferritin levels and frequent donation. I have read all the posts on this site that seemed to ...

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How to balance low ferritin and blood fdonations to decrease ...

www.excelmale.com/archive/index.php/t-5737.html

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[TD="class: gsc-table-cell-snippet-close"]Those two are typically high on TRT anyway but you'll get turned away for donation with low ferritin. Option there which Dr Saya will do is ...

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How to Manage Polycythemia Caused by Testosterone

www.excelmale.com/showthread.php?137-How-to-Manage...

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However, taking this much blood out in one phlebotomy session may deplete ferritinand iron levels which can cause extreme fatigue. So, be .
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[Bambi]

TRT, Iron, Ferritin

48 year old male. On HCG and Testosterone for TRT. Hematocrit levels were getting too high.

Did 2 blood donations in 30 days (on 5/5 and 5/23).
On 5/30 did blood tests. Went from Hematocrit 58 down to 47.5 and Hemaglobin now 15.9 (which is good). But, Ferritin dropped to 18 (range is 21 to 274). DHEA 48.3 (low: 70-495 range), Glucose Serum (high: 103), Estradiol (High 65)..put on Anastrazole)

Been told to start taking Ferrous Fumarate Iron 29 mg 2 times per day (58 mg per day) plus Vitamin C to get Ferritin levels up. Then give next blood donation on 6/21

Wont this raise my H&H levels too? Does this sound right? (Im guessing the 2 blood donations back to back tanked my ferritin levels). I finally got my H&H levels down and now it sounds like they will be jacked back up. Is this a decision of what is more important, Ferritin or H&H?


Next Labs 7/15

New Program based on last test results:
Iron Supplement 2 x per day (added)
Vitamin C: 500 mg per day (added)
Test Cyp 60 mg 2 x per week (changed for 100 mg per week)
Anastrazole: ½ mg 2 times per week (same day as test cyp)
HCG daily 10ML per day

My experience : I have read on this because I have experienced it. This is kinda a layman's perspective on my readings in PubMed and other sources. Might not all be totally correct, but works for me. Frequent blood donations do tank your Ferritin level. The rbc is churned out in bone marrow and has a certain level of iron and/or ability to absorb iron in the rbc. The iron is a component of hemoglobin or the oxygen transfer and holding substances in rbc. As a result of donations you also have a spectrum of smaller, younger red blood cells. The making of the new rbcs depletes the total stored Iron in our bodies. The lower ferritin (iron) also results in these smaller younger red blood cells having less 'iron' or the ability to absorb oxygen into the hemoglobin. The smaller iron deprived cells carry less oxygen and it leads to anemia (even with a higher rbc count). Reason being the many small less oxygen saturate rbc only have the same transfer sites as do normal iron normalized hemoglobin rbc (normal oxygen rbc). These smaller and weaker rbc can not transfer O-TWO as efficiently and hence one can feel weak, short of breath, tired. HAPPENED TO ME !!! I don't believe you want your iron to be extremely high but low to mid normal is really necessary. How I am trying to address this : I donate but push the donation out to 2 months and 3 weeks. Then after the donation for two weeks take "Fusion Plus" - I am shooting for trying to get iron stores up but not trigger polycythemia or at least delay it becoming troublesome as fast. Hematocrit level is a derived calculation or test result based on several variables. Anemia, iron stores, rbc size and transfer capacity is really quite a complex subject. You have iron stores and a transferritan or transfer rate of those stores into rbc's and this is in turn somewhat dependant on total rbc, iron store, the amount of enzymes to transfer the iron to the rbc, the size of the rbc and its ability to absorb or accept transfer. They can transfuse a person with iron and bring a person back up to normal - but it has some risk. Even after iron transfusion there is a lag time for your rbc to normalize and the transfused iron to bind to rbc capable of accepting enough iron to normal levels. If you can not deal with this, but have this side effect (which I do) - three or more approaches are (1) reduce your trt treatments to levels which do not make this happen [ and levels which may not make you 'feel' as strong and vital ] (2) stop the TRT (3) give blood and run semi-anemic or anemic. Hematologist indicated to me that within six months of stopping TRT my issues should level off to normal - if I wished to stop. May become necessary some day, but with work, sleep apnea issues of tiredness, and desire to exercise, I am trying to buy some time until I retired at least.