Donating Blood - A great idea, but a few things to keep in mind.

[resilient1]

Realistically your still good .Typically its 54% I dont care what labs say 50% not.

Considering that I had to have an emergency phlebotomy I'm well informed on what the upper limit measure is for HCT. What matters is how one feels. Besides, HCT is only one variable. I don't have my platelets checked, and platelet count also factors into blood thickening.
Are you aware of the range for ferritin? 22 - 537 Have you ever had ferritin level of 30? I have, and I felt like shit. But, it's within the 'normal range.'
Thanks for your concern.

 

[RedBastard]

I donate every 2 months, although I have to travel by boat to Vancouver to do it, so sometimes it takes a little longer to get around to it.
23 donations so far, and I love every part of the experience.

 

[DeviousD]

I sure wish they were able to check ferritin at the clinic like they check our hemoglobin because it is very normal to have normal in-range hemoglobin but have tanked ferritin. I have tanked my ferritin before from donating too often, I ended up with a ferritin level of 19 ug/L but yet my hemoglobin was still 148 g/L. Having a ferritin level of 19 ug/L is not a lot of fun, I felt like a total bag of shit.
They don't have the technology to do it with a simple finger prick like the hemoglobin but it sure would be nice.

If I donate more than 3 times per year my ferritin drops out of range, this is without an iron supplement. I eat a ton of red meat and other iron rich foods but it just isn't enough with frequent donations. I am very leary of an iron supplement and being on TRT for fear of it elevating my hemoglobin. My hemoglobin has never been above 170 g/L and usually rides right around 150 g/L and I would like to keep it that way.

 

[resilient1]

I sure wish they were able to check ferritin at the clinic like they check our hemoglobin because it is very normal to have normal in-range hemoglobin but have tanked ferritin. I have tanked my ferritin before from donating too often, I ended up with a ferritin level of 19 ug/L but yet my hemoglobin was still 148 g/L. Having a ferritin level of 19 ug/L is not a lot of fun, I felt like a total bag of shit.
They don't have the technology to do it with a simple finger prick like the hemoglobin but it sure would be nice.

If I donate more than 3 times per year my ferritin drops out of range, this is without an iron supplement. I eat a ton of red meat and other iron rich foods but it just isn't enough with frequent donations. I am very leary of an iron supplement and being on TRT for fear of it elevating my hemoglobin. My hemoglobin has never been above 170 g/L and usually rides right around 150 g/L and I would like to keep it that way.

That's my problem, but my hemoglobin won't stay in a normal range, and my ferritin can also tank. I get IV iron infusions if/when my iron drops below 100. I've had ferritin of 13, got it up to 30 will iron supplements, still felt horrible. My doctor's opinion was that active males should maintain ferritin lvls of no less than 130, preferrably higher. My ferritin is currently 96 ug/L. If it's lower on my next blood test then I will have get an infusion. Since I just donated, it's going to be low, but should increase as my cell count increases, however, trt may hold that back.

Your concern is based on an incorrect assumption. It is the testosterone that stimulates the production of red blood cells, but that has an opposite effect on ferritin. I take an iron supplement for a month after donating, and eat a lot of red meat, but sometimes I still require iron infusions. I also eat a lot of iron rich foods, but heme iron is the most soluble. If you are considering an iron supplement, I recommend Proferrin. It's a heme iron polypeptide, and doesn't upset my stomach (nearly all iron supplements do).

Testosterone Induces Erythrocytosis via Increased Erythropoietin and Suppressed Hepcidin: Evidence for a New Erythropoietin/Hemoglobin Set Point

The mechanisms by which testosterone increases hemoglobin and hematocrit remain unclear.We assessed the hormonal and hematologic responses to testosterone administration in a clinical trial in which older men with mobility limitation were randomized to ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Conclusions
Testosterone-induced increase in hemoglobin and hematocrit is associated with stimulation of EPO and reduced ferritin and hepcidin concentrations.

One added mention. Searching testosterone and anemia will produce results related to hemoglobin-deficiency anemia, not iron-deficiency anemia.

 

[ToastEater]

If you’re like me and can’t give blood to CBS, you can do the same at a Naturopath.


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[DeviousD]

That's my problem, but my hemoglobin won't stay in a normal range, and my ferritin can also tank. I get IV iron infusions if/when my iron drops below 100. I've had ferritin of 13, got it up to 30 will iron supplements, still felt horrible. My doctor's opinion was that active males should maintain ferritin lvls of no less than 130, preferrably higher. My ferritin is currently 96 ug/L. If it's lower on my next blood test then I will have get an infusion. Since I just donated, it's going to be low, but should increase as my cell count increases, however, trt may hold that back.

Your concern is based on an incorrect assumption. It is the testosterone that stimulates the production of red blood cells, but that has an opposite effect on ferritin. I take an iron supplement for a month after donating, and eat a lot of red meat, but sometimes I still require iron infusions. I also eat a lot of iron rich foods, but heme iron is the most soluble. If you are considering an iron supplement, I recommend Proferrin. It's a heme iron polypeptide, and doesn't upset my stomach (nearly all iron supplements do).

Testosterone Induces Erythrocytosis via Increased Erythropoietin and Suppressed Hepcidin: Evidence for a New Erythropoietin/Hemoglobin Set Point

The mechanisms by which testosterone increases hemoglobin and hematocrit remain unclear.We assessed the hormonal and hematologic responses to testosterone administration in a clinical trial in which older men with mobility limitation were randomized to ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Conclusions
Testosterone-induced increase in hemoglobin and hematocrit is associated with stimulation of EPO and reduced ferritin and hepcidin concentrations.

One added mention. Searching testosterone and anemia will produce results related to hemoglobin-deficiency anemia, not iron-deficiency anemia.

Awesome & thank you very much for the information!
You're right, I definitely was assuming that the iron supplement would cause my hemoglobin to become too high as it was hard to find information on it and my doc wasn't too much help on the subject, he just told me to not donate so frequently....I spoke to a pharmacist as well but she was leary to tell me I should supplement with an iron supplement. She was able to check out all my bloodwork plus cross referenced my blood donation hemoglobin levels....she was just being too careful as she said "well you should get your ferritin checked again before I would say yes or no"....mostly because my last ferritin check was almost a year ago and after each donation it was low but climbing so she didn't want to say.

you're exactly right about the search as well....

 

[resilient1]

Awesome & thank you very much for the information!
You're right, I definitely was assuming that the iron supplement would cause my hemoglobin to become too high as it was hard to find information on it and my doc wasn't too much help on the subject, he just told me to not donate so frequently....I spoke to a pharmacist as well but she was leary to tell me I should supplement with an iron supplement. She was able to check out all my bloodwork plus cross referenced my blood donation hemoglobin levels....she was just being too careful as she said "well you should get your ferritin checked again before I would say yes or no"....mostly because my last ferritin check was almost a year ago and after each donation it was low but climbing so she didn't want to say.

you're exactly right about the search as well....

Glad to be of assistance. I also check ferritin before donating.