You have to hold the needle in. If you move it slips out or stops bleeding and coagulated.
That’s why I’d use a syringe on the other end. Can’t fill up more than the space in the syringe.
@hankthetank89 They do make 100 CC syringes. I know you mentioned doing less volume more often. That might work. There is one called the NeoMed 100. However, it is an enteral syringe (meant for feeding with a line to the stomach). The tip is different, so I don’t know if that would work if you are using extension sets. Generally, the extension sets for enteral won’t work with a needle unless you have an adapter (which I don’t know if they sell, because they don’t want people using enteral syringes with IV extension sets, and vise versa). There might be 100 CC IV syringes out there though.
The force needed to get that thing going from zero has got to be equivalent to the pull start on a lawn mower from the Carter administration. Good Lord I just winched thinking about getting a 100cc syringe going while it’s jammed into a vein.
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That particular syringe is a pita. It’s sticky, and the barrel is tear drop shaped, and has an o ring around the tear drop plunger. Because of those things it isn’t smooth at all.
As soon as my 16 and 18g arrive imma try to just let the blood flow. If that doesnt work, my gf fill just draw blood in a loosely attached 50ml and just repeat this process 4 times.
I went to donate today. Hemoglobin was 16.8 down from 19.3 4 DAYS AGO. I started taking IP6 Friday night and it dropped that much… won’t mater going forward as my doc gave me a script to donate. Blood bank will still use my blood as long as I’m under 20 hemoglobin.
Is that an OTC thing in the US?
Yes.
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You’d need butterfly needles to do this properly. If you just attach a normal syringe to a needle and shove it in when trying to pull out 50ml (unless you have like… Vaccutainer needles) you’ll slip up at some point and send blood spraying all over your surroundings.
Not that I recommend self phlebotomy.
Ok so i got 18g and 16g. By looking at the 16g i was a bit shocked as to how fcking huge it is… Anyways, i got it in case 18g doesnt work too well.
So i started with 18g - just sticked the needle without a syringe in my vein slowly up to the point where blood started comming out the other end of the needle.
After around 100ml it stopped - i think the blood thickens in the needle.
So i went for the other arm and tried the 16g. It is so big that i could barelly push it through the skin, and it also DID NOT puncture the vein, it just pushed it deeper. I tried 2 times, both times i just stick it in my arm, and it did nothing to the vein.
So i just took another 18g and did that arm, and same thing - it stopped at around 100ml. Anyways, i wanted to get 200g and i did get 200g. Sucks that i had to stick both my arms but thats ok i guess. Maybe ill practice more and be better at this and be able to get out a bit more. Also, i might try some pump product maybe.
And also this probably happens cuz my blood is on the thick side already. Maybe after practicing this, it will become better and therefore easier to get it out.
Will do bloodwork saturday or early next week, as it takes around 24-48 hours for the blood to return to its normal volume.
naah, it doesnt spray or anything… when the needle comes out, it just slowly flows down your arm…
EDIT - about an hour after my BP is 114/63 or - the best i have ever seen.
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Made me wince reading that lol. You could try squeezing your hand. They gave us squishy balls when I donated plasma.
I did that and that did help but the blood stopped anyway. The thing is that my blood seems to slowly thicken even in the bowl while im doing this, so i take it does the same on the walls of the syringe. Its like a thick paint that just stick to the walls and slowly builds up. Since the needle even tho is big when you have to jam it in your vein, is actually relatively small for something thicker than water, i think thats the problem.
Thats why i said that i hope that maybe after me doing this more often i will get my HCT lower and it would also become easier.
Since i have to do 2 veins for 200g, i guess i could just do one every other week so i dont have to deal with stopping the bleeding on both hands.
I dont feel the loss of 200g in anyway, so i guess i could just take 100g more often and maybe not even take a rest. I believe i have bled more through my nose in my old pre-covid fighter years, lol.
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That’s probably what I would do.
I can’t imagine sticking myself with a 16 gauge though. You are a brave man. I have had 18 gauge in my arm before though. I couldn’t watch them put that harpoon in.
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The one they use when you donate is like a capri sun straw. Its sick.
I finally jumped the gun and just finished up a 300mg for 8 weeks then bumped to 400mg for the last 4 weeks. Def feels and looks like a success. Thanks again for the advice!
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Sure thing! Are you back to TRT now?
I took my last shot Sunday 200mg (was doing bi weekly). Was debating if I should take two or three weeks off before transitioning back to TRT or doing a few week taper.
If you have the back stock to taper, I was a fan of this method in the past. No real data or anything, it just worked well for me when I used to blast Test.
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“Adding extra test to TRT for 12 weeks” lmao this is such a funny way to put it and beat around the bush.
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Trt plus lol