I got some bloods back when i went to ER for a stomach issue and my levels have all gone up a good amount. I’m on TestCyp 75mg 2x a week.
RBC:
5.23 M/uL
Standard Range
4.10 - 5.60 M/uL
Hemoglobin:
16.4 g/dL
Standard Range
12.7 - 16.7 g/dL
Hematocrit:
49.4 %
Standard Range
38.1 - 50.1 %
This is making me really nervous. What should i do?
There is no reason to be nervous, action isn’t usually taken until HCT is 54% according to the guidelines. You know deficiencies or excess on somethings happens well below or above reference ranges.
It’s not like you’re going to die because levels are above ranges, in fact I’ve seen some men with crazy high HCT (58%) and no symptoms. You can experience IBS if vitamin D drop too low.
TRT can become an obsession or a constant worry if you let it and it’s not good for mental health, you have to have some faith in your doctor and that he’s not a complete idiot. These labs are run for a reason, to monitor you and I’m sure if a level was in a danger zone, your doctor would be contacting you immediately.
These are not considered high levels at all, just go to a higher elevation and you’ll see people with higher HCT and healthy.
You should do nothing except check for mineral deficiencies that might help explain your stomach issues. The ER is not going to be much help unless you are so bad off that you are expected to not make it through the night, if ER doctors believe you will live through the next couple of days, they will discharge you.
You should be diagnosing these stomach issues with your GP and/or coordinated with your endocrinologist.
Thanks, makes me feel better. And yeah tbh, its been a worry to me every day. I just want to be certain im doing everything correctly and staying healthy. I went to the ER because i have diverticulitis that i get like once a year
TRT makes your RBC go up. It’s part of it. You’re fine.
Yeah those numbers are beyond fine. Nowhere close to have a concern. I can be as high as RBC 6.9, hemoglobin 19 and hematocrit 56. And I’m fine. Blood pressure low. Resting heart rate low.
hematocrit is also affected by how hydrated you are as well. Can literally change daily. Better hydrated equals a lower hematocrit.
Are there things that can be done to reduce HCT, like taking a lot of fish oil, some supplement or diet adjustment?
A grapefruit a day keeps the blood letting away 
Sounds awesome
Grapefruit daily, 4 grams fish oil daily, gallon of water daily, dose adjustment, frequency adjustment did nothing to lower mine. Only blood donations did. But in 3 months all numbers come back up again.
Isn’t it the white part of the grapefruit (skin between the outside and the fruit) that has the naringin? Or am I making that up…
Not sure what anyone else here thinks but double red blood cell donation has helped me a lot. I have the same issue with all those being high but in range yet still had some symptoms like headaches/pressure, minor fatigue and flushing/hot flashes and after the blood cell donation I feel good again. I’ve done it twice so far.
I donate too just to keep the doc happy. But I feel the same way before and after the donation. Only thing that changes is the numbers on the paper. I wonder why some some people have symptoms even at 52 hematocrit and others have none at 58 hematocrit?
Same here…I am on about 3x per year phlebotomy. No other remedies have worked for me either…tried them all. I actually experience BP issues when my HCT/RBC levels hit 54/18 range respectively. My only concern is ferritin levels stay in lower end of normal…other than that it is just an inconvenience.
Definitely keep an eye on ferritin if you’re donating often.