So 6 months ago I was getting off my late Spring Blast of 500mg TE with 4 weeks on Anavar and 4 weeks of Winny. My blood was thick so I donated. Sure enough, crashed my ferritin again.
Post donation:
With an HCT of 50.9% and ferritin still below range, I don’t dare try to blast because when my HCT goes over 53% I can’t donate blood. That would send my ferritin into single digits and I have been there you pass out with any amount of physical exertion.
Since my 6 months, 80mg/week experiment is over I have raised my TRT back to 120mg/week. I wish there was a way to increase ferritin without making my blood thicker. I am so bummed. Just spent 6 months in hell at 80mg/w and now I can’t spend 12 weeks with a little T joy.
Why do you want to blast at all? My bloods are always a bit screwy, if id wait for all the markers to be perfect, id never take anything i guess but if id live up to your age and health with your ability to live life and train, i dont think id risk it…
You know that at this point even if bloodwork would be fine on a cruise, it wont be on a blast… If something happens to you, it would be in a blast… Im not saying dont do it, im just interested why do you want to blast if you have trt, life and good health?
Hi Hank, You self medicate. I have to keep doctors happy and they check my blood every 6 months. If my HCT is >53 and I can’t donate blood they will pull my T cyp script since that is the only way to reduce your HCT.
To keep my HCT/E2 in check most of the year my TRT dose is a maintenance level between 100-120mg/ week. I blast for the added strength and faster recovery rate to try and grow a little. I have never lost any gains from my blasts I believe it is because I have never hit my genetic limit.
@iron_yuppie Thank you I will do some research on the ARB’s If they work for me that would be great. I agree donating blood is just a bandaid and soon or later you will crash your ferritin.
EDIT: So telmisartan is a blood pressure medicine? Am I researching the right thing?
Olmesartan and telmisartan are equally effective at reducing blood pressure, whereas losartan is less effective. Telmisartan is best in terms of cholesterol-lowering effects. And among the three, only telmisartan has a blood sugar-lowering effect.
Yes, they’re for high BP. They also can lower HCT and help reverse LVH, which you’ve almost certainly got some measure of. Low doses won’t send your BP to dangerously low levels (unless you’re already pretty low) and they do a ton of good for you. Read up on all the benefits and see if it’s something worth exploring.
I’m on this now, along with 325mg Aspirin a day, both to lower HCT (BP usually isn’t super high). My HCT is usually around 54% on TRT, so when I get my labs done again I’ll know if these made an impact
I think a prerequisite for getting prescribed BP meds is being hypertensive… Or pre hypertensive but at risk for a heart attack, stroke… Kidney damage
If his doc knows about his AAS use he might give him telmisartan depending on how progressive he is.
In Aus they’re very conservative… They won’t give my father cholesterol meds and his LDL was around 160 (now quite a bit lower without statins)… They were reluctant to give my mother statins and hers was around 180 (atrocious lifestyle + obese). She had to get a referral to a cardiologist and everything. Now my LDL runs at around 80…
They wouldn’t give them to me and mine fluctuated around 130-150 AND it was known that I had a tendency to use “supplements” at the time, I ended up putting myself on them. Ditto for ARB’s
Then again… This is the country where if you’re on painkillers you have to go to the doctor for a refill every two fucking weeks… It’s absurd…
The reason we all do it. GAINZ! It makes no sense when you sit down and think about it in a calm, collected manner unless you make your living off it. Even then (?). You know this (you are a smart dude). But it is what it is. Mental illness and the Holy Pursuit of GetBig (and shredded) or Die Tryin’ (in a continuum of pathologic behavior).
I am finding getting this out on the table is comforting so you can make your peace with it if unfortunately something bad does happen. You recognize the risk (and unbalanced risk/reward) and prepare for what happens (in case it does).
@swoops39 interesting to see you throwing the kitchen sink at your Hct.
as @iron_yuppie mentioned on paper Losartan/ARBs look promising and work for some. Never worked for me. Aspirin did as I shared previously (careful with your gut). You are doing both so I’ll be interested to see how your results turn out and which one or both did the trick if you follow up with more experiments. Good luck!
