question from a user
I've been on 120ml/ week test c for about a year. Once I got through initial phase, all has been well except my hematocrit has been very high. The last time I gave blood the nurse told me if it was half a point higher they would be required to turn me away. What would my options be then? I do take a baby aspirin daily. Also, does a Power Red donation reduce hematocrit more than a standard whole blood? Is that recommended?
AlphaMD's Answer
Options to control hematocrit elevations/erythrocytosis on TRT are relatively limited. Lower TRT doses do sometimes help lower the red blood cell count. But if you are in the 3-5% of men who develop high hematocrit on TRT, then sometimes no amount of lowering the dose will help.
There have now been a few studies on naringen that have shown promise in lowering hematocrit levels. We have suggested this to some patients and have seen successful results with most of them.
Naringen is made from grapefruit extract.
Staying well hydrated also helps in diluting the hematocrit level.
Aspirin does not lower hematocrit, it inhibits platelets from forming clots.
A “power red” or double red donation can lower the hematocrit by 7-9%. It does lower the RBC level significantly more because it further dilutes the blood by extracting the red blood cells and then putting the plasma back.
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