Does anyone here perform their own phlebotamies?

20sam91 · Jun 10, 2013

I understand you can get kits to do it yourself at home, do any of you guys use them? If my hematocrit gets too high in future I would probably do this but I'm pretty sure I read maldorf and big bapper had clots after doing their own. Was this just coincidence?

maldorf · Jun 10, 2013

Yeah, I only did 2 before I had my clot and almost died. I don't know if its a coincidence or not, I am willing to take a leap and say yes though. I have been getting a phlebotomy done once a month for the past 5 yrs and never had an issue, but that's done professionally. Comparing my method though to what they do at the office, nothing really different.

I tell you though that you should have it done professionally because there is a very small chance that it might have brought mine on, I wouldn't gamble on that. You also need to get a cbc done regularly and that will happen when you either donate or go to the doc. Now you can buy a hemoglobin meter like I did, I was using it when I did my own. I would trust the machine at the docs office though more than the meters you can buy.

Really no reason to do your own other than to hide it from your doctor and keep it a secret, off your health insurance.

Capin · Jun 10, 2013

I have been tempted but its just to risky I would be more concerned about bleeding to death than anything else. Ill leave it up to the professionals and keep doing the double red cell donation every four months

Knight9 · Jun 10, 2013

As I recall hearing, another member who is deceased also was doing his own. (RIP Bapper) So, coincidence or not...I would not even think about it.

pupeye · Jun 11, 2013

So how do you go about getting it done professionaly?

maldorf · Jun 11, 2013

pupeye said:
So how do you go about getting it done professionaly?

Just see a doctor and if your hemoglobin is up over 19 or so they can prescribe the procedure to get it down. Now, they will want to run tests to see why it is so high and that's when you will need to tell them why. Some guys are paranoid that if it goes into their record that they have used steroids that they can be denied insurance coverage for related expenses, but this is not the case. The only way that it was possible for that to happen was if you had a break in your insurance coverage and went some time without insurance, then they could deny you coverage for preexisting conditions for up to 1 year. I am pretty sure now with Obama care they cant even do that.

It really is an unfounded fear. Now life insurance is another matter and it probably will confound that.

20sam91 · Jun 11, 2013

Cheers guys, doesn't seem like it is worth the risk

maldorf · Jun 11, 2013

20sam91 said:
Cheers guys, doesn't seem like it is worth the risk

No its not. Just try to get to the blood bank before your levels get so high that they wont take your blood. The bank here was turning me down and that's why I did my own. I think their cutoff was a hemoglobin of 18 or more, but its been awhile and im not sure on that #. I do remember how shocked the people were when they saw my level, it was nearly 21.

20sam91 · Jun 11, 2013

maldorf said:
No its not. Just try to get to the blood bank before your levels get so high that they wont take your blood. The bank here was turning me down and that's why I did my own. I think their cutoff was a hemoglobin of 18 or more, but its been awhile and im not sure on that #. I do remember how shocked the people were when they saw my level, it was nearly 21.

this is exactly what I'll do. I'm getting tested in a couple weeks and I'll go from there. thanks for the input