Donating blood, is it necessary?

[pumpflex7]

I’m watching this YouTube video about TRT and running cycles and how you should donate blood I guess really the only thing they said was cause they could build a disease that could be irreversible and that it helps with thickening of the blood? Is this really necessary?

 

[jackedsanta]

I dont but i watch my hematocrit regularly

 

[JUICEDUP3]

tons of post on this topic.. just search it up.

that being said I still donate about 2 or 3 times a year..

 

[Sectør]

That used to be the going theme that donating blood was beneficial

I think in more recent years that conversation has changed though, with some saying It can cause massive up and down fluctuations in hemocrit, and that overall it’s not worth it to donate.

I still don’t know what the correct answer is honestly

 

[Brock456]

I’ve said this in other threads on this topic so I’ll say it here too.

Donating blood tanked my iron for like 6 months. I never donated again after that. And the only reason I donated was bc my hematocrit was slightly above range and Dr said I should if I recall correctly.
In talking with other guys on here and listening to videos on this topic, I don’t believe it was necessary for me to donate for only slightly elevated levels.

 

[curcumin]

My hematocrit went up to 60 slowly but surely on just low ish doses and I still didn't donate. My platelets were in range so I felt I had a little bit of time to work with it. I was determined to try to figure out how to get it lower. First I started taking nattokinase 4,000 FU per day. This won't lower it but it can mitigate some of the symptoms of high HCT. Here's what worked OK for me to actually get it down (from 60 --> 54). I added more cardio (from 120 mins/week to 180 mins/week) and I dropped my GH dose and added berberine/GHK-cu/BPC157 to lower inflammation. I lost water weight (10 pounds), my joints felt better with lower inflammation, and my HCT started trending down over 6 months. I'm hoping its still trending down but I'm totally happy with 54 HCT and platelets in range so if it plateaus here I'm fine.

I recently added low dose retatrutide to see if I can bleed a little more inflammation off. My theory is that higher levels of inflammation promote higher HCT. Primary concern if you want to live long is to lower inflammation. There are many scientific studies that support this theory and if you have high hematocrit and you suspect you have high inflammation levels also from diet, lack of cardio, anabolic drugs, etc then its probably worth starting there to fix that issue and watch the positive cascade happen in your own body.

 

[mike036]

I personally believe donating once or twice a year is ok. In the past I was donating every 2-3 months but quickly realized after tanking my ferritin to single digits that wasn’t a good idea. After doing much research and listening to some of the smarter members on this board I learned donating wasn’t necessary just because hemoglobin/hematocrit was elevated. So unless your platelets are high or if you have a clotting disorder like factor 5 I would keep blood donations to a minimum.

 

[bbxtreme]

Donating 1-2 times a year because it’s a good thing to do and your bloodwork can support it is fine.

Doing “blood dumps” is not ok nor should it be necessary unless you have a rare genetic disorder.

 

[Fleezy]

My doctors at Kaiser said that they do not do phlebotomy for increased erythropoiesis resulting from testosterone or other androgen use

 

[slesh]

Love new topics. Hope to learn a lot from this thread.

 

[pistonpump]

I donate to help people in need. My blood is universal donor and also able to give to infants so I feel it's my duty to help. I donate 3-4 times a year and have no problems

 

[aHarness]

Love new topics. Hope to learn a lot from this thread.

Same. Rare we come across a topic like this that hasn’t already been discussed in depth.

 

[Fleezy]

I donate to help people in need. My blood is universal donor and also able to give to infants so I feel it's my duty to help. I donate 3-4 times a year and have no problems

Making jacked babies

 

[buck]

Depends on why a person chooses to donate. I donate and used to do more during cycles for the same reason many do. Plus from my reading people with even high normal iron levels tend to have shorter life spans. So i just look on it as a preventative measure and others are helped in the process. So for me it is a win win.

 

[01dragonslayer]

I’m watching this YouTube video about TRT and running cycles and how you should donate blood I guess really the only thing they said was cause they could build a disease that could be irreversible and that it helps with thickening of the blood? Is this really necessary?

It's a great way to control your H&H if it gets too high.

 

[Bio]

Don't forget to use the Search function!

 

[Neuro1234]

My theory is that higher levels of inflammation promote higher HCT.

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circ.128.suppl_22.a18253

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26299080/

It appears the opposite may be true.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articl...bone marrow,in hemoglobin concentrations [18].

This study proposed that high inflammation even leads to decreased responsiveness to EPO.

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/blood-diseases/anemia-inflammation-chronic-disease

Even full blown anemia is directly linked to higher levels of inflammation.

 

[pumpflex7]

That used to be the going theme that donating blood was beneficial

I think in more recent years that conversation has changed though, with some saying It can cause massive up and down fluctuations in hemocrit, and that overall it’s not worth it to donate.

I still don’t know what the correct answer is honestly

I agree

 

[pumpflex7]

Don't forget to use the Search function!

I did couldn’t find much of a steady answer and seemed to have mixed reviews and saying it wasn’t necessary pretty much what everyone’s been saying only a few times a year and if H&H gets to high

 

[pumpflex7]

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circ.128.suppl_22.a18253

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26299080/

It appears the opposite may be true.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3678279/#:~:text=The cause of bone marrow,in hemoglobin concentrations [18].

This study proposed that high inflammation even leads to decreased responsiveness to EPO.

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/blood-diseases/anemia-inflammation-chronic-disease

Even full blown anemia is directly linked to higher levels of inflammation.

Yes I also read anemia from higher levels and from donating to much or when you don’t need to among many other issues