Hemoglobin Catch-22

[saps]

Also for any blood donation rookies donating to the red cross. They will take your BP after the finger prick. If either number is over 160 or 100 respectively they will turn you away. No big deal right? Wrong. Often times the people working there are well intentioned but not in the know about a lot of things. If you have a 17.5" arm or bigger you must be tested with the so called larger cuff. A big arm in the normal cuff will sckew the reading by dozens of points. For myself I was once refused at red cross because they tested me at 148/104 and I was like holy shitballs 104 diastolic! The next day I say my MD and they put the larger cuff on me 118/78. The nurse said the cuff size alone can make that much difference

 

[Userat204]

Go to redcross to donate. Mine was 18.3 and they were happy to see it high. I wasn't lol. It brought mine down drastically as well as hematocrit. My doc told me not to worry and it wasn't that high plus hematocrit was 54.9. I found a new doc. Yea it was my fault it was so high but donating worked wonders for me I get blood work every month while on just to see how everything is going and that's the only area I had an issue. It's nothing to play with and I'm not sure if it was placebo but I felt a lot better after donating.

 

[qbkilla]

they dont do a cbc before the take your blood now do they (red cross)? i thought they jsut took BP and iron levels. also how do i get them to take double red? all i saw under the appointments on the red cross site said 'whole blood'? how do i get double red?

 

[Stewie]

No the don't do a CBC, as far as a double red blood cell you'll have to set an appointment, not all techs are qualified to do a double, or at least that's how it is where I live.

they dont do a cbc before the take your blood now do they (red cross)? i thought they jsut took BP and iron levels. also how do i get them to take double red? all i saw under the appointments on the red cross site said 'whole blood'? how do i get double red?

 

[maldorf]

they dont do a cbc before the take your blood now do they (red cross)? i thought they jsut took BP and iron levels. also how do i get them to take double red? all i saw under the appointments on the red cross site said 'whole blood'? how do i get double red?

They just prick your finger and do a quick hemoglobin check with a monitor. BTW, you can find those monitors and buy one for your home because I have one. I think most bodybuilders should have one at home to moitor theirs. IFyou dont have a monitor you should make it a regular habit of giving blood.

 

[aphextwin]

I wonder what you RBC would be if you were put on Androgel or have you tried this already?

Maldorf,

Every tried Androgel before since you have such an issue with injectables?

 

[qbkilla]

good info, i made my apt saturday to give double red. are there any negatives of double red? can i train the day after?

 

[rockdoc]

good info, i made my apt saturday to give double red. are there any negatives of double red? can i train the day after?

Only differences are it takes quite a bit longer to do and you have to wait twice as long to give blood again as you do just giving whole blood.

 

[maldorf]

Maldorf,

Every tried Androgel before since you have such an issue with injectables?

You mean with hemoglobin getting high? Ive only used the injectable for HRT. I asked the endo if he thought using the gel would cause less of a problem with the hemoglobin and he said that the effect would be the same. My high hemoglobin may just be tied to my heart condition now, we really dont know.
My hemoglobin is under control now with regular phlebotomies at the hematologists office.