Iron Blood work wtf?

[EricJ123]

Normal HemoGlobin. High Crit. Low total Iron 31. Low Saturation 8%.

I have been feeling tired/week and shaky. However, I was also recently diagnosed with sleep apnea so Im not sure what wrecking me. Could these numbers mean Anemia?

 

[specter]

Do you donate blood ?

 

[EricJ123]

Do you donate blood ?

Yes.

 

[Performance Based]

What is your crit at?

 

[EricJ123]

What is your crit at?

50.9 just out of the normal range. Hemoglobin was normal 16.5

 

[EricJ123]

Forgot to list my ferritin level. 13. Normal Range is 38-380 ng/mL

 

[mike036]

Yes.

This same scenario has happened to many of us. Donating frequently for fear of high hemoglobin/hematocrit. I experienced this a few years ago. My ferritin was single digits from donating every 2-3 months. Give longer breaks between donations and use an iron supplement to get your numbers back up.

 

[specter]

This same scenario has happened to many of us. Donating frequently for fear of high hemoglobin/hematocrit. I experienced this a few years ago. My ferritin was single digits from donating every 2-3 months. Give longer breaks between donations and use an iron supplement to get your numbers back up.

This! it also happend to me by donating to much to often. Also if you apnea get a cpap this alone can help lower hematocrit, mine vent down 2 points in a short time.

 

[nicocujo]

I think you're donating too often. I donated every 8 weeks for a year and tanked my iron levels.
Also, my MCV, MCH, and MCHC tanked. Hematologist said no more donating unless my Hematocrit goes to 17. Last check it was only 15.3.
And yes, I'm fatigued all the time, and also have sleep apnea.

 

[luki7788]

why didn't you check the ferritin levels along with the iron?

 

[EricJ123]

why didn't you check the ferritin levels along with the iron?

I did. Came in at 13.

This same scenario has happened to many of us. Donating frequently for fear of high hemoglobin/hematocrit. I experienced this a few years ago. My ferritin was single digits from donating every 2-3 months. Give longer breaks between donations and use an iron supplement to get your numbers back up.

Yup thats probably it. Been donating every 8-12 weeks for 5+ years to keep the crit down. I think I'm over 5 gallons at this point. I was taught hemoglobin is Iron and that was always in range and eat meat so low iron never crossed my mind. From my own research Ferritin of 13 is pretty damn low.

 

[EricJ123]

This! it also happend to me by donating to much to often. Also if you apnea get a cpap this alone can help lower hematocrit, mine vent down 2 points in a short time.

Started the cpap two nights ago. Kept it on 3 hours first night, 4 hours last night. Hopefully my subconscious learns to keep it on throughout the night.

 

[luki7788]

I did. Came in at 13.

Yup thats probably it. Been donating every 8-12 weeks for 5+ years to keep the crit down. I think I'm over 5 gallons at this point. I was taught hemoglobin is Iron and that was always in range and eat meat so low iron never crossed my mind. From my own research Ferritin of 13 is pretty damn low.

low ferritin indicates a problem with iron absorption - maybe you do not use isonithiol in supplementation?

 

[Type-IIx]

I did. Came in at 13.

Yup thats probably it. Been donating every 8-12 weeks for 5+ years to keep the crit down. I think I'm over 5 gallons at this point. I was taught hemoglobin is Iron and that was always in range and eat meat so low iron never crossed my mind. From my own research Ferritin of 13 is pretty damn low.

Ferritin is a protein that involved in Fe (Iron) storage & release, and it is also (in addition to hemoglobin/haemoglobin [Hb], haematocrit [HCT], Fe, and other blood factors) lowered by phlebotomy (blood-letting).

Hb is a binding protein in erythrocytes (red blood cells) for O₂.

HCT reflects % of blood volume occupied by erythrocytes (RBCs): i.e., HCT ↔ Hb by the basic formula Hb (g/dL) * 3 ≈ HCT (%) [e.g., Hb of 15 g/dL ≈ HCT of 45%]

With respect to your question as to whether this means anemia -- anemia is defined as low HCT, and therefore low O₂ capacity (e.g., due to inadequate Fe intake) -- since your HCT is high, you are not anemic. Arguably, you are technically "iron deficient" otherwise called "iron deficiency anemia," but the consequence of that - low HCT - does not apply in your case thanks to androgen...

With respect to your bloodwork, this result is rather typical for TRT or androgen users that phlebotomize - your HCT is high, due to androgen (e.g., TRT) ↑HCT/Hb through an initial rise in EPO levels & a concurrent ↓Hepcidin levels (↑Fe uptake), which each fall back to baseline levels in response to ↑HCT/Hb (the new EPO/Hb set point). Your Fe & ferritin are low.

The decrease in your iron binding capacity (% saturation) follows from your low absolute Fe (iron) levels. Not likely from some obscure iron absorption problem.

The advice to take a break from frequent blood donation/phlebotomy makes sense, and the absolute risk for elevated Hb/HCT is not great - it's certainly worthwhile for (especially older men) androgen or TRT users to phlebotomize regularly (to lower Hb/HCT & thrombotic risks), but with less frequency (e.g., twice yearly).

 

[specter]

Started the cpap two nights ago. Kept it on 3 hours first night, 4 hours last night. Hopefully my subconscious learns to keep it on throughout the night.

Took me about 2 weeks to get used to it, i use a fullface mask.

 

[Black Beard]

You're anemic. You will need a lot of iron for +3 months to get back in range.

 

[nicocujo]

Ferritin is a protein that involved in Fe (Iron) storage & release, and it is also (in addition to hemoglobin/haemoglobin [Hb], haematocrit [HCT], Fe, and other blood factors) lowered by phlebotomy (blood-letting).

Hb is a binding protein in erythrocytes (red blood cells) for O₂.

HCT reflects % of blood volume occupied by erythrocytes (RBCs): i.e., HCT ↔ Hb by the basic formula Hb (g/dL) * 3 ≈ HCT (%) [e.g., Hb of 15 g/dL ≈ HCT of 45%]

With respect to your question as to whether this means anemia -- anemia is defined as low HCT, and therefore low O₂ capacity (e.g., due to inadequate Fe intake) -- since your HCT is high, you are not anemic. Arguably, you are technically "iron deficient" otherwise called "iron deficiency anemia," but the consequence of that - low HCT - does not apply in your case thanks to androgen...

With respect to your bloodwork, this result is rather typical for TRT or androgen users that phlebotomize - your HCT is high, due to androgen (e.g., TRT) ↑HCT/Hb through an initial rise in EPO levels & a concurrent ↓Hepcidin levels (↑Fe uptake), which each fall back to baseline levels in response to ↑HCT/Hb (the new EPO/Hb set point). Your Fe & ferritin are low.

The decrease in your iron binding capacity (% saturation) follows from your low absolute Fe (iron) levels. Not likely from some obscure iron absorption problem.

The advice to take a break from frequent blood donation/phlebotomy makes sense, and the absolute risk for elevated Hb/HCT is not great - it's certainly worthwhile for (especially older men) androgen or TRT users to phlebotomize regularly (to lower Hb/HCT & thrombotic risks), but with less frequency (e.g., twice yearly).

Very good explanation. Thx.

Nico

 

[EricJ123]

Ferritin is a protein that involved in Fe (Iron) storage & release, and it is also (in addition to hemoglobin/haemoglobin [Hb], haematocrit [HCT], Fe, and other blood factors) lowered by phlebotomy (blood-letting).

Hb is a binding protein in erythrocytes (red blood cells) for O₂.

HCT reflects % of blood volume occupied by erythrocytes (RBCs): i.e., HCT ↔ Hb by the basic formula Hb (g/dL) * 3 ≈ HCT (%) [e.g., Hb of 15 g/dL ≈ HCT of 45%]

With respect to your question as to whether this means anemia -- anemia is defined as low HCT, and therefore low O₂ capacity (e.g., due to inadequate Fe intake) -- since your HCT is high, you are not anemic. Arguably, you are technically "iron deficient" otherwise called "iron deficiency anemia," but the consequence of that - low HCT - does not apply in your case thanks to androgen...

With respect to your bloodwork, this result is rather typical for TRT or androgen users that phlebotomize - your HCT is high, due to androgen (e.g., TRT) ↑HCT/Hb through an initial rise in EPO levels & a concurrent ↓Hepcidin levels (↑Fe uptake), which each fall back to baseline levels in response to ↑HCT/Hb (the new EPO/Hb set point). Your Fe & ferritin are low.

The decrease in your iron binding capacity (% saturation) follows from your low absolute Fe (iron) levels. Not likely from some obscure iron absorption problem.

The advice to take a break from frequent blood donation/phlebotomy makes sense, and the absolute risk for elevated Hb/HCT is not great - it's certainly worthwhile for (especially older men) androgen or TRT users to phlebotomize regularly (to lower Hb/HCT & thrombotic risks), but with less frequency (e.g., twice yearly).

Thank you for the detailed response. Any tips on supplementation?

My own research has led me to 1.5mgxKG bodweight non heme iron and 2mgxKGbw heme iron as well as taking or eating vitamin C rich foods to absorb iron. For me that would be 142G non heme and 190G Heme.

 

[Type-IIx]

Thank you for the detailed response. Any tips on supplementation?

My own research has led me to 1.5mgxKG bodweight non heme iron and 2mgxKGbw heme iron as well as taking or eating vitamin C rich foods to absorb iron. For me that would be 142G non heme and 190G Heme.

I do not recommend any supplementation, rather I think you should just wait for Fe, ferritin, etc to naturally rebound. The reason is that supplemental iron will lead to dramatically increased HCT/Hb (that is already high). Phlebotomy ↓Fe, but supplementation dramatically and rapidly ↑HCT/Hb w. 37.5 mg Fe daily. See Kiss, J. E., Brambilla, D., Glynn, S. A., Mast, A. E., Spencer, B. R., Stone, M., Cable, R. G. (2015). Oral Iron Supplementation After Blood Donation. JAMA, 313(6), 575. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.119

 

[Gambel]

Are you taking a proton pump inhibitor or anything else that would increase your gastric pH?