Lowering Crit

maldorf · Feb 8, 2011

OuchThatHurts said:
To everyone reading this, don't think it's a good practice to use donations as some form of modern blood-letting to improve a steroid-induced whacked out hematology profile.

Healthy blood is the result of a healthy lifestyle and not medications and a blood bank. Donating has it's benefits but under normal circumstances, a person can go their whole life without giving blood and can remain perfectly healthy.

I'm glad you said this. Too many guys think that everything will be just fine as long as they give blood to keep it down. All you are doing is masking the symptoms. Youre just treating one of the many things going wrong in your body while many many more things are going wrong that you are not even aware of. Take a look at what happened to me when I had my heart attack/blood clot. I had just give blood about 3 days prior to my clot/heart attack. My crit was down to about 45%. In my blood the many clotting hormones were going haywire because of the drugs I was taking. I had no idea that I had inherited a clotting disorder either. My mother is age 70 now and she has it and yet has never suffered a blood clot. She didnt know she had it until after my heart attack. I made her go in and get tested. Nobody in my family has ever had a problem until me. Hummm, I wonder why I got my clot?

OuchThatHurts · Feb 8, 2011

maldorf said:
I'm glad you said this. Too many guys think that everything will be just fine as long as they give blood to keep it down. All you are doing is masking the symptoms. Youre just treating one of the many things going wrong in your body while many many more things are going wrong that you are not even aware of. Take a look at what happened to me when I had my heart attack/blood clot. I had just give blood about 3 days prior to my clot/heart attack. My crit was down to about 45%. In my blood the many clotting hormones were going haywire because of the drugs I was taking. I had no idea that I had inherited a clotting disorder either. My mother is age 70 now and she has it and yet has never suffered a blood clot. She didnt know she had it until after my heart attack. I made her go in and get tested. Nobody in my family has ever had a problem until me. Hummm, I wonder why I got my clot?

Good info man. Everyone should read this. I remember another thread where I said "don't assume to say to yourself, I do x, y, and z to stay healthy" and expect that to fly in the real world. You're living proof of that. I'm glad you're still with us! As in "among the living" with us!

Slidingblues · Feb 9, 2011

I keep a close eye on my hematocrit and other readings. Mine is borderline high even after giving blood.

In my searches i found this.

Ingestion of grapefruit lowers elevated hematocrits in human subjects.

Ingestion of grapefruit lowers elevated hematocrit... [Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1988] - PubMed result

Abstract

This study was based on in vitro observations that naringin isolated from grapefruit induced red cell aggregation and evidence that clumped red cells are removed from the circulation by phagocytosis. The effect on hematocrits of adding grapefruit to the daily diet was determined using 36 human subjects (12 F, 24 M) over a 42-day study. The hematocrits ranged from 36.5 to 55.8% at the start and 38.8% to 49.2% at the end of the study. There was a differential effect on the hematocrit. The largest decreases occurred at the highest hematocrits and the effect decreased on the intermediate hematocrits; however, the low hematocrits increased. There was no significant difference between ingesting 1/2 or 1 grapefruit per day but a decrease in hematocrit due to ingestion of grapefruit was statistically significant at the p less than 0.01 level.

I am trying a naringin supplement and will test again in 30 days to see if it made an impact.

All I am taking is 200mg test per week, hgh and gh releasing peptides. Plus typical vitamins and supplements.

OuchThatHurts · Feb 9, 2011

Slidingblues said:
I keep a close eye on my hematocrit and other readings. Mine is borderline high even after giving blood.

In my searches i found this.

Ingestion of grapefruit lowers elevated hematocrits in human subjects.

Ingestion of grapefruit lowers elevated hematocrit... [Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1988] - PubMed result

Abstract

This study was based on in vitro observations that naringin isolated from grapefruit induced red cell aggregation and evidence that clumped red cells are removed from the circulation by phagocytosis. The effect on hematocrits of adding grapefruit to the daily diet was determined using 36 human subjects (12 F, 24 M) over a 42-day study. The hematocrits ranged from 36.5 to 55.8% at the start and 38.8% to 49.2% at the end of the study. There was a differential effect on the hematocrit. The largest decreases occurred at the highest hematocrits and the effect decreased on the intermediate hematocrits; however, the low hematocrits increased. There was no significant difference between ingesting 1/2 or 1 grapefruit per day but a decrease in hematocrit due to ingestion of grapefruit was statistically significant at the p less than 0.01 level.

I am trying a naringin supplement and will test again in 30 days to see if it made an impact.

All I am taking is 200mg test per week, hgh and gh releasing peptides. Plus typical vitamins and supplements.

Sounds interesting. I'd like to know how that goes. It's a pretty small study over a fairly short period but maybe there's something to it.

Slidingblues · Feb 9, 2011

I'll be sure to post the results.

I don't take any meds that grapefruit should have an impact on so hopefully this will be my solution.

10brandonr · Feb 10, 2011

Slidingblues said:
I'll be sure to post the results.

I don't take any meds that grapefruit should have an impact on so hopefully this will be my solution.

Cool man, would be interested as well!

maldorf · Feb 11, 2011

Slidingblues said:
I'll be sure to post the results.

I don't take any meds that grapefruit should have an impact on so hopefully this will be my solution.

Kai green loves grapefruit!

Slidingblues · Mar 25, 2011

The naringin supplement maybe lowered mine by a point. i am switching to grapefruit.

Slidingblues said:
I keep a close eye on my hematocrit and other readings. Mine is borderline high even after giving blood.

In my searches i found this.

Ingestion of grapefruit lowers elevated hematocrits in human subjects.

Ingestion of grapefruit lowers elevated hematocrit... [Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1988] - PubMed result

Abstract

This study was based on in vitro observations that naringin isolated from grapefruit induced red cell aggregation and evidence that clumped red cells are removed from the circulation by phagocytosis. The effect on hematocrits of adding grapefruit to the daily diet was determined using 36 human subjects (12 F, 24 M) over a 42-day study. The hematocrits ranged from 36.5 to 55.8% at the start and 38.8% to 49.2% at the end of the study. There was a differential effect on the hematocrit. The largest decreases occurred at the highest hematocrits and the effect decreased on the intermediate hematocrits; however, the low hematocrits increased. There was no significant difference between ingesting 1/2 or 1 grapefruit per day but a decrease in hematocrit due to ingestion of grapefruit was statistically significant at the p less than 0.01 level.

I am trying a naringin supplement and will test again in 30 days to see if it made an impact.

All I am taking is 200mg test per week, hgh and gh releasing peptides. Plus typical vitamins and supplements.

Stewie · Mar 25, 2011

After reading Maldorfs post a few months back I started a quest to help keep my RBC at a nice threshold and also keep my TT and FT at optimal levels since I'm on TRT for life.
I also ran across the link you posted and have increased my grapefruit consumption along with this there was one other aspect I have long over looked and that's iodine as I have been deficient due to my ignorance and trying to keep salt low over the last 20+ years, so as we know drinking to much water can also dehydrate one by depletion of essential minerals. No matter how much water I was drinking (1½+) per day I would always feel a mild sense of dehydration ie; lethargic, constant yellow urine, skin and weak.

To summarize I introduced small doses of iodine mixed in water on an empty stomach and half a grapefruit 4 days before my most recent blood draw which was today I had a blood draw on 3/15 and here are my red blood cell counts at 1:10pm

RBC 5.74. X10^6ul 4.20-5.70
HGB 17.7. G/DL. 13.1-17.3
HCT. 52.5. % 39.0-50.0

Today at 9:04a.m

RBC 5.55. X10^6/ul. Same as above
HGB. 17.4 G/DL. " "
HCT. 50..0. % " "

I strongly feel that with getting my iodine back up to help with the absorption of fluids and getting my thyroid close to functioning the way it should, and eating grapefruit has helped lower my RBC.

To me there's no question this approach works, this was my first go around so this is my new me on combating high RBC.

NOW IF I CAN FIND A DOCTOR THAT LISTENS.
FTR, My doctor doubted this would work.
Peace and good luck on your test