How often are you actually getting blood off to keep hematocrit down, and where do you go for it?

My hematocrit has been creeping up again on this blast and I want to get ahead of it before it turns into a real problem. For those of you managing it, how often are you actually getting blood off, and where are you going for it? I know the standard line is a whole blood donation every 3 months or so on TRT, but I am running EQ this time which I hear pushes red cells harder than anything. Trouble is I got knocked back at the Red Cross last time so I am trying to work out what the realistic options are. Keen to hear what schedule people have settled on and how you handle it when the usual route is closed off.

I go every three months like clockwork for a whole blood donation and that keeps me sitting around 48 to 49 even on a blast. Running EQ pushes it up faster so on those runs I have gone in closer to every ten weeks. Biggest tip nobody mentions, get properly hydrated the day before your bloods, being dry on the day can inflate the number enough to scare you for nothing. If the Red Cross knocks you back, a therapeutic phlebotomy script from your doctor taken to a hospital outpatient lab is the cleanest workaround I have found.

Blood management is not optional once you are on TRT or blasting, sort it before the number starts scaring you. Whole blood roughly every 3 months works for most, and make sure you are properly hydrated on the day of your draw. Plenty of guys panic over a reading that is half dehydration.

Good thread. Managing your bloods is not optional if you are on long term, every 3 months is the sensible baseline for most. And a lot of guys panic over a number that is really just dehydration on the day. Get hydrated, retest, then decide.

Hydration is the one people sleep on. One of the lads dropped from 53 to 49.8 on water intake alone, so if you are dehydrated on the day of bloods the number panics you for nothing. On donation the standard is whole blood roughly every 3 months on TRT, more often if you are running EQ because that pushes red cells harder than anything else. If the Red Cross knocks you back, and dutasteride for hair will get you knocked back, the route is a therapeutic phlebotomy script from your doc taken to a hospital outpatient lab. Fair warning though, actual phlebotomy providers are scarce even in the big metros, so start ringing around early rather than waiting til your hematocrit is already up.

I go every 3 months as standard, more often when I am running EQ since that is the worst offender for pushing red cells up. One thing worth flagging before you panic over a high reading, hydration makes a bigger difference than people think, I have watched mine drop from 53 to under 50 on water alone, being dry on the day of bloods just inflates the number. If the Red Cross keeps knocking you back the usual route is a therapeutic phlebotomy script from your doctor taken to a hospital outpatient lab, only downside is decent phlebotomy providers are genuinely scarce even in the bigger cities.