Is it time to give blood?

[lakers0812]

Hey guys,

these labs were taken on 11/6:

WBC: 5.6 (3.4-10.8)
RBC: 5.43 (4.14-5.8)
Hemoglobin: 16.3 (12.6-17.7)
Hematocrit: 48.8 (37.5-51)
MCV: 90 (79-97)
MCH: 30 (26.6-33)
MCHC: 33.4 (31.5-35.7)
RDW: 15.3 (12.3-15.4)
Platelets: 157 (155-379)

If so, how much should I donate? also do you guys usually donate to red cross?

Thanks

 

[Spunkey71]

Your Hematocrit is only at 48.8 which is not high but you are getting close to the upper end of the scale. If you don't mind the process of donating you should go ahead and make a whole blood donation. Not only will this help lower your Hematocrit but you will also be doing some good and possible be saving someone's life.


Best of luck to you!

 

[willnorthwest]

Yes you can give blood, just make sure you have healthy iron levels before doing so. The best gauge of iron health is your Ferritin levels. Test for it before giving blood

 

[lakers0812]

Yes you can give blood, just make sure you have healthy iron levels before doing so. The best gauge of iron health is your Ferritin levels. Test for it before giving blood

I don't mind donating blood.

I am supplementing with iron bisglycinate 27 mg mon,wed,fri. I had low iron for a man just two months ago. Now, my iron levels are perfect:


TIBC: 287 (250-450)
UIBC: 174 (150-375)
Iron, serum: 113 (40-155)
Iron sat: 39 %

Ferritin, serum: 130 (30-400)

What effects will blood donation have on my iron levels? I really need to keep my iron levels up so that my thyroid meds will work properly.

Thanks

 

[Spunkey71]

I am not an expert and I am just going on what little info I know here. My father suffers from a condition called hemochromatosis (he has too much iron in his blood) and his prescribed treatment for this is donating blood. He is required to give every 60 days and has done so now for about 15 years and this keeps his iron levels within range. With all of that said it is my guess that donating will in fact lower iron levels but I am not sure as to the extent that it will lower. Doing a single whole blood donation might not make that much of a difference seeing how my father has to give blood year round to keep his levels within range.

Good Luck!


Edit:
You lose about 220-250 mg of iron when you donate a unit of blood. A double red cell donation contains about twice as much (about 470 mg of iron). It can take 8 weeks or more for your body to replace the iron lost with blood donation, even with an iron-rich diet.

Source: American Red Cross Website

 

[lakers0812]

I am not an expert and I am just going on what little info I know here. My father suffers from a condition called hemochromatosis (he has too much iron in his blood) and his prescribed treatment for this is donating blood. He is required to give every 60 days and has done so now for about 15 years and this keeps his iron levels within range. With all of that said it is my guess that donating will in fact lower iron levels but I am not sure as to the extent that it will lower. Doing a single whole blood donation might not make that much of a difference seeing how my father has to give blood year round to keep his levels within range.

Good Luck!

Ok thanks for that! I think I've heard of that condition. Too low and too high iron are both bad.

 

[THE-DET-OAK]

how long have you been taking iron with your TRT?

 

[Megatron28]

Hey guys,

these labs were taken on 11/6:

WBC: 5.6 (3.4-10.8)
RBC: 5.43 (4.14-5.8)
Hemoglobin: 16.3 (12.6-17.7)
Hematocrit: 48.8 (37.5-51)
MCV: 90 (79-97)
MCH: 30 (26.6-33)
MCHC: 33.4 (31.5-35.7)
RDW: 15.3 (12.3-15.4)
Platelets: 157 (155-379)

If so, how much should I donate? also do you guys usually donate to red cross?

Thanks

Watch your platelets count. You are getting on the low side. You don't want to get Thrombocytopenia.

I would recommend that you talk to your doctor before getting on a blood donation routine given your issues.

 

[lakers0812]

how long have you been taking iron with your TRT?

I've been taking iron for about 2 months now.

 

[lakers0812]

Watch your platelets count. You are getting on the low side. You don't want to get Thrombocytopenia.

I would recommend that you talk to your doctor before getting on a blood donation routine given your issues.

I dont even know what that is. I'll look it up. How does your platelet count get too low in the first place? Is there anything you can do to increase it? What is a good number for it.

Thanks!

 

[lakers0812]

Also, I just checked over some old labs and this is by far the lowest the platelets have been. One lab before they were 210, another I checked was 196.

 

[Gbrad]

Also, I just checked over some old labs and this is by far the lowest the platelets have been. One lab before they were 210, another I checked was 196.

How long you been on TRT? If it has been hovering around that mark for a while or GRADUALLY increasing I wouldn't feel the NEED to donate personally. I'm with whoever said to watc your platelets too. I'd recheck in a month or two and see where you are.

IMHO

 

[methos0123]

I wouldn't get too hung up on the platelets personally. I've been at 150-200 as long as I've been checking it in the lab I work at. Now, if it gets to 100 or so...yeah, get worried.