# STEROIDS FORUM > HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY- Low T, Anti-Aging >  Donating Blood while on TRT

## bass

first will they take blood form someone who's on HRT? if so, does drawing blood lower your testosterone ? meaning because we inject it into our blood, will it take some of the injected test with it? if so when is the best time to donate blood, one day before injection?

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## sirupate

My endo had me visit a hematologist to have a consult on my high'ish hemoglobin levels. The hematologist told me that as long as the high levels were caused by T-therapy, the Red Cross is OK with my donations. Another cause of high hemoglobin is some hormone secreted by the kidneys that tells your bone marrow to make hemoglobin. If that hormone, or signal if you will, is too much, that the RC wouldn't consider me an acceptable donor. They can do a blood test to see if you kidneys are causing the "problem". I think they are testing for too much erythroepotein...something like that. I don't know the result of my test yet, but the RC hasn't contacted me to say I am an unacceptable donor either.

As to when to donate, or lowering your testosterone levels , I am not sure I would worry about it. Yeah...there is a small amount of testosterone circulated by your blood that will be lost in your donation, but I doubt it is significant over the 8 weeks minimum between donations. If you can schedule a blood donation a day before you pin, that could be ideal I guess. I intend to schedule my donations when the RC is collecting in a convenient location for me as opposed to when I pin next.

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## bass

thanks for the reply and the info! so who would do the test for kidneys, will they do it?

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## meathead320

I donate about every 60 days. They know about the T scrpit, and don't mind at all.

I think they are perfectly happy with my high-normal RBC count when I go in as they call it "premium".

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## JohnnyVegas

Premium? Wahooo, it will be nice to be recognized as having something of value. Heh.

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## sirupate

> Premium? Wahooo, it will be nice to be recognized as having something of value. Heh.


Yeah...they loved seeing me on the last visit too. Hemoglobin was over 17 and they thought that was great. Said that we need each other. Didn't hurt that the nurse was rather attractive.

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## flatscat

remember bass that we dont inject into our blood - rather muscle and the point of long esters is to slowly release after the injection over a period of days. so the pint you give at any time should not have a meaningful effect on your level

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## arizona32

> remember bass that we dont inject into our blood - rather muscle and the point of long esters is to slowly release after the injection over a period of days. so the pint you give at any time should not have a meaningful effect on your level


^exactly what I was going to say. This also means that it doesn't matter which day you donate. I donate 3-4 times a year. They give you a list of meds which are banned. T is not one of them. I have never directly informed them that I am on TRT, just because I don't want to risk alarming anyone unnecessarily. But it is ok, in fact most doctors encourage their TRT patients to donate regularly, good for us and good for the recipient, everyone wins.

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## BoredIRL

I was curious about the same question. Thanks.

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## Vettester

Like Flats stated, it's a IM process and not injected into the blood. Aspirating before injecting will ensure that it does not get directly injected into the blood. 

No problem with giving blood, I do it every 6 weeks. They ask me every time if I take injection steroids that are 'prescribed' by a physician. My answer is always, "Yes". Anytime is good, you don't have to worry about 1 day before/after, or any of that jazz.

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## BoredIRL

On a side note I want to add that not only do we not inject into the blood But if you are doing this please stop right away, Injecting into the blood can cause a blood clot. 
The oils and blood do not mix.

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## bass

thanks for the relies! no of course i don't inject into the vein, I'll pass out if i do! but i am assuming even though we are injecting into muscle, sooner or later it will end up in our blood stream, thats why i asked. but your answers make sense. thanks again.

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## zaggahamma

> thanks for the relies! * no of course i don't inject into the vein, I'll pass out if i do!* but i am assuming even though we are injecting into muscle, sooner or later it will end up in our blood stream, thats why i asked. but your answers make sense. thanks again.


we thought YOU would tough it out

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## Far from massive

I am in a little worse situation, I have HepC so naturally I can not donate blood (even though those fvkrs gave it to me during a transfusion in the 80s). So I have to remove my own blood to lower my RBC's. The nice thing is since I am not saving the blood I do not have to use a giant 16g needle to keep from damaging the blood, I have a bunch of 21g by 3/4 winged infusion kits and hook them to a reciever bottle attached to a hand held vacuum pump. Its really nasty sitting in front of the TV pumping back up to 16 in/hg every few minutes while I wait for 16 oz of blood to fill the bottle....

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## sirupate

> I am in a little worse situation, I have HepC so naturally I can not donate blood (even though those fvkrs gave it to me during a transfusion in the 80s). So I have to remove my own blood to lower my RBC's. The nice thing is since I am not saving the blood I do not have to use a giant 16g needle to keep from damaging the blood, I have a bunch of 21g by 3/4 winged infusion kits and hook them to a reciever bottle attached to a hand held vacuum pump. Its really nasty sitting in front of the TV pumping back up to 16 in/hg every few minutes while I wait for 16 oz of blood to fill the bottle....


Wow...never heard of someone draining themself. I just assumed that you would go to a lab and get drained periodically if the Red Cross wasn't an option.

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## zaggahamma

> Wow...never heard of someone draining themself. I just assumed that you would go to a lab and get drained periodically if the Red Cross wasn't an option.


yeh first for me too...gotta do wut u gotta do

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## APIs

> Wow...never heard of someone draining themself. I just assumed that you would go to a lab and get drained periodically if the Red Cross wasn't an option.


My girl is very accepting of my TRT. However, I think she'd draw the line @ seeing me drain blood into a bottle while sitting at the kitchen table lol...

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## Thedud3

Thank you for those answers.

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## bass

> I am in a little worse situation, I have HepC so naturally I can not donate blood (even though those fvkrs gave it to me during a transfusion in the 80s). So I have to remove my own blood to lower my RBC's. The nice thing is since I am not saving the blood I do not have to use a giant 16g needle to keep from damaging the blood, I have a bunch of 21g by 3/4 winged infusion kits and hook them to a reciever bottle attached to a hand held vacuum pump. Its really nasty sitting in front of the TV pumping back up to 16 in/hg every few minutes while I wait for 16 oz of blood to fill the bottle....


damn bro, sorry to hear that. when my wife was given blood this was my fear too! but so far so good, thank God!

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## meathead320

> I am in a little worse situation, I have HepC so naturally I can not donate blood (even though those fvkrs gave it to me during a transfusion in the 80s). So I have to remove my own blood to lower my RBC's. The nice thing is since I am not saving the blood I do not have to use a giant 16g needle to keep from damaging the blood, I have a bunch of 21g by 3/4 winged infusion kits and hook them to a reciever bottle attached to a hand held vacuum pump. Its really nasty sitting in front of the TV pumping back up to 16 in/hg every few minutes while I wait for 16 oz of blood to fill the bottle....


While that sucks, it does seem kinda badass in a weird way  :Hmmmm:

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## rekcerb

Sorry.. Could someone kindly comment on why giving blood regularly is good for you when on a TRT plan?

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## sirupate

> Sorry.. Could someone kindly comment on why giving blood regularly is good for you when on a TRT plan?


It is not uncommon that people who are supplementing testosterone manufacture more than the usual amount of red blood cells. There is a normal range for blood cell counts and above normal is just as unhealthy as below normal. The solution is to donate periodically which can lower levels into the normal range.

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## vtach12

FFM, I know a girl that likes to bite and scratch... I lose some blood everytime with her. I could get you her number...lol.

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