I had my first blood check from starting testosterone injections. My hematocrit levels were high (54.1, 37.5-51 is normal), a common side affect of testosterone, so they wanted me to donate blood and stop injections until I get my blood rechecked. It felt really good to donate blood, at least in the mental sense. It’s one of those things you should be doing to be a part of your community, and they always need more blood.
Me Hemoglobin was down to normal level (17.4, 13-17.7) when I went to donate blood, so I was pretty sure this was going to work well. After donating blood I was to wait 72 hours and then get rechecked. I was on work travel so I had to wait 7 days. My hematocrit levels were back to normal, 47.3. So the plan is to donate every 2 months to help keep the blood down. That’s the minimum amount of time you can do it without a prescription. Fun fact, you can get a prescription to donate blood. If needed, they’ll have me do it monthly. Being dehydrated can also affect this number (amongst other things), but that probably isn’t my problem.
So my testosterone was in the 750s (before skipping the dose). Up to 900-1000 is normal, so they want to increase my dose from 180/week to 200/week. This should get me around 800. So skipping a dose made my symptoms come back, poor sleep and fatigue. But it could also have been stress from the work trip. Regardless, I hope to get back to feeling better in another week.
Finally, I’ve gained weight. I’m up to 154 pounds. I was down to around 141-144. I’m hoping that the testosterone is causing my body to go “Hey cool! Let’s build some muscle.” But I don’t know for sure. Regardless, I’m still within normal BMI for my height, so it’s not a concern, other than my jeans are a little snug in the butt.