Hey people. Im a carrier of haemochromatosis so my iron gets a little high at times. Doctor recommended that I donate blood a few times in order to get my feritin levels a bit lower but today I found out that I cannot donate blood while im on fenasteride and need to have been off it for 7 days before I can donate. So now im in a predicament where I need to donate blood for medical reasons but have to stop Fin for 7 days to do so. Do any of you know if taking a week off fenasteride will be quite detrimental to my progress? Ive been on it for just over 6 weeks and have noticed slight positive progress on the hairline. Is this small break gonna eff it all up? Anyone with experience in this regard?
7 days is all they make you do? How about a therapeutic phlebotomy?
taking that short of a break from Finasteride after just 6 weeks on it isn’t likely to mess up your progress in any noticeable way. that said, consistency is key long-term, so just resume it right after your donation and don’t stress too much about this short pause. Plenty of guys miss a few days here and there early on without seeing any major setback. You’re good.
also as a haemochromatosis carrier, managing iron levels is definitely more of a priority than staying 100% locked into a Finasteride schedule. High ferritin fucks you up, can cause oxidative stress and inflammation, which can also mess with your hair health. It’s worth keeping an eye on vitamin C intake. And natural iron-chelating foods like green tea or curcumin. Maybe also talk to your doctor topical options that might have less systemic effect
Hey mate appreciate the response. Definitely makes me feel better about it.
7 days is all that is required in Australia. Finasteride doesn’t last all that long in the blood Ive read. Apparently a you need to stop for a month in the US. Ill have to look into the phlebotomy, doctor never mentioned anything about that. As i only have one gene, the feritin doesnt spike too much, its at 428 over 300 max currently. Im keen to get it done to see how i feel honestly. Might only need to do it a couple times a year.