Will red bull (I don't regularly drink it, but I'm taking extra credits in college right now so finals is kind of hell) mess up my blood tests to go on hormones? I have my first appointment tomorrow and I'm worried that I'll somehow disqualify myself? Is that a thing?

No or at least not enough to matter if there is some moderation.....

I did end up in the emergency room while I was in grad school from having had some 38 cups of coffee when my heart went nuts.  They did not take hormone levels.

Jen

Thanks Jen!

Honestly I think I'm just so nervous about something going wrong tomorrow now that I'm getting so close to starting t. Haha yeah I don't plan on drinking thaaaat much coffee but still, I'm just in undergrad. Have a good night!

I doubt it ,but it's exceptionally bad stuff. Bad for you, and won't help your health.
Your dad,

--Jay

Red Bull is awesome stuff for your health, let me count the ways:
1.  Caffeine is a diuretic.  It'll make you wee - drying you out.  That will reduce your blood volume and can in extreme cases make it harder to draw the blood sample.
2.  High in sugars - not the best way to gain energy.
3.  It's great for destroying your teeth.

It's not likely to muck up your blood tests much at all, but it's one of those drinks I would avoid.

Luckily for me, it's too expensive to justify having it very often. I know it's not good for you and all, but but but it's full of B vitamins! And tastes like heaven!

And has no effect on hormone levels. My ex was an ftm and redbull addict. There were times when he had 'quit' the habit, and his levels on those draws were no different than any other.

Quote from: JLT1 on April 24, 2014, 10:13:58 PM
No or at least not enough to matter if there is some moderation.....

I did end up in the emergency room while I was in grad school from having had some 38 cups of coffee when my heart went nuts.  They did not take hormone levels.

Jen

AHH 38 cups??? And I thought 3 pro plus and a coffee was LOADS! Certainly enough to make me shake and have the most productive work session everr

Quote from: Samuel on April 25, 2014, 07:53:29 AM
Luckily for me, it's too expensive to justify having it very often. I know it's not good for you and all, but but but it's full of B vitamins! And tastes like heaven!

And has no effect on hormone levels. My ex was an ftm and redbull addict. There were times when he had 'quit' the habit, and his levels on those draws were no different than any other.

*VERY* expensive way to get B vitamins should you need them. Get some B vitamin pills or eat more nonprocessed foods. They are in about everything that's good for you.


--Jay

FYI making coffee or tea, and taking some B vitamins would be cheaper in the long run and possibly "healthier", especially if you drink them unsweetened. Drinking through a straw can help minimize the damage acidic/sugary drinks do to teeth. Drinking water afterwards is supposed to help too.

Googling around a bit, it does seem Red Bull can affect some blood tests but I'm having trouble finding specifics.

Quote from: JLT1 on April 24, 2014, 10:13:58 PM
No or at least not enough to matter if there is some moderation.....

I did end up in the emergency room while I was in grad school from having had some 38 cups of coffee when my heart went nuts.  They did not take hormone levels.

Jen

Now I have heard that Red Bull can actually thicken your blood, and one of the tests they are supposed to do is a CBC and red blood cell count (because testosterone thickens blood, so if your blood is already thick, that can effect the dosage they choose to give you). It could potentially be an issue. If it comes up (which it could well not) you could mention that you've been drinking a lot and get a second test later.

Don't know about messing up hormones but it messes up your sleep.I was a serious Red Bull fiend when I worked the early shift driving buses,I was drinking 5 or 6 cans a day then using Nytol and Cocodamol to crash out.I was like a hand grenade with no pin on that much Red Bull.

It can really mess up your liver and I'd at least try not to have it within 24 hours of a blood test because they normally check glucose levels and blood sugar spikes can lead to crashes that can may take a while to level out depending on the person.

Also, the irony is that energy drinks, like all caffeinated products, are useless for energy. It becomes maintainance rather than a proper boost. If you have one when you never do then yeah, you get a rush. But overall those who drink caffeinated drinks don't have more energy than those who don't and are actually more likely to have less, especially with how much it affects sleep, or at least the quality of sleep. You build a fast tolerance and so from there you're merely returning your body to a normal range after withdrawl with each caffeinated drink. The more you drink, the worse the withdrawl and the faster your tolerance builds, until it takes even more drinks to get you back to the same levels of that of a someone who doesn't take caffeine products. It's a viscous cycle.

The best way to have energy is exercise. 20 mins of exercise every day will give you more energy than a pack of red bull but without the shakes and crash. It sounds counterproductive but it's true. With exercise you increase your mental focus and can work more efficiently for longer, which more than makes up for the time busy students think they'll lose in bothering to exercise.

Quote from: Jack_M on April 26, 2014, 04:50:00 AM
It can really mess up your liver and I'd at least try not to have it within 24 hours of a blood test because they normally check glucose levels and blood sugar spikes can lead to crashes that can may take a while to level out depending on the person.

Also, the irony is that energy drinks, like all caffeinated products, are useless for energy. It becomes maintainance rather than a proper boost. If you have one when you never do then yeah, you get a rush. But overall those who drink caffeinated drinks don't have more energy than those who don't and are actually more likely to have less, especially with how much it affects sleep, or at least the quality of sleep. You build a fast tolerance and so from there you're merely returning your body to a normal range after withdrawl with each caffeinated drink. The more you drink, the worse the withdrawl and the faster your tolerance builds, until it takes even more drinks to get you back to the same levels of that of a someone who doesn't take caffeine products. It's a viscous cycle.

The best way to have energy is exercise. 20 mins of exercise every day will give you more energy than a pack of red bull but without the shakes and crash. It sounds counterproductive but it's true. With exercise you increase your mental focus and can work more efficiently for longer, which more than makes up for the time busy students think they'll lose in bothering to exercise.

You actually have a really good point.  One study tip I've heard is to take 1 or 2 mins and do jumping jacks (or something similar) when you start feeling a bit tired. You might have to do it a few times but it supposedly works pretty well.