I had an endocrinologist appointment yesterday to discuss lab results. Everything looked good, and I believe we found my optimal dose, but my hematocrit level (I believe) was at 48% - a risk but not in need of treatment yet. She wants to see if it subsides later on. My dad has a history with the same issue and treats it through bloodletting. Could this threaten my ability to stay on this dose? Could bloodletting or other treatments keep my levels ideal?
I’ve dealt with this issue too. its a common one with T. Generally the goal is not to change the dose, it’s basically a last resort thing. Frequently they advise phlebotomy (bloodletting or blood donation), to see if that helps. However, if you know that you have a family history (you don’t say if your dad was also on testosterone therapy or not), you might be dealing with a medical problem that’s being aggravated by testosterone too.Â
It doesn’t always resolve with phlebotomy, however, and changing the dose to see if that helps is generally the next step.  Keep in mind that red blood cells live about 4 months so any change you make in dose today won’t be reflected until several months, to give your body time to start (hopefully) slowing down production. If they can’t get things under control, they may advise switching you to topical to limit the risk of blood clots, and adding a weak anticoagulant.  mod mayhem
