Polycythemia & low T levels

[radiohead123]

Hello everyone.

I'm an FTM. I've been on T for nearly 10 months and my T levels have never been higher than 196. I still get misgendered frequently and look female.

Two weeks ago I was diagnosed with Polycythemia. My doctor lowered my dose to get my red blood cell count down.
I'm worried about my health but I'm also worried that my transition isn't going to be successful with my T levels being so low.

I'm feeling very depressed and hopeless lately.

Does anyone have any advice? Is anyone else going through something similar? Thanks


Edit: My doctor can't raise my T dose because it will make the Polycythemia worse.

[Devlyn]

Hi, Radiohead123! Welcome to Susan's Place! I'm out of my league with your question, but I know that some of our FTM members donate blood on a regular basis. I can't remember the reason so hopefully one of the guys will chime in soon and help you out. You came to the right place, your answer is out there and we're going to find it.
See you around the site!

Hugs, Devlyn

[Dena]

Welcome to Susan's Place. I moved your thread to Testosterone where the guys will see it and can respond. There have been treads discussing this topic so it's not unheard of on the site. One possible solution to the problem is to become a regular blood donor to remove the excessive red blood cells. You might discuss this option with your doctor and see if it will allow you to take a higher dosage. Another consideration is even if you are on a low dosage, over time you still should see results. It's just the results won't happen as fast as they would at a higher dosage.

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[Kylo]

Rather than lower my dose I agreed with my physicians to get venesection (blood drawn) regularly if necessary. This immediately lowers the cell count for a few months, is practically painless and takes like 5 minutes.