First: I'm months away from starting my first cycle. This one of several questions (and a possible solution I want to run by y'all) I have after not seeing it directly addressed in the forum.....

Testosterone and other androgens (for our purposes I'll lump them together as test) have a stimulating effect that can cause polycythemia. Polycythemia is the thickening of the blood (an increase in hemoglobin, hematocrit, or red blood cell count). Thicker blood increases the risk of stroke (among other not-so-fun things).

There are higher instances of polycythemia among patients who inject test, and the likelihood of developing polycythemia appears to be connected to the amount of test injected.

A common way to manage this is to donate blood. Donating pint of blood will apparently lower hematocrit by ~3%.

I'm gay, and can't donate blood without staying celibate for 2 years (not gonna happen), and I doubt very highly my doc will prescribe a therapeutic phlebotomy for blood tests she didn't order.

I have no desire to bloodlet myself at home.

Has anyone else on this board had to deal with being unable to give blood and then having test-induced polycythemia?

Has anyone used a baby aspirin daily during their cycle? Some doctors recommend the use of a baby aspirin (81 mg) a day and 2,000 to 4,000 mg a day of omega-3 fatty acids (Udos oils or fish oil capsules) to help lower blood viscosity.This is what I'm considering adding to my 8 week cycle instead of donating blood by having to lie about myself.