#subq testosterone

[sensible-tips]

Testosterone Thursday

[nolanhattrick]

i don't want x ray vision where i can see bones i want red light vision where i can see where all my fucking blood vessels are because if i stab myself in a major vessel one more time i think i might just to switch back to androgel i'm so over it

[incarnationofamonster]

T users - my injection site is often itchy for a day or two after my injection, so I suspect I may be allergic to cypionate in the testosterone. If I am allergic, what would happen? Like is it dangerous or will I just be itchy and that's it?

[wormnamedwax]

now tell me why i pulled off my most perfect, painless subq and then i start bleeding like a dying soldier in the trenches for NO reason omfg

[saffigon]

hello i have a question related to symptoms of allergies with injectable testosterone. i was experiencing symptoms (lumps and itchiness) with IM injections. i switched injection sites to SubQ and all allergy symptoms stopped. i didn't change testosterone at all, always using cypoinate, only changed injection type. has anyone else had this experience? is this a thing?

[windwardstar]

I hate how difficult it is to get Testosterone after you've jumped through all the gatekeepy hoops to even get the prescription in the first place.

I have to check my needles every time I pick them up to make sure they haven't been swapped for another size or been replaced by safety cap syringes where the needle isn't removable. Because I have to use a separate needle to draw up the T and a different one to inject it. I hate having to explain to the pharmacy that it can be injected subq that my prescription is written for half inch needles to inject subq please do not swap them out for inch and a half im needles.

I hate that there's no getting it filled early. No I'm gonna be on vacation when it needs to be refilled can I get more. That you're given just enough to get to the end of the month and if you're supposed to get four 0.25ml doses from a 1 ml vial you have to get four doses or you'll just have to miss a dose, they don't care if there's hubloss in the needle or you can't get it all out.

There is no stockpiling it in case you can't get a refill next month, year, or they ban hrt in your state. Or there's a shortage which happens often (or at least we get told by the pharmacies it happens so often there always seems to be a shortage of something somewhere). Maybe you can scrape out the last bit of the gel to get a few extra days, but you apply that daily. Maybe you can short yourself on your dose to build up something of a buffer, just enough to tide you over while you wait for a refill that got delayed. Maybe you run out before you can get a refill. Maybe there's not even a shortage but the pharmacy says they don't have it in stock because they know you're trans and don't want to fill it.

It is a controlled substance so you have to show your id to pick it up. It's illegal to possess without a prescription. It defacto bans you from competitive sports because it's a performance enhancing drug. You have to have everything clearly labelled and hope the tsa agent doesn't decide to confiscate it despite you legally having it.

[foolishfynnesse]

Just did my first subq testosterone injection a bit ago, let’s gooooooooo💪💪💪

[bloodrock-lobster]

getting super hairy from testosterone is SO AWESOME until u have to put the band aid on ur bear stomach post-subq injection and then deal with the fight of ur life 15 minutes later when u have to wrestle said band aid from the tangles of the thicket

[sporesgalaxy]

My personal experience with ADD/autism/hrt: Anxiety/depression/OCD overlap heavily with ADD/autism. "brain" medications meant for neurotypicals do not work if you have ADD because you need stimulants (try different molecules if you dont like how it feels) I'm on 80mg/week subQ testosterone which improved most of my menstrual issues (I have endometriosis) but they did not disappear until I had a hysterectomy at 10 months on T. I can't speak for the other issues you're dealing with, but your body and emotions are far more interconnected than most people assume, and gender affirming care can be both life changing and life saving. I hesitate to say you have the exact same flavor of ADD+autism as I do because theres a lot of stigma around diagnosis, but understanding my autism specifically has been integral to my ability to survive and heal. I especially encourage you to look into how autism and OCD overlap. Also, I have been following you for years now. I have a deeply genuine and intense admiration for your autistic swag. Your passion and skills are breathtaking. You are one of my favorite artists. The horrors are endless but. we stay silly.

Oh I'm on anxiety, OCD, and ADHD medication all together because for ADHD I use atomoxetine which isn't a stimulant, so I can still take the other medications and they have the intended effect.

But also I know that ADHD symptoms and medication can have a lot of varying effects from person to person, so stimulants may be all that works for some and in that case yeah, the stimulants can screw with other meds unfortunately.

And regarding how much gender affirming care can effect you psychologically: oh man, yeah, that's the wild card and also the most wholly exciting concept for me. The thought maybe some of my constant miasma of anxiety could just go away...life could be dream...

And thanks! But I'm pretty sure I'm not autistic? I've looked into it several times and I just truly don't think I have enough of the symptoms? But you are now the second person to assume I'm autistic... 🤨

There is at least one person in my family who Im preeeetty sure is autistic, POSSIBLY two, so maybe I come off that way just because that perspective is different from mine but still super normal to me & I try to take it into account when I communicate?????? shrug!!!

but also WAUGHH THANK YOU IM GLAD YOU LIKE MY STUFF‼️‼️ 🥺💚 IT'S AN HONOR 🫡

[mysticetus]

on the topic of diy hrt as ive seen it going around the dash a few times, i want to offer what i can in terms of help as i got on hrt in secret while still living with my parents. i cant give advice for paths i didnt take (getting the hrt itself online) but i can detail the process i experienced so you know what to expect if you pursue.

i highly recommend seeing if there is a planned parenthood in your area and if it offers gender affirming hormone therapy. i had a couple things that made this an option for me that may be barriers for others - i was over 18, and they do not offer informed consent to minors. i also had a job that allowed me to pay for the visit and the prescription. lastly i forced myself to learn how to drive so i could get to the planned parenthood and the pharmacy.

for cost, i recommend checking beforehand if planned parenthood accepts your insurance. They did not accept mine so i had to pay out of pocket for the appointment. Luckily they have a sliding scale system that charges based on your monthly income. The amount changes (and this may vary by region as well), so you can call them for a cost estimate. As someone going for testosterone, my visits have cost between $39 and $63 out of pocket.

For me getting HRT occurred in 2 phases: A telehealth call where they told me about the effects of HRT and then had me digitally sign an informed consent form. And then an in-person visit to my local PP office to get my blood pressure and hemoglobin (finger prick) checked. I then walked out with a T prescription.

For bloodwork, planned parenthood offers this service as well but it was a “strongly recommended but not required” option for me. I did eventually get my levels tested through PP but it cost me ~$40 because of lack of insurance. i later learned i could get my bloodwork done for free at quest diagnostics, for which PP sent in an order that automatically went into quest’s system and all i had to do was make an appointment online filed under “all other tests” … in my area quest can be found in grocery stores. I recommend looking into quest for bloodwork if your insurance would cover it.

Estrogen and progesterone are not controlled substances (often used in birth control), but testosterone is since it can be abused as a steroid. so if you are pursuing T this may present challenges - in my experience it makes it hard for me to change pharmacies without calling planned parenthood first, and you need to present ID when picking it up.

At first i swore by gel and not injectable because i was afraid of accessing needles, and i used goodrx coupons to get gel at a reasonable price. I do not recommend this as it is not sustainable, goodrx coupons are great but always changing. Unfortunately if you do diy hrt you are probably going to be doing injections. i tried for several months to get gel in a sustainable way but the only way i was able to do this was when i had insurance that would cover it (which i since lost access to).

You can get needles and syringes in bulk (100 for like $10) on amazon. Your prescription will probably include an order of needles and syringes but pharmacies are generally not awesome to get them through, because they tend to cost more and be out of stock…. for subq i use 25g 5/8” needles to INJECT, and 18g 1.5” needles to DRAW. i use 1 ml syringes with a LUER LOCK. make sure the needles and syringes have the same locking mechanism so they can connect to each other. the alternative to a luer lock is a slip tip, which you do not want.

Even though on the bottle it says INTRAMUSCULAR USE ONLY, i and many other trans people do subcutaneous as the needles are smaller and less painful. “subq” injects into the layer of fat beneath the skin and releases the hormones slower over time. I personally inject into my stomach in the area below my belly button - i pinch the fat and inject at a 90° angle. there are detailed videos on how to do a subcutaneous self injection on youtube, and here is planned parenthood's guide.

if you are scared of needles, i am too - i used to black out when i had to get a shot. i can say that subcutaneous rarely hurts and its definitely tolerable to me. i know its freaky to inject into your stomach but the fat layers there make it pretty painless. if you pinch your fat your nerves focus on the pressure your fingers are making, and as long as you hold the needle like a dart and inject quickly you barely notice it.

For questions i recommend looking on reddit. there are many subreddits dedicated to DIY hrt as well as logistical questions in the context of navigating pharmacies and doctors. And, i am always happy to offer what help i can.

[sensible-tips]

Testosterone Thursday

[dilfcherricola]

i've always used enanthate but all the memes i see online are about cypionate so im curious about how common each of them is! i might do a followup about im v subq or about gel/patch/pellet just cuz i love data

[darksidecola]

i don't know how much reach I can reasonably expect this to get, but the only route I've been offered is injection, but I keep hearing about others taking T in different ways, and I'm curious so:

[red-bat-arse]

Injection Tips for Needle Nervous

From someone who had to deal with a fear of needles while learning how to do testosterone shots. To be clear, I'm 28 years old and have been doing weekly IM injections in my thighs for 18 months.

PREP -Listen to the information given for the possible injection sites; you may prefer or find it easier to deal with IM vs SubQ based on the options your doctor gives you. If you're able, schedule at least 6-8 injection days of clinic visits so a nurse can teach you how to inject properly, and you can take your time absorbing. If you're still nervous, try purchasing a 'shot blocker' since they can help with not feeling the needle. If it's the possible pain that bothers you, I used to pinch hard at the area with my nails to sort of say 'that's what you're expecting, see, it's not that bad!' This technique has also helped me with getting my blood drawn, which to go on T you'll have to deal with as well.

ROUTINE -Once I left the supervision of the clinic nurses and started injecting at home, I made sure to establish a routine. You'll need to find your own, and here's mine for reference; with a little wiggle room (like doing it in the morning if I know I'll be busy in the evening) I stick to the same rhythm every week. Set up my station, use the toilet (you don't want to be antsy handling a needle), press play on a song and wash hands, then my draw system [sanitize stopper, draw, switch needle size, get rid of air bubbles, adjust to relax, sanitize thigh, breathe, inject, pressure with a tissue until the song ends], then I clean up and put the needles immediately in my sharps box. It really helps to know exactly what you're getting into so unexpected changes (like injecting while a little drunk, I don't recommend this but it might happen) are easier to handle.

DISCIPLINE -I put on a 5 minute song and do my whole routine in that time, it works for me. Too short and you'll feel rushed, too long and you might procrastinate, so get into the habit. I give myself a four hour window and as soon as I feel like I could do it, I go for it.

CHILL -As mentioned, I put on a song, for me stoner metal or blues works the best since it soothes and zones me in. I do my shot in the evening so if I freak out a bit I can just go to bed. I put on my comfiest layers and have a treat after, too.

EXPERIMENT -While there are aspects of it all you must do a certain way, you won't always know the best way to do things for yourself of available options even once you've been taught, so let yourself feel it out. I was shown the quick jab method at first to get over my hesitation, but now I find I feel it less if I insert the needle slowly. I switched from 25G to 22G needles when the smaller size proved more difficult to inject due to the consistency of testosterone, and I also found a shorter needle length got rid of some residual anxiety over the actual insertion part. I used to do everything in the morning and now I solely do it in the evening. You can change some parts of the process to make yourself feel better! 

FRIEND -I've got an assistant who sits on my other leg while I go through my routine, his name is Snippers;

And I've found I'm less jittery with him there and my heart races less in the preamble to actually piercing skin. I keep him with me afterwards especially if I had a harder time than usual, which can happen even after doing this a long time.

And lastly;

BELAY THAT -Give yourself an out. Besides a situation like if I run out before my prescription can get refilled, I told myself I could skip one (1) injection per year, if I was having a super bad time and just couldn't. So far I haven't had to use it -at the most I've just waited until the next evening. My doctor has said that's fine and I don't have to inform her if I skip once, but that might not be the same for everyone. Either way I think giving yourself breathing room is essential to take the pressure off -self-injecting might be affirming, but it isn't always fun or easy!

I also think it should go without saying that these tips are things that have helped based on my own personal experience from the past year and a half. It's fine if they don't work for you or you don't think they're helpful at all -the trans* experience is wide and varied. I'm also not giving anyone medical advice -always learn how to properly administer your medication from a professional. Here is an article about general HRT self injection that may be some help.

But, if you do have difficulty with needles, hopefully this gave you some tips and tricks that could make the process feel more manageable.

[bathrobe-wizard]

I did intramuscular T injections for five fucking years before finding out that subcutaneous is the same exact dosage and timing, just with a different injection needle.

If you're on IM testosterone injections and are struggling with them for ANY reason, ask your pharmacist about switching to subq! It's so much easier and doesn't cause sore spots for days... No idea why docs make you start on IM and don't tell you you can switch without fucking up your labs

[horce-divorce]

Another access barrier to testosterone that I have never seen anyone mention online: insurance covers the hormones, but not the needles, and the pharmacy wants to charge you $20 whole fucking dollars for TWO (2) sets of syringes and needles every single time. this has been true for me in both WI and MI. Insurance will almost never cover other types of T in my experience (topical is too expensive and jatenzo (pill) is brand new to the market, ive only heard of one trans guy taking it, and his prescribing doctor was also a trans guy). also, sometimes you get a fucked up needle tip and you have to waste an additional tip to swap to a fresh one. This leaves no room for such errors. I have no idea if the pharmacy would swap those out for free (they can afford to), but even so, that's still a whole extra trip to the store.

Planned Parenthood sends out $10 needle kits here, but even that is kind of steep considering I've bought more than a year's worth of bulk supply needles and BOTH types of tips for about $30 from medical supply cos. Also, they gave us both a subQ kit last time instead of IM so it didn't go as far for us.

anyway my friend is a literal angel and bought us a bulk order of syringes (we got 100 needles and 100 tips -- also you can get a pack of 200 alcohol pads for TWO (2) dollars!!) so that should last us about a year, but my insurance OUGHT to be the ones responsible and it's soooo funny and cute how they just don't have to do that :') yeah here's your injectable hormones. have fun injecting them. with your syringe lol. byeeee.