[quote]foxdie wrote:
hi i cant see myself putting gel on and worrying about sweating it off anymore. i called the doc today and she switched me to 100mg test shots a week.
now is this true that EOD injections, compared to once weekly, A) provide more stable levels B) overall is more efficient (ie. more testosterone over a 7 day period is “enjoyed”) and C) can fit into an insulin syringe, making this injection easiest to administer(?) as well as the least painful(?)
my last question is, if i read from multiple reputable sites online instructions with pictures, do i still really need to have a human show me first?
and my last last question is the vastus lateralis the “best” injection site? for what reasons?
not kidding, seriously last question: is using a heating pad truly worth it? or is it like using a belt ot squat
haha got you good you f******. whats up with this ELMA cream i hear about?[/quote]
Your first question should be self-evident. The short thin insulin needle is more comfortable and a lot less scary than a 1.5" needle.
The quads are easy to inject because you do not need to be looking at your backside when you inject. The quads are also safer as there are no major nerves at risk compared to an improperly sited glut injection. With the EOD injections of TRT doses, the injected volumes are very small and muscle pain does not happen.
With the quads, at least you can see veins under the skin and avoid these and not get the bleeders and bruises that can otherwise occur. Your T levels will be very steady. The peaks of weekly injections are avoided which are thought to create higher levels of E which would also increase SHBG.
With 1.5" needles in the butt, one probably wants the re-assurance of having someone with experience, professional or not, showing them what to do. With the 1/2" insulin needles, the quads are something that you could start on your own, but you still want to know what the ground rules are for location, technique, aspiration and hygiene etc.
The vastus lateralis is a large muscle group that is easy to see and reach. For many, they have thin skin there. That helps with seeing veins and needle depth.
Anyone with fat legs would have to use #25 1" needles. For the lean, 1/2" #29 .5ml is best. Do not use 1.0ml syringes, the larger piston size will reduce the pressure created by the plunger force and make the injection slowerrrrr. The markings on the .5ml syringe are easier to work with than with a larger capacity syringe.
There is also a loss or wastage with a large syringe with removable needles. The waste with insulin syringes is considered ‘zero’ in comparison.
Heating pads are for those who get pain otherwise and those are usually injecting LARGE doses. Does not apply to you or EOD injections. (In many of the cases where guys get sore from glut injections, they probably are injecting into a muscle that is chronically tight and tender. Massage will fix that muscle and the pain.)
You can inject elsewhere other than the quads if there is little fat. The quads may end up being more comfortable compared to other areas. The skin sensitivity varies by location.
The vastus lateralis is often recommended as it is a concise description. In general, inject from the top of the leg or off to an exterior angle, to the outside of the femur, one hand span away from the hip and knee.
Never inject in the inside half of the quads as there are nerves and large blood vessels there that must not be put at risk. Flex your quads to see the muscle groups and their bulk.
If one has very little muscle, injecting seeks scary. TRT can lead to increased muscle bulk to inject into.
If you are going to, or end up later, injecting HCG to save your nuts, you will be using the same size/length/gauge syringes and could inject 250iu SQ EOD on the same day that you inject T. That works well.
The HCG is not a IM injection, no need for that. Disregard what you read otherwise. The 3000iu injections of HCG for female fertility treatment is IM to get sudden and timed effects. Does not apply to your needs.
With 100mg/wk as 28mg EOD (.14ml for 200mg/ml), you will be steady. But you probably will end up with E2 levels that are non-optimal. Optimal is considered around the 17-20 range. E2 above that increases SHBG which reduces FT. The TF–>E2 aromatization reduces the FT and TT.
The increased E2 competes with FT at the T receptors. Increased increments of E2 levels can have disproportionate effects because of the leverage of these multiple effects. But every one’s E2 and SHBG response to TRT will vary and one’s symptoms and libido losses from E2 are also different.
Many docs will not treat E2 levels unless they are above reference range. You need a doc that will treat your symptoms and not [just] your lab results. It is a QOL issue. Keeping your testes working is also a QOL issue.
I tend to think that all need TRT+AI+HCG. Some who claim that they do not need all of that or their docs tell them that, may not understand that they could be feeling better in many regards than they do without these added items. Age will also have a big effect on things as SHBG increases with age.
In many states, one can simple ask for a box of insulin needles and get them. Otherwise you need a specific prescription.