T Nation

Sharp Quad Pain After First Injection, No Swelling/Bruising

T Replacement
#1

Hi all, I just started my test replacement journey, self administered.

It’s been 33 hours since my first shot.
Day 1: I felt discomfort, kinda like mild muscle tear at the injection site, which I think is the upper portion of rectus femoris. Basically I pinned at a site which felt meatiest. A drop of bleeding after injection. No swelling, no redness.

Day 2: I woke up, no swelling or redness. It’s almost hard to even figure out the injection spot. But I have a sharp pain at a site different from the injection site, about 4 inches medially(inward). I can’t contract my tear drop muscle, feels like a pulled muscle with sharp pain at the place mentioned. I haven’t worked out this week, been sitting on my ass the entire time. No outward swelling or redness concerns me even more now.

Additional details: I pinned my first shot, 250mg test e bought from a pharmacy with a 21G needle, at 3am in the night, stayed up to study for exams. Won’t say it went well, took two attempts because I didn’t know I had to push the syringe so hard, thought something was wrong in the first attempt. Second attempt wasn’t the smoothest either. The needle was kept clean ig, was held in still air for about 5 mins in between the attempts. Coincidentally, I came down with common cold(probably) yesterday, no fever yet, I feel better today after waking up. Haven’t felt any effect of test e till now, ik it takes about 2-3 weeks to kick in, but still. I thought of having an intense leg day today to blow off steam after exams were over and start my on cycle regimen, but now I’m down with headache, coughing and runny nose and an apparent quad injury. I really feel I’ve fucked up somewhere. Did pre-cycle bloodwork 3 days back, everything was good.

Any kind of insight will really help, thanks a lot. I’m just trying to be very cautious.

#2

There could be several reasons for what you’re feeling. “Virgin muscle” is a real thing and we all had to deal with it. You’re injecting a glob of oil into your muscle fibers. It takes a while to disperse the oil and that can cause discomfort.

There is also the solvent in the oil which can cause some post injection pain (PIP). Depending on the concentration of your test, the solvent ratio can be high. Its also possible you hit a vein or a nerve which can cause some PIP.

On your next shot, massage the site vigorously for a minute after injection to disperse the oil. Warm compresses can help too or a heating pad.

Don’t give up. You need to move around and get that oil dispersed. Don’t just sit on your ass. Yeah it hurts but it will go away and pretty soon you will be an expert on self injection.

You might also consider injecting in your delts. I do, using a 25g 1/2" pin.

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#3

Dude a 21G needle to the quad? That’s like pinning with a knife!

25G is common around here. Some, like me, use a 22g to make drawing into the syringe easier then switch needles to a 25G. Goes in easy and is relatively painless.

When I inject my quads I get soreness a bit 2 days after, but no more than the feeling of a bruise.

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#4

Quads can cause PIP, but in my experience the more I have done it my body has gotten used to it. If you pinned the rectus then you pinned middle anterior thigh? A better location is vastus lateralus, outer thigh. Easier to get to the muscle and less superficial blood vessels. Go with a lower gauge needle, I use 29 gauge just fine. Self administered meaning no MD supervision or just the injection was self administered?

#5

And like mentioned above…virgin muscle is a real thing. My first time on my each of my quads and delts was way more sore than it is now.

#6

A 21 gauge syringe is unnecessary, you could be using 29 gauge insulin syringes and hardly feel anything.

#7

You fucked up literally everywhere. Not somewhere. Everywhere.

You shoved the wrong sized needle into the wrong muscle, after you had already blunted it once.

Serious question: did you spend any time researching what you were doing before you decided to self-administer testosterone or did you just kind of wing it? I’m hoping you’re going to tell me you chose to wing it, because that would mean you’re careless but not incompetent, which is something that can be remedied.

#8

You’re right, I winged it. Tbh I didn’t do much research on the injecting part, just thought it’ll be as simple as sticking a standard sized needle for oil into a thick muscle and push lol. Now I’m educating myself on it while my quad recovers. Had been a real stressful week with exams, bloodwork and procuring the gear and PCT stuff (it’s all pharma btw, so there was a lot of hassle). I couldn’t hold my excitement and randomly decided to pin 3am at night while studying for my last exam and get back to training the very next day. A lapse in judgement ig, regret rushing now. Learned the hard way lol, thanks!

#9

Thanks! I’m researching a bit now on insulin syringes and subcutaneous test injections. I don’t want PIP to get in the way of training.

#10

Yes, almost at the middle. Just came to know larger muscles handle it better out of many other reasons, so definitely I’ll pin the outer thigh next time. It was a 1ml injection, I thought it’ll be just fine. Had to learn the hard way. No MD supervision btw. Thanks!

#11

I get it. Tbh I had to push quite hard even on 21G, or maybe I was just too careful. Literally all I was thinking while pushing was the plunger to not slip suddenly and then the oil would explode in my muscle lol, but it went in real slow once I pushed hard enough. First time injection things ig. I’m getting a thinner needle for sure. Thanks!

#12

Thanks! I feel this is the exact thing I’m dealing with. I actually had to go out yesterday and by evening the pain was a real bitch lol, scared the hell out of me. It’s a lot better today. I need to educate myself about the procedures and all the needle and site alternatives. I guess I’ll be this sore every time I pin a new muscle or compound.

#13

I have questions.

FYI, quads are painful for some people, no matter how well they administer the shot. If you insist on doing them then do not inject in the rectus femoris. Vastus lateralis is the way. Glute injections hurt significantly less. Either ventro (personal preference) or dorsal will work well. As mentioned earlier delts are easy. You can use 29g 1/2” insulin needles and it’s painless. I use them for my dailies and unless you’re morbidly obese they work great for shallow IM.

#14

Not necessarily. Once you start pinning you should be ok. The PIP can come from anything with a high solvent ratio so try to stay away from things like 300 mg/mL test or higher.

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#15

Quad IM site is the Vastus Lateralis as has been stated. Insulin needles are by far the least painful, but I find them to be a god damned hassle to load and I don’t feel as good with shallow IM or SubQ test.

Going in top of the leg with a 21ga is likely all the most painful options combined.

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#16

Im so glad it wasn’t just me. First time I did my own injection I almost passed out, serious. Then again, Im a F*ing pussy, so…

It’s not the first time I have heard this. I was under the impression that with SQ test levels are more table and in general you get more bang for your buck in terms of strength.

#17

Read the same, that’s why I tried it. For me, I just didn’t feel as emotionally good. I’m a weirdo though, I also felt better on once per week injections vs. two. Can’t speak to strength however, I don’t work out regularly.

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#18

What volume syringe did you use? You shouldn’t have to push very hard using a 1ml syringe, esp. with a 21g needle. If it was a 3ml that might explain it. Those can be a bitch to push and as a result the needle can move around quite a bit inside the muscle.

#19

I tried both dorsal glutes with 24G, 4 days apart. Went smooth af. Got DOMS like soreness at most, almost gone the next day. Way better than quads. I was reading about rotating injection sites. How important is it in practice? I’m injecting every 4 days now. If not I’ll just stick to dorsal glutes, otherwise I’ll have to try another muscle, either ventro glutes or delts probably. Locating ventro glutes ain’t easy and I fear I’ll hit the bone.

#20

If you’re going every four days then doing left, right, left, right is the way you’d rotate. VG is easy to find (there’s a good guide on Healthline, take a look at it) and unless you’re using a 3” needle you’re not hitting bone. 27g 5/8” is perfect for that site because the skin is very thin there and as a result the muscle is closer to the surface than it is in most other places.

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