Hello,
I am doing 100 mg a week 50mg/E3.5 subq. My clinic sends me prefilled syringes and I’m concerned about the amount that I’m actually getting. I’ve only been on trt for a month so I’m pretty new to this. The plunger is at the .5 mark, but as you can see there is an air bubble in there. By the time I make sure all the air is out before injecting the plunger is about at the .4 mark. I inject half of that one day, then remove the needle and then put on another needle and inject the rest a few days later, so it’s hard to measure it out exactly. But…I can see that the plunger doesn’t completely push out all the liquid because there seems to be some at the tip of the syringe. Is this normal for subq? I read some where that you need a little less for subq to get the same results as IM. Maybe this is what’s going on and I’m concerned about nothing, or am I getting shortchanged and not actually injecting 100 mg a week? For $200/mo I just want to be sure I’m getting what I should. Thanks!
If the conc of the solution is 100 mg/ml and you are prescribed 50 mg per injection (regardless whether subq ‘needs’ less which appears to the case) then your syringe is definitly underfilled. A prefilled syringe is typically overfilled 5 - 10% to account for dead volumes and air.
Im with @johann77. I would talk to your clinic and let them know that an air bubble in your syringe means you are getting less medicine. Let them know you will refuse to pay for any undefiled syringes.
Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah that’s what I was afraid of. This stuff isn’t cheap! I think i’m injecting more like 80 a week. I’ve been on it a month and in the beginning had a couple of days where I felt great, but other than that I am very slightly more energetic, no other effects good or bad. Maybe my dose is too low - started off with total T 170. I know its a marathon not a sprint so I’ll wait it out another month and give myself 8 weeks and see how I am. Also…is reusing the same syringe a common practice? Like I mentioned I inject half of it one day, then a few days later inject the rest of it with a new needle.
Ah ok, conc is 200 mg/ml and thus you inject 2x 0.25 ml.
I wouldnt feel comfortable injection twice with same syringe in case you do i.m. and aspirate. Subq without aspiration should be ok if you change the needle.
It is. Hopefully, they’ll move it up sooner than later.
True, but no point in running in the wrong direction. At your 170 total test level, any little bit should help, but 100mg (or 80) won’t get you to optimal.
For $200/month (what, exactly, does that include?) you should be getting more than 80mg a week. You should be taking 150mg, getting twice what you are for your money.
Do you know why they send prefilled syringes?
You need to switch to someone else. If there’s no one local, go telemedicine. This is a stupid way to medicate you.
It’s not the air bubble because that means you are injecting less T because of the air bubble, it’s the deadspace between the barrel and the needle which is the problem.
This clinic is squeezing your wallet and not giving much in return, 80mg weekly given that you are overpaying is appalling.
Yeah,I’ll be going to a new provider, there are some local I’ll be speaking to. What a ride this has been…first my PCP recommended endocrinologist would prescribe me no more than 50 mg once a week (because according to the paper she was reading from that’s the dose) and i decided not to use her even with insurance, now this…
This forum is VERY valuable thanks to you guys 
For $200 I get T, if I had to go up in dosage the cost would still be the same and I could talk to the doctor if I had any issues. Still need to pay for my own labs. I have no idea why they do the prefilled syringes…convenience maybe?
I am going to get bloods done in a month and see where I’m at, and would be increasing dosage. After researching this for a long time and seeing what a lot of other guys are taking I was thinking 150 a week @ 75 e/3.5. Considering that Im pretty much at 80, is 150 too much of a jump or would I be better off taking a smaller jump like 125? I’m not in a rush to get to the top and can be patient, but like highpull said I’d prefer not wasting time if its not necessary. Thanks!
That’s insane, this doctor without any doubt believes high levels of endogenous testosterone causes prostate cancer, poor fool.
If you end up needing a doc email me (in bio) and I’ll put you in touch with mine $150/month 200mg/week sent in the mail. (if you can’t find one locally)
Don’t worry about small bubbles. You aren’t injecting IV and even then it really isn’t a big deal.
With the exception of the ripoff by the pharmacy you are doing fine. Get your blood checked after 4 weeks and you will see that trough total T is >500 with subq. Also go by how you feel, not just by the numbers.
Good luck!
50 mg per week subq is a scientifically sound starting dose, although 75mg is more probable to lead to eugonadal levels.
The higher is not always the better, as there is a linear relationship between T levels on TRT and eg polycythemia.
I can also provide the full article in case you dont have access
Just out of curiosity, and forgive me if Ive asked you before, but where does 200mg put you for TT and FT?
This is a smart move.
Another smart move. 80-85% of the guys on TRT take 150-200mg once weekly. The are fine.
For testosterone only, you should be paying from $100-150 a month, and that should include necessary labs and office visits.
Convenience for whom? Out of curiosity, how many of those pre-loaded syringes were over loaded?
It’s not too much. Back when I was competing, guys started with 200-400mg per week. Heavier weight class guys, and the elite level, usually took the higher dose. Some wouldn’t stick a needle in their ass unless the syringe had at least 2mL in it.
Where are you located? I basically pay $20 a month for T.
This was after being on 185mg/week daily sub-q. Labs done 4/19. I’ve since moved to 200mg/week daily IM and feel exactly the same (Just as good) so I’m guessing numbers are similar.
All great points here. As far as those studies go linking t injections to high hct levels go, I wonder if there are any studies done on naturally raising T and the effects on hct or if there’s already a bias? I’m definitely not chasing numbers here at all, but I think after a month I should have probably felt something besides 2 good days the first week. I’m noticing small improvements lifting, but that may be attributed to my diet being super dialed in and I’m working out 6 days a week since I started the injections because I want to get the most out of this. First time in 30 years I’ve gone a month with not so much as one beer. I’ve decided to go ditch my current place and next week will be speaking to a place that a friend of mine goes to. I will see how that goes, and I may be contacting the guys who offered me their contacts. BTW, I/m in MA. Cant thank you guys enough!
The first 6 weeks I felt like crap. Every protocol change I did including the ones that made me feel great first had me feeling like crap for 6-8 weeks.