I’ve been using my 21 gauge (1”) needle for a couple of months since starting TRT and experiencing some injection pain - so asked my doc for a 25 gauge needle - and seems exceedingly difficult to empty the syringe.
The needle (BD safety needle - image attached) looks odd - wondering if others have had difficulty with 25 gauge on an IM injection into quad.
Thanks in advance.
Dude, you should be using 27-31 gauge insulin syringes and inject in the deltoids.
Your doctor is stuck in the dark ages!
Stop using nails to inject your Test!
I can’t think of anything worse than injecting into my quad with a 21 gauge syringe and then going to the gym for leg day with pain in my quad!
You’ll won’t waste any test using insulin syringes due to the non-dead space design. Basically using dead space designed syringes will waste 100 mg of test per 10 injections. For some that’s a weekly dose.
You can buy Easy Touch insulin syringes on Amazon.
Big thanks. My issue hasn’t been pain with the 25, it’s that it seems to take forever to come out. Does the test cyp come out more easily with smaller gauge?
And should I do shorter needles then? 1/2”?
Thanks again. Info here is so helpful for someone new to TRT.
You must be doing something wrong. You have to inject the same volume of air into the vial as you’re pulling out, before drawing the cypionate into the syringe, otherwise, you will create a vacuum inside the vial.
This vacuum will prevent you from pulling cypionate out of the vial, it will pull it away from the syringe. Let’s say your dosage is .5 mL, you inject .5 mL of air into the vial, then draw .5 mL of cypionate.
I have no problems getting cypionate to draw and come out of a 31 gauge insulin syringe.
1/2 insulin syringes are fine.
OP, is your syringe a 3mL?
If so, it’s not you - it’s the syringe.
Get your hands on some 1mL insulin syringes. I use 27ga and have no trouble.
Yes. A 3 ml syringe. I load as system lord recommends. Use a 21ga to load (that was what hurt to inject) - now have switched to loading w 21 and injecting w 25. Will buy 1 ml syringe and report back.
I’ve used both 3mL and 1mL. I can promise you there’s a huge difference.
I use a 3ml syringe without a problem - draw with an 18, shoot with a 25.ml
1ml would certainly be easier.
Also, get a 1 mL insulin syringe with .1 increments so you can dose 10 mg (if vial is 100 mg/10 mL) plus or minus.
This is an over-complicated approach. Life can be simpler.
I second this. 3ml (or 5ml) syringes can be a PITA to inject with since they sometimes tend to block up. I found you have to inject and eject air in and out of them a few times to get them to inject properly. 1ml insulin syringes are the way to go.
Hi , i would just like to add.
I use a 25g 1" insulin needle and a acuject dead space syringe.
I go in the shoulder,no problem without pain.
Also a little hint, you might know this already but it works great for me.
Draw syringe all the way regardless of the amount you use, push in vile,then,push plunger all the way down ,turn vile upside down, make sure the needle stays in the steriod liquid, then draw the needle all the way out, then keeping the vile upside down,wait for the liquid to fill syringe at least 10ml more than you need, turn vile the right way up keeping the syringe in,when its right way up,push plunger to the right amount,then take needle out.
Works for me everytime.
And the steriod comes out of needle ,no problems
This is the way to go. Use the same needle to draw and inject for test c, and either sub q or delts, depending on your leanness.
Went with 27ga, 1ml, 1/2". The draw was VERY slow. As was the injection. But zero pain.
You can always draw with a larger needle and then switch to the 27ga for injection.
The carrier oil is a big factor in draw speed – the cottonseed oil most use is super thick and takes forever to draw in a small needle.
If you’re using a compounding pharmacy, see if they can use ethyl oleate instead – much thinner and will give a quick draw even with a 29 or 31 ga insulin needle.
The injection on a 25ga 1/2" syringe is still very slow. Did a draw with 21ga was perfect. Injection with the 25ga was pain free, but took like 3 seconds.
Is this meant to be a joke?
No. I’m new at this - hence asking questions. The 21ga injected very quickly and smoothly - but had pain. The 25 was a very slow injection. What punchline am I missing. Dead serious.
Slow is fine. You shouldn’t be injecting fast anyway. I use a 27ga. Slow as molasses but who cares. Takes 30sec
Are you using a 1ml syringe or a 3ml?
