Starting Home Injections

Well, ran into some insurance issues due to a job change, and the cost to go to the Low T Center was going to be absolutely insane for weekly injections. So, they wrote me a non-refillable script for 1 bottle of 200mg/mL cypionate.

My dosing per the doc has been 160mg every Friday. I’ve read on here that I need to do E3D to be effective.

So, that means I would need .8 mL/ week to equal the 160mg that I’ve been on. That means .4 mL/ E3D, correct?

Other question is this - Since I’m due for my 160mg shot tomorrow, should I just go ahead and start the protocol of the .4 mL? And then my next shot would be on Monday, right?

Sorry for the questions, but they didn’t even recommend a needle size at the Low T Center, but they have been doing IM injections, and frankly I’m getting pretty tired of being sore on my ass. Think I’m going to switch to the recommended #29 insulin pins and do SC injections instead.

Any advice or input is appreciated! Also, they have never prescribed an AI, and the my E2 levels were in the 30-34 range. Anybody think that’s necessary?

Yup you’ve got the math sorted and yes go ahead and start with 0.4mL E3D.

If your E2 test was a one time thing you might consider retesting at some point. I’m surprised that your levels aren’t higher on that dose. 30-34 isn’t high

[quote]C27 H40 O3 wrote:
Yup you’ve got the math sorted and yes go ahead and start with 0.4mL E3D.

If your E2 test was a one time thing you might consider retesting at some point. I’m surprised that your levels aren’t higher on that dose. 30-34 isn’t high[/quote]

Well, I take that back about the E2…just checked bloodwork from 2/27, and E2 was 38.2 pg/mL. And total test had dropped to 496, 10.99 free. And they test only at the end of the week - so that means E2 could be much higher mid week. They had no idea why any of this changed, and still say that giving an AI won’t change anything. Going to a real doc today, and going to try and get a permanent script for test and an AI and to pick their brain about hCG.

I had the same issue. I was prescribed 2 bottles of Axiron per month - 4 applications per day. My copay was $75 per bottle and was $150 out of pocket each month. When the calendar rolled to 2014, the price of Axiron was $476 per bottle! No way were we affording $952 per month until our deductible was met. Besides, my Total T level only got up to 470’s on that dose.

I was changed to IM injections of T cypionate. I was shocked to only have to pay $76 for a 10 ml bottle that would last me 20 weeks!

I was doing my injections with 21 gauge, 1.5" needles. That’s what the pharmacy gave me. I have now procured some 25 gauge, 1.0" needles. I used to have some soreness after injections but in the past month, haven’t had any post-injection. My opinion is that the slower you insert the needle and the slower you inject, the better. I have broken my delivery into two 50 mg doses. I think decreasing the volume you inject also helps decrease the amount of soreness you experience after an injection. I inject .25 ml on the weekend and .25 ml on Wednesday.

But it sounds like you will be doing the subQ route. I hope that works for you. I wanted to do subQ because mentally, I didn’t think I could inject myself IM. I’ve gotten used to it, though.