Subcutaneous Injection Questions

Pharma TRT
1

I’m a 53 year old male that has been on androgel for the last eleven years. I just switched from 100mg of gel a day to 100mg of Testosterone cypionate a week.

I have only done two subcutaneous injections so far with a 28g, 1/2 inch, .5ml insulin syringe, and I have a few questions.

On average how long does it take to inject 17 units of testosterone cypionate that is 200 mg/ml?

I’m thinking of switching to a 31g or 32g syringe, they have it available in 3/16 inch, 1/4 inch, and 5/16 inch. Would all three of those needle lengths be sufficient to administer a subcutaneous injection in the stomach area? I don’t have thick skin, and I’m thinking they would. From what I have read the average thickness of skin is 2mm or 3mm, but I was hoping to hear from others with real experience.

I have read on here that it takes a long time to load Testosterone cypionate into the syringe. I’m using Watson brand, 200 mg/ml and it is taking less than one minute to load 17 units into a 28g needle. That doesn’t seem long to me, does that loading time sound right?

Thanks for your help,

2

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I think I have found the answer to one of my questions.

This is from BD’s website on syringes for insulin. It seems that since we are trying to inject subcutaneous just like insulin that it would apply.

""Needle Length

BD syringes are available with 6mm, 8mm and 12.7mm needles.
New clinical recommendations support the use of shorter needles. Therefore, BD recommends the BD Insulin Syringe with the BD Ultra-Fine 6mm Needle to people injecting with a syringe.“”

This is for 4mm needles but I would think it applies also.

““Insulin is meant to be injected into the fat layer just below the skin for consistent absorption.1
If you inject into a muscle, the insulin can work too quickly, which may lead to low blood sugar.2
The BD Nanoâ?¢4mm Pen Needle, BDâ??s shortest pen needle gets insulin to the fat layer over 99.5% of the time, at all injection sites.””

3

Fast/slow is a relative term. Most guys consider filling an insulin pin slow because it takes around a minute or so. They are comparing this to using a much larger needle - say 23 or 25g, or even larger if using a separate draw needle (18 or 20g). That will only take a few seconds to draw up to a full mL.

Stick with a 1/2mL insulin pin, 29 or 31g is fine. Most use the 1/2" length.

4

[quote]bvh wrote:
I’m a 53 year old male that has been on androgel for the last eleven years. I just switched from 100mg of gel a day to 100mg of Testosterone cypionate a week.

I have only done two subcutaneous injections so far with a 28g, 1/2 inch, .5ml insulin syringe, and I have a few questions.

On average how long does it take to inject 17 units of testosterone cypionate that is 200 mg/ml?

I’m thinking of switching to a 31g or 32g syringe, they have it available in 3/16 inch, 1/4 inch, and 5/16 inch. Would all three of those needle lengths be sufficient to administer a subcutaneous injection in the stomach area? I don’t have thick skin, and I’m thinking they would. From what I have read the average thickness of skin is 2mm or 3mm, but I was hoping to hear from others with real experience.

I have read on here that it takes a long time to load Testosterone cypionate into the syringe. I’m using Watson brand, 200 mg/ml and it is taking less than one minute to load 17 units into a 28g needle. That doesn’t seem long to me, does that loading time sound right?

Thanks for your help,[/quote]

Where are you getting the testosterone “units” language? Units will confuse you if ever you are prescribed HCG. With testosterone, we speak in milliliters = ml. You are injecting 100mg per week and you stated your vial is 200mg per ml. You would draw 50ml or half ml into syringe. Your insulin syringe is 1 ml - correct?

Sometimes you it’s listed as 1cc (cubic centimeter) which is the equal volume to 1ml (millileter)

If you also do im (intramuscular) injections it would still be half a ml or 50 ml on the larger 23G or 25G syringes. So lose the unit language.

I use 1/2 inch 27G and 28G insulin syringes for my injections.I pinch the fat up,then release it before I push the plunger.

I rotate weekly injection sites about 2 1/2 - 3 inches around navel then go back to a different intramuscular shot in my rotation, then start all over again. Rotation is of paramount importance.

Scar tissue can develop in the fatty tissue as well as in muscle. It gets corky thick, so those insulin syringe shots around the navel need to move to a different location each injection. I know this to be true because of a friend who has had type I diabetes since third grade. All those years of ab injections left a thick scaring on both sides of his navel.

Some inject into delts and other muscles with insulin syringe(slinpin) 1/2 inch needle.

Delts, quads and glutes are what I use im = intramuscular injections.

Here’s from steroid forum and how many ml they im inject.

Lateral Delt: 1-2 ml
Front Delt: 1- 2 ml
Traps: 1-2 ml
Lats: 2-3 ml
Biceps: 1ml
Glutes: 2-3 ml easily
Quads: Most do 1-2 but once again I handle 3ml fine.
Calves: 1ml tops

“16 different locations if you take into account left and right side. Plenty of places you can easily hit on your own. If you have a girl friend or some one to help you can hit even a few more.” (per reed)

5

“catfish74”

Thanks for getting back with me. I tried a 31g needle today and it took me probably three minutes to inject. Does this sound right to you? I used a 28g the first two times and the injection time was around one minute.

“conservativedog”

Where are you getting the testosterone “units” language? Units will confuse you if ever you are prescribed HCG. With testosterone, we speak in milliliters = ml. You are injecting 100mg per week and you stated your vial is 200mg per ml. You would draw 50ml or half ml into syringe. Your insulin syringe is 1 ml - correct?<<<<

I will use ml from now on since that is the common language, thanks for making that clear, and getting back with me.

One insulin syringes made by BD they have the following scale.

100 units = 1ml = 1cc = 200mg of testostrone cypionate 200mg/ml
50 units =0.50ml
25 units =0.25ml
10 units =0.10ml

6

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[quote]bvh wrote:
“catfish74”

Thanks for getting back with me. I tried a 31g needle today and it took me probably three minutes to inject. Does this sound right to you? I used a 28g the first two times and the injection time was around one minute.[/quote]

3 minutes is about how long it would take to draw the thick testosterone oil into a 31G syringe. Maybe even a little longer.

I swab the top of the vial with alcohol. I draw air into my 29G slin pin then insert in the T vial and inject air, then tilt syringe to side and gently pull as I sit at my PC and watch a youtube video to pass the time.

But as mentioned you can backload a slin pin with a larger 21G or 23G syringe to draw the oil from vial then pull plunger out of insulin syringe and squirt inside:

[quote]bvh wrote:

“conservativedog”

Where are you getting the testosterone “units” language? Units will confuse you if ever you are prescribed HCG. With testosterone, we speak in milliliters = ml. You are injecting 100mg per week and you stated your vial is 200mg per ml. You would draw 50ml or half ml into syringe. Your insulin syringe is 1 ml - correct?<<<<

I will use ml from now on since that is the common language, thanks for making that clear, and getting back with me.

One insulin syringes made by BD they have the following scale.

100 units = 1ml = 1cc = 200mg of testostrone cypionate 200mg/ml
50 units =0.50ml
25 units =0.25ml
10 units =0.10ml [/quote]

You got it.

Remember to rotate injection sites weekly. You may have also read that splitting doses in half and injecting twice a week is better than one injection.

Hope you have read all the stickies at the beginning of the Testosterone
Replacement Forum. The T-Nation search site is very good.

1 Like
7

[quote]bvh wrote:
I think I have found the answer to one of my questions.

This is from BD’s website on syringes for insulin. It seems that since we are trying to inject subcutaneous just like insulin that it would apply.

""Needle Length

BD syringes are available with 6mm, 8mm and 12.7mm needles.
New clinical recommendations support the use of shorter needles. Therefore, BD recommends the BD Insulin Syringe with the BD Ultra-Fine 6mm Needle to people injecting with a syringe.“”

This is for 4mm needles but I would think it applies also.

““Insulin is meant to be injected into the fat layer just below the skin for consistent absorption.1
If you inject into a muscle, the insulin can work too quickly, which may lead to low blood sugar.2
The BD Nanoâ?¢4mm Pen Needle, BDâ??s shortest pen needle gets insulin to the fat layer over 99.5% of the time, at all injection sites.””

[/quote]

I use 5/16" 30g insulin syringes to do SQ injections … if you arent careful you can still go IM with a pin that short. How short is too short and how long is too long all depends on the person, the location, the skin and the amount of fat. Going straight into my thigh without pinching the skin will put the 5/16" into the muscle … a sore theigh for a few days after an injection tells me IM instead of SQ.

8

Can I ask why you switched to injections after 11 years on gels?

9

“”“conservativedog”“”

Thanks a gain for the information.
I have read the stickies for injections, estradiol, and advice for new guys. I will be sure to read the thyroid basics and things that damage you hormones.

“”“Cooper1test”“”

I switched to injections because for some reason my levels wouldn’t stay up any longer with the gel. I was using 100mg a day, and my last two blood test where low 178 and 192.

I don’t know why this happened, but it has been getting lower and lower the last few years, and right now I feel really bad, it’s a struggle to do anything. At least I got my doctor to switch me to injections, but she said that my E2 levels weren’t a problem, and she wouldn’t prescribe me any Arimidex. I didn’t even ask her about hcg because I knew she wouldn’t do anything about it. When my levels were dropping down I had a 348 blood test, and I asked her to raise my scrip for gel and she wouldn’t do it because she said I was in range.

The condition I’m in right now is my own fault, I know better than to just let the doctor control my health decisions. I have an appointment with a new doctor that will address the Arimidex and hcg issues, but the first opening isn’t until May 31st. I think I will be fine with my injections until then, but I know I have high E2 levels, and I wish I knew a way to lower them until I get to see the doctor in 6 weeks. I would order some online just to hold me over and get a blood test to check my E2 levels, but what I have read so far is that some people say the online Arimidex is real and others say it is crap. I’m not sure what to do just yet.

10

The online liquid from the research labs worked fine with me, and I’m sure I could get the pills from my doc, but dosing and cutting up a little pill sounds barbaric anyway. If your E2 is high get some liquid and careful dosing. 6 drops a day took me from 83 to 17. I. Changes to 5 drops. My E2 sky rocketed to that 83 from 26 when I was on the gel. I’m injecting 16 units 3 times a week. Just my experience.

Doesn’t everyone find these small needles like a 31G to leave u with tinny bubbles. I use a 27G now

11

‘’'“WNYdave”“”

Thanks for letting me know about the research labs, that should get me going until I get into the doctor, and I will have a chance to get my E2 results to take with me.

I did a lot of searching and it seems the research labs don’t stay open to long, or I’m just searching for them wrong. Since I’m a new member I can’t pm you, if you or anybody else has the time, would you pm me a link to the research lab you use?

Thanks,

12

[quote]WNYdave wrote:

Doesn’t everyone find these small needles like a 31G to leave u with tinny bubbles. I use a 27G now[/quote]

I am unfamiliar with the bubbles your talking about, do you mean slight redness bubble after injecting that dissipates?