The Most Effective Hormone Replacement Therapies
Testosterone injections are prescribed on a very individualized basis. Therefore there can be a lot of variation in the dosages of injectable testosterone prescribed. The most common form of injectable testosterone therapy contains testosterone cypionate which is the oil-soluble 17 (beta)-cyclopentylpropionate ester of the androgenic hormone testosterone. This is commonly referred to as “DEPO-Testosterone” or merely “DEPO.”
DEPO testosterone injections are usually prescribed in vials of 100 mg/mL solution or 200 mg/mL solution. But, no matter what brand or dosage of injectable testosterone you are prescribed, it is vitally important that you learn how to safely and properly administer testosterone injections.
Testosterone injections are given into the muscles, therefore, a testosterone injection is known as an intramuscular injection, or IM injection. IM injections are easy to self-administer, and relatively safe and pain-free, once you know all of the steps and procedures to properly administer testosterone injections.
No matter what brand or dosage of injectable testosterone you are prescribed, it is vitally important that you learn how to safely and properly administer testosterone injections.
The first step in learning how to administer testosterone injections correctly, is to choose your injections site. IM’s are given into thick muscular areas to effectively enter the bloodstream, while minimizing pain and discomfort. This is because the thick muscles of your forearm, buttocks, or outer thigh, are very vascular, and also can accommodate the relatively thick needles of testosterone injections with little discomfort. Once you have selected your injection site, the most important thing to learn about how to self-administer your testosterone injections, is how to maintain sterile conditions through the various steps of the process. The rare problems that occur with testosterone injections, such as pain, inflammation, or an infection at the site of injection, are almost always caused by failing to observe sterile protocols, and/or using improper injection techniques.
Testosterone injections are given into the muscles. They can be easy to self-administer, and relatively safe and pain-free, once you know all of the steps and procedures to properly administer testosterone injections.
Testosterone injections are given much like any other IM. You may receive specific instructions from your doctor, or from the package insert of your particular prescription. Always follow your prescriber’s instruction on how to inject your particular dose of testosterone. The following should be taken only as an overview of the 10 basic steps to administering a testosterone injection, simply to give you an idea of the process. These steps to injecting testosterone, should not be taken as specific instructions on how to give a testosterone injection.
Gather all the supplies needed for your testosterone injection, and place them on a clean and sterile staging area. Be sure you are well aware of your prescribed dose of testosterone. Taking additional injections, or more than your prescribed dose of testosterone, will not improve your results, and in fact, can be dangerous. Carefully check the expiration date on the vial of testosterone. Never use testosterone that is expired.
Make sure your hands are clean, and that you are wearing rubber gloves. Now clean the top of the vial with one of the alcohol swabs that came with your testosterone injection kit. Pull back on the needle’s plunger to draw air to the graduated number line on the syringe that corresponds to your prescribed dose.
With the vial still on the table in the upright position, insert the needle through the top of the vial and inject the air into the solution. Now, with the needle still in the vial, invert and lift the vial, so you can draw the testosterone down, into the syringe.
Pull back the plunger of the syringe, again to your desired dose, this time drawing the liquid testosterone into the syringe.
Remove the needle from the vial. Flick the side of the needle with your finger to make sure there are no air bubbles. Injecting air into your body, can cause a serious complication known as an air embolism. Squirt a tiny bit of the testosterone out of the tip of the needle. This will further ensure that you have removed all of the air bubbles, and also lubricate the tip of the needle, making injection of the testosterone a little easier.
Clean your selected injection site with another alcohol wipe. Most users of testosterone injections find that the heavy muscle of the outer part of the upper thigh is the easiest injection site to access, and to administer the IM.
Squeeze about 1 inch of muscular tissue between your forefinger and thumb, as seen above.
In a firm swift motion press the needle into the injection site.
Pull up slightly on the plunger and check for blood in the syringe. If you draw up any blood you have stuck the needle into a vein, and not muscle tissue. Remove and try again in another area, until you are sure there is no blood.
In a steady push, trying to keep the needle at a 90 degree angle, inject the testosterone into the muscle.
Withdraw the needle. Clean the injection site with another alcohol wipe, discard the needle appropriately, and properly store your testosterone vial for the next injection.
If you are correctly following this basic outline, and your testosterone prescriber’s specific self-injection instructions, you should be able to give yourself your testosterone shots with little or no pain. If you are experiencing pain on a regular basis, try alternating your injection sites. If discomfort continues, contact your prescriber. You may have to have your testosterone injection dosage adjusted, or be retrained on how to take your testosterone injections, or perhaps switch to another brand of injectable testosterone.
When learning how to administer your testosterone injections, there are a few other things to consider, such as:
Once you are comfortable in correctly knowing how to give yourself testosterone injections, and start taking them, you will be on your way to achieving some remarkable benefits. The many benefits of testosterone injections include:
Do not expect to see these benefits immediately after you first testosterone injection. It takes time for your body to get used to the impact of increased testosterone in the blood. You will start to feel all of the above benefits, cumulatively, over the course of the weeks and months of your testosterone injection therapy.
So, now that you know how simple, safe and easy administering testosterone replacement shots can be, why don’t you contact us today and see of testosterone therapy is right for you!
The rare problems that occur with testosterone injections, such as pain, inflammation, or an infection at the site of injection, are almost always caused by failing to observe sterile protocols, and/or using improper injection techniques.
