First sub-q pin this morning - advice please

[rharvey]

I've been on gel for 7 months and progressed to subq this morning. Using Test-Enanthate and will pin EOD 0.25ml for a total of 1ml/200mg test per week. Yes 200mg is a lot to some but need to see if it will drive my SHBG down.

So, using a 29g insulin needle, I battled to pull the esther into the syringe. I'm standing there bleary-eyed first thing in the morning thinking wtf how am I going to pull enough in for my injection? Any advice here is appreciated. It took me about 10 mins to pull enough in, after injecting air into the vial and pulling like 20 times, I finally drew up 0.25ml.
After swabbing with alcohol I was surprised how hard I had to push to get the needle all the way in. No pain at all, and I was expecting at least a little pinch. Pushing in the esther was easy, took about 15 seconds.

About 3 hours later, there is the slightest almost unnoticeable tenderness at the site next to my belly button. Overall a very sustainable way for me going forward - have definitely overcome my fear of needles.

Lastly, will drop to a 27g needle to make it hopefully easier to draw up the esther - any comments?

 

[Vince]

It's probably the oil you're using. I have grapeseed oil mixed with my testosterone, very easy to draw with a 29g. If you're using cottonseed oil, I agree with using a 27 g.

 

[mooseman109]

I use a 27 ga and draw up .06ml every morning, it takes 27 seconds

 

[fifty]

Even grapeseed oil takes a long time to draw for me in a 28g. I keep my place at 65 degrees tho at night. I can literally see the oil drip in.... drop....drop....drop.

29g needle is 20% smaller in diameter than 27g and takes 1000% longer to draw.

 

[Vince Carter]

27 or 29 it takes patience. There's nothing wrong with drawing your dose at night vs blurry eyed when you wake up in the morning.

 

[Cataceous]

Quick-and-dirty auto-loader. A wood chip holds the plunger open to create the necessary vacuum. I use 31-gauge needles.

 

[madman]

I've been on gel for 7 months and progressed to subq this morning. Using Test-Enanthate and will pin EOD 0.25ml for a total of 1ml/200mg test per week. Yes 200mg is a lot to some but need to see if it will drive my SHBG down.

So, using a 29g insulin needle, I battled to pull the esther into the syringe. I'm standing there bleary-eyed first thing in the morning thinking wtf how am I going to pull enough in for my injection? Any advice here is appreciated. It took me about 10 mins to pull enough in, after injecting air into the vial and pulling like 20 times, I finally drew up 0.25ml.
After swabbing with alcohol I was surprised how hard I had to push to get the needle all the way in. No pain at all, and I was expecting at least a little pinch. Pushing in the esther was easy, took about 15 seconds.

About 3 hours later, there is the slightest almost unnoticeable tenderness at the site next to my belly button. Overall a very sustainable way for me going forward - have definitely overcome my fear of needles.

Lastly, will drop to a 27g needle to make it hopefully easier to draw up the esther - any comments?

Again forget worrying about your SHBG being high as I stated in your previous thread.....Anavar or Proviron to lower SHBG .....you would only need to hit a TT 1000 ng/dL to get your FT just slightly over the top end of the reference range and that is without your SHBG budging.

Regarding lowering SHBG when using exogenous testosterone (trt doses of 100-150 mg/week which are most common).....in many cases the drop in SHBG will be minimal and if anything it is large doses of androgens as in 250mg+ injected infrequently as in once weekly that have been shown to have a larger impact on lowering SHBG and it is the use of c-17 alpha alkylated orals which will have the biggest impact on lowering SHBG (no one uses such on trt).

200 mg/week of T is too large a dose to start with even when injecting lower amounts more frequently.

Best piece of advice when starting injections or switching from transdermal gels/creams is to start low and go slow.

Most men start on 100 mg/week (50 mg every 3.5 days would be better) and if SHBG is low one may start off injecting lower doses more frequently as in EOD or daily.

Labs would be done 6-8 weeks after starting injections to see where said dose of T puts your TT/FT/E2 levels.....than depending on where your FT levels sit (as we want to achieve a healthy level) and whether there is relief/improvement of low-t symptoms or lack there of than a slight dose increase may be needed.

Also keep in mind that when first starting injections or tweaking protocol (increasing T dose) hormones will be in FLUX during the weeks leading up until blood levels stabilize (6 weeks) and it is common for most to experience ups/downs during this transition so although levels will be stable at 6 weeks you need to give the protocol another 2-3 months to truly gauge how you feel overall as it takes the body time to truly adapt to the new T levels.

Even though your SHBG is high you would be better off injecting twice weekly @ 100-120mg/week (50-60 mg every 3.5 days) as oppose to jumping into EOD injections using a whopping T-dose (200 mg/week)......as you have no idea how your body is going to respond to said dose of T.

Much more sensible to start low and go slow!

You could dive into 140 mg/week (70 mg every 3.5 days).....but highly doubtful 200 mg/week would be needed even with your SHBG being high.

 

[rharvey]

Again forget worrying about your SHBG being high as I stated in your previous thread.....Anavar or Proviron to lower SHBG .....you would only need to hit a TT 1000 ng/dL to get your FT just slightly over the top end of the reference range and that is without your SHBG budging.

Regarding lowering SHBG when using exogenous testosterone (trt doses of 100-150 mg/week which are most common).....in many cases the drop in SHBG will be minimal and if anything it is large doses of androgens as in 250mg+ injected infrequently as in once weekly that have been shown to have a larger impact on lowering SHBG and it is the use of c-17 alpha alkylated orals which will have the biggest impact on lowering SHBG (no one uses such on trt).

200 mg/week of T is too large a dose to start with even when injecting lower amounts more frequently.

Best piece of advice when starting injections or switching from transdermal gels/creams is to start low and go slow.

Most men start on 100 mg/week (50 mg every 3.5 days would be better) and if SHBG is low one may start off injecting lower doses more frequently as in EOD or daily.

Labs would be done 6-8 weeks after starting injections to see where said dose of T puts your TT/FT/E2 levels.....than depending on where your FT levels sit (as we want to achieve a healthy level) and whether there is relief/improvement of low-t symptoms or lack there of than a slight dose increase may be needed.

Also keep in mind that when first starting injections or tweaking protocol (increasing T dose) hormones will be in FLUX during the weeks leading up until blood levels stabilize (6 weeks) and it is common for most to experience ups/downs during this transition so although levels will be stable at 6 weeks you need to give the protocol another 2-3 months to truly gauge how you feel overall as it takes the body time to truly adapt to the new T levels.

Even though your SHBG is high you would be better off injecting twice weekly @ 100-120mg/week (50-60 mg every 3.5 days) as oppose to jumping into EOD injections using a whopping T-dose (200 mg/week)......as you have no idea how your body is going to respond to said dose of T.

Much more sensible to start low and go slow!

You could dive into 140 mg/week (70 mg every 3.5 days).....but highly doubtful 200 mg/week would be needed even with your SHBG being high.

Great post, thanks for the advice from a clearly experienced TRT patient.

 

[Blackhawk]

Warm the vial before drawing. The oil becomes less viscous at warmer temperature. You can hold it against your body for a while, or put in a bowl with some warm water, upright with the top out of the water. Keep that top membrane on the vial super clean at all times.

 

[rharvey]

Warm the vial before drawing. The oil becomes less viscous at warmer temperature. You can hold it against your body for a while, or put in a bowl with some warm water, upright with the top out of the water. Keep that top membrane on the vial super clean at all times.

I started warming the vial by putting it in a vial of warm water. Works like a charm thanks!