from needles to pills: the trt switch i didn’t expect to matter this much

[Phil Goodman]

I'm well aware, however my approach to lack of authenticity, whether human or machine (which, sadly, is becoming more common in both cases) is to respond with authenticity, which will hopefully encourage authentic responses from someone and benefit other readers. I'm actually kind of glad the topic came up since the unavailability and/or unnecessary bundling of Kyzatrex or anything else is not a trend we want to encourage IMO.

Agreed, and I think you made a lot of great points regarding oral T. We see a lot of claims being made that aren’t necessarily accurate, and that need to be considered by users. For example, we always hear that it imap to hematocrit less than other forms… but I’ve shared a study here which showed the average increase was actually a little higher for oral than for injectable. Yes, for most users the increase will be less, but percentage is elevated so much because of the (granted, smaller) number of people who see large increases. So imagine the guy who goes with oral because he hears it’s better on that front only to see his hematocrit increase 10+ points.


And you made a good point about the meal timing. Intermittent fasting isn’t a huge deal for me anymore, but technically for anyone on oral I’d imagine that the largest fasting window they could hit would be 12 hours, which may not work for a lot of people.

I’m also not 100% sold that it doesn’t fully prevent natural suppression over time. For example, if someone is on oral T for three years do they really still naturally produce testosterone? Again I might be wrong, but I’d say it’s quite possible that after years of use the person on oral T would also have zero natural production just like the guy on injections.

 

[JorgeF]

You are one of the most thoughtful and intelligent guys on this forum, my post was not directed at you in any way. There are a handful of us who post, but thousands that read this forum. That post was for the readers who may not understand the reference to AI.

I agree completely that both the human element and authenticity are being replaced by artificial drivel. I am committed to keeping it real.

I'm not a bot. I just do my homework before posting.

Agreed, and I think you made a lot of great points regarding oral T. We see a lot of claims being made that aren’t necessarily accurate, and that need to be considered by users. For example, we always hear that it imap to hematocrit less than other forms… but I’ve shared a study here which showed the average increase was actually a little higher for oral than for injectable. Yes, for most users the increase will be less, but percentage is elevated so much because of the (granted, smaller) number of people who see large increases. So imagine the guy who goes with oral because he hears it’s better on that front only to see his hematocrit increase 10+ points.


And you made a good point about the meal timing. Intermittent fasting isn’t a huge deal for me anymore, but technically for anyone on oral I’d imagine that the largest fasting window they could hit would be 12 hours, which may not work for a lot of people.

I’m also not 100% sold that it doesn’t fully prevent natural suppression over time. For example, if someone is on oral T for three years do they really still naturally produce testosterone? Again I might be wrong, but I’d say it’s quite possible that after years of use the person on oral T would also have zero natural production just like the guy on injections.

fair play on the authenticity piece man honestly the bundling thing drives me nuts too. hate when clinics lock specific meds behind those massive "concierge" fees just to boost margins.

solid points on the medical side too... especially the suppression. i think youre 100% right, if youre taking enough exogenous test to fix symptoms your body is gonna shut down the factory eventually regardless of delivery method. thinking you can run therapeutic doses for years and keep natural production is kinda wishful thinking unless maybe youre running hcg alongside it?

the fasting thing is a legit dealbreaker for some too. i just eat breakfast and dinner so the 12hr gap works but if youre strict intermittent fasting or omad its a nightmare logistics wise. on that hematocrit study though was it looking at the older methyltestosterone stuff or the newer lymphatic caps? cause usually avoiding the liver pass helps keep the spikes lower but yeah individual biology is always the wildcard.

are you seeing kyzatrex mostly locked behind expensive subscription models where you are or just hard to find in general?

 

[BadassBlues]

I assume like other medications that have gone the oral route, the driving force is having the option for those who have an aversion to injections. I suppose that is a good option to have, but I seriously question the efficacy of a pill versus an injectable.

I have been dialed in for so many years it's just part of my life at this point. Twice weekly injections are a far better option for me than taking an oral twice a day. But that is just me.

 

[JorgeF]

I assume like other medications that have gone the oral route, the driving force is having the option for those who have an aversion to injections. I suppose that is a good option to have, but I seriously question the efficacy of a pill versus an injectable.

I have been dialed in for so many years it's just part of my life at this point. Twice weekly injections are a far better option for me than taking an oral twice a day. But that is just me.

honestly man i totally respect that... if youve been dialed in for years and the needles dont bother you then there really isnt a huge reason to mess with a good thing. injections are definitely the old reliable for a reason.

the main reason guys like me look at the oral route is usually just needle fatigue or the travel aspect but the efficacy is actually pretty close now with the lymphatic stuff like kyzatrex. it basically mimics the natural daily rhythm instead of that big weekly spike and slow drop off. but yeah i get it... twice a day is definitely more to manage than just one or two pins a week.

on the hematocrit thing i actually had the opposite happen... mine was always creeping up on the shots but it stabilized once i switched. i think its just because i dont have those massive supraphysiological peaks anymore but like you said everyone is different and some guys respond weird to the pills too.

out of curiosity have you ever actually tried a different route or just been a needle guy from day one? i actually have a buddy who was in your shoes (years on the pin) but he had to switch cause of scar tissue issues. if you ever wanted to just chat with the specialist who helped him and me navigate that whole transition i can give u his info. he’s super chill and doesn't push anything... he just knows the data inside out.

want me to send u his contact just so you have it in your back pocket or you think you’re strictly team needle for life?? lol

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

are you seeing kyzatrex mostly locked behind expensive subscription models where you are or just hard to find in general?

yes.

 

[JorgeF]

yes.

when you say “yes” tho, is it mainly the subscription model pushing the price up, or is it literally just hard to locate a pharmacy that will fill it reliably? and are you using insurance or cash right now? also which state are you in (if you’re cool saying) since availability seems to vary a lot?

 

[Phil Goodman]

from needles to pills: the trt switch i didn’t expect to matter this much

i started trt injected because, honestly, i just wanted my life back.

when your testosterone is low, everything feels like it’s happening through a fog. energy is “meh” even after coffee, workouts feel like you’re pushing a car uphill, recovery takes forever, and your mood gets this weird flatness that’s hard to explain to people who haven’t lived it. you can still function, sure. but you’re not really sharp, not really driven, not really you.

so i did what most guys do. i went the injection route.

and to be fair, injections worked. like… they really worked. i felt the benefits. strength started coming back. motivation improved. i felt more present. my body responded again. i remember thinking, ok, this is what “normal” is supposed to feel like.

but here’s the part nobody romanticizes: living on injections is a whole lifestyle by itself.

it’s not just “take your medicine.” it’s planning your week around pin days. it’s traveling and doing mental gymnastics about where your supplies are, how you’re storing things, whether you’ll have privacy, whether you’ll forget. it’s the little dread some people get even if the needle doesn’t hurt. it’s rotating spots. it’s that moment where you’re like “did i do it right?” and then overthinking it for no reason.

and then there were the swings. not always, but enough to notice. some weeks i’d feel amazing and locked in. other weeks i’d feel edgy, or a little wired, or just… off. not terrible, just not smooth. and the annoying thing with hormones is you can’t always tell what’s causing what. was it the dose timing? sleep? stress? food? life? your brain starts trying to debug your mood like it’s a software bug.

eventually i realized something: injections weren’t the problem. the friction was.

when you add friction to a long-term therapy, you either become a robot with perfect routines… or you start slipping. and i didn’t want “managing trt” to become a second job.

that’s what pushed me to try oral testosterone (oral tu). i’ll be honest, i was skeptical. i had all the usual questions. will it work? will i feel stable? is it just marketing? is it going to feel weaker?

and then i switched.

the biggest surprise wasn’t some dramatic “superhero” moment. it was the opposite.

it got boring.

and i mean that in the best way.

no more pin days. no more “i need to do this later.” no more travel stress around supplies. no more little spikes of anxiety about the process. it became part of my routine like taking any other prescription. and once that happened, consistency got easier. and once consistency got easier, the whole experience felt smoother.

the other big change for me was mental bandwidth. i didn’t realize how much brain space i was burning on the mechanics of injections until i didn’t have to. when that mental noise went away, i felt more stable. more even. more predictable. and for me, that stability matters more than chasing a “perfect number” on a lab.

and just to be clear, i’m not saying oral is “better” for everyone. i know guys who love injections and feel amazing on them. i know guys who need more control over timing and prefer it. i’m just saying for me, the quality-of-life part ended up being the real win.

because with hormones, what you can stick to consistently usually beats what looks “ideal” on paper.

the other thing i learned the hard way is that trt isn’t magic if the basics are broken. if your sleep is trash, if your stress is constant, if your blood pressure is creeping up, if you’re not eating enough protein, if you’re living in a deficit and wondering why you’re flat… trt can help, but it can’t override everything. and if you’re not monitoring labs like hematocrit, lipids, and bp, you’re basically guessing.

so yeah. injections helped me. but switching to oral made it sustainable.

and that’s the difference between “this works” and “this works for the rest of my life.”

curious if anyone else here has made that switch. did you feel more stable, or did you miss the control of injections? and what mattered more for you in the end… numbers on labs, or how consistent you felt week to week?

not medical advice obviously, just one guy’s experience. always worth doing this with real medical supervision and proper labs.

How long have you been on oral formula? Were there any rough spots during the transition?

 

[JorgeF]

How long have you been on oral formula? Were there any rough spots during the transition?

a couple days ago

 

[Phil Goodman]

a couple days ago

So all of this happened in a couple of days??


the biggest surprise wasn’t some dramatic “superhero” moment. it was the opposite.

it got boring.

and i mean that in the best way.

no more pin days. no more “i need to do this later.” no more travel stress around supplies. no more little spikes of anxiety about the process. it became part of my routine like taking any other prescription. and once that happened, consistency got easier. and once consistency got easier, the whole experience felt smoother.

the other big change for me was mental bandwidth. i didn’t realize how much brain space i was burning on the mechanics of injections until i didn’t have to. when that mental noise went away, i felt more stable. more even. more predictable. and for me, that stability matters more than chasing a “perfect number” on a lab.

and just to be clear, i’m not saying oral is “better” for everyone. i know guys who love injections and feel amazing on them. i know guys who need more control over timing and prefer it. i’m just saying for me, the quality-of-life part ended up being the real win.

because with hormones, what you can stick to consistently usually beats what looks “ideal” on paper.

the other thing i learned the hard way is that trt isn’t magic if the basics are broken. if your sleep is trash, if your stress is constant, if your blood pressure is creeping up, if you’re not eating enough protein, if you’re living in a deficit and wondering why you’re flat… trt can help, but it can’t override everything. and if you’re not monitoring labs like hematocrit, lipids, and bp, you’re basically guessing.

so yeah. injections helped me. but switching to oral made it sustainable.

 

[JorgeF]

So all of this happened in a couple of days??


the biggest surprise wasn’t some dramatic “superhero” moment. it was the opposite.

it got boring.

and i mean that in the best way.

no more pin days. no more “i need to do this later.” no more travel stress around supplies. no more little spikes of anxiety about the process. it became part of my routine like taking any other prescription. and once that happened, consistency got easier. and once consistency got easier, the whole experience felt smoother.

the other big change for me was mental bandwidth. i didn’t realize how much brain space i was burning on the mechanics of injections until i didn’t have to. when that mental noise went away, i felt more stable. more even. more predictable. and for me, that stability matters more than chasing a “perfect number” on a lab.

and just to be clear, i’m not saying oral is “better” for everyone. i know guys who love injections and feel amazing on them. i know guys who need more control over timing and prefer it. i’m just saying for me, the quality-of-life part ended up being the real win.

because with hormones, what you can stick to consistently usually beats what looks “ideal” on paper.

the other thing i learned the hard way is that trt isn’t magic if the basics are broken. if your sleep is trash, if your stress is constant, if your blood pressure is creeping up, if you’re not eating enough protein, if you’re living in a deficit and wondering why you’re flat… trt can help, but it can’t override everything. and if you’re not monitoring labs like hematocrit, lipids, and bp, you’re basically guessing.

so yeah. injections helped me. but switching to oral made it sustainable.

nah fair callout. i worded that badly

the “it got boring” part happened fast because the logistics/mental load changed basically right away. no more pin day planning, travel kit, “did i do it right”, all that stuff. that part is instant and honestly it’s what i was reacting to

but the actual hormone/feeling dial-in is not a couple days thing. that takes weeks and i’m still watching it + waiting on consistent labs/bp before i’d claim anything big. so yeah, not “superhero” in two days, more like “my routine got simpler immediately” and then we see how the rest settles

when you switched (if you did), how long did it take you to feel anything meaningful? and did you notice any weirdness early on like sleep changes, bp, water retention, mood swings?

 

[Phil Goodman]

nah fair callout. i worded that badly

the “it got boring” part happened fast because the logistics/mental load changed basically right away. no more pin day planning, travel kit, “did i do it right”, all that stuff. that part is instant and honestly it’s what i was reacting to

but the actual hormone/feeling dial-in is not a couple days thing. that takes weeks and i’m still watching it + waiting on consistent labs/bp before i’d claim anything big. so yeah, not “superhero” in two days, more like “my routine got simpler immediately” and then we see how the rest settles

when you switched (if you did), how long did it take you to feel anything meaningful? and did you notice any weirdness early on like sleep changes, bp, water retention, mood swings?

Were these also just examples of bad wording??


the oral i switched to is kyzatrex (oral TRT). for me the biggest “wow” wasn’t like a crazy new high, it was just how consistent i felt week to week. no more planning life around pin days, no travel stress with syringes, and i stopped doing that constant mental math of “is this a good week or a swing week”. gym recovery felt smoother, sleep got better, libido stayed more predictable, and honestly my mood was just more even




kyzatrex comes in different capsule strengths (one hundred / one fifty / two hundred), and i’m currently on with breakfast and with dinner, both with real food. i try to keep the evening one with dinner and not super late, because if i eat late i can see how some guys would feel a bit too “on” at night. for labs, i’ve found the timing matters a lot or the number looks random, so i always do the draw a few hours after the morning dose and i make sure i actually took it with a meal.




if you want i can intro you to the guy who helped me dial this in, he deals with a lot of complex cases with joint issues too.

 

[JorgeF]

Were these also just examples of bad wording??


the oral i switched to is kyzatrex (oral TRT). for me the biggest “wow” wasn’t like a crazy new high, it was just how consistent i felt week to week. no more planning life around pin days, no travel stress with syringes, and i stopped doing that constant mental math of “is this a good week or a swing week”. gym recovery felt smoother, sleep got better, libido stayed more predictable, and honestly my mood was just more even




kyzatrex comes in different capsule strengths (one hundred / one fifty / two hundred), and i’m currently on with breakfast and with dinner, both with real food. i try to keep the evening one with dinner and not super late, because if i eat late i can see how some guys would feel a bit too “on” at night. for labs, i’ve found the timing matters a lot or the number looks random, so i always do the draw a few hours after the morning dose and i make sure i actually took it with a meal.




if you want i can intro you to the guy who helped me dial this in, he deals with a lot of complex cases with joint issues too.

yeah, kinda. i wasn’t trying to say “everything changed in a couple days” biologically, that would be bs. the fast part was purely the logistics/mental load… once you’re not planning pin days and travel kits, it feels “boring” right away. the actual feeling dial-in took weeks and a couple consistent lab checks, not days

and on the sleep/libido/mood stuff, i mean more “once it stabilized” not “day two magic”. for me the big difference was consistency: taking it with real food every time and keeping dosing/lab timing the same so i wasn’t reading random numbers and overthinking it

what are you on right now (shots/gel), and what’s the main reason you’re even considering oral… convenience, swings, travel, or something else? and are you tracking bp at home + doing labs at a consistent time relative to your dose?