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Testosterone injections are prescribed to treat patients (usually men) suffering from testosterone deficiency. Testosterone injections are safe and easy to do by yourself once you know how.
On this page, we will discuss guidelines on how to prepare and administer testosterone injections. The information provided should be considered informational only. Always follow your doctor’s instructions and directions for the particular preparation and administration of your prescribed dose of testosterone injections.
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, testosterone injection is known as an intramuscular injection or IM. IMs 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.
The first step in learning how to administer testosterone injections correctly is to choose your injection 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 self-administering your testosterone injections is maintaining 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 injection site, are almost always caused by failing to observe sterile protocols and/or using improper injection techniques.
The following should be taken only as an overview of the 10 basic steps to administer a testosterone injection. These steps to injecting testosterone should not be taken as specific instructions on how to give any form or type of 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 the 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.
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.
There are different types of testosterone injections. Testosterone injections can only be obtained with a doctor’s prescription. All testosterone injections are prescribed as different "esters." Esters are all different versions of testosterone. The different types or esters of testosterone differ only in:
The most commonly prescribed types of testosterone injections are the esters testosterone enanthate and testosterone cypionate.
The information on this page is detailed instructions for the mixing and administration of testosterone cypionate. Injection instructions for other forms of testosterone will be similar. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist, or medication’s insert for exact instructions on taking your particular dose of testosterone.
When learning how to administer your testosterone injections, there are a few other things to consider, such as:
If it is possible to split your testosterone injections into more frequent smaller dosages, less volume in each testosterone injection can result in less pain.
As far as technique, in order to minimize the pain of your testosterone injection, keep the needle straight, and the faster you inject usually means less pain.
Because there are different types of testosterone in the various brands of testosterone injections and there is some variation on how they work, there are some types that need to be massaged in after they are injected, and others where massaging is not recommended. Consult the literature that comes with your testosterone injection kit or ask your prescriber if your particular type needs to be massaged in or not.
Also:
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.
Once you are comfortable incorrectly 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 your 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.
Now that you know quite a bit more about how to administer testosterone injections, why not take a minute to contact us and learn more about how testosterone replacement therapy can improve your quality of life.
Disclaimer: The information on dosage and administration of testosterone injections presented on this page is for educational/informational purposes only. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist, or your medication’s insert for exact instructions on how to take your particular dose of testosterone.
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