You could feel a big boost in sex drive or see changes in how your body handles fat and muscle. Some bodybuilders share good stories, but others hit roadblocks fast. Even if you’re chasing better muscle, size, and power, your health comes first. Topical androgens like testosterone have been used and studied in the treatment of cellulite in women. Testosterone is under development in a low-dose intranasal formulation for the treatment of anorgasmia in women. Over the 3 to 6-month course of the studies reviewed, testosterone therapy appeared safe and generally effective, and (ruling out prostate cancer) the authors found no justification to absolutely restrict its use in men with CHF. They largely superseded testosterone propionate and became the major testosterone esters used medically for over half a century. In addition, local levels of DHT in so-called androgenic (5α-reductase-expressing) tissues are also markedly reduced, and this can have a strong impact on certain effects of testosterone. The FDA stated in 2015 that neither the benefits nor the safety of testosterone have been established for low testosterone levels due to aging. In women, testosterone can produce hirsutism (excessive facial/body hair growth), deepening of the voice, and other signs of virilization. If your symptoms follow a clear pattern tied to your injection timing, that’s often a strong signal that your frequency may need to be adjusted. Not everyone on TRT needs to change their injection frequency. Factors like metabolism, sensitivity to hormone fluctuations, and symptom patterns vary from person to person. If labs are taken at the wrong point in your injection cycle, they can be misleading. In reality, two people can take the same weekly dose and feel completely different depending on how often they inject. A common mistake is treating testosterone like a simple number to optimize. Most young, healthy bodybuilders don’t see heart risks early, but it’s smart to know the warning signs. These side effects can stick around as long as you stay on testosterone. When you start testosterone self-injection, it's smart to know the risks. Self-injection brings you closer to your body goals. Indeed, long-term compliance among men who are prescribed testosterone therapy with IM injections is low; approximately 69% of men on long-acting esters discontinue treatment within 3 months of therapy, and 95% discontinue it within 12 months (56). Though erythrocytosis and increase in prostate-specific antigen levels are known adverse effects of testosterone therapy (1), the incidences of such events after SC administration appear to be higher than those reported in studies of transdermal testosterone (52, 53). In a study of 63 transgender men (who were trained by an experienced nurse on self-administration) receiving weekly doses of SC testosterone enanthate or cypionate at doses of 50 to 150 mg for up to 43 months, 10 injection site reactions were reported by 9 participants (28). Ratio of 5-dihydrotestosterone and estradiol to testosterone (T) by dose and route of administration during treatment with T enanthate In a larger, 26-week study of 133 men by the same investigators, weekly SC doses of testosterone enanthate ( mg) with an autoinjector resulted in injection-site hemorrhage in 8, bruising in 5, and pain in 1 participant (29). In another study of SC administration of testosterone enanthate (50 or 100 mg/week) with a SC autoinjector for 6 weeks in 29 hypogonadal men, only 1 participant developed ecchymosis at the injection site (25). Mean A, 5-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and B, estradiol (E2) concentrations on weekly subcutaneous (SC) injections of 75 mg testosterone enanthate. B, Mean serum testosterone concentrations with weekly 100 mg intramuscular administration of testosterone enantathe to men with primary hypogonadism (vertical arrows represent injections, error bars represent SEM, and dashed lines represent normal range. Adapted with permission from (46). A, Mean serum total testosterone concentrations in men on 50 and 100 mg subcutaneous (SC) testosterone enanthate measured predose (0 hour) and 24 hours post dose. The area under the concentration-time curve for testosterone during the last 2 weeks of the study (weeks 5 and 6 combined) in the 100-mg SC group was similar to that of the 200-mg IM group, suggesting that at steady state the bioavailability of testosterone enanthate is similar irrespective of the administration route (25). When testosterone is injected into muscle, it creates a "depot" effect—the medication pools in the muscle tissue and releases gradually into your bloodstream over time. IM injections typically require 22–25 gauge needles that are 1 to 1.5 inches in length. Always consult a physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or on any opinions expressed within this website. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem. The most common devices include a pump, large syringe, Topi-Click, and single dose packets. Topical hormones come in a variety of dispensing devices. Warm up your body before you inject. Switching sites stops sore spots and keeps your skin healthy. Safe self-injection means more control, less pain, and steady gains—right where you want them. Most bodybuilders use the outer thigh or the top, outside part of the buttocks. Giving yourself a testosterone shot might seem hard at first, but it gets easier each time. Put used needles in a sharps container right after each injection. For storage, keep your testosterone vial cool and dry.
