Quote from: TK9NY on August 25, 2017, 11:13:21 PM
Had my first shot two days ago and couldn't be happier - ive waited years for this - but is it normal to be itchy?! Literally just started today, found a few posts about it but no clear answers. It's just random quick itchy/tingly spots all over including scalp. Also feel like I'm getting a chest cold,or like my allergies are kicking in (it is ragweed season so I guess it's possible that's contributing) which I read was normal?
I will be bringing it up with the doc when I go back in (or call sooner if it doesn't resolve) but was just curious if anyone else had these issues. Also curious about other things people have noticed when first starting. Things that you don't read a lot about (like the feeling like you're getting sick). Read a lot about the changes to expect but very little about the possible side effects as your body gets used to things...
Also read that you can be allergic to the oils in the injectable stuff? Is an alllergic reaction likely to happen within a set time frame (like immediate or within 24 hours)? Or is it something that can happen three, four, five plus days after? Just curious because I never even thought about being allergic and the doc didn't really mention it as a concern beyond "rare but possible". He made it sound like you would notice right away and it would start at the injection site....
I'm super excited for the changes to come!
I had a slight "chest cold" type reaction myself. It didn't last terribly long, and I wasn't aware it was possible either until I saw "T cold" somewhere and looked it up. Apparently it affects the immune system. Unsure if that's true or not.
I got some vague itchiness after my first few shots, but my skin has always been weirdly sensitive. None of it was really near the injection site, and I never got a legitimate rash or hives or anything noticeable like that. My skin only got red if I scratched it, which is what it has always done anyway. I called my pharmacist just to see what he thought, and he said that generally you should expect it to be near the injection site, and told me that if I wasn't seeing red, raised hives or anything I shouldn't worry too much unless it starts to get very bothersome.
Itchiness can happen as a result of hormonal changes; that's more likely what caused mine. One of the potential side effects of menopause is generalized itchiness, and when you start T that is essentially what begins to happen; it sort of forces you into a kind of menopause.
It is possible to be allergic to the oils the T is suspended in. The two main testosterone injections are testosterone cypionate and testosterone enanthate. Testosterone cypionate is the more common of the two, which is T suspended in cottonseed oil. That's the one I was prescribed. Testosterone enanthate is suspended in sesame oil. My endocrinologist said that a lot of oils used for medications like this are found in things like potato chips (I believe I did see cottonseed oil listed on one bag I looked at), and when I asked if those allergic to sesame oil would have issues with sesame seeds, he said they probably would. So it sounds like people with
severe allergies to the oils often know they have issues with those substances before they ever use testosterone depo. If it gets serious, though, definitely get medical help.
Check which one you have; even my small pharmacy carries both enanthate and cypionate. Keep an eye on it and if you're worried, you can contact the doctor to ask about it. If necessary, they can switch you from whichever you're on to the other and see if that helps. The type of oil doesn't change the hormone's effect at all, so no worries there. Like Dena said, you can get specially compounded oils, creams, or gels if the standard stuff doesn't work for you.
As for other changes, I was prepared for most of what I ended up experiencing. One thing I figured would happen was an increase in my migraines--which did happen. I had to start taking medications for that. Aside from the cold symptoms I wasn't super surprised at the type of things that happened. I was pretty astounded by the speed of the mental changes though. I already cried very little after my first T injection, even at the low dose they started me on. The first time I felt the same internally as I normally did when I started to cry, but I didn't cry. It was odd. Turns out a lot of what was upsetting me in other situations was the mere fact that I
was crying, so I calmed myself down a lot faster. I feel, overall, much more balanced and just
myself in a way that's hard to describe. It's been awesome.
