Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Because mine said I didn't even have to do it myself. I could just go to my local doctor and get injected, which would be cheaper for me as GP visits are covered here.

I've heard of people having nurses try to get them to do it on their own...

I wanted to self-inject.  When I asked about it, my endo said she preferred her patients to do it because it gave them more control over their treatment.  If I didn't want to, I'm not sure if they would have made me, but it probably would have been more expensive and somewhat inconvenient to inject on someone else's schedule.

My doc showed me how to. You may want to learn in case of emergency.
Myles

I wanted to do it at home, but she required me to do it a few times with the nurse to make sure I would do it as prescribed before allowing me to. I assume that I could probably still come in and have the nurse do it every time if I wanted to, for a charge. Talk to your doctor about it. Make you can work out a system.

I didn't think of that. Yeah it would be useful in emergencies and give me more control. I don't have a phobia of needles, but injecting myself would be kind of weird and I think I'd have a hard time trying to do it. I guess I could at least try.

^ If the thought of injecting yourself is a bit scary, ask if you can do subcutaneous injection.  Works the same way at the same rate, but you use a much smaller needle and it's not painful at all.

Anyway yeah my doctor did it the first time.  Next time I came in and did in front of her, and from then on I was on my own

When I lived in d.c. I had 2 go my doc's office 4 my shots. when I moved here (frisco) I changed docs & he showed me how to.

My endo left it completely up to me and asked me if I was going to self-inject. I said I wanted to have a nurse do it for a little while first, so that's what I did.

My doctor taught me how to do it before my blood test results even came back yet, I don't self inject yet, since I still live with my parents, my mom does it for me until I can get used to getting an injection every week then I will do it myself. But I never even thought of going to my doctor to do it.

ive done them all myself, but that was my choice.

I went in.  The nurse asked do you want to do it yourself or have me do it.
I did it, and everything went well.  Never have done one outside my apartment again.

Thanks for all your input. I'll think about it.

I did mine on my own from the start.

I asked my doc if I could learn and he refused to teach me as he said it was too dangerous.  He said that if there was ever a situation where i couldnt have him inject, if i went overseas or something that i had to miss how many ever shots until he could do it again which is friggin ridiculous...all about the $$

Quote from: JoshB on January 12, 2010, 09:33:00 PM
I asked my doc if I could learn and he refused to teach me as he said it was too dangerous.  He said that if there was ever a situation where i couldnt have him inject, if i went overseas or something that i had to miss how many ever shots until he could do it again which is friggin ridiculous...all about the $$

I would ask your doctor if he asks (or would ask) diabetic patients come in to get their insulin shots or if they give it to themselves.  Self-injection is not dangerous if one is properly taught.

He did mention that 'injecting T is different than for diabetic patients injeecting themselves with insulin.'  He went on how they inject themselves in the stomach and its different this way because blah blah and its moer dangerous inejcting yourself with T.  I was just following along but thinking what absolute bulls**t it was.

Yeah my dad's diabetic and shoots it in his stomach, from what I understand there's several places you can inject T.

Quote from: JoshB on January 12, 2010, 10:15:57 PM
He did mention that 'injecting T is different than for diabetic patients injeecting themselves with insulin.'  He went on how they inject themselves in the stomach and its different this way because blah blah and its moer dangerous inejcting yourself with T.  I was just following along but thinking what absolute bulls**t it was.

I will admit it is a little different, SC versus IM injections, but it's nothing that can't be done.  I'd argue that insulin is even more "dangerous" than T because of how fast it can work on the body.  It really sucks how it seems some health care professionals don't care about anything about the money.

I understand that there is difference between the two, but surely he knows that hundreds of transmen inject themselves and im not going to stay with him for the rest of my life.  He's also semi-retired so whats going to happen when he eventually retires?

Yep... since the very first shot. He believes his patients should learn to do it themselves so that they don't have to pay every week to get the shot done and to be independent about it. I'm sure if someone had massive issues about it he'd do it for them.

JoshB, as you know, your doctor's lying. As long as you do it properly there are few chances of complications. Sometimes it will hurt, but all shots are like that.

Diabetics inject themselves in the stomach, thighs, arms and we do it several times a day.  My needle might not be as long, but it is still an injection.  I use the "pens" so the needle is only 5/8ths inch.

Sarah L.

I've done all of my own, except for a couple weeks early on when I went through a brief bout of needle phobia.  Switching to smaller needles fixed that problem.

Quote from: Jamie-o on January 15, 2010, 07:32:51 AM
I've done all of my own, except for a couple weeks early on when I went through a brief bout of needle phobia.  Switching to smaller needles fixed that problem.

Does it really matter the size of the needle?

Well, the needle has to be a large enough gauge to pull/push the thick oil that the T is suspended in through, and long enough to go into the muscle, which depends on where you plan to inject.  My doctor originally prescribed 22 gauge 1 1/2" needles for both drawing and injecting.  They actually didn't hurt any more than what I use now, but I found the size psychologically intimidating enough that I had trouble convincing my hand that it was a good idea to stab myself in the leg with that monster.  :D

Switching to 18g to draw and 25g 1" to inject made it less intimidating to me. YMMV.

this is super old... but

my nurse shot me in the butt/hip while my roommate watched. 2 weeks later i didnt next shot myself in the thigh, with the help of my boyfriend who was doing a video chat with me, making sure i did it right. sence then I have done all of my shots, except for the one my nurse did, and one time my mom did

My doctor has never even mentioned self injecting. I go to a nurse every 2 weeks. It's really close to my house though, so I'm quite happy with it.

I'm special, (not in a good way) I never was asked if I knew how nor ever shown by any doctor or nurse, nor given a T shot in hospital or clinic. I just got  a script for T and needles from the pharmacy and took my chances.

Glad my sister is a RN tho.

My doctor yesterday just asked "if we start you on this, do you know how to inject it?" I said my mom went through the first half of nursing school and can do it. So if I get it then they are just calling in the prescription no need to have them show me how.

My doctor has everyone learn how to do it, although the nurse who taught me said a bunch of people still come in to get every shot. I have no issues with injecting myself so personally I'm glad to have that option.

How often are you supposed to get injected? I thought it was something like once every 7 months or something. You guys are saying every couple of weeks. Is it really that often?

Quote from: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy on December 23, 2010, 05:57:21 PM
How often are you supposed to get injected? I thought it was something like once every 7 months or something. You guys are saying every couple of weeks. Is it really that often?

Once every seven months!? Mine is once a week. I could be wrong, but I don't think injectable testosterone can even stay in your body for that long.

Yeah, I don't know where I heard that information.

Maybe you were thinking about the implantable pellets. I think those last for a couple of months, but they're pretty expensive.  :)

I hope when I start T they let me inject myself. I'm a nerd and I like learning about medical stuff so I think It will be fun.

Quote from: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy on December 23, 2010, 05:57:21 PM
How often are you supposed to get injected? I thought it was something like once every 7 months or something. You guys are saying every couple of weeks. Is it really that often?

Nebido is a form of T that only has to be injected 4-5 times a year.  As far as I know, it is available in Europe, Australia, and parts of Latin America,  but has not been approved by the FDA in the U.S. yet.

The last visit to the doctor was when I was handed my script. I went to the nurse in the office and explained that I wanted to learn how to self inject because the office was an hour away. She explained how to open the container and dealing with the needle. I got to suck saline solution into a needle to get at the point for the dose, see how the plunger worked and all. she emptied out most of the saline because it burns a bit to inject it. I swabbed my leg and took a while to get the courage to inject myself but I did it and she said I did it perfectly.

I went along with a friend of mine when he got his shot from the nurse so that I could learn how to do it. Now I do all his shots for him; it's safer and cleaner than him trying to stab his own ass.
It's also a handy skill to have over Xmas - some of the local guys see me for their shots while the clinic is closed.

Quote from: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy on December 23, 2010, 05:57:21 PM
How often are you supposed to get injected? I thought it was something like once every 7 months or something. You guys are saying every couple of weeks. Is it really that often?

Nebido shots are every 12 weeks.

Quote from: Lachlann on January 11, 2010, 08:31:54 PM
Because mine said I didn't even have to do it myself. I could just go to my local doctor and get injected, which would be cheaper for me as GP visits are covered here.

I've heard of people having nurses try to get them to do it on their own...

I learned to inject on my own....

I have never had a T shot administered by another person.  The first time I went in the nurse asked if I wanted to watch how to do it, or just do it.  I said that I'd rather just do it.  I learn by doing.  I'd never go all the way to the clinic to get that done.  I'd rather sit back in my own room and just get it over with.  That and the queer clinic I go to is in the city at least 30 mins away depending on traffic.  Even if it was 5 minutes away I'd just want to do it myself though.  To have to go to the doctor every week for the rest of my life......... ridiculous.