So I've been on injections for over a year now and I'm just not feeling it anymore. I can't do them myself so I want to switch over to gel, but I have no insurance and it's way expensive.
I've used Strohecker's for the injectables before and I saw that they have gel. Does anyone have experience with compounded gel?
I know that the prescriptions can be customized, but the thing is that I don't go to an actual big name doctor. I go to this crappy little LGBT clinic with really incompetent staff because that's all I can afford.
My dose has never been upped the whole time I've been on T (which I know can be normal) but I just feel like my doctor doesn't really know in depth what he's doing so idk if I trust him to customize a prescription for me.
This is all a lot to think about and I haven't had T in 2 weeks, I need to make up my mind on what to do this weekend so I can give him a call Monday for my script.
So basically have you had experience with compounded gel or do you know of other ways to get discounts or cheaper alternatives?
Any info would be greatly appreciated!
I'm on the compounded cream. You should probably be passing already, so it probably isn't an issue, but it is probably a bit slower (some people find it so). I know two guys that transitioned totally on t-cream and have all the facial hair and so on. I like it and if it isn't an issue to use it everyday it's good because your dose is very even. It's the same price all the time, you aren't going to get special deals (anymore than you would for other pharmaceuticals). Insurance usually does NOT cover compounding pharmacies. Not sure why this is. Price per month can be anywhere from $25-150. I don't know re: Stroheckers.
If your doctor doesn't know the dose, you can email them and ask how you would fill xx in cream. I can't put doses here. Creams go by percentage usually. I did a video which I can upload again. Has some info. You can also look at my other videos and see my changes. The video is maybe 2 months. (I'll do this later tonight, can't do this right now.)
--Jay
Oops. My video yesterday was a pain to upload sorry. I did this video 1 month on T. If you want to see any changes look at my latest one. But I still give lots of info on compounded cream. Jay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHMDnhe5T0Y
Wow, thanks for the info! I clicked through and saw your youtube channel and watched a few of your videos. Your transition is going along greatly. I'm definitely going to look into getting some compounded cream.
:D
Just for reference here. This is me preT (2011) and the next one is 8 months on T. Jay
http://i.imgur.com/u89d5BE.png
http://i.imgur.com/maOCiWo.png
You're living proof that topical T works wonders for some folks. You've got a nicer mustache than me after a year on injections :) I can't even grow one! I contacted my doctor today, he's going to contact the pharmacy to figure out how dosing should work and hopefully within the week I'll be on either cream or gel (whichever is cheaper).
Quote from: transmadness on February 03, 2014, 06:30:10 PM
You're living proof that topical T works wonders for some folks. You've got a nicer mustache than me after a year on injections :) I can't even grow one! I contacted my doctor today, he's going to contact the pharmacy to figure out how dosing should work and hopefully within the week I'll be on either cream or gel (whichever is cheaper).
Well I am certainly not the only one. I know a guy who has been on about as long as I am and he looks like a gorilla. :) Of course it is all individual. But you can definitely transition on it. The only problem is that I think there are people who have difficulty absorbing it.
I think the compounding pharmacies do creams. Some people seem to call them gels, but I call it a cream if it is oil based. Gels are alcohol based. Also the color I guess in that a gel tends to be translucent.
--Jay
Wow Jay, seeing the pre vs 8 month photos right next to each other is really impressive! You look great.
Quote from: BrotherBen on February 08, 2014, 03:44:48 AM
Wow Jay, seeing the pre vs 8 month photos right next to each other is really impressive! You look great.
It's kind of amazing. Wish I knew how to put the shots side by side. I could do that with an editor or something, which I don't have anymore. I was able to do it on my FB.
--Jay
Quote from: aleon515 on February 09, 2014, 01:59:56 PM
It's kind of amazing. Wish I knew how to put the shots side by side. I could do that with an editor or something, which I don't have anymore. I was able to do it on my FB.
--Jay
If you have a computer you should be able to copy and paste them both into paint and save them side by side that way. If you're not able to do that and you still wanted I could do it for you next Thursday when I go home (work wifi won't let me onto imgur to see them).
I have a Mac, so not sure that the formats will be compatible. I also use Open office. I am pretty sure this can be done in Office (perhaps in Draw). I have a picture I must have altered in some way in Photoshop (version 2 LOL). Anyway I don't have photoshop anymore. I can still see the jpeg but it's quite tiny. Not sure what happens to these viewed across platforms and so forth.
--Jay
I don't know much about Macs I'm afraid, I struggled to open Safari on one the other day. If Open Office Draw is anything like Libre Office Draw (it's opensource competitor) I don't think that will work, but I don't know much about that either. There shouldn't be any problem viewing them across platforms once they're on the internet.
I've been able to use my phone to view your photographs, if you'd like me to email them to you side by side I can do that. I don't want to put them on an image hosting site myself in case you decide to take them down one day.
I felt like adding onto this thread that my friend is now 2 months on compounded T, but only 1 month on a reasonable dose. (It was way too low before, it got doubled at 1 month) and he already has a noticeable difference in voice and has pretty noticeable chin hairs. Compounded creams are certainly a good fit for some guys. (Keep in mind my friend started T just before he turned 18, so he's on the younger side.)
I am definitely not on the young side. I started pretty low too, and didn't pass til about 8 months. Still seems to be working very nicely for me. Also know of three other guys on compounded cream only. Two of them have been on T for years, and the other guy is also an older guy who is in his 40s. He started passing at 3 months and has a nice scruffy beard.
I can pm you re: the photos. I would definitely want them in case. I can check out some other stuff though. An Image grab might work but it saves in TIFF.
--Jay
Let's try this one. Kind of small, I think. Oh well. This is a screen shot from Grabber. Jay
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FHAHuT7a.jpg&hash=24bab3bd6b0a00ad25c3ee458fcdc1c93a5f8660)