Has anyone used pellet delivery of testosterone. It seems like it might be a more convenient dosing but i am not sure what the cost is like compared to standard injections etc
Pellets are generally only available to guys who have been on T for a significant length of time (over one year at a minimum). A good doctor will want to be 100% sure that they are dosing you correctly before they implant a sustained release form of T into your body, and that can really only be done by finding the proper dose for you in another medium like gel or injections.
My doctor won't even discuss it with folks who haven't been on T for a year, and if you do any kind of changing to your reproductive system, the clock resets because your T dose will likely also reset. I hit my 1 year on T 12/15 but had a hysterectomy on 2/6 so it's something that I'll have to revisit with my doctor in another month.
As I understand it, it's less available than shots/gels. You would need to find a doctor who is open to prescribing them, have them order it direct from the manufacturer, and they would need to be implanted at an office visit somewhere between every 3-6 months. Your insurance may or may not cover the cost of pellets, but would likely cover the office visits required to implant.
Sorry, I'm just seeing this. My situation is a little different, but here's what I know.
For those AFAB of a certain age (in my case, menopausal), there is no requirement that one have been on another form of T at all before beginning pellet therapy. Pellet therapy is used for a variety of menopause symptoms. In most cases they do a mix of estradiol and T, while also doing oral progesterone. I wanted only T. They were fine with that.
For a whole host of reasons pellets were appealing to me. First, I did have menopause symptoms I wanted treated. Second, I wanted low-dose T and could do this without it raising a lot of issues at home (that's a whole other story). Third, I hate needles and the gel route was undesirable. Because I am being "treated for menopause," everything (i.e., labs and insertion) except the pellet itself is covered by my admittedly excellent insurance.
If you are still exploring pellets, there are websites that identify those in your area that provide this therapy. Unfortunately a lot of them are marketing to women pleading "please keep me young!" Ick. But, I found a place that is a more general OB/GYN and they don't play up the aging stuff as much as others. I don't know that I'm allowed to name sites, etc. here. But, feel free to PM me for more info. Good luck!