I know heroin addicts run out of veins and end up injecting in their eyeballs and ->-bleeped-<- like that. This lead to wondering if the same kind of thing happens with T.
What are the disadvantages of having to inject (weekly to fortnightly) for the rest of your life?
It IS possible that scar tissue will build up wherever you inject... not everyone says they experience that though.
I'm hoping you aren't trying to inject the T into your veins, but I do understand what you're saying. :P
As long as you rotate sites, you should be fine. For example, one week use your right thigh and the next use your left. Now, the thigh is a large area for most. So you should have a good amount of room along the muscle to inject. So even on a single thigh, you can rotate sites (I would still suggest go back and forth between each leg if you're able).
If your favorite sites build up scar tissue, there are other places on your body that can be used. It just might take another person giving you the shot to get to site properly.
Hahah, nah. Alternating between left and right buttocks.
My trans specialist doctor told me NEVER to inject in the thighs. I'm not sure why this is. He just said that people who inject in the thighs always come across problems. He's quite the douchebag though.
I haven't heard that, but since the vastus lateralis (the muscle on the outside part of the thigh) is a safe place for IM injections I'm not sure why he said that.
If anything, the dorsogluteal (the buttocks) site would be the most dangerous to use. The sciatic nerve runs back there and can get easily hit and damaged if proper landmarks aren't used. At the hospitals I've been to, that site is no longer used.
Weird. My GP and local nurse have had no problems with injecting my ass and have never mentioned the thighs.
It's probably because it's one of the easiest sites (besides the deltoid) if you've been doing it a long time. If they don't have any problems with it and you don't mind having someone else inject, then I wouldn't worry about it too much.
That was another thing I was going to mention. The novelty of injecting will probably wear off after a while. I have a feeling that 20 years from now, using a patch that can stay on for 7 days will start looking more and more attractive than the chore of remembering to inject every week or two weeks.
I alternate shots between sides and between areas. My sis gives me shots when she can and uses the back side. I use thighs. I have heard no bad things of either if you watch what you are doing. Yes the nerve and artery that run through your butt would be bad to hit. the instructions tell you how to avoid it and having a RN for a sis helps loads. Even better that she is only family that totally accepts and aids me.
I'm a huge needlephobe and dread the thought of having to do injections. The patch/gel/cream already sound good. Doubt my insurance will spring for it though.
The first one seemed really scary with that big needle. Now it is nothing. The needle seems to have gotten weak tho. Last time it started to bend when I inserted it. I will have to watch that.
I don't find the injections painful at all, so I'm fine with them.
Only thing is that about a day or two after, I get an ache around my buttock/leg. Nothing major though.
I get nothing , no pain, stiffness, soreness, just nothing. It feels no different than before the shot. At one time I wondered if anything was injected or what. The mirror tells me something is happening tho so it must be going in.
Quote from: LordKAT on May 09, 2010, 07:59:16 PM
I get nothing , no pain, stiffness, soreness, just nothing. It feels no different than before the shot. At one time I wondered if anything was injected or what. The mirror tells me something is happening tho so it must be going in.
I am the exact same way. I feel no pain whatsoever.
Well otherside, I think we 2 are a rare breed from reading other guys accounts.
Quote from: Adio on May 09, 2010, 05:18:45 PM
The novelty of injecting will probably wear off after a while. I have a feeling that 20 years from now, using a patch that can stay on for 7 days will start looking more and more attractive than the chore of remembering to inject every week or two weeks.
I was thinking that most of us will be on implants by then and will only have to get new ones every six months or so. Or maybe some of us can have our egg factories relocated and our genes manipulated so that we have functioning testes instead.
Personally, I can't see using the patch unless they eliminate all of those problems with skin irritation. And I wouldn't want to wear one 24/7.
My college roommate's a type I diabetic and she injected herself with insulin 5-6 times a day since she was 11 until she got her pump last year. That was about 10 years of 5-6 shots a day and she never had a problem with running out of places to give herself a shot, although her stomach does have a good amount of scar tissue. One shot every other week for the rest of your life should be fine.
Having been on patches for other stuff, they're horrible. A weekly shot is nothing compared to the constant 24-hour misery that is a patch.
Quote from: Arch on May 09, 2010, 08:44:53 PM
Personally, I can't see using the patch unless they eliminate all of those problems with skin irritation. And I wouldn't want to wear one 24/7.
Quote from: kyril on May 09, 2010, 09:48:09 PM
Having been on patches for other stuff, they're horrible. A weekly shot is nothing compared to the constant 24-hour misery that is a patch.
I admit I don't know much about the patches. Is it just the skin irritation? Or is there more to it?
It is "just" skin irritation, but I'd leave out the "just." Basically in my case, the glue in the patches causes my skin to turn bright red and itchy underneath within moments of applying it. By the end of a week wearing it, it's purplish-red, blistering, and peeling. So I have these red itchy rash-like square marks on my body, and each one takes weeks to fade. And I have a constant itch that can't be scratched properly under wherever the patch is at the time.
Once I break the skin, I slide the needle in moderate speed, no hurry and also inject it slowly. Maybe that is the secret then.
I was a little stiff after the first 2 shots in each side, but it's all good now. You get used to it.
It's got a lot to do with technique. I've had shots by 4 different doctors / nurses in the last 2 months, and each one has been slightly different.
One guy is way too fast and I'm usually stiff the next day - but that was also standing and in a new site. He also said to wiggle my toes on that leg... bad move. Same again with no wiggle? Much, much better.
Last shot was by a new doctor, and she sucked. Got too close to a nerve or something. It hurt a fair bit going in, and my muscle involuntarily contracted (like a flinch). Luckily, its the side I normally use so it didn't get overly sore the next day.
The most irritating thing about injections is the inconvenience of having to see a doctor every 2 weeks (no self injecting over here).
The no self injecting thing would suck. I am lucky in that I have nurse who is a sis do it usually. Can you do that over there? Find a friend or relative to do it?
Teknoir - I know an Aussie guy who self injects. Maybe there are different rules for different clinics? I know some people over here in the UK who can self inject and some who aren't permitted by their doctor.
Why wouldn't you be allowed to self-inject? They teach 7-year-olds over here to self inject when they get diabeties and stuff (can you imagine having to go to the doctor 5-6 times a day for shots).
I wanted to add that its not like you inject yourself every day, there is a time period between shots which gives the area time to heal not to mention that most people rotate sites. Unlike heroine addicts...
My doctor also told me never to inject in my thigh, she gave me a reason but i dont remember what she said. I just followed her intructions. I've never had any pain in my injection site. I can feel where i injected for maybe 2 or 3 minutes after my shot but after that, nothing at all. Maybe im just lucky. I've never heard of anyone saying they had problems injecting after a long period of time. When I first started transitioning I use to talk to and older trans guys who had be on T for 8 years and he said injecting became easier for him as time went on. He is the only guy i've talked to though who has been on T for over 4 years.
At first I was nervous about giving myself a shot. I use the thigh and alternate legs. I vacillated between going fast like a dart throw or the slow and steady approach. I finally decided to go with slow and steady. The needle kindof pops thru the tough skin layers but then slides on the rest of the way like going thru butter-if you don't tense up all should be fine. I have never gotten sore at all but had a small bruise once. I used patches for my hormones for a few months and while the concept works ok I had problems getting them to stay in place. For me injections are the way to go. FWIW, I have not used a filter needle and have had no problems with glass particulates (from breaking of the glass ampules) at the injection site.
Randi :)
Quote from: Jacob on May 10, 2010, 03:52:00 PM
Unlike heroine addicts...
You mean, like, big fans of Wonder Woman and Supergirl? >:-)
Quote from: Tay on May 10, 2010, 12:05:08 PM
Teknoir - I know an Aussie guy who self injects. Maybe there are different rules for different clinics? I know some people over here in the UK who can self inject and some who aren't permitted by their doctor.
Not really sure what you mean by "clinic". My endo doesn't have any rules regarding who injects my T. He just supplied the script and the rest was left to me.
That's interesting though. I've never met a transguy that self-injects here. Of the two endo practices I've spoken to (the two that I know of in Sydney) - they said they tell everyone to go to their GP or a nurse. I asked about self injecting and needles, and was pretty much outright told that chemists don't (and won't) stock them.
It's not that it's illegal or anything - it's just difficult to get the needles. If one could find a reliable source of needles, then self injecting wouldn't be an issue.
I could probably track some down if I really felt the need to self inject, but it's honestly not that big an issue (and I'm lazy. I'd rather someone else do it. It's free, the local place is open until 22:00, no appointment needed, and the wait has always been under 30 mins). I'll be switching across to the 3 month shot anyway once my levels are sorted, stable and documented.