First and foremost, I'm about to get my T letter after 8 or so years of waiting. In the past year I've read a few articles on administering T subcutaneously (into belly fat, like insulin). From what I've read it takes less testosterone than intramuscular, with the other plus side of no long term muscle scaring. I'm really hoping I can do HRT in this fashion. I have only been able to find one guy on youtube that did this. So I wonder, has anyone on this site done HRT through SQ administration? What has your transition been like and how long did it take for you to see results?

     Questions to anyone on hormones:
     I've always been horribly shy and introverted. I don't really expect HRT to change that completely, but passing has made me more comfortable and confidant. I'm very uncomfortable with my voice still though. I'm wondering if having more confidence in your voice has made anyone just a little bit more confidant all together?
     I also have a bunch of pets. How have pets reacted, if at all, to your transition?

Thank you for reading,
Ashton

Congrats on getting your T letter!

I can't speak for sub-Q injections - I prefer IM.  I'm sure there's someone here who'll be happy to let you know all about it.

Regarding voice - yes, my voice changing helped tremendously in boosting my self-confidence.  I was almost a recluse because I couldn't stand speaking in public - I passed until I opened my mouth, then it was "ma'am" this and "ma'am" that.  So I think that having the voice change was a big game-changer for me.  I'm still an introvert, but it helps for those situations where you are being social.

Pets - pets didn't react any differently at all around me - although I only had cats and birds, so I don't know how other animals like dogs may or may not react.

That's great, I'm pretty sure my dog isn't going to care (she loves everyone/thing). I was mostly worried about my 12 year-old male cat. He is very oddly obsessed with me.(it's cute though). I'm afraid that part of that was partially do to my pheromones, but if your cats didn't mind maybe he won't.

For people with dogs. If a dog doesn't like males, did they start treating you the same? (This one isn't mine, but I'll be living with it)

Quote from: assorted_human on January 18, 2015, 11:52:13 PM
That's great, I'm pretty sure my dog isn't going to care (she loves everyone/thing). I was mostly worried about my 12 year-old male cat. He is very oddly obsessed with me.(it's cute though). I'm afraid that part of that was partially do to my pheromones, but if your cats didn't mind maybe he won't.

For people with dogs. If a dog doesn't like males, did they start treating you the same? (This one isn't mine, but I'll be living with it)

Interesting subject,

I always had a feeling that animals see into your soul. They already know who you are deep inside.

Dogs can get threatened by males and try to show dominance by being vicious. They also feed off someone being scared. If you know the dog already I don't think it would act much differently, unless you start stomping around banging your fists into your chest and presenting male dominance.

Be sure to come back and tell us how the animals react. This is interesting and like you mentioned, scent / pheromones may play a role in how the animals respond to you.

-Jade

I am currently on subq T, I'm on what is generally a half dose, and I am seeing about the same changes as my IM brothers who were either slowly brought to a full dose, or were at full from the start. Everything is happening at the same pace. Some things a little quicker, some a little slower, which I imagine is simply me personally and not anything related to IM vs SubQ.
I was badly introverted but all of my changes are making me more outgoing. Definitely still introverted and that probably won't change, but my confidence boost has helped me be a little more able to talk to other people. My social anxiety is significantly better. It is easier for me to be in social situations. A combination of public speaking class and my confidence makes it easier for me to get in front of class to present. I am more confident talking to strangers- like small talk in lines at the cafeteria and things like that. I DEFINITELY have less social anxiety in general. I still get a LITTLE voice anxiety, however, part of it was because between 2.5 and 3.5 months my voice didn't change at all. But at about 3.5 or 4 my voice continued changing and that anxiety went away again. Sometimes I am still dysphoric about it, but being able to feel it change is good enough for me right now.

My dogs and cats; I have three dogs and two cats. I was also away at college for the first 3 months I was on T.
The dog I've had the longest. She got SO excited to see me again. She clung to me the entire time I was home for Christmas (which was a little over a month.)
The other two dogs: the younger of the two treated me the same, but became more clingy the longer I was there. He started to treat me more like he treats my step-dad. The oldest dog didn't immediately recognize me, but as soon as she did, she was acting just like before to me, if not a tad more affectionate.
My cats: The youngest cat didn't notice anything. I was never her person to begin with, my sister was, so nothing really changed. My cat on the other hand, the older one, got EXTREMELY affectionate. The longer I was there the more affectionate she got. She was SO happy to spend time in my lap or just in the same room as me even, she was so much more affectionate that I almost cried that I had to leave her at home to come back to school. She always preferred my dad over me, but now she seems to pick us equally.

Dogs and cats won't care which form of T you take. Some seem not to really notice anything. And some do seem to notice. But it's the T (voice change and smell, most likely). My animals (2 cats, at the time, and a dog) didn't.


--Jay

Quote from: CursedFireDean on January 19, 2015, 12:38:48 AM
I am currently on subq T, I'm on what is generally a half dose, and I am seeing about the same changes as my IM brothers who were either slowly brought to a full dose, or were at full from the start. Everything is happening at the same pace. Some things a little quicker, some a little slower, which I imagine is simply me personally and not anything related to IM vs SubQ.

That's reassuring to know from at least one personal experience (the other guy never compared his dosage to IM) that the article claims may be correct (that part sounded too go to be true). I was just in another thread and saw your current photos and you look great for where you are right now. It's good to hear that your social anxiety has gone down a little too. I get so hung up on what others might be thinking about me it freaks me out. Sounds like your pets really missed you while you were gone. I can't imagine being away from mine for that long. I'm glad that you're cat prefers you more now. 
How often do you do your injections?

I have two cats, a dog, a breaded dragon and a frog (not that I think last two will care)...but I'll also be living with said other dog (and she does like me) and I'd also be living with two ferrets.

Quote from: aleon515 on January 19, 2015, 12:51:30 AM
Dogs and cats won't care which form of T you take. Some seem not to really notice anything. And some do seem to notice. But it's the T (voice change and smell, most likely). My animals (2 cats, at the time, and a dog) didn't.

The one I'm most worried about likes the men and women in my family equally as along as they are around enough. He did end up preferring my ex-girlfriend to me for a while (which was an odd experience itself...he was very jealous of her at first). It's voice and smell changes I'm worried about with him since he's been with me for 12 years. Had any of your pets been with you for a long time before hand?

Quote from: assorted_human on January 18, 2015, 11:08:25 PM
     First and foremost, I'm about to get my T letter after 8 or so years of waiting. In the past year I've read a few articles on administering T subcutaneously (into belly fat, like insulin). From what I've read it takes less testosterone than intramuscular, with the other plus side of no long term muscle scaring. I'm really hoping I can do HRT in this fashion. I have only been able to find one guy on youtube that did this. So I wonder, has anyone on this site done HRT through SQ administration? What has your transition been like and how long did it take for you to see results?

I was really psyched to be able to do sub q shots because I was sure it would be much easier than IM. I did it for a few weeks in the beginning, but I started to have really bad reactions. It created scarring  in the fat of my stomach, noticeable lumps about a nickle in size, and they are actually still there over a year later. I really freaked out.  I tried switching types of T, and changing from the fat in my stomach to the fat in my leg, but it still happened. (though I didn't get any long lasting scarring in my leg like my stomach, it went away after a couple of months)

Then, I sucked it up and changed to IM shots. No issues whatsoever. They hurt less than the sub q shots, and a year on, I don't have any muscle scarring, even though I am a wuss and don't like to inject in my left leg so my right leg gets the shot almost every week.

Not trying to deflate, but just wanted to point out that scarring issues are not guaranteed to not happen on sub q shots.  I can reach down right now and feel the lumps on either side where the scarring happened.  My fat just didn't like having the T injected into it. My doctor thought I was allergic to the type of T at first, but the problem was not resolved until I switched to IM.  I did/do have some extra layers of fat on my tummy that probably didn't help though.

Just trying to present the other side as someone who thought sub q shots were the only way to go in the beginning and then had to change it up

My dog was still a puppy and I had been on T for a couple of months when I got her, maybe like 5 months or so . But I do know that she tend to listen males more then females. If I walk her with my wife and my wife is holding the leash I still have to help correcting her cus she listens when I say something and not my wife.

She's the sweetest dog and loves everyone but if it's a room full of ppl she mostly seek affection and wants to be petted and play with males.

Before I had my current dog and before I met my wife I had a girlfriend that owned a pitbull/Rottweiler mix that didn't like males, any female could come up to her and pet her it didn't matter if she knew them or not but if a male tried to do it she would show her teeth and get very defensive. I wasn't on T at that time but I started T while still living with my ex and her dog , but the dog didn't react at all, I think it was because she knew me already.

I take my shots sub q, and I feel like my changes have actually been happening very fast. At least faster than I expected. My voice dropped pretty significantly at only 2 months. Right now I'm a little over 3 months, and I already have some facial hair coming in and my periods have stopped. However, my dog doesn't seem to have responded to the changes at all really. She acts the same as before I began my transition.

Like spacerace, I have some scarring on my fat as well. However, if you alternate the spots every week, and do it in a different spot each time (even if it's for the same spot), it shouldn't be a problem. I have a lump on the right side of my stomach where I kept doing the shot in the same spot, so now I just do it lower on my stomach or farther to the right from that spot. You have to alternate the spots, but you also have to alternate specifically where you inject.

Quote from: assorted_human on January 19, 2015, 02:05:32 AM
How often do you do your injections?
Had any of your pets been with you for a long time before hand?

I do my shots once a week.
My first dog I've had about 7 years, the other two have been with me about 4. The younger cat about two years and the older one I think about 5.

Quote from: spacerace on January 19, 2015, 04:59:52 AM
Not trying to deflate, but just wanted to point out that scarring issues are not guaranteed to not happen on sub q shots.  I can reach down right now and feel the lumps on either side where the scarring happened.  My fat just didn't like having the T injected into it. My doctor thought I was allergic to the type of T at first, but the problem was not resolved until I switched to IM.  I did/do have some extra layers of fat on my tummy that probably didn't help though.

Just trying to present the other side as someone who thought sub q shots were the only way to go in the beginning and then had to change it up

You're good, it was nice to hear your side. I'll be more prepared now than what a couple articles would have prepared me for. I didn't even know fat tissue could scar. Sorry that happened though.

Quote from: CursedFireDean on January 19, 2015, 10:55:03 AM
I do my shots once a week.
My first dog I've had about 7 years, the other two have been with me about 4. The younger cat about two years and the older one I think about 5.

Cool, that's what I was hoping to do.
Sounds like I shouldn't care too much about pets then unless ferrets are crazy.

Here's a thread I started because I found humor in my dog's reaction.  He quickly became his old self in how he related to me after this.

http://www.gendersupport.org/forums/index.php/topic,176891.0.html

Here's a useful article about subcutaneous injections for T.
http://transguys.com/ref/research/subcutaneous-injections

I'm on weekly shots, with a lower than "average" dose. Impossible to say what's just due to how my body uses the T, something to do with the subcutaneous specifically, or both, since I've never done IM there's no point of comparison. I've had good T levels and good changes, some on a faster than average timeline (e.g. menstruation ceased immediately - haven't had a hint of one since the first shot, knock wood), but again that could be due to other factors.

Pre-T I detested speaking. Made phone calls a nightmare. A substantial voice drop has made a big difference in confidence/comfort. On the phone sometimes it's sir, sometimes it's ma'am, but due to a number of experiences I'm starting to suspect the ma'am-sayers are simply not paying attention, e.g. the last n callers were women so they're on a roll of calling everyone ma'am. It happens.

congrats on  your letter. 

I have been taking sq T for 10 months now.  My medical practitioner has been cautious.  I live in a very rural area of the U.S.  and have to take what I can get and be really grateful that I got it at all.  I too, have lumps and bumps, it seems about every 3rd or 4th shot gives me a hard lump in my fat.  I get them in my belly, sides, thighs and buttocks. so location had nothing to do with it.  We started me and it boosted me up into a normal range of T for a woman, in her mid thirties, I am aged fifty.  We doubled that and I shifted from some light black head/acne issues to severe black head / acne issues.  Have reduced it again, to see how it goes.  The cost for my sq is 138.00  USD, if I go with the IM the cost is dropped  to 40.00 USD, and the IM is fully covered by my medical insurance, but the sq is strictly out of pocket. 

On changes, everyone changes differently there does not seem to be any hard and fast rule.  My voice began to break on day 10, and settled into a moderate tenor around six months.  With the increase in T, it has deepened further.  I am still watching the eruption of hair with some interest.  My beard is moderate, it might have been better if I had not been talked into laser hair removal on my face 5 years earlier.  Neck to the jaw is becoming well covered, my cheeks are thickening, and my upper lip is thin, while my lower lip and chin are disconcertingly bare. 

Hawke




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Quote from: blink on January 24, 2015, 03:29:43 AM
Here's a useful article about subcutaneous injections for T.
http://transguys.com/ref/research/subcutaneous-injections

I'm on weekly shots, with a lower than "average" dose. Impossible to say what's just due to how my body uses the T, something to do with the subcutaneous specifically, or both, since I've never done IM there's no point of comparison. I've had good T levels and good changes, some on a faster than average timeline (e.g. menstruation ceased immediately - haven't had a hint of one since the first shot, knock wood), but again that could be due to other factors.

Pre-T I detested speaking. Made phone calls a nightmare. A substantial voice drop has made a big difference in confidence/comfort. On the phone sometimes it's sir, sometimes it's ma'am, but due to a number of experiences I'm starting to suspect the ma'am-sayers are simply not paying attention, e.g. the last n callers were women so they're on a roll of calling everyone ma'am. It happens.

Yeah, that was actually the first of three articles I found and read. I was looking for more personally, less sciencey, reviews on SQ. It's good to see SQ has been treating you properly, but I know now to keep an eye out for lumps and such that seem to happen to other guys.

Quote from: HJMorgan on January 26, 2015, 03:08:05 PM
congrats on  your letter. 

I have been taking sq T for 10 months now.  My medical practitioner has been cautious.  I live in a very rural area of the U.S.  and have to take what I can get and be really grateful that I got it at all.  I too, have lumps and bumps, it seems about every 3rd or 4th shot gives me a hard lump in my fat.  I get them in my belly, sides, thighs and buttocks. so location had nothing to do with it.  We started me and it boosted me up into a normal range of T for a woman, in her mid thirties, I am aged fifty.  We doubled that and I shifted from some light black head/acne issues to severe black head / acne issues.  Have reduced it again, to see how it goes.  The cost for my sq is 138.00  USD, if I go with the IM the cost is dropped  to 40.00 USD, and the IM is fully covered by my medical insurance, but the sq is strictly out of pocket. 

On changes, everyone changes differently there does not seem to be any hard and fast rule.  My voice began to break on day 10, and settled into a moderate tenor around six months.  With the increase in T, it has deepened further.  I am still watching the eruption of hair with some interest.  My beard is moderate, it might have been better if I had not been talked into laser hair removal on my face 5 years earlier.  Neck to the jaw is becoming well covered, my cheeks are thickening, and my upper lip is thin, while my lower lip and chin are disconcertingly bare. 

Hawke

A friend of mine pays $120 for IM (I live in the US). I thought I might have to pay extra since I think there are more needles involved(?). But that's quite the increase in payment. I sure hope it's not that bad in Ohio. I'm not sure if my insurance covers either type thus far (I'll find out soon), but I'm ready to get on with it already so I don't care much about that, unless the increase is that steep I guess.
It sucks that you were talked into hair removal, but it sounds like everything else (face and voice) wise is turning out nicely. Since you get lumps too, has your doctor shown any concern? Do they fade over time or are they just there to stay?