Hey y'all,

I'm thinking about starting up T again, but my problem is that my needle phobia seems to have gotten worse recently. I've become really squeamish at even the thought of needles, and I would like some advice on non-inject alternatives. I've heard T gel works pretty well, but is it as effective?

just for reference, I live inside the USA (I know restrictions of medicine exist differently in Canada/US territories).

thanks in advanced,

Sage

I use gel... I have 'heard' that injections can cause a T spike and faster changes but the advantage of gel is that you get a more natural style regulate dose just like any man biologically does, and you can of course control the dose as you want.

Gel seems to be effective. It's doing all the things they said it would, in the right timeframe.

I've always been on gel and can't imagine switching to injections; although it did take me time to get used to having to put it on every morning at around the same time each day. It works the same as Sustanon and Nebido (it's not true that it works slower or 'not as well'). Plus you get a regular dose everyday which is a huge plus; it's more natural, you don't get mood swings which you can get before your next injection is due and you don't have to go through the hassle of finding the correct dose as you're given a standard starting dose (at least with testogel and testim  which come in individual satchets; I don't know anything about the gels that you pump from a bottle).

Just a heads up; stay away from Testim if you're given that option. It's mch stickier and doesn't dry onto your skin at all unlike Testogel.

thank you everyone for the input!! I really appreciate it.

There is no empirical evidence that any one method of taking T is better than another. Even doing the math between the difference concentrations and dosages, I was getting the same amount of T on gel as I do now on injections. I experienced no difference in masculinization between the two. I prefer injections because I don't have to think about them everyday and I don't have to worry about exposing any of the women in my life to it like I did with gel.

For topicals you have gels and creams. There are a few different brands of this (Androgel, Testim, Axiron, Androderm, etc.). Typically if your insurance covers it, it'll be a generic or a specific brand. You can also have it made by a compounding pharmacy, though that may not offer any specific savings.

There are also pellets. These are implanted into your butt cheek and last somewhere from 3-6 months based on dosage. They are generally not available to someone who is new to testosterone or hasn't consistently taken it. The doctor you're working with will want to find a dosage that works well for you to know how many pellets to implant. My doctor will not implant them in anyone who has not been on T consistently for a year at a dose that works well for them. If you have any kind of change to your reproductive setup, that would also reset the clock. I had a hysterectomy just after my first year on T last February, and I'll need to wait until this February to discuss pellets because my dosage changed after my hysto.

I think the big difference between all of them is more related to personal preference than effectiveness.