I started HRT (Testosterone shots biweekly) 5 years ago. Because of...circumstances...I was unable to get to the clinic and get perscriptions for about 4 months. Some things started changing back like my fat distribution, shoulder width, etc (it was awful). I even started menstruating again *shudders*. So finally I was able to see my doc and get my prescription again. Ive been giving myself the shots biweekly for the last 2 months or so. The thing is, I used to be around 150lbs when I was on the T for the 4 years...I suddenly gained an extra 50/60lbs in between. Now I'm over 200lbs (and 5'3, so not healthy at all) when I've started my shots again. My problem is, to be honest, my thighs are so big I think I'm hitting my fat instead of muscle...I brought this up to the doc who told me to try using a longer needle but it shouldn't be a problem. I havent had shark week appear again since so I'm pretty sure its working. I was wondering if anyone has a similair issue where after they give themselves a shot, liquid leaks out? It hasnt happened before these last 2 months and I just noticed today after giving myself the shot a little bump. Actually, to be honest I cant tell if its a bump or cellulite from my thigh fat -__-. But I know no one is a medical professional really here, I just want to know if anyone else experienced this or had trouble discerning fat from muscle due to weight?

I do plan to speak to the doctor next time and make sure I didnt get rusty on at home shots, but I figured it wouldnt hurt to ask.

Quote from: Fadeuhhway on August 31, 2018, 05:50:40 PM
I started HRT (Testosterone shots biweekly) 5 years ago. Because of...circumstances...I was unable to get to the clinic and get perscriptions for about 4 months. Some things started changing back like my fat distribution, shoulder width, etc (it was awful). I even started menstruating again *shudders*. So finally I was able to see my doc and get my prescription again. Ive been giving myself the shots biweekly for the last 2 months or so. The thing is, I used to be around 150lbs when I was on the T for the 4 years...I suddenly gained an extra 50/60lbs in between. Now I'm over 200lbs (and 5'3, so not healthy at all) when I've started my shots again. My problem is, to be honest, my thighs are so big I think I'm hitting my fat instead of muscle...I brought this up to the doc who told me to try using a longer needle but it shouldn't be a problem. I havent had shark week appear again since so I'm pretty sure its working. I was wondering if anyone has a similair issue where after they give themselves a shot, liquid leaks out? It hasnt happened before these last 2 months and I just noticed today after giving myself the shot a little bump. Actually, to be honest I cant tell if its a bump or cellulite from my thigh fat -__-. But I know no one is a medical professional really here, I just want to know if anyone else experienced this or had trouble discerning fat from muscle due to weight?

I do plan to speak to the doctor next time and make sure I didnt get rusty on at home shots, but I figured it wouldnt hurt to ask.

Not a F2M but there are unfortunate similarities I possess.  I also took T for 3 months, but it didn't help me any. If you're concerned about fat vs muscle, can it not be given in other locations of the body? 

On a similar note, actually I'm pretty sure we do have a few if not quite a few medical professionals but I doubt they'll try giving medical advice as a whole (Other than hints and suggestions).   

Well i could imagine if youre taking estrogen as a shot too then it would cause similar problems, its IM injections in general. I go to a clinic specifically for LGBT and they teach you how to do it, but not in the buttocks like a lot of people do. I forgot the name of the muscle but they teach you to inject on the outer side of your thigh, sort of like of you were to raise your arm to the side and drop it,  the part of you'd land on. (Im not good with explanations, haha) . The doctors advised against giving it in your glutes because theres a big margin of error if unless you're good at it or been doing it a while, plus its easier to sit and just stab yourself instead of having to do some yoga twists to find a spot or something :p. The other prominent muscles are your deltoids (where doctors give you shots like when you were a baby) and that would be complicated to hit too. I guess I'll just see my doctor and try to lose weight since I don't enjoy being pudgey anyway. And if I had the doctors do it for me, theyd go for the same spot I already do too. When you took T how was it administered, if you don't mind me asking?

I think I might see if I can get my insurance to cover a patch maybe or something else. I don't like stabbing myself every week/2 weeks for my whole life :/ (al though I'd do what I have to for the dysphoria to get better)

not sure if this is what you are looking for but sometimes my T leaks out after a shot. I switched to a Z track method of injecting and this did help. My dr said sometimes T may come out a bit and thats ok. I find it helps when I inject to not remove the needle as soon as I depress the plunger. You may want to look into Z track.

Regarding a "bump" do you inject in the same spot every single time? If you do it on the same leg or just same injection spot you can build up scar tissue which feels kind of like a bump and hurts a TON when you inject. I spoke with my dr about this and so when I inject (weekly) not only do I rotate legs, but I'll do it a bit higher/lower than last week (I have a lot of birth marks so I use those as reference points lol)

Quote from: mc1299 on August 31, 2018, 07:44:21 PM
not sure if this is what you are looking for but sometimes my T leaks out after a shot. I switched to a Z track method of injecting and this did help. My dr said sometimes T may come out a bit and thats ok. I find it helps when I inject to not remove the needle as soon as I depress the plunger. You may want to look into Z track.

Regarding a "bump" do you inject in the same spot every single time? If you do it on the same leg or just same injection spot you can build up scar tissue which feels kind of like a bump and hurts a TON when you inject. I spoke with my dr about this and so when I inject (weekly) not only do I rotate legs, but I'll do it a bit higher/lower than last week (I have a lot of birth marks so I use those as reference points lol)

I like how you mentioned Z track method.   Any suspections/oil based injections have a tendency to leak out.  I usually left the needle in a few seconds before removing it, and pressed on the 'wound' to stop leakage.  A good idea for injections.

I've never heard of a "Z Track " method, but I will definitely look into it. I rotate legs but I did use the same leg this time, different spot. The bump doesmt hurt just looks a little swollen like when you have an IV in in a hospital and its infiltrated and the medicine creates a little bump. Its not too bad and leaking is normal? I did pull out kinda fast (lol)so maybe next time ill keep it in. Thanks for the replies!

Quote from: Fadeuhhway on August 31, 2018, 05:50:40 PM
I started HRT (Testosterone shots biweekly) 5 years ago. Because of...circumstances...I was unable to get to the clinic and get perscriptions for about 4 months. Some things started changing back like my fat distribution, shoulder width, etc (it was awful). I even started menstruating again *shudders*. So finally I was able to see my doc and get my prescription again. Ive been giving myself the shots biweekly for the last 2 months or so. The thing is, I used to be around 150lbs when I was on the T for the 4 years...I suddenly gained an extra 50/60lbs in between. Now I'm over 200lbs (and 5'3, so not healthy at all) when I've started my shots again. My problem is, to be honest, my thighs are so big I think I'm hitting my fat instead of muscle...I brought this up to the doc who told me to try using a longer needle but it shouldn't be a problem. I havent had shark week appear again since so I'm pretty sure its working. I was wondering if anyone has a similair issue where after they give themselves a shot, liquid leaks out? It hasnt happened before these last 2 months and I just noticed today after giving myself the shot a little bump. Actually, to be honest I cant tell if its a bump or cellulite from my thigh fat -__-. But I know no one is a medical professional really here, I just want to know if anyone else experienced this or had trouble discerning fat from muscle due to weight?

I do plan to speak to the doctor next time and make sure I didnt get rusty on at home shots, but I figured it wouldnt hurt to ask.

Hello Fadeuhhway, also not FTM .. Male intersex with non functioning testes in abdomin and been self injecting T for years.
1st, the typical T needle is 22gauge and about 1/34inches long, quite difficult to miss the muscle if you are fully inserting into your hip. I call it a nail not a needle. and it takes a plug out of me, not leaves a hole.
Also, its good practice to draw back before injection, if you are in a vein or artery, you will get blood, which you dont want and in your hip has a main artery you need to avoid, but you will often see cellulite if you draw fat, not muscle.

The lump sounds like you may have just hit a healing sore spot. Sometimes I hit small veins, get a bleeder and get them. that is one reason to/rotate sides.

Once the needle penetrates the skin, you can usually feel when it actually enters the muscle. Sometimes, I hit nerve endings and have to back in and out to find a place to enter. that's a good indicator.. I find it best to sit on the end of my bed with my feet unable to reach floor so they are free to relax.  If I tense my muscle, i can actually hold the needle, or cause the T to ooze/leak back out.

The shot on your butt, gluteus maximus, located just below the waist , above and outboard of the cheeks is much more forgiving but requires assistance. For me, I prefer to be standing, leaning against something with weight on my arms letting which ever side the shot is getting be suspended so no weight is on foot and that leg is relaxed.

when drawing T into my syringe i let stand for a bit to allow any bubbles to dissipate but I am of the understanding it would take a large amount of air to cause any harm.

I also was a biweekly for years to avoid the pain factor, but I found the roller coaster ride and extreme levels in 15 days for me since i produced zero testosterone and Testosterone cypionate for example only has average of 4 -5 day half life, weekly shots are more stable and accurate readings for T balance.

Quoteen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testosterone_cypionate

I also discovered, some endocrinologists do not know this stuff. The life factors suspension/dissipation rate of T, or that the oils are different,enanthate or cypionate,  the rates and doses are different. Don't assume they do.
they know, "8-days" and what ever that means and believe the peak is at the injection and average is 5 days later....When they want blood test....
so  i asked them, ok whats my level at day 15 before my injection? they hate that question...lol

Hope this helps.
DDan

I deliberately administer subcutaneously (belly), weekly. This has happened to me with both intramuscular and subcutaneous administration. Doesn't happen every time but sometimes, yes. You can't really avoid it... but I have noticed that injecting slowly helps to mitigate this (and, if intramuscular, to RELAX the muscle). If you inject too quick, and/or your muscle's tensed up, some is much more likely to backtrack up and out.

That aside, there's no real clinical benefit to intramuscular over subcutaneous and you might want to discuss switching methods with your doctor. Less risks (air/oil embolism, muscle scarring, nerve damage), less pain/irritation, no need to aspirate, etc. and you can get away with a 27 gauge 1/2" needle (I now use and prefer the 1mL slip-tip syringes too; more precision over the plunger); separate draw needle, to make it easier. Oh, yes, this administration method can smart pretty good every so often (courtesy of the benzyl alcohol), but well worth the benefits IMO. No worse than a bee sting, and beats the hell out of hitting a larger nerve (that really effing hurts!). If you have ever yet experienced that bit of burning about the knee, that benzyl alcohol is what that is and why it sometimes happens when you inject in the vastus lateralis... you may feel that in the subcutaneous method (but not quite as intense, nor as long).


Per intramuscular, I couldn't mistake the two tissues. My self-preservation wouldn't let me actually just sink it fast in the quads... had to sink it slow and so of course it hurt quite a bit more and I could really feel the density change too. I'm normally not squeamish at all, but that got to me. Absolutely hated it. Glutes rarely hurt during (not self administered), but they started to chronically ache after ~4 years of 21 gauge 1.5" needles (and weekly towards the end of that too)... because it really hurt, I didn't do quads unless unavoidable.

My mistake when I got the bump might be because i decided to tense my muscle to be sure I'm hitting it instead of relaxing as usual. I always aspirate and I've never gotten blood or anything really, back, just a bubble. I'm a recovering IV drug user so I'm so used to finding veins and pulling back I'm good at passing them too :p I've hit a nerve before and it's awful! It sometimes felt like a electric shock! That being said, I know what its like to hit a vein (the click you feel of a needle hitting it) and a nerve, but I can never tell what it feels like in a muscle. When I put the syringe all the way in (Its 1ml 22g needle, shorter than 1/2 inch but not by much) it doesnt feel like its "free" under the skin like a subq shot, but it feels...weird. i don't know, haha.

I did make an appointment with nursing to make sure I'm doing it right. They taught me years ago to make a line straight (vertical) from your knee up, and only hit the outter side of the line. Make a perpendicular horizontal line about halfway between your knee and where your thigh begins and make sure you shoot in that upper outter quadrant it creates (looking down at your right leg for example, the bottomish right corner would be the spot) and you can't miss it like that, apparently. I'll show them next week to make sure I didn't get rusty. But so the general consensus is the liquid coming back is okay, and that if its subq, it wont mess me up.

I could give myself subq shots willingly but they seem to hurt more to me. To give you an idea of how I do things, when most people go 1, 2, 3 and shove it in, I SLOWLY push it alllthe way in. I get anxious that if I stabbed it in like doctors do then it would break off in me because I'm just that lucky :x. Also last time I saw the nursing staff the guy gave me a few extra longer (actual half inch) tops, and said I could try those if I feel I'm not in deep enough (insert thats what he said joke here). Anyone know if insurance would cover patches/gels and if they're just as potent?