So I'm considering starting testosterone. Have been for a long time, but am just now seriously thinking about it. One concern I have is that I have a huge needle phobia. Like, I had to take two tranquilizers to get my blood drawn.
Gel might be an option for the short term. But I know injectable is cheaper and faster acting, so at some point I will probably want to take it. Anybody else struggle with this? How did you learn to deal?

for me my fear and anxiety was and still is to a certain point about the pain.  But I learned to get over it, because for me it's a few seconds of pain once a week every other week. 

Getting a T shot is nothing like getting blood taken. It really doesn't hurt to get a T shot. One thing that helped me was having my friend watch me. That way, if I got nervous or did something wrong, he can take over. That put me at ease a great deal. I did fine, BTW. If you don't have any friends maybe ask a dr or nurse to teach you how to inject. They might be able to watch you. I'm sure once you do it once yourself it'll be easier to do it again.

Or, if you can't handle doing it yourself, see if your Dr. can do your injections. But this might be expensive.

Why not just start with the compounded cream?
I heard that's cheaper than gel.


I used to have somewhat of a problem with needles, but it was always because I felt like getting things done like getting shots at the doctors and drawing blood were things that were necessary, but not something entirely in my volition. A few years back, I had my nose pierced, and although I've taken it out since then, when the piercing was done I had no choice but to watch as a huge needle was jabbed through my nostril. At the time, to me, it was because it was something I wanted and I was willing to do something I didn't really like in exchange for something more permanent (well, not anymore) that I wanted. Honestly, I'm pretty much over my fear of injections entirely now, because not only do inject my testosterone, but I get it done weekly and I've always done it myself. It happens so often that I learned to relax when I get my injections done elsewhere - I've had a couple of incidents where I was tense when trying to inject myself and after seeing how badly it went, I wouldn't want to put myself or anyone else who is trying to inject me through that.

Wow. I said inject a lot.
Word of the day.

I have a huge needle phobia --- seriously & having an IM injection scared the ->-bleeped-<- out of me --- I have refused the flu shots b/c I don't want a needle --- I went on depo by pills b/c I didn't want the shot  --- trust me I know needle phobias.

I insisted on giving myself the first shot --- I wanted to make sure I could do it --- surprisingly T is the only shot I can give myself.  My wife tried giving it to me a couple times and I flinched each time --- only you can decide what will work for you

A lot of guys are doing subcutaneous shots up in New Engand, especially if they have shot anxiety. It's a very different experience - not in the quads, uses a much smaller needle, not nearly as deep at all. So also leads to less scarring.

For the guys who are starting out especially, and don't want the long drawn out transitioning that topical creams bring (or who have female partners who want to stay that way!), sub-q is more and more the way to go.

I wonder if there are any doctors on the west coast (Olympia, Portland, or somewhere in between) that prescribe sub-q?

No difference in dosing or profile. It's the same form of T - oil suspension (cypionate or enanthate). You're just asking for a smaller needle. Many states allow over the counter purchase of needles anyway.

You might hear from them that oil suspended T won't go through a 25, 26, 0r 27 gauge needle, but that simply isn't true. It can be tricky cuz many of the small gauge (insulin size) needles aren't removable from the barrel. So you have to either draw and shoot with the same needle, or use a different fill method. But tat depends on the brand of syringe & needle. (Ordinarily, for IM, you should draw with a larger gauge needle, like an 18-21, and replace it and shoot with a smaller gauge and fresh/unblunted needle. Less pain, less damage to muscle, and faster, with fewer annoying little bubbles.) 

If your dr is hesitant to prescribe the smaller needles for subcutaneous injection, I know that Fenway Health's staff in Boston heard about it from Dr Norm Spack (Children's Hosp, Boston - expert in child and teen trans care & hormones - google him, interesting guy). It's increasingly common, even though it's not the standard administration method for oil suspensions. But it works - same uptake of hormones, same blood levels - data from non trans guys (hypogonadal) as well as trans guys.

Only difference, apart from less pain and anxiety, and a different location, is that some guys find it easier to do weekly shots of a smaller volume.

Quote from: troyboi on April 28, 2012, 09:08:43 PM
I wonder if there are any doctors on the west coast (Olympia, Portland, or somewhere in between) that prescribe sub-q?

See if you can make time the third sunday evening of the month to go to the Q Center in portland to the transguy meeting. I've heard a bunch of people there talk about subcutaneous injection.

As far as phobia, idk. I'm squeamish, but it gets easier with practice. Even the very first time I self-injected it was less scary than when I had the nurses at my doctor's office do it.

Quote from: casey on April 28, 2012, 10:01:22 PM
As is mentioned, get a cream or gel. I'm not on a compounded version (I'm on Androgel), but I enjoy not having to inject.

Idk about his insurance, but there's no way in a million years most transguys I know could afford topical T out of pocket, and also there's the danger that it can rub off on loved ones.

The needles are my worst fear with testosterone. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it myself, and I know none of my friends would help me

Just butting in.

Like any phobia it is an irrational fear so you have to try and break it down to what you are phobic about. Is it the needle and the look of it? Is it a perception of pain? If you can berak down the phobia to a specific area you may be able to work on it. Needles don't hurt, but if you percieve that they do you can apply some numbing gel before you inject, the easiest is the stuff you use on babies when they are teething, just rub it on before injecting. If it is the needle itself try having a syringe and needle in plain sight so you can try and desensitise yourself. by looking at them. Do this carefully you don't want to prick yourself (unfortunate choice of words ). Most phobias can be overcome but it takes time and practice and patience.  The over problem about phobias is if someone doesn't have them they don't understand how someone else can have that particular phobia.

Butting in too!

For starters IM injections are pretty foolproof, they are pratically impossible to get wrong.  A bit of practice on getting the initial puncture through the skin and you'll find that you'll barely notice them.

Second - I don't mind having injections, but I get squeamish every time I get my blood drawn.  I did have one bad experience in my 20s - the doctor managed to collapse the vein and started doing stuff to try and get it to work, and that's put me off.  (Incidentally, that was when I had huge veins on my arms - a doctor friend of mine wanted to see whether he could fit a size 14 cannula in >.<)

I couldn't possibly inject myself. Ugh...even thinking about it makes me shudder. I get around it by having four injections a year, and taking them to my local GPs office to have a nurse inject them for me.

Needles repulse me, though I have piercings and tatts lol. But that's different

I'm mostly scared of them touching bone, and I freak out heaps for blood tests. For some reason my t shots I take like a boss. I guess part of me knows I need them, and another part of me knows I have a lot of ass.

T shots hurt less than stubbing your toe - I promise deep breathes and in like no time at all it's done good luck bro

For myself, I'm fine if somebody else is doing the needle stabbing but doing it myself freaks me out. It might be different for you since self injecting, you get the choices of what happens, how and when. I've been on T for a year and a half and I still hesitate and tend to do my shots very slowly so I can't hesitate.

I still seriously hate doing my weekly shots.

Quote from: troyboi on April 28, 2012, 08:25:58 PM
So I'm considering starting testosterone. Have been for a long time, but am just now seriously thinking about it. One concern I have is that I have a huge needle phobia. Like, I had to take two tranquilizers to get my blood drawn.
Gel might be an option for the short term. But I know injectable is cheaper and faster acting, so at some point I will probably want to take it. Anybody else struggle with this? How did you learn to deal?

I never really had phobia for neddles but pre T I didnt really like them, obviously...
however after getting T I started to love when doctors put neddles in me..

its because I use to think about all the bad things, and pain with neddles, but now when im on T I got alot of positive connections with neddles.

maybe it would help alittle if you also kept your focus like that. I also hate getting piecrec and the pain, but I love how the pircing look so insteed of focusing on the pain I focusing on how great it will be afterward.

Quote from: Darrin Scott on April 28, 2012, 08:30:44 PM
If you don't have any friends

This is completely unrelated but when I read this I thought "Damn, lol."

Quote from: landon_marius on April 30, 2012, 12:48:55 AM
This is completely unrelated but when I read this I thought "Damn, lol."

It is a pretty striking statement, isn't it? Fwiw I have friends but only kinda sorta, because I tend to keep people at arm's length irl. So I'm in a situation where I'm not sure I'd be willing to have someone come watch me take my shots. Though I have had people present for it a couple of times.

Quote from: Felix on April 28, 2012, 10:33:58 PM
Idk about his insurance, but there's no way in a million years most transguys I know could afford topical T out of pocket, and also there's the danger that it can rub off on loved ones.

I guess this is my cue to jump in here and shill for the compounded cream again.

The cream's only $40/month at Strohecker's, it's Androgel that's seriously expensive if you don't have insurance. Yeah, it's still more than the injectible T, but the extra $25/month or so may be worth it if you really hate needles.