Alternatives to Injections for Low Testosterone

[burt66]

I am a 32 year old Caucasian male. I weigh 307 pounds and stand 6’1” tall. A few months ago my new doctor discovered that I have low testosterone after ordering a blood test upon hearing that I had gained about 100 pounds in the last seven years. My total testosterone level was recorded as 158 on that first blood test. My doctor suggested that I start coming in weekly for injections but due to my phobia of shots, he instead prescribed topical Fortesta 20mg per day. Six weeks later I had a second blood test and my total testosterone level was 143. My doctor reiterated his preference for prescribing injections but increased the Fortesta dosage to 40mg per day when I reiterated my aversion. After another six weeks I took my third blood test which reported my total testosterone as 168 and the doctor increased the Fortesta to 60mg per day. Last week I took my fourth blood and my testosterone was 172 after taking 60mg of Fortesta daily. I got this result after calling my doctor’s office. My appointment with my doctor isn’t until Monday and I was worried that my testosterone hadn’t climbed enough with the increase in dosage with the Fortesta. And because the maximum dosage that Fortesta recommends is 70 mgs per day, I’m willing to bet my doctor is going to recommend the injections. Now I know my fear of injections isn’t rational and I have really tried to overcome it but it hasn’t gone away. It is so bad that I actually pass out when I get a shot no matter what I do.

What I am really asking is there any successful alternative to testosterone injections? Does anyone think I may do better with a different topical like Axiron?

Thanks

[steroid.com 1]

Many, and let me say it again, many men don't do well on transdermal's as you see for your self first hand.

You need to get weekly injections like your Doctor says.

They use a very fine needle and it's virtually painless if IM.

Or you can SQ and it's almost no pain whatsoever.

I don't see any other option for you quite honestly except for maybe pellets if you're Doc knows anything about them.

[HRTstudent]

a very successful alternative to testosterone injections in obese men is actually aromatase inhibitors and losing weight.

no doubt, your obesity is wreaking havoc on your T status. is it enough to play the entire role? i don't know. but I do know I would be doing anything reasonable I could to avoid having to go on TRT and all the baggage that goes with it.

having said this, subQ injections are a LOT less daunting than intramuscular injections.

[Heapsreal]

andriol maybe? oral testosterone which needs to be taken several times a day but might not be any more affective then TD's or reandron(injectable version of andriol) which is still an injection but only need it every 12 weeks.

[jasondd1]

Might consider a clomid mono therapy? I am in day 18 of it and so far so good. Some guys are getting to 800 on it alone. Search for clomid hrt therapy, there as rcently been several very good studies

[AnabolicDoc]

At 32yo, I would first give clomid a try. I also agree with the person above who said that you may benefit from an aromatase inhibitor and wt loss. Unfortunately wt loss is difficult with low T levels. Definitely consider Clomid (clomiphene) and have your estradiol (estrogen) levels checked.

I also agree with the previous posts that transdermal testosterone preparations just too often dont deliver enough testosterone . However, Axiron is a topical testosterone that can be used up to 120mg daily.

You can always try buccal testosterone called Striant. It's applied to the inside of if cheek twice per day. I don't know of anyone who's ever tried it or another doctor whose prescribed it. But it is an option.

If u have to do injections consider Nebido (testosterone undecanoate, injectable) which is an injection every 10-16 wks. To my knowledge, Andriol (oral testosterone undecanoate) is not approved in the US bc of associated liver problems. Which is also the reason I wouldn't advise other oral androgens such as methyltestosterone or fluoxymesterone.

Subcutaneous injections are relatively painless but are often done 2 to 3 times per week. And although tolerated well by many, there is a significant number of ppl who get severe local irritation and they discontinue use.

You can also consider Testopel pellet implants every 3-4 months but for various reasons I'm not a fan. However there are many ppl on this forum who are quite happy with them. There is often a need to supplement with transdermal testosterone in the final month however.

Either way, if you do go on exogenous androgen or testosterone replacement therapy, definitely talk to your doctor about low dose hcg to keep your testicles functioning. You also may be a candidate for hcg monotherapy. To know for sure u ideally would have had your LH level checked b4 starting any testosterone and if it was low then u would be a good candidate for it.

If u decide to switch to hcg or clomid, definitely consider a semen analysis (after a month or two) to see where u stand regarding fertility. Always keep in mind that once u start TRT, most ppl become temporarily infertile, few ppl remain fertile, and very very few will never become fertile again. Sometimes it can take as long as 18 months (or as little as 2) to regain fertility after long term TRT.

Hope his was helpful. Feel free to follow up with any questons u may have either by posting or PM.

Good luck!

[The Deadlifting Dog]

Burt66,

Just curious...
How long after applying the gel did you get your bloodwork done? 1 hour, 2 hours, 20 hours?