Has anyone tried creams and felt better on injections?

[Oozername]

I keep seeing creams as all the rage these days. I asked my doctor to try them, and the first 3 days I felt a raging libido and tons of energy. Just like whenever I up a dose only stronger. Now ever since I feel tired, irritable, brain fog, having insomnia, weak in the gym, etc. No classic sides of high estrogen for me though. Has anyone jumped on the cream trend and went back to injections? I only tried cream because of its supposed libido benefits but idk if the cream is worth messing with now?

 

[Systemlord]

It could be your levels are not as steady on the creams, this works for some men but not all.

How long has it been since you started the cream and is the cream applied once or twice daily?

T cream is usually applied twice daily.

 

[Oozername]

It could be your levels are not as steady on the creams, this works for some men but not all.

How long has it been since you started the cream and is the cream applied once or twice daily?

T cream is usually applied twice daily.

It's been about 8 days but I'm feeling steadily worse. I am only applying once daily. Twice daily seems very inconvenient.

I think you're right about the steady levels because I feel like I start getting very tired around 12 hours after application

 

[Systemlord]

It's been about 8 days but I'm feeling steadily worse. I am only applying once daily.

This is what I thought, you obviously need to apply the cream twice daily.

 

[Oozername]

This is what I thought, you obviously need to apply the cream twice daily.

That's what I was afraid of. Seems really unsustainable, I may have to switch back to injections.

 

[S1W]

Has anyone jumped on the cream trend and went back to injections?

Yep. Twice. Once with 1x day cream then once with 2x day cream. Both times back to injections.

 

[ta406]

I have tried compounded cream at various dosages from 50 to 300mg per day along with varying the timing for the last 8 months or so. Its never really worked for me. Overall, I would say that I've felt worse. Seriously thinking about going back to injections.

Maybe your initial dose was too high and you blew thru your sweet spot? Just a thought.

 

[JV63]

Creams are just another tool that may or may not help an individual achieve what they need to feel their best.
Too many people listen to these "messiahs" and their mindless followers on various outlets and think creams are a panacea which is of course not true.

 

[S1W]

I think some of this is just the nature of the beast. Because of the current state of TRT (some docs hesitant to prescribe and not knowledgeable) most of us are the type of guys who are searching for something better in life and take an active role in pursuing that.

So when someone comes along and says “OMG test prop solved all my problems and made me feel like superman!” or “I switched to cream and now have sex ten times per day!”, it’s natural that we might want to try it and see what it’s all about.

I agree that cream is the trend du jour largely because of a certain internet blowhard. It would be interesting to see behind the scenes at a place like Defy to know how many guys have switched over recently because of this trend (and how many switched back).

I recall a conversation with someone at Defy in which that person mentioned that they were aware of a test prop trend a while back, that was the trend du jour because of some internet hype, and lots of guys switched to it. Per the staff member, almost all of them eventually switched back. I wonder if in another year or two they’ll have an anecdote like that with the current cream trend?

The way I see it though, most of us are in this for life - we have the time - might as well try it all to see what truly works best for us.

 

[Gman86]

Yep. Twice. Once with 1x day cream then once with 2x day cream. Both times back to injections.

What was your reason(s) for switching back to injections?

 

[Gman86]

It's been about 8 days but I'm feeling steadily worse. I am only applying once daily. Twice daily seems very inconvenient.

I think you're right about the steady levels because I feel like I start getting very tired around 12 hours after application

What’s your dose?

What brand of cream are you using?

 

[S1W]

What was your reason(s) for switching back to injections?

On the 1x day protocol (100mg AM) I felt pretty much just like Oozername described in his original post. I would not go back to 1x day cream. I know it works for some but it was not ideal for me.

I went on the 2x day protocol (100mg AM 50mg PM) mostly because I was curious based on internet anecdotes and I had been tweaking my injection protocol so figured it was a good time to try. Overall I thought it was a pretty good protocol and I would consider doing it again.

The main thing I didn’t like was the inconvenience of it all - having to bring cream everywhere even if out of town for one night, waiting for it to dry, etc. Transference to my wife was another concern. Libido/EQ same or better on 2x cream, gym/physical not as good as injections.

Also note that I was applying 100% to scrotum which I felt like I needed to do to get results I wanted. I was aware that my doc has reservations about that and has concerns about long term sky high DHT.

The conclusion I came to was “great I found something that works, but if I could get to the same place or better with injections I’d MUCH rather do that”.

The problems I have with injections are mainly HCT and to a lesser extent E2.

If I end up having to inject EOD or ED to control that, I could see going back to cream. If I can get the benefits I want and control those sides on 2x week injections, I’d really like to make that work.

 

[Gman86]

On the 1x day protocol (100mg AM) I felt pretty much just like Oozername described in his original post. I would not go back to 1x day cream. I know it works for some but it was not ideal for me.

I went on the 2x day protocol (100mg AM 50mg PM) mostly because I was curious based on internet anecdotes and I had been tweaking my injection protocol so figured it was a good time to try. Overall I thought it was a pretty good protocol and I would consider doing it again.

The main thing I didn’t like was the inconvenience of it all - having to bring cream everywhere even if out of town for one night, waiting for it to dry, etc. Transference to my wife was another concern. Libido/EQ same or better on 2x cream, gym/physical not as good as injections.

Also note that I was applying 100% to scrotum which I felt like I needed to do to get results I wanted. I was aware that my doc has reservations about that and has concerns about long term sky high DHT.

The conclusion I came to was “great I found something that works, but if I could get to the same place or better with injections I’d MUCH rather do that”.

The problems I have with injections are mainly HCT and to a lesser extent E2.

If I end up having to inject EOD or ED to control that, I could see going back to cream. If I can get the benefits I want and control those sides on 2x week injections, I’d really like to make that work.

Thanks for the detailed answer. Really important for guys to hear the pros and cons of creams instead of just the pros. I’d also agree, the creams are much less convenient. I switched due to hearing all the amazing success stories with creams. I currently feel about the same as I did on injections. Libido is a little lower, which is extremely surprising, as I thought it would be the opposite. Price is more with the cream. And like I said, much less convenient than injections. Gonna give it a good 6months to a year though just to see if I notice any differences after my body adjusts, and I also want to play around with dosages more, as well as seeing how I feel with the cream and a low dose of HCG.

 

[Vman]

I keep seeing creams as all the rage these days. I asked my doctor to try them, and the first 3 days I felt a raging libido and tons of energy. Just like whenever I up a dose only stronger. Now ever since I feel tired, irritable, brain fog, having insomnia, weak in the gym, etc. No classic sides of high estrogen for me though. Has anyone jumped on the cream trend and went back to injections? I only tried cream because of its supposed libido benefits but idk if the cream is worth messing with now?

My doc starts all his patients off on 2xday cream (including me). 80% of his patients are on cream. 20% on injections. I had skin irritation issues so I had to switch to injections. On cream, I felt great and the libido was insane. Cream was very inconvenient though. The drying and not being able to work out after and worrying about transferral to my wife and kids was very inconvenient.

On injections I feel much more level and it's way easier to get the TT and FT to the desired levels. Libido is ok, but not teenager crazy like on cream. I inject subq daily which is way more convenient for me than cream.

 

[Gman86]

My doc starts all his patients off on 2xday cream (including me). 80% of his patients are on cream. 20% on injections. I had skin irritation issues so I had to switch to injections. On cream, I felt great and the libido was insane. Cream was very inconvenient though. The drying and not being able to work out after and worrying about transferral to my wife and kids was very inconvenient.

On injections I feel much more level and it's way easier to get the TT and FT to the desired levels. Libido is ok, but not teenager crazy like on cream. I inject subq daily which is way more convenient for me than cream.

What was your dose on the cream? What pharmacy was it from? And were you applying it all to your scrotum? I assume not if transference to your kids was an issue. Thanks

 

[Vman]

What was your dose on the cream? What pharmacy was it from? And were you applying it all to your scrotum? I assume not if transference to your kids was an issue. Thanks

I started at 50mg 2xday, moved up to 100mg 2xday, then 150mg 2xday and finally 200mg 2xday. It was all from Medquest in Utah. It was all to the scrotum except when the doses got high I had to apply to inner thighs cause there was so much cream. I am not a good absorber. At 200mg 2xday I was TT 800 FT 200 (measured 4-5 hours after application). Also, the cost is proportional to the amount you need. 200mg 2xday costs $620 for 3 months supply.

 

[Gman86]

I started at 50mg 2xday, moved up to 100mg 2xday, then 150mg 2xday and finally 200mg 2xday. It was all from Medquest in Utah. It was all to the scrotum except when the doses got high I had to apply to inner thighs cause there was so much cream. I am not a good absorber. At 200mg 2xday I was TT 800 FT 200. Also, the cost is proportional to the amount you need. 200mg 2xday costs $620 for 3 months supply.

How long after last application of the cream would you get labs done?

So did you feel great and have the insane libido only with the 200mg 2x/ day, or did you feel similar regardless of the dosage?

 

[Vman]

How long after last application of the cream would you get labs done?

So did you feel great and have the insane libido only with the 200mg 2x/ day, or did you feel similar regardless of the dosage?

My labs were run in a 4-5 hour window after the first application each morning. So I'd apply like 8am, run labs noon-1pm.

I felt great and had insane libido at the 150mg and 200mg 2x day doses. At the 50mg and 100mg 2x day doses my TT and FT were low-midrange like TT 500 FT 120 and I didn't really notice any improvement at those doses vs pre-TRT. At 150mg and 200mg 2xday I really felt great. Morning wood, lots of energy, zest for life, great gym results and wanted to have sex multiple times a day. I really felt amazing on cream. I definitely would have stayed on cream if I did not have skin irritation issues.

That said. Injections have their benefits. One injection a day (faster than cream and drying). No transferral. Can workout right away. Can shower right away. Can get very precise with TT and FT levels.

 

[Gman86]

My labs were run in a 4-5 hour window after the first application each morning. So I'd apply like 8am, run labs noon-1pm.

I felt great and had insane libido at the 150mg and 200mg 2x day doses. At the 50mg and 100mg 2x day doses my TT and FT were low-midrange like TT 500 FT 120 and I didn't really notice any improvement at those doses vs pre-TRT. At 150mg and 200mg 2xday I really felt great. Morning wood, lots of energy, zest for life, great gym results and wanted to have sex multiple times a day. I really felt amazing on cream. I definitely would have stayed on cream if I did not have skin irritation issues.

That said. Injections have their benefits. One injection a day (faster than cream and drying). No transferral. Can workout right away. Can shower right away. Can get very precise with TT and FT levels.

Thanks for such a detailed account of your experience on the cream. It’s also nice hearing someone’s experience that tried both, and hearing the pros and cons.

Last questions. Do you mind sharing what doctor you see for TRT? Also, how much were you paying for a 30ml topiclick cream bottle? I currently pay $72 for each 30ml bottle of cream with Defy. I’ve heard good things about medquest, but defy doesn’t allow prescriptions through them, as far as I know.

 

[SilverSurfer]

It's been about 8 days but I'm feeling steadily worse. I am only applying once daily. Twice daily seems very inconvenient.

I think you're right about the steady levels because I feel like I start getting very tired around 12 hours after application

8 days? Come on dude! If you’re not willing to give a new protocol 6 weeks minimum, don’t bother.