Let's Settle This: Subcutaneous vs. Intramuscular Testosterone Injections

[binkskii]

Hello Everyone,

For the past three months, l've been doing subcutaneous testosterone cypionate injections every two days as recommended by my urologist to minimize side effects. However, I've been dealing with some acne on my back and face.

Today, I had a consultation with one of the top hormone doctors in Canada. He's much more hands-on, and I wanted his help to dial in my dosage. Initially, I had planned to start my testosterone treatment under his care, but the wait time was 4-6 months, and my testosterone levels were alarmingly low, so I couldn't wait.

During today's appointment, the doctor explained that when we begin treatment together, he will recommend intramuscular injections every five days. He mentioned that they experimented with subcutaneous injections 25 years ago but found intramuscular injections to be superior.

I understand that each doctor has their preferred methods, but I've often seen subcutaneous injections praised on Reddit and other forums.

Additionally, hCG will be increased to 400 ius EOD, from 250 ius x 3 per week. He said anything under 400 ius EOD does not maintain fertility and natural testosterone production.

I'd like to start a discussion here for anyone debating between subcutaneous and intramuscular injections. Let's share experiences and insights!

 

[MegaTurd]

n of 1 but… on subq my E2 was higher, T lower, I retained more water, and I experienced less symptomatic improvement compared to the same dose injecting shallow IM with a 27 G 1/2”

My HCT was 1 point lower on subq 49 vs 50 with shallow IM

 

[ziegen]

There is nothing to settle in the IM vs SubQ debate. From all the threads I've read it seems like there are two groups of people: Those who have better results on IM and those who handle IM and SubQ the same. So technically IM is the "safer" option, in terms of results, but many still prefer SubQ. I tried both methods and got more or less the same blood test results as well as symptom relief. Overall I prefer SubQ as there is less pain (especially PIP), less blood and no scar tissue. There seems to be an invididual factor to this, maybe it's just genetics or whatever, or maybe it's related to how much body fat % you have or in which oil your Test is suspended in, or it's something different entirely. The only conclusions that you can make is that SubQ is a viable alternative to IM, but that IM is still the better proven way. If you're interested in the differences you should try out both methods for yourself, get tested and see the results for yourself and then make a decision.

 

[FunkOdyssey]

I'd like to start a discussion here for anyone debating between subcutaneous and intramuscular injections. Let's share experiences and insights!

There is no settling it, because people have unique and unpredictable reactions to IM vs SC injection, in terms of absorption, aromatization, and symptoms. Every individual will need to try both methods to determine which is preferable for them. There is no other way.

Like MegaTurd above (lol), I also had lower T levels and a lower T/E2 ratio with subcutaneous injections at the same dosage, frequency, and trough measurement. Next, ten more guys could respond to this thread and say they had the opposite experience. This could go on for 200 pages, and at the end, you will still need to do exactly the same thing: try both yourself.

 

[Vince]

I do daily injections so I combine both shallow IM and Sub-Q in my love handles. I'll show you my levels.

Vince's Labs from October 14, 2024

Same protocol, 16 mg of testosterone cypionate daily, 500 iu of hcg every third day and no AI. Pregnenolone 10 mg and 10 mg of DHEA. My last injection before labs, about 27 1/2 hrs. Labs are from LabCorp. I did "not" get the Equilibrium Ultrafiltration for testing free testosterone. I...

www.excelmale.com

 

[Willyt]

Please use the search function. There are many many threads on this question.

As the others have said, experiment with both. It ain't going to kill you. Frequency of injection is a far bigger variable (2x per week versus 3x versus EOD versus daily, etc).