What Benefits You Notice First On Trt
Naturally, youre going to be antsy to see benefits after your first TRT injection. We all want results yesterday, but as alluded to earlier you will need to be patient. TRT is not an overnight solution. It is a long-term investment in your health.
Nevertheless, a good amount of TRT patients notice positive changes in their health and well-being within the first month of starting TRT. Such short-term benefits may include:
Long-term benefits of TRT may include:
There may be other benefits to TRT, but its imperative to note that not everyone will have the same experience/response to testosterone. Some men notice a quicker onset of benefits on a small dose of testosterone others may take a little longer to respond and might need a larger dose to achieve therapeutic benefits. If you experience no benefits or positive changes after several months of TRT, consult with your physician as there may be more diagnostic testing necessary.
TRT is an individualistic treatment and its not proper to compare your TRT regimen to someone elses. TRT takes a little trial and error, initially, and the time it takes for the benefits to become apparent varies between everyone.
Effect Of Testosterone: It’s Easier To Build Muscle
“Muscles are extremely responsive to testosteroneone of the most reliable things we see is an increase in muscle mass,” says Dr. Morgentaler.
This is because androgen receptors are found in muscle tissue, so testosterone activates them to stimulate growth. Of course, to make the most of this benefit, youll need to be doing your part by strength training as well.
In addition to an increase in lean muscle mass, some men report fat loss as well. While testosterone doesnt directly incite fat loss itself, part of it may be thanks to the uptick in muscle massthe more muscle you have, the higher your basal metabolic rate will be, which means your body will burn more calories at rest.
Jed Kaminetsky, M.D., a clinical assistant professor in the department of urology at NYU Langone Medical Center also notes that this may be partially because testosterone improves overall motivation to get up and sweat it out, so if you’re motivated to put in the work again, you’ll see results.
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How Do I Take Testosterone Replacement Therapy
TRT comes in several different forms. Each has pros and cons.
Patches. These are easy to apply. But patches can cause skin rashes and may have to be applied more than once a day.
Gels. You rub gels into the skin daily. They are convenient to use. But you have to be careful that no one comes into contact with the treated area for several hours after you’ve applied it. Otherwise they could get testosterone in their system. A nasal gel is now available that eliminates the risk of exposure to others.
Buccal patch. You put this on your upper gum twice a day. These patches are convenient but can cause irritation or gum disease.
Injections. Injections are given anywhere from 2 to 10 weeks apart. They are inexpensive compared to other treatments. But injections may not provide steady benefits. Your testosterone levels will go back down between doses.
Subcutaneous pellets. Your doctor inserts these under your skin every 3 to 6 months. They are very convenient once they’re put in, but they require minor surgery for each dose.
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Effect Of Testosterone: Your Mood Can Improve
Similar to its effects on energy, experts don’t have a definitive answer to why testosterone impacts mood so deeplyafter all, “the brain is a complicated thing,” says Dr. Tamlerbut they do see it as a potential life-changing benefit.
“In some ways, the impact on mood is one of the most profound benefits of T that we see,” says Dr. Morgentaler. “Not everybody has that, but when we see it, it’s remarkable. In my practice, patients will say, ‘Oh, my mood’s OK, maybe I just feel a little bit tired or blah.’ And they come back and they say things like, ‘I wake up in the morning and I’m optimistic about my day. I haven’t felt that way in years.'”
In fact, a 2012 study published in The Aging Male found that after 12 months of testosterone therapy, the percentages of guys with moderately severe to severe depression symptoms decreased from 17 percent to 2 percent.
And more recent research also backs that up: “The largest randomized control trial for T was just completed a year ago, called the T Trials, and it showed that men who received T had a greater improvement in mood than men who received placebo,” notes Dr. Morgentaler.
What Other Drugs Will Affect Testosterone
Certain drugs may interact with testosterone, including
- Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as oxyphenbutazone
Other prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products may also react with testosterone. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.
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How Is Testosterone Injection Given
Testosterone is injected into a muscle. The injection is usually given every 2 to 4 weeks.
Testosterone injections should be given only by a healthcare professional. Misuse can lead to serious side effects or death.
The length of treatment will depend on the condition being treated.
Testosterone will not enhance athletic performance and should not be used for that purpose.
While receiving this medicine, you will need frequent blood tests.
Testosterone can affect bone growth in boys who are treated for delayed puberty. Bone development may need to be checked with x-rays every 6 months during treatment.
Effect Of Testosterone: Your Testicles May Shrink
This is one of the most common side effects of testosterone replacement theory.
Normally, when your pituitary gland senses that there’s not enough testosterone in the bloodstream, it sends down a hormone called luteinizing hormone to signal your testicles to start producing more testosterone, and a hormone called follicle stimulating hormone to signal sperm production.
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When you take outside testosterone, the pituitary gland gets the memo that there’s enough T in your bloodstream, so it stops sending these signals. This essentially puts the testicles to sleep , says Dr. Kaminetsky.
“Most of the size of the testicle is dedicated to making sperm, so when you’re making less sperm, the testicles get smaller,” says Dr. Morgentaler. This also means it can hamper fertility, acting like birth control, so if you’re planning on having kids, testosterone replacement therapy isn’t an option.
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And production doesn’t always go back to normal afterwards, either says Dr. Kaminetsky. A 2017 study in Fertility & Sterility found that increasing age and longer length of T-therapy was linked to less chances of normal sperm recovery.
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Effect Of Testosterone: The Link Between Testosterone And Serious Risks Is Still Murky
Testosterone replacement therapy has traditionally come along with serious warning labels that your risk for heart attack, stroke, and prostate cancer could rise, but this is still very controversialand recent evidence has begun to debunk some of these fears.
In the case of heart attacks and strokes, the concern is that testosterone thickens blood because it binds to androgen receptors that stimulate bone marrow to produce more red blood cells. Thicker blood is linked to a greater risk of heart attack and stroke.
But there isn’t strong evidence to connect these cardiac events to testosterone itself, and some more recent studies actually suggest that normal testosterone levels might actually protect against these risks, says Dr. Morgentaler.
One mechanism at play here could be that reduced body fat is linked to overall better health, and testosterone replacement therapy can encourage this, says Dr. Morgentaler. More research is needed, he says, and to be safe your doctor will monitor your red blood cell count throughout your treatment.
As far as prostate cancer goes, this is fuzzy, too. Because there are androgen receptors in the prostate, testosterone can make it grow. So if you already have an enlarged prostate that makes it difficult to urinate, testosterone could exacerbate the issue, says Dr. Tamler.
Things That Can Happen To Your Body After You Start Taking Testosterone
When your body is running low on testosterone, its a lot like trying to race a sports car with an empty gas tank . But when you start replenishing low-T levels, your body can get back to running like a finely-tuned machine.
Testosterone impacts everything from your sex drive and muscle mass to your concentration and mood. So, when its out of whack, youre really going to notice.
Symptoms of low testosterone levels run the gamut from physical to mental, and can include:
- Feeling like you have zero energy
- Erectile dysfunction/less interest in sex
- Bad moods or feeling down
- Extra fat building up around your belly and other areas
But once you start taking testosterone, you can expect to see these symptoms begin fading away. Keep in mind that the best way to manage low-T is with a comprehensive plan of attack in other words, combining TRT, nutrition and fitness strategies, stress management, and other tactics will maximize your results.
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The Rest Of Your Gear
Its important to have everything prepped and ready before you start your self-injection. You dont want to be mid-shot and realize you need something handy. Youll want to have the following things within arms reach.
- Your testosterone or medicine vial
- Needles and syringes
- Alcohol swabs. Youll want to sterilize and disinfect the rubber top of the medication vial and your injection site
- Gauze or a cotton ball, for applying gentle pressure to the injection site immediately afterward for a few seconds
- Band-Aids, in case theres any blood
- A sharps container. This is a puncture-proof container for safe needle disposalSoap, so you can wash your hands thoroughly
How Long Do The Effects Of Testosterone Injections Last
The length of time by which the effects of testosterone injections last vary. This is partly because the time in which the different effects of testosterone injections kick in varies. For example, within just a few days of receiving testosterone shots, a mans insulin sensitivity will have improved.
How Long Do the Effects of Testosterone Injections Last in Weeks
A few weeks after receiving testosterone shots, a mans sex drive will have increased. His morning erections will also occur more frequently.
Also, a few weeks after receiving testosterone injections, a mans anxiety will reduce and his mood will improve. Finally, somewhere between 3 to 12 weeks after receiving testosterone injections, any inflammation that a man has in his body will reduce. These positive effects will continue to last long-term.
How Long Do the Effects of Testosterone Injections Last in Months
Approximately a month after receiving testosterone injections a man will have an improved lipid profile. Around this time a man will also be able to experience more erections. Then, after around 6 weeks of receiving testosterone shots, a mans mood will even improve. All of these effects will last long-term.
Eventually, after a full year of receiving testosterone shots, prostate-specific antigen and volume rise. Thus, after about a full year of receiving testosterone shots, the positive effects that have come from the injections over the course of that year are more likely to stay long-term.
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What Can I Expect If I Just Stop Taking Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Stopping TRT will, in most cases, see your body revert to its previous state prior to commencing the treatment. Most patients report feeling more tired, weaker, losing muscle mass, increased fat, thinning hair, and lower sex drive. In contrast to the beneficial results of TRT taking some time to be felt after starting the treatment, the feelings and symptoms associated with ceasing it tend to come on much faster. For some patients, however, this reversion to the bodys pre-treatment state may be preferable to side effects. It all comes down to personal choice and what you and your doctor ultimately decide is best for you.
Benefits Of Testosterone Therapy For Women:
Testosterone is also essential for womens bone density and health, red blood cell production, and much more. Dont overlook testosterone therapy as a great potential treatment for your specific health concerns!
On that same note, its also crucial that men do not overlook testosterone therapy as an option! Lets see what testosterone do for all you men out there who just arent feeling like yourselves any more, or who want some of these great benefits.
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Are There Side Effects
Testosterone injections are generally safe and effective. However, as with any medication, there is the potential for side effects. The most common side effects include:
- Changes in mood or libido
- Fluid retention
If you experience any of these side effects, you should speak with your doctor. They may be able to adjust the dose or frequency of your injections to reduce the side effects.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy Dosing
I also wanted to talk about dosing and how frequently you take your injection of testosterone. Typically, testosterone injections work in a seven day cycle. After the injection your testosterone will start to go up about 24-48 hours after your injection. Then it will start to come down around 6-7 days. This is the typical with most people. Sometimes people get a spike right after the shot and then it comes down quickly. This occurs in people that are metabolizing it quicker. For these people, we will usually switch to twice a week dosing or every 3.5 days. They will do a smaller dose every 3.5 days. You will only know if this is occurring if you are checking your levels frequently enough and checking in the middle of the week.
As mentioned many times I find that people are checking their testosterone levels right before they get their injection. When you do this, you are missing everything that happens in between, including high estrogen. The estrogen will trail the testosterone by about a day or two. So if you are at your peak of testosterone on day two, three, or four, then your estrogen is going to be peaking shortly after. So you want to be checking your estrogen levels in the middle of your injection-week. When you are taking it twice a week, this doesn’t seem to matter as much. Either way, you want to avoid checking your levels at the time when you are suppose to do an injection. This is considered the trough levels.
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What Itslike To Inject Yourself
Afraid of needles? Dont worry, injections are not nearly as petrifying as they may seem at first. Were not trying to sugarcoat this process, because injections are certainly a hurdle for many beginners on TRT. Even those who have been on TRT for years still have a little apprehension when it comes time to inject themselves.
In reality, though, the gauge of the needle is very small when injecting testosterone once you get past the initial puncturing of the skin, the needle will glide smoothly into your muscle tissue without much sensation at all. The best advice is to take deep breaths and be steady when inserting the needle.
Intuitively, you might just think that jabbing the needle in as fast as possible will bypass any sort of sensation you might feel, but thats also not a very controllable approach. Use a firm grip on the barrel of the syringe, breath, and firmly penetrate your skin. The needle will smoothly glide into your muscle, at which point you will apply pressure to the plunger and dispense the testosterone.
The entire injection process generally takes no more than 15 seconds. Always be sure to maintain a sterile environment. Wipe the injection spot with an alcohol wipe beforehand to disinfect the skin and do not reuse needles or syringes as this greatly increases the risk of infections.
Why Daily Testosterone Injections Are The Best Choice For Trt Injections
Summary:
- Testosterone is a medication traditionally administered every 1-4 weeks via an intramuscular injection. However, this method is outdated and not as effective as daily subcutaneous injections.
- The most advanced treatment available is bioidentical testosterone cypionate given daily via tiny subcutaneous injections .
- Daily administration maintains optimal hormone levels without the highs and lows experienced with weekly injections.
- Often testosterone injections are given by a nurse or doctor in a clinic, but they can be self-administered at home.
- Apart from the pain, the major flaw with intramuscular injections is that they lead to peaks and troughs. High levels of testosterone are achieved straight after injection, which then falls steadily until the next dose.
- At Male Excel, our medical providers advise and recommend a lower dose daily subcutaneous injection using the same tiny needles used by millions of diabetics every day.
Ready to start daily injections? Start by completing a free hormone assessment and purchasing our at-home lab kit.
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