Injections vs creams/gels

Y

Yarm

New member
Gels and creams are ineffective for most men. They are not absorbed evenly through the skin and stop absorbing well over time. They are messy. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve optimal TT levels with this method. DHT levels can be raised much higher than experienced with alternatives. And most importantly, there is a risk of transfer to the women and children in your life. In my opinion, transfer is an unacceptable risk when there are other good treatment options available. Plus gels/creams are often very expensive
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Why are injections supposedly better than creams or gels? If absorbtion is not an issue, do they work just as well?

Possibly injections provide a more even supply.

I've used creams for about 7 days straight. So far it has helped my mood and maybe slightly elevated libido. Possibly injections would work better?...

Crisler recommends creams over injections. Possibly because it allows for align,ent with the body's own cycles.

That said I generally break the dose in two as the full dosage makes me jittery like as if I'd had a coffee.
 
Hello Yarm

My own personal experience was with Axiron. It is applied to the armpits usually first thing in the morning after a shower etc. I was on two pumps which was 60mg of T per day. I think I read somewhere that only 10% or so is actually absorbed into the blood stream. I initially had very good results and it did effectively raise my T by quite a bit. I felt like a new man after the first week or so and this continued on for a few months. I'm single and my kiddos are all grown up so I wasn't too worried about transfer etc. Life was good and I was convinced I would be on Axiron for life. Unfortunately, after about 3 months the effects started to wear off and some low T symptoms were starting to creep back in. Unmistakable that's for sure!

Anyway, long story short, I'm on injections now and couldn't be happier. If you do some research you will also find out that the creams/gels have a tendency to aromatize into estrogen more than the injections which may become a factor. Also, creams/gels are known to produce more DHT than injections. I have no references/sources other than what I have read but you can google what I mentioned and you should be able to find a lot of good info.

If the cream is working well, than by all means stick with it. Just keep up with your blood work as that will tell the true story. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
I was on Tostrex gel, not to mention it was really pricy and really annoying to apply every morning and worry about transfering to others/clothes/sweating, I had really bad times absorbing it.
It didnt really work much for me, so I switched to injections.
It might work for you and you find it fine, we dont know, try and see.
 
Near the end I was shaving my armpits and then scrubbing them in the shower trying to get the stuff to absorb better... No go...

I really don't mind the injections either. After the first one, the rest are so easy. Not to mention that lovely HCG too!
 
I tried androgel 1.62. Started off with 2 pumps then went up to 3 pumps. After a month on this protocol my total T dropped from 198 to 172. The endocrinologist was completely baffled - sure some folks have absorption issues but the dr has never seen total T go down. Also, the price tag of OVER $380 a month was just not going to happen. I'm paying about $20 a month for cypionate injections and my TT is now over 1100.
 
Yarm said:
Why are injections supposedly better than creams or gels? If absorbtion is not an issue, do they work just as well?

Possibly injections provide a more even supply.

I've used creams for about 7 days straight. So far it has helped my mood and maybe slightly elevated libido. Possibly injections would work better?...

Crisler recommends creams over injections. Possibly because it allows for align,ent with the body's own cycles.

That said I generally break the dose in two as the full dosage makes me jittery like as if I'd had a coffee.
Click to expand...

You answered your own question, LOL. You quoted great reasons why injections are superior, although it's ultimately down to what YOU are happy with. If you like using creams, more power to you - injections aren't for everyone, although they do tend to be the best method for the reasons in your quote. Injections are a smooth, constant supply of hormone as they are esterfied - which renders them useless until the body cleaves the ester from the molecule. Think of it as a time-release hormone. ;)

The FAQ linked is FULL of fantastic information that will help you get the most out of TRT.

Welcome to 'ology! :)
 
halfwit said:
You answered your own question, LOL. You quoted great reasons why injections are superior, although it's ultimately down to what YOU are happy with. If you like using creams, more power to you - injections aren't for everyone, although they do tend to be the best method for the reasons in your quote. Injections are a smooth, constant supply of hormone as they are esterfied - which renders them useless until the body cleaves the ester from the molecule. Think of it as a time-release

The FAQ linked is FULL of fantastic information that will help you get the most out of TRT.

Welcome to 'ology! :)
Click to expand...

I do suspect the gradual time release is a positive factor.

If I apply the cream it absorbs so rapidly that it's like having a double shot of coffee. This put me off, so I've have a few stops and starts never going for more than 10 days.

Interestingly applying the same cream on the scrotum does not have the same impact. So possibly allows for a more gradual uptake. At least I don't get jittery.

The dose works out at 100mg per day. So not sure where it all goes given 200mg pw injectable seems to be the norm.

How long would you suggest running with creams before assessing? So far (5 days in this round) I've noticed improved mood and maybe focus.

Thanks

Nb- not sure where this FAQ lives. The faq listed above didn't list much.
 
Hello Yarm

Your best bet is to go back up one level to the main Testosterone Replacement Therapy page and start reading the stickies. This is what we mean by the "FAQ"s. The link above should've taken you to the very informative article written by Megatron28. It's the "Basic TRT Overview" and is one of the stickies. Your definitely in the right place as the knowledge base here is the best I found yet.
 
Yarm said:
I do suspect the gradual time release is a positive factor.

If I apply the cream it absorbs so rapidly that it's like having a double shot of coffee. This put me off, so I've have a few stops and starts never going for more than 10 days.

Interestingly applying the same cream on the scrotum does not have the same impact. So possibly allows for a more gradual uptake. At least I don't get jittery.

The dose works out at 100mg per day. So not sure where it all goes given 200mg pw injectable seems to be the norm.

How long would you suggest running with creams before assessing? So far (5 days in this round) I've noticed improved mood and maybe focus.

Thanks

Nb- not sure where this FAQ lives. The faq listed above didn't list much.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that only a fraction of creams/gels actually make it to the bloodstream. I believe I read 10% somewhere so for the sake of argument, your getting 10% a day which is only 10mgs from your initial 100mg application. That's 70mgs per week opposed to a standard dose of 100mg per week via injection. The main difference is the injection remains in a "depot" or suspended inside the injection sight muscle until it is absorbed slowly into the bloodstream. Only then is a molecule (ester) cleaved off and utilized by the body but your eventually going to use the entire dose as opposed to only 10%. Then we start talking about ester half life etc. That's where the weekly or twice weekly injection schedules come into play. Research is your friend.

Now let's throw in estradiol... Were having fun now!!
 
Yarm said:
I do suspect the gradual time release is a positive factor.

If I apply the cream it absorbs so rapidly that it's like having a double shot of coffee. This put me off, so I've have a few stops and starts never going for more than 10 days.

Interestingly applying the same cream on the scrotum does not have the same impact. So possibly allows for a more gradual uptake. At least I don't get jittery.

The dose works out at 100mg per day. So not sure where it all goes given 200mg pw injectable seems to be the norm.

How long would you suggest running with creams before assessing? So far (5 days in this round) I've noticed improved mood and maybe focus.

Thanks

Nb- not sure where this FAQ lives. The faq listed above didn't list much.
Click to expand...

I've never looked into the pharmacokinetics of transdermals to be honest, so I'm not sure how the hormone is metered out. I'd imagine it would also be on some sort of time delay as the half-life of testosterone is actually quite short.

http://www.steroidology.com/forum/testosterone-replacement-therapy/662394-basic-trt-overview.html

The link above (pasted) is what I'm referring to.

I would give it a good month to see if it's for you. Remember, a great deal of things you're feeling right now are placebo as you KNOW you're fixing a problem. Actual repair of some things such as mental acuity take much, much longer. It is faster than injections starting off though. :)
 
Thanks.
It seems a bit up and down. Incremental improvements followed by 'down' days. I don't think it's placebo. But given that's a unconscious process one can't really judge.

I have read the stickies. Very informative. Creams seem to get a bad rap, hence my query.
 
flyboy9994 said:
Keep in mind that only a fraction of creams/gels actually make it to the bloodstream. I believe I read 10% somewhere so for the sake of argument, your getting 10% a day which is only 10mgs from your initial 100mg application. That's 70mgs per week opposed to a standard dose of 100mg per week via injection. The main difference is the injection remains in a "depot" or suspended inside the injection sight muscle until it is absorbed slowly into the bloodstream. Only then is a molecule (ester) cleaved off and utilized by the body but your eventually going to use the entire dose as opposed to only 10%. Then we start talking about ester half life etc. That's where the weekly or twice weekly injection schedules come into play. Research is your friend.

Now let's throw in estradiol... Were having fun now!!
Click to expand...

I've no trouble absorbing the cream. If anything I do so too quickly and there a roller coaster ride within the day, from jittery to low. As such I break it up into three applications. A hassle but solves the problem.
 
I also initially had very good results. I never got the "jitters" from Axiron but did feel it a little about an hour after application. I also did end up splitting my dose into two daily applications near the end to try and get a good even dose throughout the day. I believe the main reason creams/gels get a bad rap is that in a majority of users, the effects taper off and absorption may become an issue. I know in my case the gel was actually starting to pill up on my skin after application and was obvious it wasn't absorbing anymore. It's almost as if my body was rejecting it or my skin at the application site was not accepting it? Not sure but I had to switch to injections. Again, as long as it's working for you, by all means keep using it. Just be aware that it may not work indefinitely. Always good to have a plan B!

Also, be sure to post your blood work results here when you get it. We love to read that stuff here!
 
As usual after seven days, the continued improvement on creams has proved to be short lived.
No sure why, but it's always around the seven day mark.
So have halved the dose and will look to wean myself off again as I get better results if I focus on diet and homoeopathic approaches.
Maybe it's aromatisation. I can't be sure. No tingling nipples etc. maybe it's no longer being absorbed. Not more jitters at this stage. Disappointing...
 
Creams are just an unreliable delivery mechanism and they cause so many other problems. Have you tried injections? They are tried-and-true.
 
I did injections from Oct 13 to Apr 14. I then went to Androgel so I've been on Androgel for 17 months. I've been as high as 838 and as low as 506. I had a 697 in there, a 585, and a 660 in there too. I take HCG at 150iu's daily too.

When I was on injections, I hit around 1400 on 120mg's a week with 350u's of HCG 3x a week.

The difference between the two. I had more muscle and stronger on injections. It was easier to build muscle. I could also get my test levels higher. All those numbers up there are on 4 pumps of Androgel. If I want to go higher, I need injections.

On Androgel, my libido is higher and I have a better sense of well being. I also have stronger erections. I would attribute that to the higher DHT from the Androgel. I also have more body hair on Androgel.

I like the Androgel because it's easier for me and I don't have to worry about getting grief from my doctor. They seem to want to give you Androgel easier than the injections. That's probably because big pharma is paying them to push that product.
 
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