By Mike Kocsis | 10 minutes read | Last updated: July 13, 2020 Categories: Medication Testosterone TRT
Medically Reviewed by Dr. George Touliatos
Each year, millions of men suffer from the symptoms of low testosterone. This is a condition that many experience, but less choose to treat. If you are suffering from low testosterone, you might have heard of testosterone replacement therapy and testosterone injections. Low testosterone is a condition that isn’t fun for anyone to go through, but it’s important to know that there are options. However, if you are new to the world of testosterone replacement therapy and the administration of it through injections, you might be wondering about what some of your options are and which is the best way to receive a injections.
Testosterone intramuscular injections are one of the most popular ways to treat low testosterone and the symptoms that come along with it. This guide will show you everything you need to know about testosterone intramuscular injections and who is a good fit for this type of injection. By its conclusion, you will know whether testosterone intramuscular injections are the right choice for you.
Why Are Testosterone Injections Necessary?
In many men, the ability to produce enough testosterone diminishes over time. However, in other men, it can deplete very quickly. In cases where men have experienced a decline in testosterone production very quickly and unnaturally early, testosterone replacement therapy is one possible option to fight off the side effects that such a condition can have. One of the most effective ways to administer testosterone and increase the amount of testosterone in a man is with an injection.
The side effects of low testosterone might not sound severe or life-threatening, but they can certainly drastically lower the quality of life that someone experiences. In these cases, it is vital that proper testosterone therapy be administered in order to mitigate the side effects. However, close attention may be paid to the particulars of the testosterone treatment. The same injection site is not going to be suitable for every man with low testosterone.
Intramuscular injections are one of the many types of injections that can be used to administer testosterone replacement therapy treatments and they are widely considered one of the best options that you have when faced with low testosterone.
What are Intramuscular Injections?
When it comes to testosterone replacement therapy and other conditions that require an injection, there are several different types of injections that can be used. One of the most popular and most effective types of injections are intramuscular injections. Intramuscular injections are injections that are made with the intention of penetrating deep into the muscle tissue of the person receiving the treatment. The reason for the popularity of intramuscular injections is that they are typically more effective and fast-acting. Whether or not your situation warrants the use of an intramuscular injection type will depend on the intensity and speed of which you need your treatment.
Intramuscular injections are one of the leading types of injections used in testosterone replacement therapy for these reasons and more.
Injections vs Other Methods
If you are facing low testosterone and the symptoms that come along with it, you know that there are several options out there for treating low testosterone and delivering testosterone replacement therapy. There are gels, patches, and other types of delivery methods that are designed to increase the amount of testosterone in your body. However, none are as popular as testosterone injections. Testosterone injections are the most widely used form of testosterone replacement therapy.
The reason for the popularity of testosterone injections is multifaceted. There are many reasons why those with low testosterone prefer this type of treatment as opposed to others. The main reason for the preference that is given to testosterone injections is that it is the most effective. With testosterone being injected directly into your body and bloodstream, you will feel the effects faster and you will also be able to feel them stronger. With gels or patches, it often takes time to feel the effects and they are also not as strong as an injection.
Another reason for the popularity of injections is the convenience that they come with. Injections are easy to administer almost anywhere and you can do it yourself rather easily, as well. Gels and patches might seem convenient, but there are certain restrictions that you must impose on yourself when wearing a patch or gel, and even restrict yourself from touching others in the case of a gel. Overall, injections are a much more effective and convenient way to administer testosterone replacement therapy and that is why they are most widely used.
Symptoms of Intramuscular Testosterone Injections
While injections are widely regarded as the most effective way to administer this sort of treatment, there are potential drawbacks. Knowing whether a testosterone injection is the right choice for you involves knowing all of the associated risks that come with the treatment, even if they are very slight. Some of the possible side effects of a testosterone injection to treat low testosterone include:
- Pain at the injection site
- Tingling
- Numb feeling
- Redness and swelling
- Drainage
- Bleeding at the injection site
- Allergic reaction
Many of these symptoms are conditions that would be treated easily with medical care, but it’s still important that you are aware of the possible side effects of this sort of treatment. Generally speaking you should not have any symptoms once you have learned how to inject your testosterone correctly, this is something we will teach you and show you the best injection sites.
How to Administer an Intramuscular Injection for Low Testosterone
Once you have decided on a testosterone injection as the right treatment method for your low testosterone, the next step is learning how to safely give yourself an injection. This is a very important step, as most of the time, it will be you giving yourself the injection. It is important to master these steps, and this step-by-step breakdown will give you all of the knowledge that you need to safely give yourself an intramuscular testosterone injection to treat your symptoms.
Step 1: Cleanliness
The first step to almost any medical procedure is to ensure everything is clean. For giving yourself an injection, the most important part of this step is washing your hands. You want to make sure that you thoroughly wash your hands prior to doing anything else in this treatment. The dangers of not washing your hands are severe, as you could cause infection or irritation at the injection site that could require immediate medical attention.
When you are washing your hands, be sure to follow crucial steps to ensure maximum cleanliness. This means scrubbing between your fingers, on the back of your hands, and under your fingernails. Even the slightest amount of dirt or grime could interrupt and interfere with your injection process. The common rule of thumb is to lather your hands for 20 seconds while washing to ensure they are as clean as possible.
Step 2: Gather Supplies
Once you know that everything is clean and safe in preparation for your testosterone injection, the next step is to gather all of the supplies that you’ll be needing for the process. For a testosterone intramuscular injection, this is a pretty simple task because you don’t need much. Here are the crucial elements that you will need to administer a testosterone intramuscular injection:
- Bandages
- Container for disposal
- Gauze
- Alcohol pads for sanitation
- Needle
- Syringe with testosterone or other medication
When you gather all of these supplies, be sure to lay them out in a manner that makes it easy for you to safely access them during the treatment. Be sure to have them all within reach so that you don’t have to be up walking around in the middle of the process, putting yourself in danger.
Step 3: Locate & Clean Injection Site
After you have all of your supplies, next comes time to locate the site that you will be injecting into. For intramuscular injection, this could mean a couple of different locations. The injection site that you will use will largely be determined by a collaboration between you and your medical professional. Most of the time, it will be the site that you are most comfortable using to inject yourself.
After you have located the site that you are going to inject, you need to clean it first before starting the process of the injection. The cleaning is, once again, one of the most important parts of this entire process. A clean injection site, equipment, and hands will ensure that you are put at as low of a risk for infection as possible during the injection process. It is vitally important that you clean the injection site with an alcohol swab. After the cleaning, always let the skin air dry before starting the next step.
Step 4: Medication Preparation
If you have a clean and prepared injection site, you now have to prepare the medication that you are going to be injecting into the site. This means first preparing the syringe. Remove the cap from the syringe and draw air into it. Make sure you draw it back to an equal amount of the medication that you will be injecting. This step preps the syringe for the injection and ensures that the vacuum seal is created. You can push the air back out into the vial after putting the needle into it. During this process, be sure to not touch the needle to ensure cleanliness.
Once the needle is in the vial, drawback again to pull the medication into the syringe. Be sure to turn the vial and syringe upside down during this process to ensure you get the right amount of medication into the syringe. If you have air bubbles in the syringe, be sure to tap the syringe to release them and push the air bubbles out with the plunger.
Step 5: Injection
Now that all of that is done, you are ready for the actual injection. To perform the injection, you will once again find the injection site and insert the needle while holding it as you would a dart. Insert it into the intramuscular site at a 90-degree angle to ensure safety and accuracy. You need to be firm when you insert the needle, but also maintain control while you are doing it. Do not push the plunger in while you are doing this.
Once you have the syringe in place in the injection site, you may need to pull back on the syringe a little bit to see if any blood gets into the syringe. If there is blood drawn into the syringe, this means that the tip of the syringe is in a blood vessel and you must restart the process from the beginning. This is a rare occurrence, and may not matter depending on what your medical professional says.
If you pull the syringe back and there is no blood, that is an indication that your needle is in the right place. You can then inject the medication as planned by slowly pushing the plunger in. Once you are finished with the injection, simply remove the needle quickly and dispose of it responsibly. Apply pressure to the site that you injected into with gauze and finish up with a bandage.
Popular Intramuscular Injection Sites
Intramuscular injection can mean a couple of different sites throughout the body. The goal of intramuscular injection is to penetrate deep into the muscle tissue of the injection, and there are a few sites on the body that provides for this type of effectiveness. Here are the various sites that can be used for intramuscular injection:
- Deltoid muscle in the arm
- Vastus lateralis muscle in the thigh (quads)
- Ventrogluteal muscle in the hip
- Dorsogluteal muscles in the buttocks
The site that you inject in for your testosterone replacement therapy treatments will largely hinge upon a conversation that you have with your medical professional to determine what is best for you. This conversation will likely revolve around what is comfortable for you since you will be self-administering the treatment most of the time.
Conclusion
As one of the most common treatment options for those with low testosterone and the symptoms that come along with it, intramuscular testosterone injections are very effective and safe when done correctly. This recap of background information for intramuscular testosterone injections should provide you with the information that you need to effectively decide whether intramuscular injections are the right choice for you. If you are interested in starting TRT or getting blood tests done to check your testosterone levels, then get in touch with Balance My Hormones today for a free consultation.
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About the Author: Mike Kocsis
Mike Kocsis has an MBA with a focus on healthcare administration and is an entrepreneur and medical case manager for Balance My Hormones Ltd which offers medical services in the UK and Europe. Mike has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare sector, much of that working with people who have hormone imbalances. Mike has appeared on podcasts and radio and is an expert speaker on the subject of hormone imbalance. He specialises in Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and has helped thousands of people suffering from hormone imbalances recover and regain control of their lives. You can follow him on LinkedIn and on the Balance My Hormones YouTube Channel.
Last update: July 13th, 2020
