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I have been on Testosterone injections for about 10 weeks and have questions on syringe technique. The Testosterone comes in a vial with rubber stopper (as expected) and is very oily and "thick", making syringe technique important. My pharmacy supplies syringes and both "loading" needles and "injection" needles. One is supposed to use the large bore loading needle to load the syringe, switch to the injection needle, and then inject. OK, the loading needle is large bore but the needle length is too short to reach the Bottom of the vial" OK, that's normal. So, for several loadings, the loading needle can be inserted into the vial with the vial resting on a stable surface. But, there comes a point where the vial must be hand held and upended. So, the vial, syringe with needle must be inverted - trying to keep the needle tip in the fluid while withdrawing the heavy fluid. (Yes, I pump air in first to pressurize the vial.) It's doable, but difficult for an old guy.

OK, now take OFF the loading needle (whose bore is still full of medicine), and replace it with the injection needle. Make injection in thigh after alcohol rub. Quite a bit of force is needed since the injection needle is both long and small bore. I hold the plunger in one hand and the syringe hub in the other, stabilizing it and accepting the force needed for injection.

I have been discarding the Testosterone left in the loading needle but it might be saved if sterile.

My main complaint is trying to hold the syeinge, bottle, and needle in the liquid once most od the medicine has been used previously. Any guidance?

Good question, trying to get the last little bit out of a vial can be difficult. Once the vial with your syringe in it is inverted you need to carefully back the needle out slightly so the tip is still in the liquid that is left in the vial and it can then enter through the tip. The trick here is that it’s easy for the needle to accidentally slip out and when that happens you theoretically will contaminate the needle if you push it back in thru the rubber stopper.

What I try to do (I’m right handed- the hand with which I will use to withdraw with the plunger)

Hold the vial with inserted needle as a unit with left (non-dominate) thumb and forefinger holding the rim of the vial and with the syringe barrel held between the palm and remaining fingers and hold up toward a brightish light. That allows you to better see what remaining liquid is in the vial and where the needle tip is. Holding it as a unit makes it (a little) easier to slowly back the needle tip down to where the remaining liquid is, then withdraw what you need.

I’d suggest seeing if a nurse or medical assistant can watch and instruct you next clinic visit as it’s hard to describe in text rather that seeing someone do it as a demo.

Best of luck.

I do not use a loading needle, as I was instructed to use a 22ga, 1.5 needle for injection. I know our aging eyes is sometimes a problem. At times, I warm the bottle, and then it is not as thick. I agree on your next DR visit, they are always willing to assist.

Good luck to you!

It seems to me (if using the large bore needle) two improvements could be made by the manufacturer: 1. Make the large bore loading needle long enough to nearly touch the bottom of the vial and load with the vial on a stable surface; OR 2. Make the loading needle very short so the syringe and short needle could be held in contact with pressure and withdraw the med while the vial is inverted. This would give stability.

The disadvantage of method 1 is that the dead volume of the loading needle wastes medicine. I don't know of a problem with method 2.

I get my testosterone injections every two weeks in the URO office, so I don't have your issues, but I do give myself Trimix injections for ED and I have two suggestions concerning your loading your syringe.

1. When your level in the vial gets down to the point you can only get one partial or full syringe load you can take the metal cap and rubber stopper off the bottle and insert the needle to the bottom edge of the vial while holding vial at an angle so the remaining liquid pools at the edge. Then draw in the remaining fluid until the vial is empty. I do this all the time with my Trimix and it works fine.

2. When you pull the loading needle out of the vial pull the stopper back enough to pull the liquid in the needle bore into the syringe. Change needles and push the stopper until a tiny drop of liquid comes out of the smaller injection needle. This way there is no waste.

Just my two cents worth.
The Duck.

I used to use anabolic steroids (including test....yes I was dumb), flying duck's techniques are what I used to do. You can take the top off if it's your last draw, tip it to the side and draw up the remaining.

With regards to struggling to depress the plunger due to viscous solution, I had this a lot, I found firmly holding the syringe with my left hand would allow me to apply a lot of force upon the plunger without pushing the needle deeper into my tissue. That and just taking your time, try to relax and focus your mind only on the movement, it may not seem like the solution is going in, but it is. It's just practice. I used to use 27 or 28 gauge insulin needles with god knows what shit produced in a lab. (Again, dumb)

I found the ventral glute was the easiest, that and quads. Just relax when you do it, take your time. You will get better.

Have to make a small retraction....I went back to 22 ga needle for injection. Takes way too long to shoot it into my thigh. THEREFORE....I can honestly say the 21 ga is better, quicker. Mind over matter. The cypionate has done wonders for my libido, and has given more energy.

My Dr gives me a RX for a 10ml vial of methyl cobalamin (metholated B12)from a
compounding pharmacy. You draw it into the syringe first, then the testosterone.
Shake the loaded syringe, and it greatly "thins" the Testosterone, making the
injection much easier with a 25 gauge needle.

My urologist PA gave me good advice on not wasting testosterone left in loading needle:
Draw the require amount (or slightly more) into the syringe using loading needle.
Remove loading needle from vial and pull a little air into syringe.
Switch to injection needle (smaller bore)
Insert injection needle into vial containing testosterone
Press plunger to eliminate air and return excess testosterone to vial

It works for me and doesn't waste T.

ps. Before beginning this process, I swab the injection site (left outer thigh for me) with lidocain or such. During the prep time, the lidocain numbs. Wipe off injection site with alcohol wipe befre injection. I don't know if I would feel pain without the lidocain, but this method works for me.

I agree with Growinjim. This is similar to the method I’ve used for years. Only difference is that I only pull extra 0.01-0.02 ml with big bore. I don’t insert small bore injection needle into the vial as that dulls the needle. The “extra” amount is lost.

An added complexity for me is that my insurance provides only 1 ml vials. I’ve gotten pretty good at not losing T in big bore needle and draining the bottom of each vial.

For draining I hold the vial up to a bright light and position the needle almost out of sight.

Another difference is that I switched to deltoid I injections years ago. Injection needle is 27ga 1/2”. I press the needle in an additional 1/8”.

My dose is pretty modest @ 0.4 ml per week.