"I'm going on shots because gel doesn't work fast"
Now is a good chance to talk about this topic briefly, because yet again, another person has said that chances on gel do not come anywhere near as fast as changes on shots.
Gel reacts differently with different people. Some people respond great to it, and other people don’t respond so well to it, and I have to bet some of you are just seeing those people and concluding that gel does not work. If gel is not working for you, switch to a different type of testosterone and see how that works, and if you are only finding people who are not changing on gel, find some other guys who take gel. They are out there, they might be hard to find because it’s far more popular to take shots, but they are out there, they have blogs here and YouTube channels.
Some people on gel have experienced changes far quicker than most people on shots, so this brings me back to my first point, some people respond great to Tgel, get all the normal changes, and even at a faster pace than a lot of people who are taking shots.
There are many other pros and cons comparing gel and shots that you should weight up before choosing, and see what is best for you. What is best for someone else may not be best for you, so don’t always take what someone else says about the topic so literally. Some people say they would hate to apply gel daily, because it would remind them of their transition, so that doesn’t mean you would necessarily feel the same way. Some guys like it, because it makes them fee like they are doing something quickly every day to contribute to their medical transition. It gives them hope for the future and makes them feel productive. Do some research on Google to find more out about this and see what’s best for you.
Waiting sucks.
I’m only five days on T and I’m on a half dose. And…
Oh. My. God. I did not think that the waiting would be this frustrating. I thought I was going to be able to be patient. But I think time has literally stopped. You know, I’ve been watching all these videos of guys one week on T talking about how they’ve noticed minor changes just a few days in and I’m like what is that all about? Is that some sort of placebo effect shit? Because I haven’t noticed a single fucking thing.
And it’s like I’m not asking for a full beard or anything, all I want is one tiny sign that the testosterone is actually working…I don’t care what it is, oily skin, appetite increase, whatever. I know once that first little change happens I’ll be able to relax a little bit and be like, “Ok…my body really is going to change.” But the wait until that first sign feels like it’s taking foreverrrrrr.
Androgel & Testim
For roughly the past two weeks, I’ve been taking Testim’s testosterone gel, to which I’ve switched from Androgel.
My current dose of Testim is 5g of Testim 1% every other day—Testim 1% has the same concentration of testosterone as Androgel 1%, so 5g of Testim 1% is equivalent to 5g of Androgel 1%. When my dosage was increased about three weeks ago, I used up the Androgel before I started the Testim, because I didn’t want to be traveling with the Androgel pump container.
A major difference between Androgel and Testim’s gel is that Testim’s was wayyy cheaper than Androgel. Androgel 1% cost me $100 when I bought it in April, and an equivalent amount of Testim 1% was $16. Testosterone gel is often touted as more expensive than injectable, but I am very pleased that there exist testosterone gels that don’t cost an arm and a leg. (A note: Androgel, if I were paying the full price, would have been over $300 for the amount I purchased. The LGBT center I go to has a discount pharmacy.)
When I switched to Testim, the first thing I noticed was that since I was applying every other day rather than every day, the night before an application I had depression spikes for the first three in-between nights. I also had a bunch of bad shit happen to me during that time (the life-changing kind of bad shit), so it might have been mere coincidence that I was feeling shitty, but I cried nearly uncontrollably during the which of those occasions fell on nights before I was due to apply the gel in the morning. Things seem to have largely evened out since then, in terms of my moods, so I think I’m accustomed to applying every other day instead of every day.
My doctor encouraged me to double my current dosage and apply 5g/day instead of every other day if I felt it appropriate. I’d like to do that so that my changes happen a little less slowly, but there is one big thing standing in the way of that, and it’s not money.
It’s the texture of Testim as compared to Androgel. Androgel absorbed extremely quickly when I used it. Testim does not absorb so quickly—it leaves a sticky residue that is extremely unpleasant and makes clothing stick to my skin for many (12+) hours after application. I generally use gloves when I apply testosterone gel of any kind to my skin, but there have been some occasions where I don’t use gloves. I can feel a residue on my hands after washing them for five whole minutes, if I applied Testim with my bare hands. I’m not sure if it’s an autistic texture sensitivity that makes me feel these sensations with such strong disgust, or if Testim’s texture is generally regarded as disgusting.
I would vastly prefer to be on double my current dose, with Androgel instead of with Testim. Unfortunately since I’m still unemployed, that is not likely to happen anytime soon. So I will have to put up with my pajamas sticking to my shoulders for a while.
How long have you been on T-gel, and what signs have you noticed?
around 6 months. i will summarize my physical changes but i could miss some. if i do i will add them when i remember.
- deep male voice.
- facial hair growth.
- a lot of body hair growth. i had hairy legs before but that was about it. the rest of my body hair was blonde and not very noticeable. now it’s longer, thicker and darker so it’s noticeable. i also have hair growing in places i never used to have hair.
- my head hair and body hair has got darker. the blonde hairs are now dark brown.
- my skin has changed. it’s not as soft and smooth as before, and i get acne on my face.
- my veins on my hands pop out.
- my chest doesn’t get sore and hard like it did before i took hormones. i don’t touch that area, but when i have had to, it’s noticeably soft. this helps with binding it down.
- i put muscle on easier.
- i put weight on easier. this means i need to watch my diet and exercise regime.
- my body odour has changed. i smell like what my dad smells like when deodorant fails him.
- the scent of my genitalia has changed and i assume the taste of it would have changed with that.
- i can experience an erection now. it grows in length and literally gets hard when i get really turned on. it’s like a small penis.
- my sex drive increases when my testosterone levels go up.
- maybe my body has a more male shape. i can’t tell because i gained weight without realising until i put on too many pounds. when i lose weight i will see.
do you want me to summarize my mental and emotional changes too?
RE: The NHS Suck (my PCT does anyhow)
So apparently the gel is like £50 a month, and the jabs around £40 for SIX months..
Possibly the reason they changed their minds about prescribing for me after the first gel scrip?
Bastards.
Still. I emailed again saying I’d go on the jabs again if it means I can have a scrip again! Fingers crossed.
In other news, my lower back and guts hurt today. And my right knee for some reason. I’m paranoid the back and gut pain is the curse returning. I don’t think I can live with that again. The most vivid and awful memory of my life is the first one. Worse than drowning, worse than people trying to push me in front of a bus, worse than having my heart broken, worse than being hit and pushed into doorframes.. Worse and more vivid than any bad experience since or before.
Please don’t let it be back. Please.
Question about testosterone gel
I started Testim a week ago and I’ve noticed that I’ve been itching a lot. I thought it might be from the gel drying out my skin or whatever except for the fact that the itching isn’t confined to the places I put the gel on (I put it on my arms and shoulders, but my back itches too). However, the itching definitely started when I started the Testim. Could it be that I’m mildly allergic to one of the ingredients?
Has anyone else experienced something like this?
