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location:  Transition  >  Testosterone  >  Dosage Information Testosterone Enanthate, brand name Delatestryl, comes in 200mg/mL, suspended in sesamee seed oil, in 1mL and 5mL vials (occasionally you can find a 10mL vial). The pharmacy at my local hospital charges $120 for a 200mg/mL, 5mL vial of Testosterone Enanthate. Testosterone Cypionate, brand name Depo Testosterone by Upjohn, comes in 100mg/mL and 200mg/mL, suspended in cottonseed oil, in 10mL vials. I bought my first 200mg/mL, 10mL vial at CVS Pharmacy for $124.00, surprisingly one of the cheepest prices I found for my local pharmacies. Since then, I found that Walmart or Costco are the cheepest places to buy it. Since I started on 60mg/week, I started injecting 0.3mL per weekly shot. I eventually increased my dose to 80mg/week (0.4mL per shot). My doctor wrote me a perscription for either Cypionate or Enanthate, but I obviously went with the Cypionate due to availability and cost. He started me on 60mg/week, claiming that "standard dose" of 100mg/week (or 200mg biweekly) turned out to be way too high for most FTMs. I did not have any major problems with hot flashes or any other menopausal symptoms after my hysterectomy, though my doctor said he would raise my dose if I did. I chose to inject every week, instead of every other week, because it is supposed to minimize the mood swings associated with the ups and down of having a lot of T in your system right after you inject, then not very much 2 weeks later when it's time for the next shot. I didn't experience any major problems with self-injecting, besides hitting a surface vessel or two. When I was injecting into my thigh, I used a 22 gauge needle to draw the T into the syringe (sometimes I used 21 gauge needles, depending on what the pharmacy had available), and normally this 21 or 22 gauge needle comes attached to a syringe. In my experience, pharmacies tend to carry these 21/22 guage needles in 1 or 1.5 inch long attached to a 10 ml syringe (it doesn't matter to me how long the needle is, because I only used this one to draw T from the vial). I then switched needles to a 25 gauge to inject - if injecting intramuscularly (in the thigh), I used a 1 inch long 25 guage needle to inject; if injecting subcutaneously (in the thigh), I used a 5/8 inch long 25 gauge needle to inject. In the past I used the single 22 gauge needle to both draw up the T and inject, but I found the smaller 25 gauge needle to inject is easier on my thigh and my mind. Because the T is so thick, it takes longer to inject with the smaller gauge (larger number) needle, but I don't mind, as I have to inject slowly anyway to help prevent T leaking out after I pull out the needle. A lot of FTMs also prefer to change the needle between drawing up the T and injecting it anyway to guarantee the needle is sterile and very sharp (puncturing the T bottle dulls it a little). Some claim it may hurt less if the needle is a new needle. While pain wasn't the deciding factor for me to start switching to a 25 gauge to inject, I noticed that I definitely feel it less with the smaller gauge. When my partner used to inject me into my buttock muscle, we used a one inch long, 22 gauge needle to draw the T into the syringe (again, sometimes I used 21 gauge and/or 1.5 inch long needles, depending on what the pharmacy had available). I then switched needles to a 1.5 inch long, 25 gauge needle to inject. We used the "Z-technique" as shown by my endocrinologist to prevent bleeding and any T from coming out of the injection site after pulling the needle out. In our experience, the "Z-technique" worked very well. At the end of 2009, I started on the Testopel implant, because I was just tired of doing my shot and didn't want to ever have to rely on someone else to do it for me every week. It has been amazing not to even have to think about doing my shot, and starting the pellets has literally changed my life. I found a local doctor who was knowledgeable and skilled in Testopel by calling Slate Pharmaceuticals at 1-866-752-8350. Through trials and repeated bloodwork, we have figured out that 6 pellets lasts me about 2 months, and 8 pellets lasts me about 4-4.5 months. Shot #1 -- May 15th, 2003:  60mg (0.3 mL) Shot #2 -- May 22th, 2003:  60mg Shot #3 -- May 29th, 2003:  60mg Shot #4 -- June 5, 2003:  60 mg Shot #5 -- June 12, 2003:  60mg Shot #6 -- June 19, 2003:  60mg Shot #7 -- June 26, 2003:  60mg Shot #8 -- July 3, 2003:  60mg Shot #9 -- July 10, 2003:  60mg Shot #10 -- July 17, 2003:  60mg Shot #11 -- July 24, 2003:  60mg Shot #12 -- July 31, 2003:  60mg Endocrinologist Apppiontment: August 7, 2003 I had my 3-months-on-T appointment with my endocrinologist. He wanted to test my peak T level (24 hours after a shot) and my trough T level (right before a shot) to make sure it is within the normal male range of 240-830 ng/dl. However, because I was still trying to get my insurance company to pay for my hysterectomy, I did not want to bill the lab work to them, even as hypogonadism, as that might make them suspicious. My doctor said he would be comfortable keeping me on 60mg/week until my November appointment, even without the bloodwork, because it's an average dose and couldn't be lethal anyway. We agreed to wait to do the bloodwork until then, by which time my insurance company should have paid and I'll be able to bill it to them under hypogonadism. Shot #13 -- August 7, 2003:  60mg (0.3 mL) Shot #14 -- August 14, 2003:  60mg Shot #15 -- August 21, 2003:  60mg Shot #16 -- August 28, 2003:  60mg Shot #17 -- September 4, 2003:  60mg Shot #18 -- September 11, 2003:  60mg Shot #19 -- September 18, 2003:  60mg Shot #20 -- September 25, 2003:  60mg Shot #21 -- October 2, 2003:  60mg Shot #22 -- October 10, 2003:  60mg    *changed from a Thurs. to a Fri. schedule* Shot #23 -- October 17, 2003:  60mg Shot #24 -- October 24, 2003:  60mg Shot #25 -- October 31, 2003:  60mg Shot #26 -- November 7, 2003:  60mg Endocrinologist Apppiontment: November 14, 2003 I had a lot to talk to my endo about at my 6-months-on-T appointment. For the past month or so, I had been experiencing minor hot flashes and irritability the day or two before my next shot. He thought my dose might not be high enough, and since I didn't have any bloodwork done at my August appointment, he wanted to test my T levels anyway. Also, when my partner at the time and I would do the shot each week, some T would come out of the injection site every time. My insurance still hadn't paid in full for my hysterectomy so I had to pay for the visit and bloodwork out of pocket. To solve the injection issue, he showed my partner at the time how to inject me into my butt muscle with the "Z-technique." For this, I needed to get 1.5 inch needles. My trough T level turned out to be 547ng/dl (expected results of 240-830ng/dl) so he said to keep on the 60mg/week regimine. Hopefully, without losing any T from now on, it might help with the minor hot flashes/irritability issue. Shot #27 -- November 14, 2003:  60mg (0.3 mL) Shot #28 -- November 21, 2003:  60mg Shot #29 -- November 28, 2003:  60mg Shot #30 -- December 5, 2003:  60mg Shot #31 -- December 12, 2003:  60mg Shot #32 -- December 19, 2003:  60mg Shot #33 -- December 26, 2003:  60mg Shot #34 -- January 2, 2004:  60mg Shot #35 -- January 9, 2004:  60mg Shot #36 -- January 16, 2004:  60mg Shot #37 -- January 23, 2004:  60mg Shot #38 -- January 30, 2004:  60mg Shot #39 -- February 6, 2004:  60mg Shot #40 -- February 13, 2004:  60mg Shot #41 -- February 22, 2004:  60mg    *2 days late* Shot #42 -- February 28, 2004:  60mg    *changed from a Fri. to Sat. schedule* Shot #43 -- March 6, 2004:  60mg Endocrinologist Apppiontment: March 8, 2004 At my approximately 9-months-on-T appointment, we mostly discussed my acne problem and facial hair (or lack thereof). He said he wanted to check my peak T levels to make sure they weren't too high, which could be a cause of the wide-spred acne. Because I haven't had any problems growing hair anywhere else (i.e. stomach, legs, butt, etc.), and it was just "those damn face folicles" that were lagging behind, he wouldn't worry about it being due to my T dosage or anything...just simple genetics. My peak T levels came back as 615ng/dl (expected results of 241-827ng/dl), right where they should be. Since I haven't had any real problems with it, he sent me a script in the mail to get my T and LH levels checked in 3-4 months. Shot #44 -- March 13, 2004:  60mg (0.3 mL) Shot #45 -- March 20, 2004:  60mg Shot #46 -- March 27, 2004:  60mg Shot #47 -- April 3, 2004:  60mg Shot #48 -- April 12, 2004:  60mg    *2 days late* Shot #49 -- April 17, 2004:  60mg    *began self-injecting again* Shot #50 -- April 24, 2004:  60mg Shot #51 -- May 1, 2004:  60mg Shot #52 -- May 8, 2004:  60mg Shot #53 -- May 15, 2004:  60mg    *One Year on T!* Shot #54 -- May 22, 2004:  60mg Shot #55 -- May 29, 2004:  60mg Shot #56 -- June 5, 2004:  60mg Bloodwork Done: June 12, 2004 For my approximately 1-year-on-T checkup, we decided for me to just get some bloodwork done to check my T trough levels again. My total testosterone was 410ng/dl (expected results of 300-950ng/dl), and my bioavailable testosterone was 74ng/dl (expected results of 83-257ng/dl). Since my blood was drawn at my absolute trough and both of these values are on the low end of the normal male ranges, we decided to keep me on my present dose of 60mg/week. Shot #57 -- June 12, 2004:  60mg (0.3 mL) Shot #58 -- June 19, 2004:  60mg Shot #59 -- June 26, 2004:  60mg Shot #60 -- July 3, 2004:  60mg Shot #61 -- July 10, 2004:  60mg Shot #62 -- July 17, 2004:  60mg Shot #63 -- July 24, 2004:  60mg Shot #64 -- July 31, 2004:  60mg Shot #65 -- August 7, 2004:  60mg Shot #66 -- August 14, 2004:  60mg Shot #67 -- August 21, 2004:  60mg Shot #68 -- August 28, 2004:  60mg Shot #69 -- September 5, 2004:  60mg    *changed from a Sat. to Sun. schedule* Shot #70 -- September 12, 2004:  60mg Shot #71 -- September 19, 2004:  60mg Shot #72 -- September 26, 2004:  60mg Shot #73 -- October 3, 2004:  60mg Endocrinologist Apppiontment: October 8, 2004 At my approximately 1 year and a half on T appointment, I talked to my doctor about possibly increasing my dose, checking my cholesterol and liver functions, and changing to a smaller needle to inject. I was interested in raising my dose, because I feel the rate of my transition has leveled out over the past couple of months. He said he wanted to check my Luteinizing Hormone (LH) level, which is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland and is regulated via negative feedback by estrogen or testosterone. Because I have had a hysterectomy, he would be worried about elevated levels of LH, which has been associated with bone density loss. If my levels were indeed elevated, we would have to raise my dose anyway, even if I hadn't expressed an interest in raising it for other reasons. Since I have had psycological difficulty with injecting, he gave me a 25 gauge needle to try injecting with and said I could call for a presciption if I liked it. My total peak testosterone was 838ng/dl (expected result of 300-950ng/dl), and my bioavailable testosterone was 235ng/dl (expected result of 83-257ng/dl), both within the normal ranges and toward the high end as expected for a peak blood draw. My LH level was 25.7mIU/ml (expected result of 2-9mIU/ml for males), which is high, but my doctor claimed it was not high enough to cause a problem with bone density loss, and considering my peak T levels, does not merit raising my dose. Oh well. I also had a complete metabolic panel (liver) and a lipid profile, mostly out of curiosity. While my liver enzymes, cholesterol, and LDL levels look normal, my trigylcerides were slightly elevated and my HDL level was in the "High Risk" range. Also, my Total Cholesterol to HDL ratio was 4.0, which isn't great. I'm working on getting my hands on my Pre-T bloodwork to compare, although I'm not sure if a lipid profile was run. As for needles, although it was more difficult to push the thick T through the 25 gauge needle, I think it was easier, and I'm going to try using this smaller gauge for injecting for a while. I also talked to him about self-injecting in my butt, and he showed me where/how to do it. He said he doesn't have many patients that self-inject back there, and I'm not sure if I'm going to try it or not yet. Shot #74 -- October 10, 2004:  60mg (0.3 mL) Shot #75 -- October 17, 2004:  60mg Shot #76 -- October 24, 2004:  60mg Shot #77 -- October 31, 2004:  60mg Shot #78 -- November 7, 2004:  60mg Shot #79 -- November 14, 2004:  60mg Shot #80 -- November 21, 2004:  60mg Shot #81 -- November 28, 2004:  60mg Shot #82 -- December 5, 2004:  60mg Shot #83 -- December 12, 2004:  60mg Shot #84 -- December 19, 2004:  60mg Shot #85 -- December 26, 2004:  60mg Shot #86 -- January 2, 2005:  60mg Shot #87 -- January 9, 2005:  60mg Shot #88 -- January 16, 2005:  60mg Shot #89 -- January 23, 2005:  60mg Shot #90 -- January 30, 2005:  60mg Shot #91 -- February 6, 2005:  60mg Shot #92 -- February 13, 2005:  60mg Shot #93 -- February 20, 2005:  60mg Shot #94 -- February 27, 2005:  60mg Shot #95 -- March 6, 2005:  60mg Shot #96 -- March 13, 2005:  60mg Shot #97 -- March 20, 2005:  60mg Shot #98 -- March 27, 2005:  60mg Shot #99 -- April 3, 2005:  60mg Shot #100 -- April 10, 2005:  60mg Shot #101 -- April 17, 2005:  60mg Shot #102 -- April 24, 2005:  60mg Shot #103 -- May 1, 2005:  60mg Shot #104 -- May 8, 2005:  60mg Shot #105 -- May 15, 2005:  60mg    *Two Years on T!* Shot #106 -- May 22, 2005:  60mg Shot #107 -- May 29, 2005:  60mg Shot #108 -- June 5, 2005:  60mg Shot #109 -- June 12, 2005:  60mg Shot #110 -- June 19, 2005:  60mg Shot #111 -- June 26, 2005:  60mg Shot #112 -- July 3, 2005:  60mg Shot #113 -- July 10, 2005:  60mg Endocrinologist Apppiontment: July 12, 2005 My approximately 2 years on T appointment was, regrettably, my last with Dr. Korff in Northampton, MA, because I moved out of the area. He tested my total peak testosterone (789ng/dl), LH (18.9mIU/ml), and CBC (44% Hematocrit) to check for Polycythemia. All of my values were well within normal range, and he said my mother, who is a doctor, can manage my hormones now that we have definitely seemed to have found an appropriate dosing schedule. From now on, he suggested I could be checked yearly, but my mother will probably test my levels in about 6 months so she can become comfortable with it. I also had my AST/ALT (liver function) tested at the same time through my dermatologist, and since I never heard anything from them, I think it is safe to assume they were normal. Shot #114 -- July 17, 2005:  60mg (0.3 mL) Shot #115 -- July 24, 2005:  60mg Shot #116 -- July 31, 2005:  60mg Shot #117 -- August 7, 2005:  60mg Shot #118 -- August 14, 2005:  60mg Shot #119 -- August 21, 2005:  60mg Shot #120 -- August 28, 2005:  60mg Shot #121 -- September 4, 2005:  60mg Shot #122 -- September 11, 2005:  60mg Shot #123 -- September 18, 2005:  60mg Shot #124 -- September 25, 2005:  80mg (0.4 mL)    *wanted to use the rest of the vial* Shot #125 -- October 2, 2005:  60mg Shot #126 -- October 9, 2005:  60mg Shot #127 -- October 16, 2005:  60mg Shot #128 -- October 23, 2005:  60mg Shot #129 -- October 30, 2005:  60mg Shot #130 -- November 6, 2005:  60mg Shot #131 -- November 13, 2005:  60mg Shot #132 -- November 20, 2005:  60mg Shot #133 -- November 27, 2005:  60mg Shot #134 -- December 4, 2005:  60mg Shot #135 -- December 11, 2005:  60mg Shot #136 -- December 18, 2005:  60mg Shot #137 -- December 25, 2005:  60mg Shot #138 -- January 1, 2006:  60mg Shot #139 -- January 8, 2006:  60mg Bloodwork: Date?, 2006 *still need to get some of the details for this paragraph, I appologise* Even though I technically didn't need bloodwork until Summer 2006, my mother (who is a family doctor) is going to be managing my dosage/levels from now on. She wanted to go ahead and do a bunch of bloodwork so she knows what she's doing and feel comfortable with what she wants to test. I had peak T, trough T, ________________ drawn, and they came back ________________. Based on my levels, we decided to increase my dose to 80mg/week (starting in March, when I finally got around to asking her how the tests turned out) to help along my transition and see if they would still be within the normal ranges. Shot #140 -- January 15, 2006:  60mg (0.3 mL) Shot #141 -- January 22, 2006:  60mg Shot #142 -- January 29, 2006:  60mg Shot #143 -- February 5, 2006:  60mg Shot #144 -- February 12, 2006:  60mg Shot #145 -- February 19, 2006:  60mg Shot #146 -- February 26, 2006:  60mg Shot #147 -- March 5, 2006:  60mg Shot #148 -- March 12, 2006:  80mg (0.4 mL)    *started 80mg/week* Shot #149 -- March 19, 2006:  80mg Shot #150 -- March 26, 2006:  80mg Shot #151 -- April 2, 2006:  80mg Shot #152 -- April 9, 2006:  80mg Shot #153 -- April 16, 2006:  80mg Shot #154 -- April 23, 2006:  80mg Shot #155 -- April 30, 2006:  80mg Shot #156 -- May 7, 2006:  80mg Shot #157 -- May 14, 2006:  80mg Shot #158 -- May 21, 2006:  80mg Shot #159 -- May 28, 2006:  80mg Shot #160 -- June 4, 2006:  80mg Shot #161 -- June 11, 2006:  80mg Shot #162 -- June 18, 2006:  80mg Shot #163 -- June 25, 2006:  80mg Shot #164 -- July 2, 2006:  80mg Shot #165 -- July 9, 2006:  80mg Shot #166 -- July 16, 2006:  80mg Shot #167 -- July 23, 2006:  80mg Shot #168 -- July 30, 2006:  80mg Shot #169 -- August 6, 2006:  80mg Shot #170 -- August 13, 2006:  80mg Shot #171 -- August 20, 2006:  80mg Shot #172 -- August 27, 2006:  80mg Shot #173 -- September 3, 2006:  80mg Shot #174 -- September 10, 2006:  80mg Shot #175 -- September 17, 2006:  80mg Shot #176 -- September 24, 2006:  80mg Shot #177 -- October 1, 2006:  80mg Shot #178 -- October 8, 2006:  80mg Shot #179 -- October 15, 2006:  80mg Shot #180 -- October 22, 2006:  80mg Shot #181 -- October 29, 2006:  80mg Shot #182 -- November 5, 2006:  80mg Shot #183 -- November 12, 2006:  80mg Shot #184 -- November 19, 2006:  80mg Shot #185 -- November 26, 2006:  80mg Shot #186 -- December 3, 2006:  80mg Shot #187 -- December 10, 2006:  80mg Shot #188 -- December 17, 2006:  80mg Shot #189 -- December 24, 2006:  80mg Shot #190 -- December 31, 2006:  80mg Shot #191 -- January 7, 2007:  80mg Shot #192 -- January 14, 2007:  80mg Shot #193 -- January 21, 2007:  80mg Shot #194 -- January 28, 2007:  80mg Shot #195 -- February 4, 2007:  80mg Shot #196 -- February 11, 2007:  80mg Shot #197 -- February 18, 2007:  80mg Shot #198 -- February 25, 2007:  80mg Shot #199 -- March 4, 2007:  80mg Shot #200 -- March 11, 2007:  80mg Shot #201 -- March 18, 2007:  80mg Shot #202 -- March 25, 2007:  80mg Shot #203 -- April 1, 2007:  80mg Shot #204 -- April 8, 2007:  80mg Shot #205 -- April 15, 2007:  80mg Shot #206 -- April 22, 2007:  80mg Shot #207 -- April 29, 2007:  80mg Shot #208 -- May 6, 2007:  80mg Shot #209 -- May 13, 2007:  80mg Shot #210 -- May 20, 2007:  80mg Shot #211 -- May 27, 2007:  80mg    *stopped injections 3 weeks before surgery* Shot #212 -- June 23, 2007:  80mg    *started back on injections after surgery* Shot #213 -- June 30, 2007:  80mg Shot #214 -- July 7, 2007:  80mg Shot #215 -- July 14, 2007:  80mg Shot #216 -- July 21, 2007:  80mg Shot #217 -- July 28, 2007:  80mg Shot #218 -- August 4, 2007:  80mg    *started subcutaneous injections* Shot #219 -- August 11, 2007:  80mg Shot #220 -- August 18, 2007:  80mg Shot #221 -- August 25, 2007:  80mg Shot #222 -- September 1, 2007:  80mg Shot #223 -- September 8, 2007:  80mg Shot #224 -- September 15, 2007:  80mg Shot #225 -- September 22, 2007:  80mg Shot #226 -- September 29, 2007:  80mg Shot #227 -- October 6, 2007:  80mg Shot #228 -- October 13, 2007:  80mg Shot #229 -- October 20, 2007:  80mg Shot #230 -- October 27, 2007:  80mg Shot #231 -- November 3, 2007:  80mg Shot #232 -- November 10, 2007:  80mg Shot #233 -- November 17, 2007:  80mg Shot #234 -- November 24, 2007:  80mg Shot #235 -- December 1, 2007:  80mg Shot #236 -- December 8, 2007:  80mg Shot #237 -- December 15, 2007:  80mg Shot #238 -- December 22, 2007:  80mg Shot #239 -- December 29, 2007:  80mg Shot #240 -- January 5, 2008:  80mg Shot #241 -- January 12, 2008:  80mg Shot #242 -- January 19, 2008:  80mg Shot #243 -- January 26, 2008:  80mg Shot #244 -- February 2, 2008:  80mg Shot #245 -- February 9, 2008:  80mg Shot #246 -- February 16, 2008:  80mg Shot #247 -- February 23, 2008:  80mg Shot #248 -- March 1, 2008:  80mg Shot #249 -- March 8, 2008:  80mg Shot #250 -- March 15, 2008:  80mg Shot #251 -- March 22, 2008:  80mg Shot #252 -- March 29, 2008:  80mg Shot #253 -- April 5, 2008:  80mg Shot #254 -- April 12, 2008:  80mg Shot #255 -- April 19, 2008:  80mg Shot #256 -- April 26, 2008:  80mg Shot #257 -- May 3, 2008:  80mg Shot #258 -- May 10, 2008:  80mg Shot #259 -- May 17, 2008:  80mg Shot #260 -- May 24, 2008:  80mg Shot #261 -- May 31, 2008:  80mg Shot #262 -- June 7, 2008:  80mg Shot #263 -- June 14, 2008:  80mg Shot #264 -- June 21, 2008:  80mg Shot #265 -- June 28, 2008:  80mg Shot #266 -- July 5, 2008:  80mg Shot #267 -- July 12, 2008:  80mg Shot #268 -- July 19, 2008:  80mg Shot #269 -- July 26, 2008:  80mg Shot #270 -- August 2, 2008:  80mg Bloodwork: August 2008 Since I hadn't gotten my levels checked in quite a while, I figured it was probably time to do so. I had been doing my injections subcutaneously, and at a higher dose, for at least a year so this bloodwork was really way overdue. My total peak testosterone was 745 ng/dL (reference range 262-1593 ng/dL) and free peak testosterone was 19.72 pg/mL (reference range 8.7-54.7). My trough levels were also done, which were total trough testosterone of 618 ng/dL (reference range 262-1593 ng/dL) and free trough testosterone of 12.61 pg/dL (reference rage 8.7-54.7). The only slight difference between peak and trough levels, even while doing subcutaneous injections, is comforting and supportive of this administration route for me. A routine complete blood count (CBC) was done to check for polycythemia, and my HCT came back normal as 42.6% (reference range 42.0-52.0). In addition, metabolic and chemistry profiles were run to check liver enzymes and cholesterol/triglyceride levels. The liver enzymes AST/ALT were normal (16 and 13 IU/L respectively, reference range 10-40). Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, HDL, LDL, and VLDL were all were well within the normal ranges, even on the lower end. My Total Cholesterol to HDL ratio was 3.1 (reference range less than 5.0), which is actually better than the last time I have on file (4 years ago, see above). All in all, I am very satisfied with my bloodwork results. Now I'll have to try not to wait so long to do it again... Shot #271 -- August 9, 2008:  80mg Shot #272 -- August 16, 2008:  80mg Shot #273 -- August 23, 2008:  80mg Shot #274 -- August 30, 2008:  80mg Shot #275 -- September 6, 2008:  80mg Shot #276 -- September 13, 2008:  80mg Shot #277 -- September 20, 2008:  80mg Shot #278 -- September 27, 2008:  80mg Shot #279 -- October 4, 2008:  80mg Shot #280 -- October 11, 2008:  80mg Shot #281 -- October 18, 2008:  80mg Shot #282 -- October 25, 2008:  80mg Shot #283 -- November 1, 2008:  80mg Shot #284 -- November 8, 2008:  80mg Shot #285 -- November 15, 2008:  80mg Shot #286 -- November 22, 2008:  80mg Shot #287 -- November 29, 2008:  80mg Shot #288 -- December 6, 2008:  80mg Shot #289 -- December 13, 2008:  80mg Shot #290 -- December 20, 2008:  80mg Shot #291 -- December 27, 2008:  80mg Shot #292 -- January 3, 2009:  80mg Shot #293 -- January 10, 2009:  80mg Shot #294 -- January 17, 2009:  80mg Shot #295 -- January 24, 2009:  80mg Shot #296 -- January 31, 2009:  80mg Shot #297 -- February 7, 2009:  80mg Shot #298 -- February 14, 2009:  80mg Shot #299 -- February 21, 2009:  80mg Shot #300 -- February 28, 2009:  80mg Shot #301 -- March 7, 2009:  80mg Shot #302 -- March 14, 2009:  80mg Shot #303 -- March 21, 2009:  80mg Shot #304 -- March 28, 2009:  80mg Shot #305 -- April 4, 2009:  80mg Shot #306 -- April 11, 2009:  80mg Shot #307 -- April 18, 2009:  80mg Shot #308 -- April 25, 2009:  80mg Shot #309 -- May 2, 2009:  80mg Shot #310 -- May 9, 2009:  80mg Shot #311 -- May 16, 2009:  80mg Shot #312 -- May 23, 2009:  80mg Shot #313 -- May 30, 2009:  80mg Shot #314 -- June 6, 2009:  80mg Shot #315 -- June 13, 2009:  80mg Shot #316 -- June 20, 2009:  80mg Shot #317 -- June 27, 2009:  80mg Shot #318 -- July 4, 2009:  80mg Shot #319 -- July 11, 2009:  80mg Shot #320 -- July 18, 2009:  80mg Shot #321 -- July 25, 2009:  80mg Shot #322 -- August 1, 2009:  80mg Shot #323 -- August 8, 2009:  80mg Shot #324 -- August 15, 2009:  80mg Shot #325 -- August 22, 2009:  80mg Shot #326 -- August 29, 2009:  80mg Shot #327 -- September 5, 2009:  80mg Shot #328 -- September 12, 2009:  80mg Shot #329 -- September 19, 2009:  80mg Shot #330 -- September 26, 2009:  80mg Shot #331 -- October 3, 2009:  80mg Shot #332 -- October 10, 2009:  80mg Shot #333 -- October 17, 2009:  80mg Shot #334 -- October 24, 2009:  80mg Shot #335 -- October 31, 2009:  80mg Shot #336 -- November 7, 2009:  80mg Shot #337 -- November 14, 2009:  80mg Shot #338 -- November 21, 2009:  80mg Shot #339 -- November 28, 2009:  80mg Shot #340 -- December 5, 2009:  80mg    *last shot before starting on Testopel* Consultation: December 9, 2009 I chose to pursue the Testopel implant, because I really didn't like doing my shot, and often my leg would be sore for days afterward. I had gone through phases of actually not being able to do it and needing someone else to, and I wanted to be done with that. I had also read some positive experiences of guys who had gotten the pellets. I called Slate Pharma, the manufacturers of Testopel and got the name and number of a doctor in my area who could do it. I had a consultation with him (a urologist), and we planned to start me on the pellets the following week. Testopel Implant: December 14, 2009 Getting the testoserone implants was pretty easy. They numb the butt cheek with local anesthetic and make a small incision near the bottom of the butt cheek. A long, thin injector is tunneled subcutaneously under the skin and is withdrawn while the plunger is being depressed, leaving the pellets along the numbed line on the butt cheek. A small bandage is applied, and that's it! Aside from some burning from the local anesthetic, it was relatively painless. I had 6 pellets implanted in the left butt cheek and was told to have my testosterone levels checked in four weeks at which point they will tell me when I need to go back in. Bloodwork: January 13, 2010 To see how the pellet was working for me, I got my total testosterone level checked one month after implantation. Total testosterone was 487. Bloodwork: February 13, 2010 My total and free testosterone levels were checked again. Total testosterone was 245 (reference range 262-1593 ng/dL). Free testosterone was 34 (reference range 47-244 pg/mL). Because both were low, I planned to get more pellets implanted. Testopel Implant: February 23, 2010 Because my testosterone levels were low after just 2 months with 6 pellets, I had 8 pellets implanted this time in the right butt cheek. The goal is to get the implants to last 3 months so hopefully the 8 will last me longer than the 6 lasted me previously. Bloodwork: June 3, 2010 To see how the 8 pellets were working for me, I got my total testosterone level checked a little more than 3 months after they were implanted. My total testosterone was 716 ng/dl, which is within the normal range. I had assumed it would be low by this time, but apparently 8 pellets lasts me at least 3 months. My doctor told me to get the level tested again in one month to see if it is low by the 4-month mark. Bloodwork: July 7, 2010 My total testosterone level was checked again - it was 209 ng/dL, which is low. Because it was low, I made an appointment to get more pellets implanted. Testopel Implant: July 21, 2010 I had 8 pellets implanted in the left butt cheek. Based on previous results, hopefully they will last for 4-4.5 months.