1 yr. ago • 100%

Switching to Intramuscular Injections

At my last telehealth appointment, I asked my provider if I could switch to injections after reading some advice on here. Taking the strain off of my liver seems like it can only be a good thing!

I am scheduled for an instructional appointment tomorrow morning to learn how to administer them properly. Nervous, but looking forward to the change!

18 comments

A note for everyone who is interested in injections but doesn't like IM, you can also do subcutaneous injections. My understanding is that estradiol in common preparations is a depot injection where absorption is controlled less by physical factors and more from the lipophilicity of the medicine itself.

Anybody who's interested can look for the article "Comparison of the Subcutaneous and Intramuscular Estradiol Regimens as Part of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy" published out of Dr. nippoldts group at Mayo recently.

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I liked to have a refresher the first couple times I did my injections.

Here's a refresher video for later 💕

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- That is super helpful, thank you! Yeah I think I will want to follow this guide for the first few times. I know it is not as scary as I think it is, but I really wanna make sure I don't screw anything up!
  
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  I can understand that, Some bad times in homeless shelters as a teenager made me afraid of needles for a long time, and it took some doing for me to get over it myself.
  
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I think the product is called AutoJect! I looked into it when I was planning and researching starting HRT. I’m not on injections yet, but if I ever am I would get that. Basically turns a normal syringe into an epi-pen type auto-injector. From what I can tell they are reusable and take a lot of the haste out. Designed generally for kids that need to be able to administer their own insulin I think.

EDIT: See below comment for the exact right product, the one I new of was for slightly different use cases.

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- Looks like that one is for subcutaneous only, but Union Medico makes a similar product for IM
  
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  I just gave that one a look! It seems like it would be great, I'd love to not actually have to do the poking myself lol. Where did you buy it? Haven't found a source online yet
  
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  Thanks for double checking me on that!! I will be bookmarking that one instead!!
  
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Ask about ventrogluteal. Its a spot on your lateral hip.

Its less painful than the thigh and there isn't anything important to hit like the posterior glutes.

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- Thanks for the advice! Yeah they showed me that site as well as the upper thigh, as options. I feel like I am pretty pain tolerant, so I'm hoping it will go alright. Nervous for the first time
  
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Lucky! I've had a few doctors and literally none of them will prescribe injections

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- Oh that sucks! What's their hangup, do they think it's too complicated or something?
  
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  I have no idea they just seem uncomfortable when I bring it up and then hand wave it away
  
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I may be the weirdo here, but I enjoy the science project aspect of it every time. I get to be all sterile and precise. I use a single use syringe and needle to put a hormone preparation in my thigh. When I find a good spot and nail the technique, I barely bleed at all. It's just good fun.

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- Honestly, same! There's something really fun about getting everything set up and getting a good no pain no blood injection 😀
  
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- Now that I've done my first injection, I totally understand this. It is cool to get out all the equipment and follow the steps carefully and exactly, and I only had the tiniest pinprick of blood! There was essentially no pain, either. I guess it was a lot scarier in my head than it is in reality lol
  
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