Bouncing Back from Back Surgery

If you have been diagnosed with low testosterone, your doctor will likely prescribe low testosterone therapy to help bring your levels up and ease symptoms. Although there are many different testosterone replacement therapy options, injections are the most effective and the most convenient for many men. If you and your doctor have agreed that self-injections are the right testosterone replacement option for you, then here are some tips to help ensure the process goes well.

Check for air bubbles first.

Although injecting an air bubble is not deadly with a testosterone injection because it's injected into the muscle and not into a vein, air bubbles will still make the injection more painful. So before you inject, flick the syringe to ensure any bubbles float to the top, near the needle. Then slowly press on the plunger gently to ease the bubbles out.

Be quick when you break the skin.

Especially when you first start giving yourself injections, you might have some hesitation. This can lead you to pierce the skin more slowly than is ideal, which can cause more pain. To keep things more comfortable, remind yourself to move quickly and confidently when pressing the needle through the skin. You can then take a deep breath before depressing the plunger. This deep breath will give you a second to steady your hand before you actually inject the testosterone solution.

Rotate sites.

Rather than injecting in the same area all of the time, alternate sites. Most men only need to inject themselves twice per week, so you can do one injection in each arm per week. Designate one arm your Monday arm and the other your Thursday arm, for example. This can keep you from getting sore in the first place and will also ensure that if you do experience some soreness, it is not always in the same arm.

Make sure your arm is clean and dry.

Injecting into clean, dry skin is the best way to prevent infections. And remember, not all infections from injections are major. A minor infection may just cause some soreness and redness for a couple of days; you need to avoid that, too. A good routine to follow is to shower, wipe the injection site with an alcohol wipe, and then let the site dry completely before injecting.

If you follow the tips above, you will have an easier time injecting yourself with testosterone comfortably and affordably. Turn to your doctor for additional tips and information.