How To Use Depo-Testosterone Injections: A Guide

Guide To How To Use Depo-Testosterone Injections

• Materials that are needed for the self administration of depo-testosterone via intramuscular injection:
• A sharps container to safely dispose of used supplies
• One syringe (usually a 3 ml syringe)
• Two needles: 23 gauge or larger and at least one inch or longer
• Two alcohol prep pads: One will be to wipe the testosterone vial and the other will be to wipe the injection site on the body
• A bandage: To cover the injection site immediately after delivery of the medication
• A vial of depo-testosterone

• Wash your hands.

• Take the first alcohol prep out of the paper and wipe the top of the vial of depo-testosterone carefully. You will do one single swipe with the pad across the top of the vial. Throw the alcohol pad away.

• Open the sterile syringe and a sterile needle. Attach the needle to the syringe. You will twist the needle (capped) onto the syringe until it is tight.

• Remove the cap from the needle and draw up the same amount of air as the medication you will be injecting. The goal here is to draw the same amount of air that you will be removing in testosterone. This will avoid creating negative pressure into the vial.

• Stick the needle straight down into the depo-testosterone vial and draw up the amount of medication that was prescribed for you.

• Turn the vial of medication upside down so that gravity takes its course.

• Draw up the medication very slowly. Since most testosterone concentrations are viscous, drawing up the medicine will take some time. Use two hands.

• When you have drawn out enough medication, slowly pull the needle out of the vial.

• Since there will sometimes still be negative pressure in the vial, keep your hand on the plunger.

• There may be some bubbles in the solution. Use your pointer finger and thumb to tap or flick the bubbles up to the top near the plunger. This is where they will remain.

• At this point, with the bubbles near the plunger, you need to make sure that you drew out enough medication that was prescribed for you.  Sometimes you will need to repeat some steps to get more medication from the vial.

• Before getting more medication out of the vial (if needed), draw in some extra air to the syringe to clear the testosterone medication inside. You did this earlier too.

• Put the cap back on the needle and twist the needle off.

• This used needle must be discarded into the sharps container.

• The second needle will now be opened and put onto the syringe that contains the medication. Twist the needle (capped) onto the syringe.

• Take the cap off of the needle and eject some of the extra air that you drew in earlier. Push the syringe up slowly.

• As a conservation technique, let just a small bubble of air remain in the syringe.

• Turn the syringe upside down and tap the bubble to up towards the plunger.

•  Put the cap back on the syringe and set it aside. It is ready to use. Now you will get your injection site ready for delivery of the medication.

How To Inject Depo Testosterone Into A Muscle

• Your syringe should be ready for your self injection and set to the side.

• There is one place in particular on the thigh (if this is where you choose to inject your needle) that is a good delivery point for your medication. There are three muscles in the thigh:
• The Vastus Lateralis muscle on the outside of the thigh
• The Vastus Medialis muscle on the inside of the thigh
• The Rectus Femoris muscle that runs right down the center of your thigh

You will never use the center or inside muscles, but only the outer muscle (the Vastus Lateralis). This is the muscle that will take the injection the best. The outer muscle has much more meat on it, so it is the best place to inject with the least amount of pain.       

• Your second alcohol prep pad will now be opened and you will wipe your injection site. You can pick anywhere along that outside muscle. Move the alcohol pad around in circles outwardly from a central point. The point of this is to move any bacteria that is on that thigh area away from where you will inject the needle.

• You will use your whole hand to grab a meaty part of that outside muscle and pinch it while you sterilize it.

• At this point, you will get the bandage ready to put over the injection site, even though you have not given yourself the shot yet. A great way to do this is to unwrap the bandage, pull one side of the paper off it and stick it to your hand. This way, you can get to it quickly after you inject the medication and remove the needle.

• There are two ways to inject the needle:
• Inject it quickly straight into the muscle in one motion
• For those who are not comfortable doing it that way, you can put the tip of the needle to the skin and start slowly pushing it in. Eventually your skin will give in and the needle will go all the way into the muscle. There is no more pain doing it this way that just in one quick puncture.

• For one inch needles, push it all the way in until it cannot go any further. If the needle is longer, you will stop short a bit.

• Let go of your thigh once the needle is all the way in the muscle.

• Grab the plunger and aspirate. This is the most important step. If you draw blood, pull the needle out a little or push it in a little more and begin pushing again.

• Push the medication into the muscle very slowly. When all the medication is in, you will hear a noise that may sound like flatulence. This is the air bubble that you left in during the preparation of the needle and syringe process.

The point of this air bubble is to ensure that all the residual depo-testosterone in the needle gets injected into your muscle. You need to take your full dosage that was prescribed to you and this ensures that will happen.

• You need to allow the needle to remain in the muscle for at least 30 to 60 seconds after injecting the medication. This is so that the testosterone can move away from the injection site and into the body.

• Pull the needle out and quickly take the bandage from your hand and cover the injection site. You are done.

• After you have delivered your injection and the bandage is on the skin, do not rub or massage the area vigorously. Apply only soft pressure to the area for approximately 30 to 60 seconds.

• Put your used needle and syringe into the sharps container immediately.