I Started TRT at 35, Here's What I Wish Someone Had Told Me
I'm not someone who likes needles. Never have been. I've always had to look away when doing blood draws or vaccinations. Quietly breathing through it wishing it would be over faster. So when my doctor told me I had low testosterone and one of the options was giving myself regular injections my first reaction wasn't relief. It was something closer to dread.
Something Was Off
I'm 35. I train at the gym four or five times a week. I eat reasonably well. From the outside, I probably looked fine. But for the better part of a year, I hadn't felt fine.
The fatigue was the thing that got me first. It wasn't the kind of tired I could sleep off, it was more of a persistent flatness, like someone had turned my brightness down. I'd wake up after eight hours and still feel like I was dragging myself through cement. My lifts plateaued at the gym. Progress I'd been making for years just... stopped.
Then there was my mood. I was more irritable than normal. Less motivated. Things I used to enjoy felt like effort. My libido had dropped noticeably, which I'd been putting down to stress or age. I kept telling myself that this must be what your mid-thirties felt like.
Naturally, I started Googling my symptoms. Fatigue. Low drive. Mood changes. Brain fog. Poor sleep. Everything kept pointing in the same direction. So I booked an appointment with my GP.
The Doctor's Visit
My GP had the same suspicion that it could be my testosterone. He ordered a blood panel that included total testosterone, free testosterone, LH, FSH, and a few other markers. The results came back a week later.
My testosterone was low, not out of range, but teetering just on the edge of the range. Because I was already showing symptoms of low testosterone my doctor referred me to an endocrinologist. That appointment confirmed it: I was a candidate for Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT).
The endocrinologist walked me through the different options: gels, patches, or injectable testosterone. Gels didn't make sense for me because I was concerned for my partner and not wanting it to transfer to her when we touched. Patches didn't make sense for me either because I didn't want a big initial exposure of testosterone that weaned off until I put the next patch on.
That left me with injections. Although I knew it was the best option for me because of better absorption, more stable levels, and less risk for my partner, the thought of it in practice left me sweating.
Go Time
The first time I looked at everything laid out on my bathroom bench, I genuinely didn't know where to start.
There was the testosterone vial itself. I had the fill needles for drawing the oil out of the vial, fine tips for the actual injection, 3ml syringes, and a box of alcohol wipes.
It sounds like a lot. It was a lot. Especially for someone who always looks away at the GP.
I watched every YouTube video I could find. I read the forums. I asked the pharmacist questions I felt embarrassed asking. The first injection took me forty-five minutes and three false starts. I sat on the edge of the bath with the syringe in my hand for a long time before I actually committed. But I did it. And of course the anticipation was the worst part.
Getting the Hang of It
The first few weeks were about figuring out the mechanics. Which injection site felt most comfortable. How to warm the oil slightly so it draws easier. How to be methodical about the process so nothing felt rushed or chaotic. By week three or four, I had it down to about ten minutes. By week six, I barely thought about it.
The protocol itself took longer to dial in. I started on a weekly injection schedule, but my levels were peaking and troughing in a way that made me feel the difference by day six. I spoke to my doctor, we moved to twice-weekly injections of a smaller dose each time. That's when things really levelled out.
The fatigue started lifting around the six-week mark. Energy improved first, then mood. The gym started moving again. By my three-month bloodwork, my levels were in a solid range and I actually felt like myself again. Hell maybe even better than my late twenties.
Tips For Anyone Going Through the Same Thing
Here's something that snuck up on me: once you're on a protocol, you accumulate supplies fast.
Those first few weeks I was just surviving, trying to get the hang of it all. I didn't know what I needed or preferred but I would see someone in the forums with a different setup and I would try it out to see if it was easier to manage. By the end I had my active vials in the bathroom cabinet, the backup prescription boxes in the drawer. A hand full of tips, syringes and fill needles rolling around in the drawer, the rest in the hallway cupboard. I didn't have a space for everything and that added to a lot of the stress at the beginning.
I saw a couple of posts in the forums recommending the TravelBox Juice and thought I would give it a try. I was so happy to find out that it was the perfect fit for my supplies. Depending on your preferences you can use it many different ways but this is how I use mine. I use the 5x10ml slots for my active and backup vials, the small open slot for my wipes, medium-sized open slot for tips and the large slot for my syringes. It lives in my bathroom cabinet out of the way but it's all there for when I need it.
It's a small thing, but it changed the way I feel about the whole routine.
Where I'm At Now
I'm about eight months in. Twice-weekly injections. Bloodwork stable. Symptoms that sent me to the GP in the first place are gone.
I still don't love needles but I've made peace with them. The anticipation used to be the worst part, that's still true, if I'm honest, but it passes in about thirty seconds and then it's done.
If you're at the beginning of this and feeling overwhelmed: that's normal. The first injection is the hardest. The protocol takes time to optimise. The supplies feel like a lot until you build a system around them. Please know none of that makes you someone who can't do this. It just makes you someone who hasn't done it yet.
This post reflects one person's experience starting TRT in Australia. It should not be taken as medical advice. If you're experiencing symptoms of low testosterone, talk to your GP and get your levels checked. Everyone's protocol is different, and what works varies between individuals, any changes should be discussed with your GP.