Testosterone Injection
Testosterone injections exist in a short-acting and long-acting formulations. Short-acting testosterone injections are given on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and are frequently self-administered in the privacy of one’s home. Testosterone injections are very effective in quickly increasing a man’s testosterone level, however, the testosterone level steadily decreases after the injection is given. Because of this, some men report a peak and a trough effect. Giving weekly injections may help off-set this peak and trough effect with the trade-off of having to inject more frequently.
The long-acting form of injectable testosterone is known as Aveed™ (testosterone undecanoate). Once Aveed™ establishes healthy baseline levels, injections are only required every 10 weeks. Unlike short-acting injections, Aveed™ must be administered in the office because of a very rare side effect known as pulmonary oil microembolism (POME) and possible allergic reactions. These side-effects are self-limited and have always been found to resolve spontaneously without any lasting health consequences.