Notes concerning HRT injections

DISCLAIMER: The information provided on this page is offered as is for general educational purposes only. I am not a medical professional, and nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment guidance. Endocrine care, hormone therapy, and any related decisions involve medical risk and should be discussed with a qualified healthcare provider. By using this information, you acknowledge that any actions you take are entirely your own responsibility, and you agree that I am not liable for any outcomes, consequences, or damages resulting from your use or interpretation of this material.[0]

Unless otherwise specified, the information provided on this page is based on the experience of the author of this document.
Interindividual variability applies; doubly so owing to General: familial pattern of hypophyseal dysregulation.

Table of contents

1. Injection protocol
2. Oestradiol Enanthate concentration curve parameters
3. Time to steady state and first stable full cycle
4. References

Injection protocol

This injection protocol employs subcutaneous injection as route of administration and utilises disposable insulin syringes with a length of 8mm, a needle gauge size of 30G, a maximum injection volume of 0.3 mL divided up into 30 units of 0.01 mL each, and a target injection volume of 0.1 mL, e.g. 10 bars.

1. Be at ease. Injections are fun!
2. Choose an injection site from a set of rotating injection sites. The upper outer thigh, given sufficient subcutaneous adipose tissue when pinching, allows for a convenient injection at a 90° angle whilst sat.
3. Wash hands, ward against UV light sources (e.g. draw curtains,) and verify integrity and intactness of vial (the vial itself, crimp seal, rubber stopper) and oil (no discolouration, cloudiness, separation, suspended particles, etc.; crystallisation induced by cold temperatures can be dissolved by agitation.)
4. Retrieve and open syringe disposal container, retrieve syringe, remove plunger cap, and draw in a volume of air corresponding to the volume of oil to be injected.
5. Swab the top of the vial, primarily the rubber stopper, with a 70% isopropyl alcohol swab for 30 seconds to 1 minute, wash hands, swab the injection site with a 70% isopropyl alcohol swab for 30 seconds to 1 minute, wash hands.
6. Issue the appropriate invocations and prayers to a deity of your choice, such as Ištar the Lioness or Enki, the Ea, Lord Sea, in order to avert the remotest possibility of "coring" or spontaneous vial existence failure through Neutrino bursts. Staring at empty space and contemplating all-surrounding nothingness also works.
7. Remove syringe needle cap, place vial on stable surface, hold vial steadily with non-dominant hand, and, with the dominant hand, steadily fully insert the needle into the centre of the rubber stopper. Any significant, especially lateral, movement that could result in stretching of the canal inside the rubber stopper made in the process is to be avoided, even if the likelihood of "coring" with a 30G needle is low.
8. Whilst steadily holding both the vial as well as the syringe, flip both upside down in one steady movement, draw oil from the vial by pulling the plunger down - try not to touch the actual barrel itself - to the appropriate position, and wait until the target injection volume has been attained. Given any air bubbles, push them back into the vial by pushing the plunger as appropriate and pulling the plunger back down to the appropriate position, etc. pp.
9. Steadily rotate the vial as well as syringe back to their original position, remove the syringe, if necessary: wipe the top of the rubber stopper, and stash the vial.
10. Pinch a fold of skin at the injection site between thumb and index finger with a separation of at least about an inch, hold, insert needle, and release fold. Ensure that the syringe after releasing the fold and during the following steps until removal is pushed into and below the skin to an appropriate degree and not held too loosely; this prevents injecting into the uppermost layers of subcutaneous adipose tissue right beneath the hypodermis, causing an entirely harmless but mildly annoying bulge.
11. Perform injection by slowly pushing down on the plunger - try not to touch the actual barrel itself - across a time period of up to a few minutes; the slower the rate of injection, the lower the risk of leakage. Pay close attention to motor feedback, muscle memory, inasmuch as visual feedback.
12. Whilst maintaining the syringe in its position, wait for about 30 seconds to 1 minute in order to additionally lower the risk of leakage.
13. Remove syringe, apply cotton swab (sterility is not required) to injection site in case of leakage or - rarely - miniscule amounts of blood if a vein was sliced, etc. Undesirable reactions, e.g. itchiness, swelling, inflammation, etc. to Benzyl Benzoate at/below the injection site have been documented in some people and may or may not occur and should subside relatively quickly, if they do appear; topical antihistamines are documented to be effective in case of a prolonged reaction.
    
    In case of a much more significant and prolonged local let alone systemic reaction, such as infection and fever, direct yourself to your nearest ER - note that this should under no circumstances ever actually occur unless this protocol was improperly followed wrt. sterilisation and/or in case of contaminated oil, be it before it was ever used or at any point thereafter.
14. Put syringe into syringe disposal container and close lid.

Oestradiol Enanthate concentration curve parameters

• Cmin (trough:) 0d 7h (Sat 13:00) to 0d 12h (Sat 18:00) (5h in length)
• Cmax (peak:) 3d 15h (Tue 21:00) to 4d 5h (Wed 11:00) (14h in length)
• Cmin (trough:) 7d 7h (Sat 13:00) to 7d 12h (Sat 18:00) (5h in length)

Time to steady state and first stable full cycle

Oestradiol Enanthate requires 5-7 weeks to reach steady state and 7 weeks until the first stable full cycle.
(based on [1] in conjunction with personal experience)

References