There are several different types of Klinefelter Syndrome Treatment, one being Testosterone Replacement Therapy, where you either apply or inject testosterone onto or into your body. One of these topical treatments consists of a gel that you rub onto a particular body area, for instance, some of the most common spots are the shoulders, stomach, or inner thigh. Though I’m not familiar with them all, I do have experience with a few, and have listed them below.
(Disclaimer: When it comes to choosing between types of Testosterone gel, please remember that though I do have Klinefelter Syndrome, I am neither a doctor, Urologist, nor Endocrinologist. What I’m sharing with type of Klinefelter Syndrome Treatment with you on here as information that I’ve gathered from my doctors and Endocrinologists during my time of discovery, throughout the years, and through modern-day research since. If you have any suspicion that you may also have Klinefelter Syndrome, I would highly advise that you speak with your doctor about it, who can then point you in the right direction and refer you to specialists and such).
Androgel Testosterone Gel packets
These come in 1%, 5 grams per unit doses – each packet contains 50 mg of Testosterone. These used to be a nice option, especially if you’re traveling and know exactly how many days you’ll be gone, for they could be placed into a small sandwich bag and stored in a luggage pocket. They were also nice if you went on a retreat and had to share a public bathroom, for nobody really takes any notice to a small packet of stuff you apply to your stomach and/or shoulders. But the annoyance of it was that, like a tube of toothpaste or something, it was difficult to get every last drop out of it (and for the money you paid for them, you really don’t want any of it to go to waste). So I’d often bring a pair of small scissors, and after applying the bulk of the gel to my body, cut open the package and apply the rest. But you can’t put your shirt on for about a good 10 or so minutes or until it dries (for you don’t want it to absorb into your shirt instead of your skin). People I’ve spoken with who have used the packets, though, have also complained about hair growth where they applied it. Hey, I grew up in a generation where it was cool to have hair on your chest, but if you don’t like hair, you may want to invest in a razor for your torso, also. On that note, since the gel can transfer from you to another person if they touch it:
- It is highly advised that you either wash the gel off with soap and water, or keep your shirt on before getting intimate with your significant other, so as to prevent it from transferring onto them.
- It is very important not to allow the gel to transfer onto children.
- And since the gel is alcohol based, which is flammable, you’ll need to refrain from smoking or playing with fire until it dries.
Androgel Testosterone Gel Pump, 1.62%
When I mentioned the packets, I said “they used to be a nice option”. That’s because around 2011 or 2012, Abbott discontinued them in order to wean everybody over to the pump. They’re more bulky than the packets, but on the plus side, if you’re traveling and delayed a day or two, you don’t have to worry about not having enough packets. Also, because it’s 1.62%, versus the 1% of the packets, the idea anyway is that you don’t need to pump out as much to get the same dosage. Otherwise, everything is the same as with the packets. However, instead of applying this to your stomach (as with the packets), this testosterone gel is applied to the shoulders. So when getting into one of the moments where the gel’s help on your libido comes into play, unlike with the packets where you could wear a sleeveless shirt, you can now take off your shirt, but can’t allow your shoulders to be touched – unless you shower and wash it off first.
(Tip: To get more out of it for your money, once the pump’s done and it won’t push anymore out, use some muscle and pop the white pump off. Then, with a flat head screwdriver, pry out the clear plastic bag on the inside. You’ll find that there’s enough left in there for one or two days applications. And after applying it for about a month or so, you should already know how much to use.)
Insurances’ chosen pharmacies
Some insurance plans use different pharmacies. For instance, Prime Therapeutics accepts Androgel (and some others non-brands and generics), but not Fortesta. CVS/Caremark accepts Fortesta (and some other non-brands and generics), but not Androgel. So always be sure to check with your doctor or specialist about which one he/she thinks would be best for you, and stay up to date with which brands your insurance’s chosen pharmacy accepts (especially if they change).
So for me, Androgel was originally only available when we had HMO for our health insurance. But when we changed our plan over to PPO, even though it was the same company, I guess the plan used a different pharmacy, which for some reason didn’t support Androgel. So I needed to change to something else — this is why I now have experience using Qualitest, the generic brand of Fortesta. So be sure to check with your insurance company and the pharmacy they’re using, first.
Fortesta Testosterone Gel
The picture for Fortesta shows the name, “Qualitest”, but I’m told it is actually Fortesta gel. The pump is smaller, about half the size height and width of the Androgel, but instead of applying it to the upper part of your body, this is applied to the inner thigh (leg). You should still be careful about transferring it to anybody else, but at least now, you can take your shirt off without worrying about rubbing up against somebody or being more prone to sunburn.
Some Differences I’ve Noticed:
- Once applying the Fortesta, I’d lost some body fat around my mid-section, that regardless of my workout intensity, I couldn’t get rid of while taking Androgel.
- With the Androgel, I’d gained about 10 Lbs in muscle (which was great!). But after about a year of applying the Fortesta, I’d found it more difficult to keep that weight on (I’d only lost about 2-3 Lbs, but then, I’ve been blessed with a metabolism that makes it difficult to gain it all back). It may possibly be due to the loss of fat around my stomach area though.
(Tip: As with the Androgel pump, when it gives off that it’s empty, there’s actually more in the can that’s just not making it to the pump. The first time I tried this, I found almost an extra week’s worth of gel inside! The only difference from doing this with the Androgel is that there’s not a bag inside the can, so you’ll have to dip your finger in to scoop out the remaining – and carefully gauge the amount you scoop out for each application. And since it’s alcohol based, you’ll need to keep the clear top on it overnight.)
Other Brands of Testosterone Gel
There are other brands of Testosterone gel that I have not tried, such as Axiron (which is applied under the arm, like deodorant).
Application Locations
If you’ll read the long notes and information that comes with the gel, there are a few places that it says to NEVER apply the gel. For instance, NEVER apply the gel to your genitals (penis, testicles, etc.). I’ve never tried this, so I don’t know the reason for it, but I would highly suggest you not try this, either, just because I’m guessing they tested this before sending out the warning.
Update
Now that I’m back on Androgel, my testosterone levels tend to fluctuate, but mostly stay in the lower numbers of normal. But after reading about applying Axiron to the arm pits, I decided to research why there. Turns out, the gel absorbs best on areas where hair grows, than where it does not. Though hair does grow on the shoulders, the skin up there is also thicker than under the arms, and the gel also absorbs better through thinner skin (probably hence the reason we apply Fortesta to the inner thigh, versus the quad). So I decided to try applying the extra Androgel under the arm — I apply 2 pumps to each shoulder every morning. No matter how much I work them out at the gym, there’s still not enough real estate space on my shoulders for all the gel. So the “extra Androgel” is the remaining gel that I don’t have space for — I haven’t had a testosterone test since doing this, so I don’t know if it’s doing anything more than causing hair to grow in that area more, but I’ll update my news on that when I do.
What about Testosterone Boosting Supplements?
These days, people like to do things on their own, and in a time when over the counter supplements are available for just about anything, including boosting one’s testosterone. Therefore, many men choose to skip the immediate medical expenses and seek out over the counter supplements and “natural” ways to boost their levels. And with longevity, a revived libido, better moods, confidence, and bigger muscles being some of the testosterone effects, the supplement world has jumped on it like a coyote on an injured rabbit.
However, such companies are not so much worried about your health as they are your temporary happiness and continued payments for their products. Plus, since the FDA doesn’t regulate such supplements, you could actually be messing yourself up more than reaping the good. For instance, when I was first about to go onto Androgel, my Endocrinologist cautioned me that testosterone is “Prostate Cancer fertilizer”. Also, some bodybuilders can tell you that when you take testosterone to the point of going beyond what your body already produces (especially if your levels are not lower due to a medical reason), it could actually shut down your testicles.
So though there are other things you can do to boost your testosterone levels some, such as working out, staying active, avoiding soy, losing the belly fat, etc., it’s always best to consult your doctor first, to make sure there isn’t something bigger going on inside (you could just be depressed), and that you don’t mess yourself up trying something that’s neither regulated nor prescribed by a licensed physician.