TRT Treatment Options – Sustanon, Nebido, and Cypionate Compared

As you get older, your body produces less testosterone. However, for some men, this drop in testosterone production can result in an unwelcome series of physical changes. These include low mood, fatigue, loss of concentration or memory function, reduced sex drive, and weight gain. In more extreme cases, men can develop a condition known as andropause, or hypogonadism. This affects around 10% of men over 40, many of whom are wrongly diagnosed as suffering from stress or depression.

The Benefits Of Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Testosterone replacement therapy provides a solution for anyone struggling with reduced testosterone production. With the right course of treatment, benefits can include;

• Increased energy levels
• Improved muscle mass
• Increased sex drive
• Improved bone density

However, careful consultation with an experienced clinician is recommended, in order to assess your current testosterone levels and identify any other contributing factors that may be affecting your health. It’s worth bearing in mind that TRT is a continuous treatment – should you cease the treatment, your hormone levels will revert to their pre-treatment levels.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy Treatment Options

Simply adding testosterone to your body to supplement existing levels wouldn’t work. The testosterone would only have a half-life (how long the chemical is active in your system) of a few hours.

TRT uses synthesised compounds called esters to slow the release and prolong the half-life of the testosterone as it is absorbed into the body. This means that doses can be less frequent, delivered as part of a much more practical course of treatment.

There are several different treatments, and it’s important to choose the right one for you. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a look at three of the most widely used and recommended testosterone injections.

Sustanon

Sustanon (or Sustanon 250) uses a blend of four different esters.

How Do I Take Sustanon?

Sustanon is administered by a deep intramuscular injection every three weeks.

Sustanon Advantages And Side-Effects

Sustanon is not suitable for anyone with a peanut allergy, due to the use of peanut oil in the production process. Even those who can tolerate peanuts in their food may find they have an allergic reaction after receiving an injection of Sustanon. Allergic responses can include prolonged pain at the injection site, itching, and nausea.

As Sustanon is a compound of several esters, there have been reports of difficulties maintaining consistency of quality and purity. This is not a problem faced during the manufacture of single-ester treatment.

Nebido

Nebido is a long-acting, single ester treatment, based on an ester called testosterone undecanoate which has a significantly longer half-life than other esters popularly used for TRT.

How do I take Nebido? 

Nebido is administered by a deep intramuscular injection every 10-14 weeks.

Nebido – Advantages And Side-Effects

Because the doses are less frequent, Nebido allows you greater freedom to carry on with your daily life, without frequent injections. This also means you’ll experience fewer‘ peaks and troughs’ as your body responds to the differing levels of testosterone.

However, this will reduce the opportunities to adjust and optimise the dosage. If the dosage hasn’t produced the desired reaction, you’ll have to wait much longer to try a different amount.

Testosterone Cypionate

How Do I Take Testosterone Cypionate?

Cypionate is administered by either subcutaneous or intramuscular injection every 2 to 4 weeks. It is generally considered to be a less painful injection than other esters, due to its’ lower viscosity.

Testosterone Cypionate – Advantages And Side-Effects

Cypionate is very closely related to another popular ester, Testosterone Enthanate. This allows you to test Cypionate, and if necessary, switch between the two treatments without any ill-effect. As Cypionate has a slightly longer half-life of eight days (compared to Enthanate’s seven), this provides additional scope to finely tune the dosage and ester to the needs of the patient.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy At Omniya

Here at Omniya, we offer a range of TRT options, personalised to your needs. For more information about Testosterone Replacement Therapy, be sure to book a consultation and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.