“I’m now using about 1.5 grams of 5% compounded T cream. I mix it with a splash of water to make it spread out. I then apply to shaved shoulders, shaved armpits and any remainder to shaved scrotum/thighs. I spread it thin and rub it in vigorously. It takes a bit to dry. Works like magic. Last T levels were at 700. I’ve been low T for a very long time, so I have a good “feel” for when it’s right and when it’s not. I cannot use Androgel. Even with massive doses, it simply does not work for me.” [1]
Cujet also thins his out with a little water. He said, otherwise, it is like trying to spread “peanut butter.” For both cujet and myself, compounded testosterone was a life saver. (Androgel never raised my testosterone a nonogram.)
Did you know you can inexpensively do your own testing for most hormones? The industry leader is Discounted Labs..
Compounded Testosterone CostsMy monthly supply of testosterone was about $50! This was quite a few years ago and now costs tend to be about $75 per month usually from what I have seen. Compare that to a month of Androgel, which is about $250 the last time I checked. In my opinion this is a ridiculously high price for something that has been around for decades.
It is like Good Year suddenly declaring that only their tires are safe and then charging the consumer $500 a tire! Remember: bioidentical testosterone, which is in all topicals, is not an expensive molecule to manufacture and compounders were safely dispensing testosterone creams for years before the large pharmaceutical companies got involved.
Compounded Testosterone Delivery SystemThe reasons that compounding can deliver so much more testosterone has mostly to do with the increased concentration. The delivery systems from what I have read are comparable in absorption rates to Androgel, or at least close. The most common system used is called PLO
(Pluronic Lecithin Organogel), “penetration enhancer”. Many drugs are delivered in PLO, which helps the drug pass through the stratum corneum, a big name for the upper layer of your skin. PLO is usually made from soy but can be made from eggs as well. It is composed primarily of lecithin, isopropyl palmitate and Pluronic F127. Isopropyl palmitate helps the testosterone penetrate the skin and is also a solvent. It can definitely cause skin irritation, clogged pores, etc. and this is one of the potential downsides to PLO.
The Pluronic F127 is a “surfactant”, which means that it spreads the product out evenly so that it does not bind or coagulate together. These two chemicals are considered safe and they are pretty widely used. Isopropyl palmitate is a low hazard expection compound according to the Environmental Working Group for example. [4] And the Pluronic F127 is in mouthwashes and toothpastes for what that is worth. Again, this has not bee tested long term as far as I know.
The only other disadvantage that I know with compounded testosterone is that its effect on family members is undocumented. After reports of children being affected through their father’s topical application of testosterone therapy, the FDA asked for the manufacturers to do additional testing to make sure this wasn’t an issue with their product.
Personally, I doubt that Testim or Androgel has unusual potent penetration capabilites as a significant percentage of guys find they get little to no penetration. Plus, again from what I have heard, these cases are usually from fathers who are being careless. Androgel, for example, is applied to the chest and upper arms. Some dads go shirtless or forget to wash off the product before doing physical things with their family.
If you thoroughly wash the area of application, your family members should be safe, i.e. your wife and kids should not be overabsorbing supplemental testosterone. However, you should realize that the FDA is only working with the mainline manufacturers and not with compounding pharmacies. Talk to your doc, of course, about all of the above. CAUTION: Be careful about love make sessions with your woman unless you’ve thoroughly washed the product off: her testosterone is just a fraction of yours!
REFERENCES:
