[Intro music]
Hey guys, today I want to talk to you about a different way of taking testosterone.
So, we all know the most common one that everyone does is injections.
So there are two types of injections: there's intermuscular injections where it goes
usually people do it in their legs, it goes in your muscle.
And then there's subcutaneous, which goes in your fat, and most people do it in their stomach.
Those are the two ways that people usually administer testosterone to themselves.
The injectable is the most common, I think because it is the cheapest,
and because people feel like it is the fastest and best way to get testosterone in your body.
That is a myth.
I am here to tell you that there are other ways that you can take testosterone,
and I am going to explain them to you right now, but, like, in what I'm doing right now.
So I've been on hormones for seven years, and the last four and a half years or so I've been on gel.
So I put gel on my hand, I put it on my shoulder, it dries, I'm done.
A lot of people think that this method of taking testosterone is not as good,
because the body doesn't absorb it as well, and the changes are slower. This is false.
Yes, there are some people out there who are not able to absorb it as well as others,
but for most people who take the gel, it is well absorbed, and it works as well as injections.
So I've been having an issue where my body, because I sweat a lot, especially because it's the summer,
my body is not absorbing it as well as it does. It's still absorbing it, but not as well.
So my doctor put me on a bit of a higher dose. Now the issue with that is that I have to take two pouches.
I have to take a pouch this big, and a pouch that big.
I would show you, but I can't say the name of the company or else this video becomes not "ad-friendly,"
and I don't get monetized on this video and I don't wanna do that because all my videos are having issues right now so I'm trying to be as clean as I can.
So doing the gel, actually has been great for me, and I've loved it forever, it's just
the issue is I sweat a lot, so in the summer, I have to really time it on when I go on my bike,
if I go on a run, if I go swimming, when I want to shower, if I want to touch other people, and stuff like that.
So, that's the only thing that for the last four years, I've had no problem with,
but right now, it's kind of getting to be a burden.
And I was just curious--I was still going to do it--but I just asked my doctor:
Is there another way that I can take testosterone?
And he said yes!
So I said, he's probably just going to mention the patch.
And the patch in Canada, that we have available in Quebec, is about this big,
and it's basically just the gel we have that's in the middle.
And it's the same thing. There's another way of doing it where it's a
it's kind of like--it looks like a deodorant, where you just put the gel, and you're putting it on your armpits.
But it's basically the same thing, it's the same gel.
But then he tells me: "No, there's something new. For your nose."
What? What?! I was like "excuse me, did you just say my nose?"
He said yes, there is now a new gel, that you can put in your nose, and it goes on this side of your nose, not inside,
like, here, on this part of your nose, and because it goes in the mucosa, or whatever, on the inside of your nose,
it absorbs a lot easier than it would on the skin.
So I'm like, excuse me! No one has made a video about this, no one has ever talked about this before,
I literally don't know one soul who has ever tried this. And he said
"yeah, it's new, it's a month old."
What? What?! I mean it's probably not actually a month old, but we probably got it in Quebec only about a month ago,
so this is super exciting, because I accepted it.
He's like "do you really want to try?" And I was like "yes!" Of course I want to try, because if it works,
and it works as well as injections, and as the gel does, then you guys can try this and it's like, no big deal.
So what I'm going to do, I'm going to show you how I do it onscreen.
So like I said I'm going to be hiding the name of this, I'm going to show you what it looks like,
what the box looks like, ok?
So this is what the box looks like. That's me hiding the name of it. It starts with an "n," I'll put the name, somewhere maybe in the comments or something,
So the video doesn't get like, whatever. So this is going to throw off the whole white balance,
but, basically this is what it looks like, this is what the box looks like.
So this is what the applicator looks like. You like my post-it, to hide the name? I'm going to show you how I do it,
because I haven't done it yet today because I wanted to do it for this video.
And I will tell you that the dose that I was prescribed is one...application, one squirt, whatever
of the gel in each nostril, once a day, okay?
Now, the thing that's a little bit tricky is that if you look at the little paper that comes in that box,
it says that the starting off dose is one application for each nostril twice a day.
And I think that that's because they're focusing on cis men.
If you look at the little pamphlet in your injectable T, and in the gel package, the dosages are always a bit higher
and I think that that's because cis men, I don't know why, but they need a higher dose, I have no idea, this is me speculating.
Maybe my doctor just doesn't know the appropriate dose to give me right now, so we're starting off with just one application
for each nostril once a day. And maybe after I do my blood test in six weeks, to figure it out,
then he's going to bring it up. I don't know.
So I'm going to show you how it's done.
Just so you could see how easy it is, okay? And my big issue was that I was scared that this was going to smell like the gel does.
The gel smells a lot like alcohol, that is actually, for real, something that is very triggering to me, that I can't handle,
I don't like that smell, so it's very hard to do the gel every day and smell that.
So I was really scared that this was going to do that.
So what you do, because the applicator, nostril thing, whatever, comes out from there,
you have to put it on the outside.
So I'm going to kind of show you how I do it, and then, I mean it's going to be kind of boring,
because you won't really know what's going on, but then the gel comes out and it goes here.
So you put it in the nose like that. So the thumb right there. The thumb, whatever the--what is this? Your finger.
You put your finger there, you put it there until it touches the nostril, and then you push.
And while you push it, you go up and down like that, and then...there you go.
So there you go. That was one application. That's it.
And then you do the other nostril, same thing. You go, and you just move it like that [laughs] I know this is really attractive.
And there you go. So now both nostrils are done. So, next thing you got to do is you got to pinch your nose--
oh there's a lot more in this one for some reason woah [sniffs].
You pinch your nose and you go like this, so that it rubs in.
I can't explain the smell to you. It does smell like something.
It doesn't smell bad, but it smells a little plasticy. Like you go to Best Buy and it smells like plastic a little bit.
So, what you do is you're not supposed to blow your nose for another hour.
Oh, by the way, you should blow your nose before you do this.
I blew my nose right before I recorded. Sorry I should have done that.
But, yeah, you do that, and then it should be good.
Right now, for some reason I didn't do it high enough for this one, so there's a little bit that's actually leaking out.
Just don't do this at home, I shouldn't be doing this, but...don't do that.
But you're not supposed to like, snort it up or anything like that.
It's not actually a spray, it's just a gel that kind of coats the outside of your nostril,
and then when you move it like that it kind of just goes together,
so some of it just came out accidentally, so that's not good.
Honestly, but, oh, you're supposed to wash your hands also if it gets on your hands. [laughs] whoops.
So there you go, that's it.
Literally that is it. I will update you once I do a blood test, because I'm starting this off.
The blood test I have to do in about six weeks, and then if my T levels are too low, or anything like that, I'm going to have to up the dose.
The only issue is that this thing is so expensive.
The gel that I'm on is about $130 a month, which is covered by insurance, so I don't have to pay.
I have to pay my deductible, whatever, out of pocket max for every month for, whatever, I don't know what that's called here.
But it's $100 a month for all my medications.
This, for the first month is free. Although I had to pay like $2.99.
Like two dollars and 99 cents, I was like excuse me,
but after that it's going to be $172.
Now that's a lot of money, because that's not covered.
It doesn't go under my 100 dollar thing, and because I'm taking other medications, that's expensive.
Like my hormone blocker, which is $1000, by the way, for every three months now.
Which I am filming an update video right after this video, and I will be posting that soon.
So because my hormone blocker is so expensive, I am going to reach the hundred dollar threshold no matter what.
Plus now I have this nasal gel whatever which goes for $172 every month, so my total
medication cost for my antidepressants, my antianxieties, my hair medication, my whatever, whatever
it's called, hormone blocker and stuff like that, will be really expensive for one month out of three.
But, I think that this will be covered soon enough,
just because it's new, not a lot of people, I don't know, I think it's probably just working into the system,
it's probably going to get covered eventually.
I don't know if this is available everywhere. It might be available in America, I don't know if this company is American.
This company is from Barbados, so America will probably get this thing here.
I do want to say, this box comes with two applicators.
Because the dose is supposed to be each nostril twice a day, you're supposed to be able to use both of those applicators for one month,
because that's how much the dose is, in total.
But, because I'm only doing one, like an application for each nostril once a day,
I'm actually able to use those two applicators for two months, which is really great because it's expensive.
It is like 40 degrees outside and my window is closed. I'm very hot right now.
Okay, so I don't think that I have anything else to say about this. I just wanted to kind of let you know that
there is a new way to apply testosterone to your body.
And I will let you know if it works. If you have any questions, specifically about the nasal gel, whatever, look in the comments below--
look in the comments? Right? Leave a comment? Whatever, ask me questions in the comments below,
and I'll try to answer them as best as I know.
Oh! This is made out of soy. If you have a soy allergy, you cannot use this.
Which is ironic, isn't it? Because everyone's like
"Oh, don't eat soy, it's full of estrogen." HM! Is it now?
Is it now, hunties?
Whatever, okay? I love you guys so much, thank you for joining me, and I will see you later.
Have a great day bye
[outro]