Pain and swelling after Test E

SGBama · Mar 17, 2011

Ok, so last week, March 10, I pinned 1.5cc Test E 400 in my right inner quad head. I followed the same protocol as always. Swiped the vial with alcohol, once dry i drew out the 1.5cc, ran it under hot water for a while, alcohol on the injection point, new 23 gauge 1" needle, and inject. Upon first injection I think I hit a nerve, got about half way in with the needle and felt a weird sensation. Pulled needle out and got new needle, re-pinned in different area on same inner quad head. Injected and had minimal bleeding as usual. Went to the gym and worked out and everything was fine. Wake up Friday morning and my inner thigh to inner part of my knee is extremely swollen, red, warm to touch, and in extreme pain. So bad I could barely walk. Same thing all weekend. Monday morning the swelling had gone down a little bit and pain was WAY down. I could actually walk on it. Its now Thursday, March 17 (1 week later) Still have a little swelling in the inner thigh area, its red and slight bruising with light to moderate pain. I can walk on it, but it gets a little bothersome due to the swelling. At first I thought maybe i had a bad injection or hit something. That Sunday, March 13, I pinned 1.5cc in my left delt using same protocol as above. Had normal pain and no swelling. Yesterday, March 16, the area just under the injection point on my delt started swell a bit and get real sore. When I press on the swollen areas on the thigh and delt, they leave a nice indentation from where I pressed for a good minute or so.

The rest of the story. I am way almost complete with my cycle, started beginning of January. When I first started i was using another brand Test E 300. I finished that vial and started into my Test E 400 from Rogue Labs. I was injecting 1cc into glutes and quads with no problems. Did this for a good 4 or 5 injections. Then I decided to add some BioGen Xace 500 (200 mg Testosterone Acetate, 150 mg Testosterone Cypionate, 150 mg Trenbolone Enanthate per ml). Twice a week I was pulling 0.5cc of the Xace500 and then with the same syringe and needle, pulling 1cc of my Test E 400. I just finished the bottle of Xace 500 the injection before the one in question above. Not once did i ever have any problems while mixing the products, mixed for a good 9 weeks. The Rogue Labs Test E 400 is VERY thick. Im wondering if the Xace 500 thinned it out enough to where i wasnt having any issues and now that Im injecting it straight and at 600mg per injection, it may be to thick and a little much for one area. From now until the end of my cycle I will just be taking the Test E 400 and some IGF1-LR3.
Not sure if I should hit my injection today, only split the injection into two areas (.5cc in right glute and .5 cc in left glute) or skip out and let the swelling come down in the other areas a bit more before pinning more. Also, do you think adding some filtered USP Grapeseed or Cottoseed oil would help to thin it out and make it easier to disperse? Thanks for any assistance you can give me

Emery · Mar 18, 2011

Why do you pin on inner head? Try a bigger muscle group with that much... I would go in the ass cheek or vastus lateralus (out side of quad).

Also, what gauge you usin? I would be using a 22 at least 1 inch long...

Just opinion and not any kind of medical advice or advice to do anything... just talkin theoretically of course...

SmallTownIron · Mar 18, 2011

Here is a post I made on another board answering a similiar question. Look below and you may find this helpful

1) Tissue Irritation
This is probably the most likely cause of post injection pain and the least serious. Tissue irritation is likely to start 12-24 hours after injection, pain can be mild to moderate depending on the level of tissue irritation and the volume injected. The injection site is likely to swell within the muscle, maybe red and likely to be warm and very firm to the touch. The pain and swelling will start to fade after 72 hours and can last over a week in the worst cases. The most likely causes of tissue irritation are:
The hormone crashes out of the solution in the depot. This causes crystallisation of the hormone, this in turn places a lot of pressure on the nerve endings in the muscle belly causing knotting, swelling and pain - this is most common in long chain esters, high mg/ml concentration gear and gear compounded with less than idea oil blends.
A reaction to the acid compounds within the ester. With the metabolic breakdown of the ester attached to the hormone free form acids are released which can cause the muscle tissue rapid irritation at the injection site ***8211; this is most common with propionic acid of the propionate ester. Poor quality raw materials also liberate more freeform acids.

Newb muscles. Of course everyone knows your first injections are the worst. Over time your body will build a tolerance.

Excessive preservative. If too much benzyl Alcohol is used to formulate the solution inflammation and pain may result. Pharma grade usually contains 0.9% Benzyl alcohol where the common senseu states UGL products contain on average 2%. Anything above 1.2% offers no added anti-microbial effects.
Ice and ibuprofen may help with the swelling. Hot baths, showers and massage of the injection site may help to distribute the injection and reduce pain.

2) Hitting the lymphatic system.
Hitting the lymphatic system is very rare. The lymphatic system is as vast as the circulatory system but the standard injection sights (Glute, ventro-glute, medial delts and vastus lateralis) are generally void of lymphatic nodes. If a lymph node is hit with an injection pain is likely to be severe and edema vast. The swelling will come on very fast and be extensive. It is also likely to travel along the lymph system to the next lymph gland. This is most noticeable with a vastus lateralis shot where the swelling tracks down toward the back of the knee. Unlike the edema experienced with tissue irritation (within the muscle only) the edema with a lymphatic puncture will be both inter and intra-muscular with a moderate amount of swelling just underneath the skin giving it a softer puffy feel. This can be tested for by pressing the swollen area with your finger, if in indent remains you have a more systematic edema and more than just local tissue irreation. The other most noticeable difference is that the swelling should not be warm/hot to touch.
Ice and ibuprofen may help. The affected area must be rested and the patient can expect pain and swelling to start to disperse after 72 hours and last at least 10 days. The painful area must not be massaged.

3) Infection and abscess.
So now to the most serious reason for injection pain. An infection will start in the same manner as tissue irritation with local pain and swelling, with heat and redness around the muscle. The major difference is that after 72 hours tissue irritation should start to subside, if the area is indeed infected this pain and swelling will get worse. The swelling will change in nature becoming more systematic and edema will start to form under the skin becoming softer and more spongy (as described with a lymphatic puncture).

There are many reasons why an infection can manifest, below are some of the most common examples.

Poor injection technique. Correct, and sterile injection technique is a must. You must make sure the injection site and rubber stopper is clean and swabbed with an alcohol wipe.

Also the moisture from the alcohol swab must be allowed to dry before preparing to inject. It is extremely rare but if the alcohol is not allowed to dry the bacterium has not been allowed adequate time to be killed off.

Avoid pinning through a hair follicle or hair and dont be tempted to inject too quickly. Injecting too quickly can increase the risk of infection as this in turn increases injection trauma.

Not rotating injection sites.
The risk of infection is massively increased if the same injection site is used over and over again without giving it time to recover. The more an injury (injection trauma) is irritated (re-injected) the more likely it is to become infected.

Contaminated Gear.
IMO this is probably the least common cause of infection with oil based injections (I cannot say the same for water based injections). This is a no brainer really. Use a reputable UGL or pharma and avoid water based suspensions.

KlingonFromUranus · Mar 21, 2011

That test 400 is very high concentration. Probably too high BA and is causing irritation. See #1 on SmallTownIron's post.

PRIDE · Mar 21, 2011

SmallTownIron said:
Here is a post I made on another board answering a similiar question. Look below and you may find this helpful

1) Tissue Irritation
This is probably the most likely cause of post injection pain and the least serious. Tissue irritation is likely to start 12-24 hours after injection, pain can be mild to moderate depending on the level of tissue irritation and the volume injected. The injection site is likely to swell within the muscle, maybe red and likely to be warm and very firm to the touch. The pain and swelling will start to fade after 72 hours and can last over a week in the worst cases. The most likely causes of tissue irritation are:
The hormone crashes out of the solution in the depot. This causes crystallisation of the hormone, this in turn places a lot of pressure on the nerve endings in the muscle belly causing knotting, swelling and pain - this is most common in long chain esters, high mg/ml concentration gear and gear compounded with less than idea oil blends.
A reaction to the acid compounds within the ester. With the metabolic breakdown of the ester attached to the hormone free form acids are released which can cause the muscle tissue rapid irritation at the injection site ***8211; this is most common with propionic acid of the propionate ester. Poor quality raw materials also liberate more freeform acids.

Newb muscles. Of course everyone knows your first injections are the worst. Over time your body will build a tolerance.

Excessive preservative. If too much benzyl Alcohol is used to formulate the solution inflammation and pain may result. Pharma grade usually contains 0.9% Benzyl alcohol where the common senseu states UGL products contain on average 2%. Anything above 1.2% offers no added anti-microbial effects.
Ice and ibuprofen may help with the swelling. Hot baths, showers and massage of the injection site may help to distribute the injection and reduce pain.

2) Hitting the lymphatic system.
Hitting the lymphatic system is very rare. The lymphatic system is as vast as the circulatory system but the standard injection sights (Glute, ventro-glute, medial delts and vastus lateralis) are generally void of lymphatic nodes. If a lymph node is hit with an injection pain is likely to be severe and edema vast. The swelling will come on very fast and be extensive. It is also likely to travel along the lymph system to the next lymph gland. This is most noticeable with a vastus lateralis shot where the swelling tracks down toward the back of the knee. Unlike the edema experienced with tissue irritation (within the muscle only) the edema with a lymphatic puncture will be both inter and intra-muscular with a moderate amount of swelling just underneath the skin giving it a softer puffy feel. This can be tested for by pressing the swollen area with your finger, if in indent remains you have a more systematic edema and more than just local tissue irreation. The other most noticeable difference is that the swelling should not be warm/hot to touch.
Ice and ibuprofen may help. The affected area must be rested and the patient can expect pain and swelling to start to disperse after 72 hours and last at least 10 days. The painful area must not be massaged.

3) Infection and abscess.
So now to the most serious reason for injection pain. An infection will start in the same manner as tissue irritation with local pain and swelling, with heat and redness around the muscle. The major difference is that after 72 hours tissue irritation should start to subside, if the area is indeed infected this pain and swelling will get worse. The swelling will change in nature becoming more systematic and edema will start to form under the skin becoming softer and more spongy (as described with a lymphatic puncture).

There are many reasons why an infection can manifest, below are some of the most common examples.

Poor injection technique. Correct, and sterile injection technique is a must. You must make sure the injection site and rubber stopper is clean and swabbed with an alcohol wipe.

Also the moisture from the alcohol swab must be allowed to dry before preparing to inject. It is extremely rare but if the alcohol is not allowed to dry the bacterium has not been allowed adequate time to be killed off.

Avoid pinning through a hair follicle or hair and dont be tempted to inject too quickly. Injecting too quickly can increase the risk of infection as this in turn increases injection trauma.

Not rotating injection sites.
The risk of infection is massively increased if the same injection site is used over and over again without giving it time to recover. The more an injury (injection trauma) is irritated (re-injected) the more likely it is to become infected.

Contaminated Gear.
IMO this is probably the least common cause of infection with oil based injections (I cannot say the same for water based injections). This is a no brainer really. Use a reputable UGL or pharma and avoid water based suspensions.

Good post.

Performance-Labs · Mar 21, 2011

PRIDE said:
Good post.

Very good.

Especially this,"Poor quality raw materials also liberate more freeform acids".

That and to much ba will cause all those things your are dealing with. The old Denkall 400 had like 10% ba. That stuff was crippling to say the least.

Great post STI

P-L

SGBama · Mar 21, 2011

It's still swollen and red as of today. My inner thigh area has a slight knot almost dead center. Also, as of last Friday, I noticed my ankle was starting to swell. Still swollen today. Think I may need to go get it checked out. I pinned yesterday in the Glutes doing 0.5 cc on each glute for a total 1 cc injection. So far so good so I don't think it's been contaminated. I think it's just a combo of the high mg/ml concentration as well as the thickness. May try and cut it a little with some USP filtered oil. Still gonna split the injection into 2 areas, I think that will help greatly. Thanks for all the great posts.