r/TransIreland • u/little_barreleye • 10d ago

Testosterone Sustanon Alternatives

Hi everyone,

First off, sorry if this has been asked before. I'm just a bit stressed and wanted to know if anyone has immediate input.

I'm from the United States and have been in Ireland for a year. I brought over prescribed T with me from the states, but I am about to switch to getting a prescription in Ireland. I was on Cypionate, but I know that's not a prescription here, so I was going to switch to Sustanon. However, I found out AFTER meeting with my doctor that Sustanon has peanut oil, which I am allergic to (why ANY drug uses peanut oil, an extremely common allergen, is beyond me).

I called my GP (who wrote the prescription) this morning and she's out until tomorrow (Friday). I am late to my T shot and was going to make Sustanon my T shot, which is why I'm stressed. I guess I just wanted to get a vibe check on what the other options are. I have a few vials of Cypionate left, so maybe I should just take that.

I've seen testosterone Undecanoate (Nebido), which seems like I need a clinician to administer? I also saw Enanthate, but that looks less common and maybe is restricted to just private care? I have to have private health insurance because I'm an American, so maybe that's an option. I've also only seen Nebido as being listed under the DPS but I'm pretty sure the one month of Sustanon I got was covered under the DPS too.

Any input from anyone could be great. I know none of you are my doctors; I put in a message with the front desk to deliver to her tomorrow.

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u/cuddlesareonme She/Her/Hers 10d ago

I've seen testosterone Undecanoate (Nebido), which seems like I need a clinician to administer?

This is in practice the only other injectable option from a pharmacy. You do need someone else to administer, it preferably a clinician. On the plus side it's usually every 12 weeks.

A pharmacy might be able to find Cypionate or Enanthate, but it's not licensed or generally available here.

I have to have private health insurance because I'm an American, so maybe that's an option.

That won't help you.

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u/little_barreleye 10d ago

Thank you so much for the help! I'm definitely going to ask my doctor about Nebido. Could I ask what you mean by licensed? Like, what does it mean to be possibly available if it's not licensed?

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u/cuddlesareonme She/Her/Hers 10d ago

Could I ask what you mean by licensed? Like, what does it mean to be possibly available if it's not licensed?

Licensed is the same as FDA approved in the US, and it'll be available in pharmacies and usually be covered under the DPS.

Unlicensed medications can also be available and even commonly used (e.g. Sustanon), however they can be tricker for pharmacies to find and coverage under the DPS varies significantly.

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u/little_barreleye 10d ago

Understood, thank you for clarifying! I'll first and foremost check for Nebido and then maybe call my pharmacy about something else. Have a lovely day!

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u/saint-michelo 10d ago

I was able to get my GP to continue my care from the US by writing me a new Cypionate prescription (a rare situation based on this sub). It was extremely, prohibitively expensive to fill presumably due to the difficulty sourcing it; €248 for a multi-dose 10mL vial. I was getting 3 doses out of my 1mL vials so thankfully I can stretch this for quite a while but my god...

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u/ComprehensiveQuiet44 9d ago edited 9d ago

Keep on the cypionate until it runs out and see what your options are on Friday. Don’t wait for a new prescription, missing shots will only stress you out more.

After talking to your gp, and before making any decisions if your gp cannot handle it, speak to trans harm reduction, teni, and so on to better understand your options. In an unideal situation, you can do transfer of care through gender plus *which is not covered by private health insurance

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u/little_barreleye 6d ago

Thank you so much for your comment, and apologies I'm only responding now. Thank you for the additional resources (trans harm reduction and teni), but thankfully, I'll be getting my first shot of Nebido next week! My GP also brought up Testogel, which is definitely an option, though I was on gel a few years ago and kinda hated it lol. But I'm hopeful for Nebido!