Monday, 6 August 2018

Replacement NOW Available for Testogel Sachets

Trans men in Europe who use Testogel for their cross-sex hormone therapy are facing a problem when they ask for their repeat prescription. 

Testogel in sachets is no longer being made. Instead there is a new product. Almost identical, it is now called Testogel 16.2mg/g 

The manufacturers Besins Healthcare (UK) Ltd say they informed the NHS of this change in March 2018, but my GP and pharmacist had no awareness of this. 

They told me that Testogel it was no longer available.I was instead given Testim gel, or Androgel. Both gels are  perfectly good, but like all medicines it doesn't suit some. According to my wife Testim and Androgel have an unattractive smell. 

Testogel 16.2mg/g comes in this bottle containing 88g of gel, in a box. 



If you prefer Testogel, just ask your GP to prescribe the new product. Your GP will need to use its full name Testogel 16.2mg/g to find it on the Medicines UK site. 
  • Details and a leaflet or your GP  can be found here 
  • The Patient Leaflet is here  

To put the gel om, you press down a pump at the top of the bottle and it deposits a small but definite amount of gel (1.25g per pump) in your hand., which you rub on your shoulders as usual. 

The dose is presented slightly differently, so the table below should help you work out how many pumps per day will give you the same dose as you used to have with testogel sachets. 


(Old) Testogel 
(30 x 5g sachets in box)
Replace
with
Testogel 16.2mg/g
(88g bottle contains 70 pumps)
1 sachet = 5g gel
50mg Testosterone (T)
1 pump of top =
1.25g gel
20 mg testosterone (T)
Comparing former dose with NEW dose
Monthly prescription
Provides
Monthly prescription
Provides
30 sach. x 5g gel
1500mg of T
=
1 bottle= 88g gel
1425mg of T
60 sach. x 5g gel
3000mg of T
=
2 bottles= 176g gel
2850mg  of T
Daily Dose
Provides
Daily Dose
Provides
1 sachet = 5g gel
50mg of T
=
2 pumps= 2.5g gel
40mg  of T
2 sachets=10g gel
100mg of T
=
5 pumps= 12.5g gel
100mg of T

Further advice for Patients is available here  


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