Testosterone is FDA-approved in several forms: weekly injection, daily topical cream, implanted pellets, and oral capsules. Elevra offers weekly injection and topical cream. Each method differs in dosing cadence, side-effect profile, and monitoring, not in whether it can work when dosed correctly by a licensed provider following your labs.
Figures below come from FDA-approved product labeling and the Endocrine Society's clinical practice guideline. Sources are listed under the table.
| Weekly injection | Topical cream | Pellets | Oral | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offered by Elevra | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Typical dosing cadence | Elevra's protocol: weekly (label range 50–400 mg every 2–4 weeks, individualized)1 | Daily2 | Every 3–6 months, implanted3 | Twice daily4 |
| How it's taken | Intramuscular or subcutaneous injection | Applied to skin, absorbed transdermally | Small pellets inserted under the skin in-office | Swallowed capsule, absorbed into the intestinal lymphatic system, bypassing first-pass liver metabolism6 |
| Notable side-effect consideration | Injection-site reactions; hematocrit is monitored per label | Skin irritation; risk of transferring testosterone to others through skin contact | Minor in-office procedure; possible pellet extrusion | FDA label warning for blood pressure increases (Warnings and Precautions, updated July 2025)4 |
| Monitoring | Hematocrit and PSA per FDA label and Endocrine Society guideline1,5 | Hematocrit and PSA per FDA label and Endocrine Society guideline2,5 | Hematocrit and PSA per Endocrine Society guideline3,5 | Hematocrit, PSA, and blood pressure4,5 |
This table describes FDA-approved product categories generally. It is not a superiority ranking; the right method for you is a clinical decision made with your provider based on your labs, lifestyle, and goals.
Elevra prescribes weekly injectable testosterone and topical testosterone cream. Both are FDA-approved delivery methods with an established monitoring plan; your provider recommends between them based on your labs, your comfort with injections, and how consistently a daily topical application fits your routine.
Intramuscular or subcutaneous testosterone (such as testosterone cypionate) is dosed weekly under Elevra's protocol. FDA labeling for testosterone cypionate allows a broader, individualized range of 50 to 400 mg every two to four weeks1; the Endocrine Society's 2018 guideline recommends monitoring hematocrit and, in the first year, prostate-specific antigen, with a urology referral if PSA rises more than 1.4 ng/mL above baseline.5
Topical testosterone is applied daily to the skin. FDA labeling for topical products includes a specific warning about the risk of transferring testosterone to another person through skin contact, alongside the same hematocrit and PSA monitoring used for injection.
Testosterone pellets are inserted under the skin in a brief in-office procedure and are FDA-labeled for redosing roughly every three to six months. Oral testosterone undecanoate, a newer FDA-approved option, is absorbed into the intestinal lymphatic system, bypassing the first-pass liver metabolism that limited older oral testosterone products6, but it carries an FDA label warning that it can increase blood pressure (Warnings and Precautions, updated July 2025), which requires blood-pressure monitoring in addition to hematocrit and PSA. Elevra does not currently offer either method.
Updated 24 Sep 2026 · Author: Elevra Optimal Health
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