Help to SI

[Justified]

Is there anyone in the Glasgow area who can show me how to self inject IM ???

[Foggyme Administrator]

Hi Peggylally66. Sorry, can't help with that but I hear that there are some very good videos on You Tube (not that I've seen them myself). And here's a tip...practise injecting an orange (use water) to get the hang of handling a syringe...will give you confidence and injecting a human is actually easier.

I see you've already had B12 injections from your surgery so, so long as you inject the same cobalamin that you have had before, you shouldn't be at risk from anaphylactic shock (very rare but occasional experienced with first B12 injection).

Here's a thought - is there a nurse at your surgery who would teach you. I know many object to this, but there are a rare few who don't.

Good luck and please post again if you need any more support 😀.

[Justified in reply to Foggyme]

Thank you Foggyme . Long story but I'll try to be brief. I had been doing quite well (could be better) on monthly injections which I persuaded my doctor to try after my test showed 500 just weeks after loading doses. The usual " don't want to overdose". I explained how I had felt "normalish" after my loading doses and that I had slipped back. I explained neuro symptoms like staggering, stinging feet & hands which were either freezing cold or boiling hot.

I then had to have antibiotics to treat an abscess a few weeks ago. The first ones Flucloxacillin were giving me unbelievable pain in my legs and back so I was told to stop and was sent for an examination to see if it had cause nerve damage. They were substituted with clarithromycin, which i took for 4 days then told I had to change to Metronizidol. I persevered with the awful side effects for 5 days until I was throwing up and had diarrhoea. Doc told me to stop immediately. Since then I feel back to square one, all symptoms back, staggering, awful stabbing nerve pains in my feet, tingling in hands and feet and worst of all...completely whacked ' fuggy, and unable to function. I had my jab last week but still have symptoms, one of which is leaky bladder with itchy perineum. I don't want to rock the boat and ask for my loading doses again. My daughter has frightened the life out of me about self injecting....indeed begged me to promise not to, to which I replied that I couldn't promise her that. Anyway...I am back to the desperate feeling that I need to self inject. I have everything at home but if anything went wrong I'd get the "told you so". Incidentally, I had my room heater on a couple of nights. Do you know if this would make my vials dangerous to use? I feel so ill again

[fbirder in reply to Justified]

Hi Peggylally66,

Sorry to hear of your problems.

When I first decided to SI I told the nurse about to give me my penultimate loading dose that I thought it was silly to waste my time, and hers, having such a simple thing done- so could she show me how to inject into my thigh.

She was quite keen so went through the preparation then handed me the syringe and told me where to stick it! Two days later I had my last loading dose and she got me to do the whole procedure in front of a student who was keen to watch a patient jab themselves.

The stuff from the NHS (which I supplement with stuff from Germany) says that it should be stored in the dark below 25ºC - so it should be OK unless you like it really hot. Even then, it's not going to go off to anything dangerous (don't forget, in the body it's at 37ºC).

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to Justified]

Hi again Peggylally66. Oh dear, you're not having a very good time, are you.

I'm just wondering what you daughter could have said to 'frighten the life out of [you] about self-injection'? Hmm!

The really frightening thing would not be getting enough B12 to make and keep you well. And the fact that many of us have to turn to self-injection, when all else fails, is not good enough. But often, that's how it is!

I think maybe your daughter doesn't understand how dangerous vitamin B12 deficiency is (it's only a vitamin after all!). So perhaps the way to deal with her fear for you is to educate her 😀.

Maybe she could read the PAS pinned posts? Or the Pernicious Anaemia Society's website? Or you could print the pinned posts for her and tell her you'll talk further about self-injection when she has more knowledge about the dangers of not getting B12 (from whatever source).

I'm sure she means well by 'begging [you] to promise not to self-inject' but what she's doing, without realising it, is begging you to remain unwell and risk potentially permenant neurological damage. And if she knew more about B12 deficiency, she'd realise that.

So...what were her actual objections? If you could reply and say what they were, I could try and point you in the direction of specific information that you could show her (for instance the Stichting B12 Tekort document - third pinned post) which shows that B12 injections have been proven safe for the last 50 years and no,upper limit has even been set since nobody has been able to identify a level that would be unsafe.

Supplies of injectable B12 are available from reputable sources in Europe so there is nothing to fear about the quality of what you are injecting.

You will be using sterile equipment.

Injections (including self-injections) are perfectly safe - many millions are done on a daily basis and as you're not planning to inject intravenously, there's little that can go wrong.

So, to be honest, I'm not really sure what her objections are 😀.

Sounds like fbirder's nurse was open to teaching him to self inject - would yours do the same (as part of your 'usual' B12 regime?). And did you watch the videos on You Tube? And as you have the equipment all ready and waiting, practice on a orange - with water - to increase your confidence (you don't have to inject yourlf until you feel ready - or desperate for B12, whichever comes first).

And finally, just to make you laugh....I think I misread fbirder 's reply...was wondering why anybody would like it [their B12] really hot...and then I realised he was talking about the room temperature!

But I do really like the idea of hot B12 😀.

Anyway Peggylally66. Please don't be worried about self-injecting if your GP will not prescribe as much B12 as you need to keep well. Remember - if you lived in Europe you could buy B12 over the counter and self-inject whenever you needed to (so ridiculous UK 'rules'). And dogs with B12 deficiency get injections every week.

Take care, let us know how it goes, and please do post again if you want more help or support 😀.

[Justified in reply to Foggyme]

@ fbirder. She is convinced I will give myself an infection, buy dodgy solution, hit a nerve, hit a vein....she is only concerned I know but thinks I am just obsessed with B12and honestly doesn't know how ill i can get. I am sure she is only concerned for me but you have given me such confidence I am going to practice on an orange and go for it within the next few days....thanks for your support

P.S hot B12 lol

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to Justified]

Hot B12 indeed Peggylally66.

For your daughter:

Give yourself an infection - very unlikely, using sterile equipment, thorough hand cleansing prior to jabbing, and excellent injecting protocols.

Dodgy solution - buying from online pharmacy used by whole German population and many here in the UK. Appropriately regulated and quality controlled.

Hit a nerve - injecting into muscle. Not injecting in an area where major nerves are present.

Hit a vein - veins and arteries very small in injection areas. Only consequence of grazing a small vessel is minor bruising. Happens rarely.

There. Objections dealt with. But I have to say, really good that she cares 😀.

Good luck with the orange...and don't get stressed about jabbing yourself...do it when you're ready 😴.

Let us know how you get on x

[Justified in reply to Foggyme]

Awe...Thank you soooooo much x Helps me too but going to show her this x

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to Justified]

👍👍👍

[fbirder in reply to Foggyme]

I've hit a nerve (near the surface) once. It was like knocking my funny-bone, a bit of a strange tingling, then it was gone.

Next time you get a nice bit of meat have a close look - there aren't any large blood vessels or nerves. Your thigh will be the same.

[ndodge]

Good luck Pegggylally66!

I have every confidence you can do it! Many people on this forum have had the same fears upon commencing SI, but now they sound like pros, giving encouraging advice to others.

My husband gives me my injections and right at first we were both nervous but now it is nothing, takes about 2 minutes!

Let us know how it goes for you.

[Justified in reply to ndodge]

ndodge . thanks for your support. I have just ordered my needle disposal bin, ready to take the plunge

[ndodge in reply to Justified]

Very best wishes for a successful outcome!