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Must have hit a vein

Justified profile image
16 Replies

I was doing my 5th injection and must have hit a little vein in my thigh. When I pulled the needle out a blob of blood appeared and bled a little. It stopped when I did compression with a pad. I have a linear bruise now and my imagination is running wild. I am sure I have read before that I should be okay. Looking for confirmation. Incidentally, how far should I pull out needle to aspirate as this kind of freaks me out

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Justified
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16 Replies
AngelaJG profile image
AngelaJG

Hi Peggylally,

don't worry, there are no big veins in your thigh, someone said in the last couple of days (cannot remember who), if you look at a piece of ham from the butchers, that is the equivalent to your thigh, even if you have hit a small vein it really isn't anything to worry about and am sure others will say the same thing.

I have had a spot of blood a few times when I have injected, and I think I managed to bruise myself on a couple of my first injections.

:) x

Justified profile image
Justified in reply toAngelaJG

AngelaJG thanks you for reassuring me. I was kind of sure it would be okay but as a newbie my imagination can make me worry. I seem to getting more nervous doing them just now, don't know why. I am so glad I started doing SI though as I am now starting to feel the benefits :)

Foggyme profile image
FoggymeAdministrator

Hi Peggylally. Please don't worry...this happens just occasionally (when a vessel near the surface is grazed by the needle) and won't be a problem. All that will happen is that you'll have the small bruise for a short while.

Drawing back the needle when you inject only needs to be by a small fraction...if you do it. Some people don't both with that and simply inject (though I do it simply because it's the way I was taught).

Hope the SI is going well and that your health starts to pick up soon 😀.

Jab away with confidence 💉💉💉👍

Justified profile image
Justified in reply toFoggyme

@Foggyme, thanks for that. You know how your imagination can play tricks on you. I just stayed calm though as I was sure I had read that it would be okay. Always scared of getting air in a vein even though I check a million times though lol . I would be on my knees without learning to SI

Jose651 profile image
Jose651 in reply toJustified

Keep er lit Peggylally66,

J🍀

Foggyme profile image
FoggymeAdministrator in reply toJustified

Hi Peggylally...really no need for you to worry, even about getting air in a vessel...nothing big enough in the area you're injecting into...and very small vessels would simply collapse if you grazed them with a needle (going in or coming out).

Here's a diagram of the blood vessels supplying the thigh...

innerbody.com/anatomy/cardi...

You'll see that all the big vessels are very deep and run down the inside of the thigh, so nothing for you to accidentally hit on the upper third, outside of thigh.

Really pleased that you're up off your knees 😀😀

Keep at it X

Justified profile image
Justified in reply toFoggyme

Foggyme Thanks for that. I've printed it out :)

Foggyme profile image
FoggymeAdministrator in reply toJustified

👍👍

clivealive profile image
clivealiveForum Support

You can often get a leakage and bruising after having a blood test taken and that's when they deliberately inject into a vein so I guess you really don't need to worry too much.

catherinejordan profile image
catherinejordan

I inject into upper arm

BethattheBeach profile image
BethattheBeach in reply tocatherinejordan

But how do you do this to yourself? I'd love to know, just to give my thighs a rest.

catherinejordan profile image
catherinejordan in reply toBethattheBeach

I use I shorter needle for my arm ( but you don't have to) I push the liquid in slowly as this tends to hurt less after. It's much the same as the thigh but in top part if arm instead

Justified profile image
Justified in reply tocatherinejordan

I haven't tried my arm. I thought it would be awkward but I might just try it. Thanks

Ive done this twice now. I'm not dexterous enough to get the needle in, pull back a little yo see if there's blood, reposition needle if there is. Small bruise each time but no other problems.

If you think when you have blood taken from a vein in your arm, it stops bleeding almost immediately with a bit if pressure.

lesbud1 profile image
lesbud1

you only need to withdraw the plunger a little to see if you aspirate blood back in the syringe. if you do take it out and change the needle if you want but go in again in different place. If you get a drop of blood after you withdraw the needle completly, after injecting, that is not a problem. sometimes you will go through a vein but will be injecting into the muscle if you have pulled back the plunger before pushing the liquid in as this will denote if you are in a vein. As for the bruise, it is just the blood that has seeped from the vein under the skin like any other bruising so unless it is huge and doesn't go away then I would not worry.

Justified profile image
Justified in reply tolesbud1

@lesbud...thanks for that information. I just think it is scary pulling the plunger out when I am in the middle of an injection.. so I should go in fully then aspirate? If there is blood it wold show if I pull back about 1mm ? Also do I NEED to change needle ?

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