ADVICE NOTE: Normal Saline 0.9% for Injection

[Foggyme]

Hi All. I've recently noted that there have been posts advising a source for injectable saline and thought it would be useful to clarify what is safe for injection purposes and what is not.

Sterile Plastic Saline Pods: The normal saline in plastic pods is described as sterile. However, it is subject to different, less stringent filtering processes than the normal saline sold in ampoules. It is not suitable for injection purposes. The boxes usually carry a warning note stating that it is not suitable for injection (this might be missed when the instructions are in a foreign language). Is it safe to inject - The manufacturers say not. Would I inject it: No.

Normal Saline 0.9% in glass ampoules: This is filtered via more rigorous processes, is of higher quality, and is specifically manufactured for and marked as being for injection purposes (look for INJEKTION if purchasing from a German site). So most definately safe to inject.

Here's a link where you can buy injectable quality normal saline (the link is to 10 X 10ml ampoules but the same site also sells 2ml ampoules):

mycare.de/online-kaufen/koc...

Hope this helps 👍

EDIT AND UPDATE TO ORIGINAL POST: injectable quality normal saline 0.9% may be on sale on some European websites but care has to be taken to distinguish between the sterile saline in pods (i.e. for eyewash etc) and what might be injectable quality normal saline. Always check the product box and/ or instructions before use for injection...if it says 'for injection' then it should be okay to use. If not, then who knows. (Take care about simply relying on product descriptions on websites - these are not always accurate).

Injectable quality normal saline 0.9% in plastic pods (or glass ampoules) is never sold in the UK or on UK websites like Amazon. It is not licenced for sale in the UK (even though it may be used in medical establishments).

[wedgewood]

Thanks Foggyme . Your link goes straight to the 10 x10 option . Bottom left shows the same carton for10x2ml ampoules. Excellent . Yes I would only want to use a proper ampoule for injection purposes .

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to wedgewood]

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[Hillwoman]

Thanks, that's very useful to know if I ever buy the powdered methyl.

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

Forgive my ignorance but what is the difference between a saline pod and a saline ampoule besides the ampoule having higher quality saline.

Do ampoules have a top you have to snap off?

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to Sleepybunny]

Hi Sleepybunny...you're right to ask...I'll go back and add to post for clarity. So thank you for that.

The pods are made of plastic (which snap off at the top) and the ampoules are made of glass. And yes, the glass ampoules have to be snapped off at the top (in the same way as the glass ampoules of injectable B12) 😀

👍👍

[Kafka]

Dr Drew, delighted to have a medical professional posting (albeit loudly). Would be great if you could let the forum know something about your specialism and, very welcome, interest in PA and what the main areas of misinformation are that you feel people should be aware of.

[Foggyme Administrator]

Dr Drew.

You are not listed as a Consultant at the John Radcliffe.

For clarification - none of your posts from the last two days have been deleted (in any of your - so far - three user names).

If you wish to continue to use this site, please can I refer you the HU terms and condition and PAS pinned post (to the right of this page when you log on) and request that you abide by these conditions.

[fbirder in reply to Foggyme]

Actually, they have been deleted. I got fed up of trolls wasting the time and effort of the real users of this forum. Me, and me alone.

If you all do work for any university medical school then I heartily apologise. Send me an email from a recognisable academic domain and I will grovel at your feet.

[ribbon]

I've been using the plastic saline pods recommended by Oxford Bio from Bodfeld Apotheke for two years now and I'm absolutely fine. Going from strength to strength now thankfully and really beginning to see recovery. Only problem is the delivery from Bodfeld - the delivery company they use is very unreliable. 'Injektion' has always been written on my box of plastic pods - otherwise I wouldn't be happy using them

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to ribbon]

Hi Ribbon.

If the plastic pods are marked as suitable for injection, then there is not a problem 😉.

However, these are not routinely available for sale in the UK or from UK websites.

One of the problems we identified was that people were using plastic pods of sterile eyes wash (available over the counter in the UK) for injection - and these are not suitable as they are not of injectable quality (see the added note admin note to the post above.

It's really good news to hear of your ongoing recovery so fingers crossed that this continues.

Thanks for your reply...

👍

[ribbon in reply to Foggyme]

Thanks for clarifying that, Foggyme. I'm so glad you're here to warn people not to do that!! I'm going on a little holiday later this morning - first one in 20 years. A bit nervous but so happy to be even doing it! Thanks for your good wishes and very best to you x

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to ribbon]

Wow Ribbon...first holiday in 20 years...no wonder you're a little nervous...and I bet a little excited too 🙃.

Hope you have a brilliant time and that it turns out to be everything you want it to be.

And don't forget...it's still okay to rest on holiday, if you need to 😉.

Take very good care 👍

[ribbon]

Thanks for that Foggyme! It was just a few days in a village by the sea with my husband and of course I overdid things (walked for too long) on one of the days and am still paying for it. I got so frustrated not being able to go for long walks like I used to and it was such a lovely day so I kept going. Unwise! It will probably take a couple of weeks to recover, but I'm still happy that I actually managed to leave home and get away and hope to do it again soon...

How are you doing? Are you recovered now? Did you get to a place where you can exercise and live normally? How long did it take? (No problem if you're too busy with Admin work to answer!)

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to ribbon]

Hi ribbon. I'm so delighted to hear that you had what sounds like a wonderful time. Think we all overdo it and then pay, at times...part of the longing to just be our old (or should I say previous) selves, I think 😀.

As to me, well...B12 now under control (mix of eight weekly injections from GP - that's as far as they would go - and self-injection to top up in between. But...

Still lots of symtpoms (some not B12 related) so being doing all the 'ologies' for the last two years (yikes). Just been diagnosed with undifferentiated connective tissue disease - which explains so much 😉.

Started treatment in Novemeber but had a severe allergic reaction to the meds - now on steroids and waiting to start immunosuppressants towards the end of August. Hurrah...an at last moment, I think.

Pretty rubbish at the moment - like you, I long to get out of the house...I'm a long-walker too and I can't wait to get back to it. And washing, cooking, cleaning, looking after my grandsons, catching up with folks and well...being a previous person 😀😀😀 (not necessarily in that order!).

Despite the rubbishness of it all, managing to keep fairly upbeat...and hanging on to the thought that once treatment starts proper, improvements will begin 😀.

Hope it doesn't take you too long to recover from the excesses...and that you manage to get away again soon...it's amazing what a perk it gives you...even if it's an exhausted perk 😀.

Take care ribbon...post again and let us all know how you're doing x

[ribbon in reply to Foggyme]

Thanks Foggyme. Haha! "previous person". I know exactly what you mean! It's wonderful how you remain positive throughout it all. I do mostly, but I must admit I don't always manage it and when I began B12 injections I had dreadful irritability and mood swings. My poor husband! Thankfully that's settled now.

I'm starting to feel the strength returning but slowly (as always happens when I try to be the 'previous person'! Sorry to hear about your connective tissue diagnosis but glad you're on the road to recovery. Funnily enough they tried to diagnose me with connective tissue disease while prescribing 3 monthly hydroxocobalamin injections. One of my most troublesome symptoms was that pain I always described as 'connective tissue' pain. One GP tested for 'sarcoidosis' too.

But once I got on high dose daily methlycobalamin injections plus t3 with a small bit of NDT I gradually lost that inflamed feeling. My inflammation markers all came down beautifully to low normal too (ESR, CRP, Ferritin. I think one was IGG or something like that). They wanted to treat me for rheumatism because I was one single point over the norm for rheumatoid factor but I said no thanks. I had a feeling it was all inflammation from poorly treated pernicious anaemia and hypothyroidism. Indeed all my tests soon reverted to low normal once I got the thyroid issue fixed (and B!2 & folate & cofactors). Someone even suggested I try methotrexate (may be spelling that wrong) but I know from an online pal that it drastically reduced her folate, which of course would be a disaster for someone like me with B12 & folate deficiency issues.

It's a minefield but sounds like you've had good testing and evidence. If they're only going by symptoms (which I'm sure they're not) do go carefully. I wish you the very best of luck. x

[Foggyme Administrator]

Thanks Ribbon...and everything back at you 🙃 X