Can I Self Adminster without Training?

As an ex carer and someone with experience in the pharmaceutical industry I suspect the resounding answer will be "NO", but I need to ask. I'm really overdue for my jab because nurses at my surgery have either left or gone off sick and they've been short-staffed (there's also been a big shake-up with a merger so nobody knows which way is up right now). I've just found out that all three of an excellent nursing team have now left, and they were the only reason I was staying as a patient.

I'm registering with a new surgery, but have a shot booked for next week before I move on. As it stands, though, I'm exhausted. I have CFS anyway, but being late for my B12 means that I can barely see or walk in a straight line, I feel so terrible. I'm dizzy, and my eyeballs hurt through their struggle to even remain open.

I don't even have the necessary equipment aside from the ampoules. I just wish I knew someone locally who could administer for me, or help my husband to do it, so I can be done with this failing surgery without having to go there for my jab, and move on.

[pugdogs10]

HI.. lots of people on this forum self inject, self included, it is not difficult and lots of people need injections more than every 3 months. If you decide to do that you can get lots of help on here ie where to buy ampules, syringes etc as well as advice on self injecting. Your GP surgery sounds pretty bad, maybe the new one will be better...I hope so, but if you don t get the help and support that you need you have an alternative. Best wishes.

[Hidden in reply to pugdogs10]

I've never had a bad experience at my current surgery, but then the merger happened, the GP who knew me best retired, it became near impossible to get an appointment and now the best nurses on the team have left. Time for a change! I'm definitely going to ask about self-injection once I'm familiar with the staff at my new surgery, thank you

[Gambit62 Administrator]

personally I'd recommend going for subQ rather than IM if you are going to self inject without having someone help you/show you how. For that you require an insulin needle and you can do it into either the fatty layers around your tummy or into the fatty layers just below the skin in your thigh. There are plenty of videos on you-tube.

[Hidden in reply to Gambit62]

When I settle in to my new surgery I'm definitely going to ask about training. I did ask at my current surgery, but the nurse was reticent about allowing me to do it (I'm sure she had her reasons; perhaps she's always been advised against teaching someone to self-administer if they're not a diabetic - I was certainly taught some ideas that now seem odd when I was a carer).