I've read so much on here, that I've lost track (and can't find!) those who've written and been courageous enough to follow their own path to recovery, by being desperate enough to administer self-injection. I'm sure I even saw a post where needles etc were obtained from a Vet's surgery! (I have a very friendly Vet ~and probably should have been going to him for treatment, as opposed by my GP!)
Would anyone who's a source of obtaining B12 for self-injections at home, and the lady who got the required needles etc from Vet, please PM me?
Horrendous cutbacks in everything, including 'loading doses of B12 being totally insufficient in my particular area of Scotland, are enough to make you (and I) weep.
I need to get considerably better than I am, which is damn awful ~ and do it soon!
PM's will, I'm sure, lead me to required info, and at least a chance of improved health. With thanks, in advance, Barbara xx
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LadyBarb
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Hi. We have had to go down the self medicating route after being seriously let down by the nhs. We are lucky enough to have a doctor locally whom instructed us on how to inject subcutaneously and monitored out first injection with him. I knew my daughter was ok with B12 injections but I hadn't had one before so was important to be monitored in case of a bad reaction. We got our needles from Medisave.co.uk and sharps boxes from Amazon.
You can buy a set of 10 X syringes, 10x blue needles, 10x green needles, 10 X alcohol wipes for £3.99, free P&P on Amazon, or 100 of each for about £10-12 at Medisave.
I bought the B12 Ampoules from Goldpharma in Germany. Sharps bin a few pounds on EBay. Just put the ampoules and needles in the bin and the syringes in regular bin and it'll take nearly a year to fill even a small sharps bin.
I watched a couple of videos on YouTube and did the first injection at a friends house just in case there was any reaction. ( there wasn't)
I'm not sure if this will help, but here in Germany all of this is very easy to come by. The syringes, the injectable B12, etc without an rx. I would think you could easily order from a Germany pharmacy and have it shipped to the uk. I order my B12 online no rx is needed here- same with syringes. If anyone needs help ordering from a German pharmacy let me know. With google translate i order from the Netherlands and i dont speak any Dutch.
I get blue and green needles, syringes, wipes and sharps box from medisave uk and B12 ampules from Germany, I did talk to my GP over a period of time about SI but in the end just said I was going to do it so long as I could do it safly, at that point she requested that I let the nurse talk me through the first one and I was in and out in 5min. Good luck and best wishes.
That's great Pitney, thank you for another source of needles, etc ~ I know there are 'fine' needles available somewhere, from all the reading I've done? Can you advise which is which please?
I won't waste any more breath re talking to my Doc about SI. Her arrogant attitude and lack of knowledge of B12 is dreadful ~ unfortunately a lack of 'choice' in this rural area is the major problem I face, coupled with NHS cutbacks and even the NICE 'suggestions' re B12 being ignored.
Obviously, I'm not the first person to hit some of these barriers, sadly.
I guess I'll be back to good old 'goggle' to find out the correct way to SI, as the Doc will have nothing to do with it. Not even "safety first". Unreal. I think I'll ask the Vet too ~ I DO know he'd help without asking too many questions. Ridiculous, isn't it? I think I'd have been better attending him rather than my GP for all my health matters ~ and, at least they can read (animal) blood results properly! (Might even show them mine and see what they make of them, LOL)
Vets here (Scotland, but probably all over the UK) have to do one more year of training than Doctors have to do. I know Vet's patient's can't talk, but so few GP's have the art of 'listening and hearing', that I think the majority of Docs should add an additional year of training too, to equal that of Vets! (Yes, some of this is 'tongue in cheek', but I wish I could say it's ALL!
We are lucky that we see Dr ******** as we live very near him. Our gp's have been negligent with treatment especially for my daughter. Hopefully, we will see an improvement and its not too late!
I do hope all goes well with your daughter, and that you soon see an improvement for her. I understand the basis of your fear of the 'too late' element, but you're on the right track now, and in good hands. Sending every good and positive wish for your daughter's recovery to a good degree of health xx <3 xx.
I don't even want to get started on Doctor's "negligence" ~ I've a 29 year story of that, and this'd turn into a book! Let's just say I totally understand your feelings.
Don't know if same in Scotland as South of the border; if you don't mind, you can try needle exchange. They assumed I was there for steroid pack (must be my puny physique) so I went along with that. Got blue and green needles, alcohol wipes, 2.5ml barrels and a sharps bin. All they wanted from me was my initials and start of my postcode. They might've asked for my DOB too - can't remember. Been back with my full sharps bin and got a load more "paraphenalia". B12 was acquired from Germany - Rotexmedica hydroxocobalamin via goldpharma. Hope that helps
That's excellent advice, thank you Rheadster ~ I'd gather that the process is the same in Scotland ~ at least don't see why it shouldn't be re "paraphernalia"? lol
I so loathe needles ~ I have to turn away every time one is produced at the medical centre (only for 'blood taking'). The GP is like a Vampire when taking blood ~ every needle seems full of teeth! The bloods nurse is brilliant, and there's virtually no pain at all, or bruising!
It'll be an 'interesting' process trying to jab myself while trying to not look, LOL, but I've been through worse, so no doubt will cope.
Thanks also for sources of B12. With gratitude, Barbara xx
In a recent post some others suggested trying orange (25G) needles for injecting (with the greens - 21G for drawing up out of ampules. Like I mentioned I use the blue (23G) for injecting at the moment but might try the thinner 25G as last injectiom made me flinch. There's lots of great advice on this forum. I would be a little cautious when YouTubing about self injection as there are some way off with their advice. When you do get round to it see if the nurse will show you how it's done. I am lucky enough to live with a pharmacist who is trained in IM injecting. I'm not sure I'd have the bottle to jab myself but compared with feeling naff I think I'd give it a go!
Ah ~ orange 25G are the fine needles? That's a great help. Is there any chance you could point me to the Post where a girl had got all of her 'paraphernalia' from her Vet's surgery? For the life of me, I can't find it ~ and the Search throws up Posts from over a year ago, and I know I'd looked at Posts over the past couple of months re SI / B12.
The only way I can see the Bloods Nurse, re SI, is via the Doc, so that's a non-starter, unfortunately.
I'll just have to get over my squeamishness about SI, as I feel 'naff', so have no other choice really. And, thanks, I'll be really careful re YouTube illustrations about how to SI ~ in fact, as I (and the cats!) have a great Vet, I may even ask him about how to do it properly. I promise I'll be careful ~ I value what little health I have left too much to be careless with SI. I did see an illustration somewhere on how to SI properly on a medical site ~ and it wasn't on YT ~ so I'll go searching for that once more.
I just need 'sorted out', and as quickly as possible. I'd been doing sublingual B12, then had read that its effectiveness was as nothing, compared with B12 injections. As the Doc is ignorant/arrogant about the effectiveness of B12 and I've NO chance of getting the proper loading doses as per NICE recommendations, and basically the Doc isn't in the least interested anyway, I have to be more than interested in my own health.
I do wish I could get her to 'walk a mile in my shoes', although normally I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy ~ but strangely, she seems to have become my 'worst enemy' anyway, which is very far from what a Doc/patient 'relationship' should be, to say the very least.
I need to get well enough to be able to move home, especially from this very rural region where medical 'choice' is dreadful (it's changed a lot since I first moved here, or I'd never have chosen a new home in this region!).
Oops! I'm back on my soapbox, of "since when did it become the NHS's job to keep patients sick?"
I've now ordered B12 online, plus the fine needles, etc., as I can't find a 'local' sort of needle exchange provider etc.. Many thanks for your good wishes, and I've just got to take control of my life, and hopefully at least one area of my recovery (a bit at a time, lol!).
BTW, I was advised that I could do subcutaneous injections, as my muscles aren't up to much after 29 years of illness. I didn't realise that that was an option! It appears to be rather less tricky ~ seems to last longer in the body than the immediate 'hit' from (me) possibly managing to hit a muscle.
I decided to go for rather more 'consistent' injection advice from more professional medical sites than the YouTube vids (some were very dodgy looking indeed on there!).
As I'll have glass vial, specifically measured doses to use ~ what does the often repeated practice of using thicker needles to measure doses out from the vials/bottles mean? (Please excuse my naivete, but I'm just a newbie to this SI route, as it was about the last thing I could see myself doing, with a type of needle phobia!)
Being mainly house-bound, and bed-bound as it's the only place I can get a bit of pain relief, is more than a bit of a PITA, to say the least, and when I do get out, it's mainly for medical appointments of some source ~ AND 'life' must get better than this!
The thicker needles to draw up then swap to a thinner one is for: the first one to get all liquid up as best as humanly possible but then the transfer limits any glass transfer (very unlikely if your ampules snaps cleanly, which it will I am sure) and also less pain the thinner you get. Not a very viscous liquid so an orange should be fine (light blue 23G definitely works fine). Thinks that's about it. I think some don't bother with this changing needles practice (including my local healthcare assistant although her overall approach to it all is shoddy yo say the least - rather my other half do it).
Hi. As others have said before,it is perfectly legal to buy needles and syringes in the uk but not B12. Like others I buy from medicare. I order B12 from Versandapo.de in Germany. They had the best mailing price others can be quite expensive. Hope you get sorted. I gave up on Scottish Gps long ago. Good luck on getting on with self injecting.xx
Thanks Kay ~ and thanks BethattheBeach ~ I have had to inject Diabetic Cats and never thought twice about it, after having been shown by the Vet how to do it ... but when it comes to putting a needle n my own skin, it's "Arrggghhhh!", lol.
I've ordered the finest needles, etc from Medicare and have bought B12 from a recommended source, and hadn't initially realised I could start off with subcutaneous injections and then hopefully when I've got a bit of muscle back get a bit braver. Nearly 3 decades of ME/Fibro etc and becoming more house-bound and frequently totally bed-bound, for ease of at least some pain, you'll gather the muscle volume goes down rather a lot.
It will indeed be a relief to be in charge of my own health ~ I'm so delighted I found HU (thank you Thyroid UK!), and the many beautiful people who are only too willing to offer me excellent help and encouragement with health issues, which I didn't think was possible. It's been a total revelation and delight ~ and a steep learning curve ...
I've a few areas I need to address, but getting my B12 right will be a great start, to help other medications I need to address, have a good chance of working properly ...
I can't quite express how I feel about 'rural' Scottish GPs Beth, but I guess you know all too well what the experience is like! Grrrrrr...
LadyBarb I practised on an orange first under guidance from a nurse friend. Do you know anyone who could give you some ideas? Maybe take an orange to the vet? One other point to relieve your anxiety - hitting a vein is not as drastic as you might imagine as sometimes B12 is given intravenously, anyway. If it hurts I just withdraw the needle a little and continue slowly. Don't forget to warm the ampouls as it will sting if cold.
Be brave and you will be so relieved to be in charge of your health.
Doc doesn't and won't know a thing about it @bluepettals2 ..! Injections don't have to be into a muscle ~ they can be done subcutaneously (just under skin!). Seems less frightening to me as I've very poor muscles after nearly 3 decades of being ill..! B xx
I believe the point is that with B12 injections, certain conditions can be greatly helped, and even reversed. That's why I'm going to give it a try in the absence of any help from GP. Basically, it seems I've nothing to lose and the pain in my spine is excruciating at times and meds don't help.
Maybe see how I get on, and I can let you know? I believe there's no 'sudden' miracle cure, but if it takes 6 or more months to see an improvement (in basically ANY area of my life, that'd be a 'miracle cure' to me!
I'm not in the least brave ~ am quite nervous about it all, however, I need to take my healing back into my hands (quite literally, lol..!).
Thank you! I'm a real 'night owl' (not through choice, it's chronic insomnia ~ it'll soon be my bedtime!) ~ and there are several bats flitting about in the background, and trust me, there are times when I really feel 'batty'.. B xx
May I just thank EVERYONE for all the help and advice given. It's been of magnificent assistance, and I feel quite overwhelmed and very grateful indeed. xx <3 xx B xx
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It appears to be rather less tricky ~ seems to last longer in the body than the immediate 'hit' from (me) possibly managing to hit a muscle. 
B xx 
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