I just thought I would write a quick post in case it may help anyone else who might be struggling with confidence re self injecting. I can't believe how nervous I was, and how easy and relatively painless it actually was to do.
For myself, I researched a lot on the forums here which I found an enormous help, and also watched a lot of videos showing how to SI, also comparing IM and Subcutaneous. I spoke at length with a well known Dr who is available to all through the B12deficiency charity. His advice gave me confidence to follow this through and gave me clarity and peace of mind. Feels so good to finally be taking control of this myself.
The items required I purchased from VersandApo (click on the British flag at the bottom of the screen for English language) and Medisave with no difficulty at all.
I know there are other posts offering the same advice but I just want to stress that if you take courage and good advice then actually you can do it. SI isn't for everyone of course, but if it's the right route for you it's really not hard.
I have made some progress with my GP which I will follow up in another post (that's still progressing), but would add as many others have that if you can possibly keep yourself in the loop of the GP/NHS at the same time that is always the best route, just so you are still on the radar in some small way! I just got fed up and very frightened of neuro symptoms getting worse every day again whilst waiting for NHS and GP delays....so taken control!
Best wishes to all,
Drumstix 😃
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Drumstix
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Thank you for your post. It sounds as though we are both in a very similar situation and I have been thinking of self injecting too to make myself better. I have finally managed to persuade the GP practice I am with to put me back onto B12 treatment again but it would be great to have the option at home too to self inject.
I would be struggling a bit with knowing the correct size needles to buy. I was thinking of doing the subcutaneous injections and was also looking on Medisave at the 30g x 0.5 inch needles but I'm not sure if they are the right size.
I would also need to watch a lot of videos too to learn how to do it myself.
I have also found my neurological symptoms to be scary and like you need to take control of them myself now. Thank you very much for your post as it has given me courage to try and do the same as you.
Thanks for your reply and I'm really pleased you found it helpful! I'm not the best person to advise re needles but I can tell you of my own experience.
Basically the well known Dr I mentioned from the B12 deficiency charity sent me an email with direct links to what I needed from Medisave. This was after I had emailed the charity first asking for their advice. I was then able to ring the Dr myself and speak directly with him for advice. He asked a lot of questions including my weight and worked out my BMI, so it may be that the needles he advised for me might be different to someone else (I'm not sure)? I weigh 10st and am 5'6" and the needles advised were:
BD Microlance 3 Needles yellow 30g x 0.5"
Plus.... BD Plastipak syringes 2ml
I also chose to order BD Microlance 3 Needles Green 21g x 1.5" just for drawing up, so that I can make sure I get all of the B12 out of the ampoules without worrying about touching the bottom of the vial. I understand that if you catch the needle on the bottom it gets very painful to inject, so once drawn up I carefully switch to the very fine yellow needle. Don't remove the cap of the needle until it is safely fitted to the syringe and you are ready to go! I ordered a 1ltr sharps bin with a needle remover to make that bit really simple and reduce the risk of a sharps injury! One of the videos I saw (a German chap!) showed how to use a different needle for drawing up and I liked that idea; it makes it really easy! They are also super cheap.
I did my 2nd injection today and hardly felt a thing! The yellow needles are super fine and I really like them. I would say that as they are only 0.5" long, if I do it into my stomach it would be subcutaneous (there's a fair bit of fat around there!), but into my thigh it could be either subcut or IM as my thighs are quite muscular 😁 Either way, it's in!
Hope this helps in some way! Watch loads of videos, that definitely helps but the said DR is VERY reassuring and gives a certain calmness and peace of mind.
Thank you for replying and sharing your experience. You have given me a lot of confidence to try SI for myself. I think I know the charity you are talking about it's great there are some doctors who understand all about B12 deficiency. We are both even the same height I am 5 6" too so I think the needle you talked about would work fine for me.
I will also purchase a Sharps bin too like you talked about and start treating myself. Thank you for explaining about which needles to use where to draw the B12 from the ampoule it's very helpful. I will watch videos too in case as I do get confused pretty easily.
Thank you so much for posting and hope you are feeling well today too.
I'll let you know how I get on when I have all the supplies. I'm very grateful for your lovely reply. x
I'm not entirely sure if what I'm doing is IM or subcut....I've explained in my reply to carmel13n above how I use the BD Microlance 3 Needles yellow 30g x 0.5" which are extra fine and don't hurt at all. So far I have injected into my thighs, and this could be IM or subcut depending on whether the needle reaches muscle or not as they are only 0.5" long. Stomach will definitely be subcut and will hurt less is my understanding, because fat doesn't have the same amount of nerves as muscle.
Hope that this helps! If it's what you need then be brave! I have found it quite empowering to take informed control myself, and feel responsible for my own health. I do need the GP's help at times but sadly, for many reasons the NHS/GP's have not got to grips with B12 issues at all. For me, I do not want to be on serious drugs which I don't need if I can live a much better life by helping myself in a natural way. My thoughts are that as its almost impossible to overdose on B12, then I owe it to myself to give it the best shot that I can. So for me it's a "nothing to lose" trial!
I inject slowly as I too am a real wuss, let the needle rest for a good few seconds too before withdrawing (picked that tip up from videos).
Yes I was also planning on doing the subcutaneous injections as those ones seem the least complicated. Putting them in the stomach sounds good too. I also don't want to rely on the GP's too much as the injections might not be frequent enough.
It's great to have the encouragement from here. I'm feeling better about it all now. Thank you Drumstix. Hope you are feeling well today too and you also trelemorele.
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Where to start? Self injection B12
where can you buy B12 for intramuscular injections in the UK?
A massive thank you!
somebody listened to me at last !
Storing B12 Depot
