I did it! I self injected under the eye of the nurse...but need some needle help.

[Katherine123]

I did it! I self injected under the eye of the nurse...but now desperately need some help regarding needles...Practice nurse has given me 5 but I need to self inject every day for 2 weeks and then onto 3 times a week for 2 months. I had the right needles for injection but did not have the needles to draw up the B12. The ones the nurse gave me are Braun 0.60 x25 mm 23G X 1" I looked on Amazon Uk but could not find them. Any suggestions please....

The needle going in did not hurt at all!!! but boy did the B12 sting :0/

The funny thing is my appetite and taste buds had gone for the last 8 months so my eating has been very poor! got home and felt really hungry and ate 5 gluten free biscuits with my tea and I COULD TASTE THEM!

Lets hope it now heals all my nerves, balance problems, dizzy spells and ataxia. I am feeling very brave :0)

[wedgewood]

Congratulations Katherine 123! I use Medicare .co.uk for needles and syringes . As I use a 1ml ampoule I use a long withdrawing needle to get the B12 out of the ampoule because the needle tip will be blunted.

Withdrawing needle—— Agani Terumo needle 21G x 1 1/2 “

Injection needle —— Agani Terumo neddle 25 G x 1”

25 G is thinner than 23, so is really easy to inject with .

100 needles are really not expensive.

Exchange supplies have a 27 gauge needle 1 1/2 long

Don’t forget a sharps disposal box and alcohol swabs

Very best of luck to you 🍀👍

[Katherine1234 in reply to wedgewood]

Thank you sweetheart I have the alcohol swabs and sharps bin, just off to order the right draw up needles, tomorrow I am on my own :0/ but I am feeling "yes you can do this" :0)

[wedgewood in reply to Katherine1234]

You CAN do it Katherine ! It’s daunting on your own at first , but after a few times , it’s routine and you soon won’t care one jot ! You’re not really on your own . We on this site are rooting for you . Honestly .👍👍👍💉💉💉

[Katherine123 in reply to wedgewood]

Awww! thank you darling....I am feeling very tired now like I could just fall asleep, but good tired, just ordered my drawing up needles, thank you, and realised I used bad grammar on my post heading and it reads like I injected the nurse under the eye! giggling this end! :0D

[Dallas2005 in reply to Katherine123]

That's so funny because that's exactly what I thought you meant ... that you stuck the needle under the nurse's eye. I thought, "Ouch!" Lol.

[Katherine123 in reply to Dallas2005]

Ahahahahahaha! it was not until I re-read back that I realised how my heading will be read :0) I was so excited to get it out there Dallas2005 that my grammar fell off the ends of the earth! still giggling! I feel so much stronger today and this is only the 3rd day after 2 days of injections :0) I have a fortnight of daily injections to go.

[Katherine123]

Awww! thank you beginner1 it did sting quite a lot. I had taken the ampoule out of the fridge and travelled to doctors which all in all took about an hour, the day was a little chilly today. I will take it out of the fridge for a couple of hours before I have a go tomorrow on my own! :0/

[Katherine1234]

Oh! I did not know that....thank you...

[Katherine1234]

Awww! thank you for info dearest <3

[Allen381]

27g 1.5 inch for me and dont feel a thing

[Allen381]

Ps dont forget to use filter needle to draw up the b12 into syringe

[Katherine123 in reply to Allen381]

Done it! I need a cup of tea now :0/ I had terrible trouble breaking the glass bottle as I have numb fingers now with no strength in them :0/ it broke a bit jagged hopefully ok. Then I stabbed myself in the thumb with the big drawing up needle so I saw blood! eeek! and that was before I started drawing up. Did injection in thigh! Phew! all done :0)

[Gaudygoat]

Well done! It's a great feeling when you first manage to inject yourself. I think everyone has said everything except maybe the speed of the injection.

I was also showed how to inject by a nurse and they usually advise to insert quickly but that really applies to injecting other people. I and I know others on this forum find it easier to go in slowly. You can either pinch the skin or hold it taught so that it doesn't it doesn't give too much and then just gently touch the needle to the skin and then slowly apply pressure. I also inject very slowly. I push the syringe until it just moves and I can feel that then I stop for a few seconds. After that I take about 30 seconds to steadily inject. For me that avoids the soreness of injecting. Plus, as others have said, make sure the B12 is already at body temperature. Good luck for next time.

[Katherine123 in reply to Gaudygoat]

Done it, all on my own! I need a cup of tea now :0/ I had terrible trouble breaking the glass bottle as I have numb fingers now with no strength in them :0/ it broke a bit jagged hopefully ok. Then I stabbed myself in the thumb with the big drawing up needle so I saw blood! eeek! and that was before I started drawing up. Did injection in thigh! Phew! all done :0) Thank you Gaudygoat for coming in to help me...yes she got me to inject really fast, I will slow down in future...

[Gaudygoat in reply to Katherine123]

I did wonder whether you would have been told to inject fast. I think the nurses do that so that you don't have time to think about it but personally I found it was more of a mental hurdle to try to push the needle in all the way in one go.

I used to sit there for ages building up the courage to actually stick it in but it turns out you can barely feel the needle when you gently rest it against your skin and then despite what you might think it's not sore when you gently push unless you go close to a nerve. Now if I inject and it does feel sore I just move to a new spot and start again and if it is still sore, I change the needle in case it is slightly blunt.

I do use an alcohol wipe but I make sure I let it dry before injection.

Well done on your first solo injection! It's a good feeling knowing you have been able to do it.

[Katherine123 in reply to Gaudygoat]

Awww! thank you for extra info darling, I will try all that....I am feeling sort of proud at the moment :0)

[Hidden]

I usually tuck the ampoule into a suitably positioned join, such as top of leg to warm it up, whilst I get the kit prepared I have two man sized tissues, put the opened packets for the syringe, draw up needle, injection needle and the spot plaster onto it then the other tissue to hold and snap off the ampoule top when I have the syringe with the draw up needle mounted. The disposal box sits on the bed beside me, open ready.

I don't bother with the alcohol wipe as the practice nurse didn't use one and secondly if it isn't fully dry then that really does sting when you push the needle through it.

I make a note in the ampoule box of the date and the leg, most important to note L/L or R/L so you know which one to use next time.

[Katherine123 in reply to Hidden]

Awww! thank you kcbrecks for coming in to help me...just did the second one 15 minutes ago, I need one a day for 2 weeks as I have a lot of neurological problems :0/ I might not use the wipe next time perhaps it is that which is stinging. I had trouble snapping of the ampoule top as my fingers are so numb and weak. I accidently stabbed myself in the thumb with the thicker drawing up needle (and that was just getting the top off) :0/ still practice makes perfect :0) feeling quite proud of myself at the moment :0)

[Hidden in reply to Katherine123]

Bully for you, expert injector now then!! I find if I put the bulb of the ampoule in a tissue my left hand and between thumb and forefinger then tank the top, still within the tissue with my right thumb on the front and right forefinger behind the left forefinger and press with the right thumb is sort of snaps off easily. The German ones I am using have a little dot on them to indicate their week spot which you bring to the front and press above that.

I had to break off, for a haircut, but I was looking up an ampoule breaker. You can buy a device which does this for you, or helps you, which sell for all sort of prices from just a few pence up to several pounds. Just enter 'ampoule breaker' into Google and see what pops up. Could solve your problem.

[Katherine123 in reply to Hidden]

I bought one before I started injecting kcbreaks but I could not get it to work :0( thank you I am going to try and press above the dot today. Hope you loved your haircut :0)

[Hidden in reply to Katherine123]

It is amazing that as there is less hair it looks scruffier if left too long. Anyway, what's not to like when it only costs £3. I have also just seen a few pictures my friend had of me on our recent holiday, I am refusing to let anyone take pictures

of me as I am sure they are what makes me look older every time they do.

I was told, when I first started self injecting, it was likely I would wreck at least a couple of ampoules until I got the knack so you can always ask for some more.

[Katherine123 in reply to Hidden]

I have lost 2/3rds of my hair kcbrecks it would be nice for it to grow back now I am on b12 injections....I broke the ampoule in the right place today :0)

[Hidden in reply to Katherine123]

Off and running now. You will be an expert in no time.

[Katherine123 in reply to Hidden]

:0)

[Dallas2005]

I totally understand, Katherine. Sounds like something I'd do! That's what makes it so funny. Glad you're seeing improvement. I'm stuck having to take the sublingual tablets. Would rather have injections, but apparently Medicare doesn't think my B12 is low enough. It was 223. Was diagnosed with PA in March, and I have significant neurological symptoms (numbness/pins and needles in feet, balance issues ... walk like I'm drunk, which is so embarrassing ... zero energy, and other typical PA issues.). Hope you see continued improvement. Thanks for the laugh! Lol.

[Katherine123 in reply to Dallas2005]

Awww! Dallas2005 I am taking a good guess that you are The States darling and I am reading they have a worse track record then us in the Uk. 223 is very, very low, hoping you might be able to self inject sooner than later if you have no luck with your Medicare, as all the symptoms you are listing are the same as mine, sending you (((hugs))) xX