Self injecting question.

[Sheebee]

I'm all ready to go for my first attempt at self injecting, I feel really nervous but the nurse showed me how to do it 3 times so I'm relatively confident...!

But I just wondered how fast in the needle should go? I think I remember the nurse saying 'all the way in' but wanted to double check.

Any advice?

Thanks in advance

[wedgewood]

I do know that you must feel very nervous doing your first self-injection. Well I know that I was shaking like a leaf . I use the finest needle possible to inject . That’s why I can’t inject quickly because the fineness of the needle means I’m forced to go slowly . A fine needle also means that you really don’t feel it going in . I use a coarser longer needle to extract the B12 . This means that you can put the needle right to the bottom of the ampoule in order to get every last drop of the precious stuff into the syringe .This means you touch the glass ,and so the needle is blunted . That would be painful to use for injection . This is helped if you withdraw the plunger to the amount marked on the syringe you wish to withdraw.Take off the withdrawing needle and put in the injection needle .

Then expel the air into the ampoule of B12 . Then you will withdraw the amount you wish .( i.e. the whole lot ) . I use a swab to clean the area I’m going to inject . ( best done at the start so that it is dry for injection . But apparently it’s not 100% necessary .

I use a 1inch 25 gauge needle for injection into the outer middle third of my thigh . (There are videos on u tube- some OK , some not so good . ) So slowly inject now ,all the way in . DONE ! Best of luck - you will soon be an old hand at this ! 🍀🍀🍀

[pvanderaa]

After preparing the syringe with B12, one little aid I use is a penny (actually a 1 pence piece as it is slightly larger than the US penny).

I press and hold it on the proposed injection site for the count of 10. This leaves a ring indentation that is easy to see. It also gives me a feel if there is a blood vessel under it as the blood vessel is slightly harder than the skin. If the penny feels like it is rocking on a blood vessel, I move to another site outside the ring.

Once happy with the site, Iclean the skin in and around the ring with a alcohol swab.

I place the tip of the needle in the ring and press gently. I give my wrist a small shake and the needle goes in without pain. No darting the skin.

If the needle doesn’t slip right in or if there is pain, I suspect a blood vessel and move the tip a couple of millimeters inside the ring and try again.

When I withdraw the needle, there very rairly is a single blood of blood which I wipe off with the alcohol swab.

[Bev11]

Hi, I know it’s really scary the first few times but you will feel so empowered once you’ve done it & u have more control over your own health. I asked if I cud do my first self injection with the nurse watching/guiding me which gave me the confidence that I was doing everything right. I also took my dad with me & asked the nurse if he cud video it which was good to look back on for the first few times. Good luck 🍀