How do I find a qualified person to give me Self Injection training?

[cynic1946]

I am about to start self injecting with B12.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to find training for this from a suitably qualified person? I live in the Nottingham Area

Many thanks and Kind regards to all

[JanD236]

Like you I was receiving injections at my GP practice and I wanted to si in between.

It was always difficult getting nurse appointments as they are short of these so I suggested to my GP that the nurse should teach me to si so I could do it myself at home. He thought this was a great idea although he muttered something about legal difficulties for him supplying needles and sharps box.

Anyway, I now get on repeat prescription a box of 5 hydroxo vials every 5 months for me to si once a month. At my final nurse injection she was able to show me how to si.

I haven’t told the surgery that I si more often than monthly and I supply my own needles, sharps box etc.

[Wowo23]

cynic1946. I understand how you feel. I self inject now with no problems, but was very scared at first. Maybe you could ask your doc office staff to show you how or watch some self inject videos on YouTube. Best of luck

[Hidden]

Once you do it for yourself, at home and on your own, you will be wondering what all the fuss was about. That first time though is a bit daunting sitting pointing a very sharp object at a thigh then beginning to lower it into contact with your skin, if your hand doesn't shake a little it will be a miracle then when you do actually do the deed you will feel so good and superior - you are a member of the self injecting brigade

[GastritisB12]

I want to learn to self inject too. I have been watching the nurses and it seems pretty easy. The main thing I am worried about is getting the location right. How do I make sure to miss a vein for example?

[e66-- in reply to GastritisB12]

When i do it i sit in front of a window or by a strong light and I can see the veins slightly beneath the skin and avoid them! It's worked so far. I do the outer edge of the thigh in the mid-third between the knee and the top of the thigh, tense your leg and you can feel the muscles. I was terrified at first but did it out of sheer exasperation as so sick of feeling dreadful. I am just feeling a little better after 36 injections but felt awful at first, lots of giddiness and weakness came first, but I know we are all so different. Best wishes.

[GastritisB12 in reply to e66--]

Thanks very much that's good advice. I will give that a try. I wonder how the nurse avoids veins in the arm injection, maybe there aren't any big ones in that upper arm area? Maybe I can contort myself to inject there?

[cynic1946 in reply to GastritisB12]

i am not medically qualified in any way shape or form, however, imvho, you will be far better off injecting in the thigh in my view - from what i can tell from using this site, the majority inject into the thigh - youtube has quite a few "how toos" some good some bad - there is also one good one on how to crack open the ampoules, without harming yourself

[waveylines]

I do the subcutaneous injections. The B12 takes a little longer to get into the system so I do it before bed. This type of injection you only need insulin needles as your injecting into fat. Far less risk of hitting a vein!!

I watched u tube and a friend in the past had had to do these injections so supervised my first one. I also now get the B12 vials, needles & sharps bin on the nhs but for some unknown reason syringes are not listed on the nhs community lists....so they suggested their pharmacy would sell me some. At £10 for 100.....crazily I can buy them at a third of that price! Usual story NHS allowing themselves to be ripped off!! Lol....

Hope you get sorted. I was worried about doing it but it really isnt hard.....honest. Xx

[Ritchie1268]

It will become easier the more you do it.

Believe me I was terrified as I had a phobia of needles.

I still don't like doing it, (who does) but the more you do it, the easier it gets. And as kcbrecks said, you'll feel proud of yourself once you've done it.

I learned from the great people on here & also when I went for my 3 monthly injection I spoke to the nurse about it. She showed me what to do & the best place to do it, what needles to use etc etc. The only difference being, she uses the orange needle to draw up the solution & uses the blue needle to inject. I use the other way around as the orange is much thinner & shorter as I have hardly any fat on my thigh where I inject. She said that's fine for me as the smaller needle will go into my muscle, it's just that the blue needle which if I remember right is 1.5" & the orange is 1" in length, is the standard they use as everyone varies regards to the amount of fat around the muscle.

Try talking to your nurse, in my situation she knew way more about PA & B12 than my GP & couldn't help me enough!

The other thing I learned, is if you stretch the skin with your other hand, you rarely feel the needle pierce your skin.

Good luck 👍

[cynic1946]

I had no luck in finding a qualified nurse to train me - so I threw caution to the wind - got everything ready - cracked the ampoule open - withdrew the B12 to my syringe - changed the needle - flicked it a couple of times made sure there was no air in the needle and injected myself in the right hand part of my right thigh - bingo

[waveylines]

Well done cynic! Unless you're formally diagnosed no nurse or doc in the land will show you.....I had the problem that I wasnt formerly diagnosed but left with a 6 month wait to see a neuro.....declining fast thought what have I to loose. Seven months on a GP nurse was asked to check my technique.....she said it was excellant! A bit of madness that it was 7 months after I started self injecting but am beyond caring! Am 90% recovered -wouldve been in a very poor way if Id waited for the NHS....

[cynic1946 in reply to waveylines]

in my neck of the woods there is a reluctance for nurses and doctors to give any form of advice even to those diagnosed - perhaps because nhs doctors will charge exhorbitant amounts for giving injections privately - surely not!!!

[waveylines]

Oooh nooo they wont even give you the advice privately because its not prescribed!! Now Ive had a diagnosis & the consultant prescibed it thats now different......happy to demo & check am doing it right. Now though they cant prescribe the syringes but can prescribe the rest (needles, B12 vials, sharps bin) ......figure that one out!! Some little beurocrat sat somewhere with no common sense whatsoever. However if I was a drug addict on a programme I could have all the needles & syringes I need to self inject. Can someone out there explain the logic of this.....cos I cant! Words fail me....

[Ryaan]

I watched a few videos on YouTube. How toself inject into the thigh.

I was scared to do it at first but the thigh muscle is very large so you can’t really go wrong.

When you’re standing and looking down, the upper right quarter of your right thigh or the upper left quarter of your left thigh is the area.

If you divide your thigh into 4 sections with your thumbnail. (from the pelvis to your knee vertically and across the centre of your thigh horizontally will give you 4 sections ).