I've just SI for the third time in 7 days and the spot on my thigh is still smarting one hour later, this pain is lingering the longest so far and I used a topical numbing cream this time (didn't work, nor did ice cubes).
I've never flinched or had a painful injection before, even when what looked like a scaled down model of a tap was put into my arm and multiple vials were filled.
I worked out to insert the needle quickly and not hesitant with it touching the injection spot, it goes in painlessly but I feel more than "discomfort" as I depress the syringe - I feel the B12 going in, last injection I took the needle out halfway through and had to reinsert to finish. I'm not screaming with pain but it was enough to make me stop, and I always have a small blood spot at the end.
(My 1st shot was subcutaneous into belly, I soon felt bloated, taut and could not bear a waistband or anything around my middle.)
I'm surprised it is more than a little uncomfortable, I'm starting to dread SI, I thought maybe I would do it daily if needed, but now .... I'm looking for alternatives; the auto injector pen just seems to insert the needle for you, all the other steps are the same, and I just intuitively feel B12 shots will be the most effective for me.
It seems I have been more active since starting to SI (B12 or not?).
I had Acupuncture once, I so looked forward to it but when she came back to twiddle the needles it was irritating and I soon became feed up, this reminds me of that experience. If I start to feel significant benefits I'll have to weigh the odds.
I searched for other posts about pain from people without needle phobias but found none, no one has said they can feel the B12 entering as they depress the syringe.
Any replies greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Rose
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Do you wait for the antiseptic alcohol to dry before injecting? If it is still wet on the skin it can travel under the skin with the needle and cause quite a bit of discomfort. I'm new to all of this but this was a warning provided by my pharmacist. Also, my GP has me injecting subcutaneously, smaller needle and much more shallow puncture. Maybe this is a better option for you? Hope you find whatever works best for you and allows you to continue on this therapy.
Yes I do wait for site to dry - maybe now I'll wait a bit longer.
I did my 1st SI sub-cut but had side effects as explained in post and I used the same needle (orange 25mm), I thought any smaller and it's difficult to depress.
I think I'll persevere, especially if I see more benefits, I just thought I'd take SI in my stride
and not think twice as many on this site seem to.
I don't have faith in any alternatives, I can see investing in patches and them not having any effect. It's just I hate dreading things I have to do (like sticking a needle in). Thanks again.
Are you moving the injection sites around? I find it is the previous injection site that always hurts not the newest one. To me this confirms that the jab is working.
Thanks for your reply pvanderaa, and yes I move around, this was the 1st injection on this thigh. The other 3 were on the left, centimetres apart but still in that recommended mid section of the thigh, is that too close?
If you have the time; what do you mean by pain "confirms jab is working"?
I've never seen any posts about pain here, just that it doesn't hurt.
Can you feel the B12 go in while depressing the syringe and what type of pain there after indicates it is working?
I spent the time to write a long reply and somehow managed to not press the final reply button and lost the entire thing. That is what I get for not paying attention.
Here I go again ...
I take cyano-b12. The type of B12 makes no difference and it is the other fluids and preservatives that can cause pain on the day of the injection. Try a different brand or manufacturer.
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When my old sites are sore, I know the new B12 is in the blood and reacting at the old sites. This lets me know the B12 is doing its thing.
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One technique I learned was to press and hold for the count of ten, a penny on my new proposed site. This gives me a feel for the muscle underneath. I don’t want to be in the gaps between muscle segments.
It also leaves a nice ring indentation in the skin surface that I clean with alcohol swab and then use as a bullseye to aim for. I inject in alternate buttocks, but thigh or buttocks doesn’t matter, it’s always supposed to be the upper and outer quadrant if you drew an imaginary cross on the thigh or buttocks.
This quadrant is where there are fewer blood vessels and nerves.
As I start to inject, I don’t do it swiftly like throwing a dart, instead I place the point in the bullseye ring and press gently. If I’m in a good location, the needle goes straight in without much resistance at all. There is absolutely no pain. Some people use two needles, one to take up the B12 from the vial or ampoule and a second one to inject into the skin. I did that the first time I tried self injecting as I was a nervous wreck worrying about the pain. Had that first one not been painless, who knows....
If it feels like the skin is tough or there is resistance and pain, then it is likely I’m going to hit a blood vessel and so I move the needle to the other side of the ring at try the slow press again. Worst case was about 6 repositions.
If I do hit a blood vessel, a drop of blood will seep out after the needle is withdrawn. These are painful within the first 24 hours and can turn purple from the bruise.
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There is another pain and this is counterintuitive so you need to keep a logbook to figure out your pattern and sequence of symptoms after each jab.
This comes within 3 or 4 day and is from repair of nerve damage. Some people complain about feeling worse before feeling better. I describe it as a not so thrilling roller coaster ride.
It takes the brain about three or four days to recalibrate to the stronger signals on the healing nerves and it interprets these signals as pain or hunger, pins and needles, anxiety, aggression or something very similar to the symptoms from the deficiency. If you can convince yourself, your brain, that these are only illusions and are really good, then the brain recalibrates faster and they disappear. Gentle range of motion exercises for muscle pain stimulates the nerve repair but also helps the brain recognize the illusion of pain that really isn’t there. It makes the getting started very hard but once you get going and pace yourself, you can just keep going.
Stress and anxiety about this pain just slows the recalibration to a halt and the pain seems to last longer and feel more severe.
Once you see your pattern and sequence of symptoms in your logbook, you can anticipate these symptoms and measure the severity and you can get some control back.
The more severe these post injection symptoms are, the more deficient you were before the injection.
You monitor improvements by comparing the same symptom on the same day each cycle so reset the logbook to day zero at each jab.
Hi, yes I feel the b12 going in especially when it is cold. I place the ampuole in my bra whilst I'm getting the other bits ready and definitely hurts less when it is warmed up. I have given myself some corker bruises over the last year self injecting but just try and learn from the wrong ones I have done.
I’ve been SI IM into the thigh for two years & it’s rarely completely pain free, but some are better than others.
I find it better to insert the needle slowly & inject the B12 very slowly. I can always feel the B12 going in & if it starts to really hurt, stop injecting for a few seconds to let it settle before carrying on & the injection site is often uncomfortable for a while afterwards, when using the muscle. It definitely helps to make sure the muscle is relaxed when injecting. It’s rare to not have a dot of blood afterwards & on the odd occasion, a little trickle.
I’m not very heavy, so have thought that it may be more uncomfortable because there’s not much excess fat on my thighs - but that’s just a theory!
The benefits of SI definitely outweigh the discomfort for me as I have my life back, & I was needle phobic when I was first diagnosed.
Thank you Ajane, you have answered a lot of my questions. I also think that soldiering through is going to outweigh the pain in the end, it's just that I didn't know what to expect.
Hi Rose, I'll add my limited experiences to the equation. I have always done inta muscular. As has been said warm ampoule, I plung as slowly as possible and still can get a bit of a painful sensation when standing up. Once plaster is on I totally relax thigh and tap and wobble around the site. Not sure if it helps fluid to disperse a little. Regarding blood I have had everything from struggling to find the injection site to a drip running down my thigh.
As to needles, I use a 0.6 30mm into my thigh. Sub cut is quite different. But I see yours are 25mm is it possible they are not going deep enough? I don't have the experience to help any further in regard to that. Hopefully someone who knows will help.
Try and persivere and you'll start to feel the benefits.
Yes I feel it going in - and also hated acupuncture! (The acupuncture lady actually got angry at me, asking me how I could ever give childbirth...auch!)
So, getting the B12 up to body temperature really helps. And changing entry sites. And a thinner needle (some people even have auto-injectors, never tried that but sounds like you could benefit - just search for it in the posts). Also, relaxing the muscle before injecting and while injecting helps (e.g. by hot showering before, or meditating, and having someone else inject helps (my husband does it). And as aftercare, I find that rubbing the B12 'bump' away helps prevent pain later in the day.
I am one of those who hate needles, so I did buy an auto Injector & I no longer dread Injecting myself now.
You're correct, you still have to push the B12 the same way you do without the auto Injector.
I am sure everyone's replies above will help you.
My own experience that helped me, as I always & still do inject into my thigh muscle, was to make sure the liquid was as warm as possible, thinking if it was as warm as the muscle, it would be fine. This helps me greatly.
The very first thing I do is to put the ampoule under my armpit for 5 minutes, as this is the warmest place on the body. Use the swab to clean injection area & always ensure it's completely dry before injecting. Then prepare syringe, needle etc.
I always inserted the needle slowly, using my free hand to stretch the skin taught. Always make sure your muscle is very relaxed, as if tense, it will hurt.
(I used to use a reclining chair.)
Press on plunger very slowly, if you feel discomfort, go even slower.
You will almost always have a spot of blood when removing the needle, but nothing to worry about. I use another swab to hold over area for that.
Then I rub my thigh muscle for a few seconds.
But what helps me most is making sure the ampoule is warm, (body temperatue) as you inject it.
If you have left a droplet of B12 at the end of the needle when injecting, that can also sting. You do of course have to expel any air-bubbles, and can do that without creating a droplet if very careful, if not then gently flick the syringe and the droplet should fall off.
I agree with Ritchie1268 - antiseptic wipe, then wait for it to dry out, slow in with needle (I use green to draw it up then the thinner blue one (inch and a quarter) to inject) then very slow with injecting and carefully withdraw needle in straight line.
There is some current thinking that antiseptic wipes just make mud out of dirt, if its present, and cleanliness is better. I can't have a bath beforehand: makes my skin more sensitive !
Relaxation first is important: I felt like I was hitting a bone it was so difficult at first to relax. The nurse told me that that isn't possible: she uses the same size needle for my arm and never hits bone (despite having such a skinny arm)
Took me a while to find out what works best for me. I practised on an orange first but was still quite bad at it for a long time. It's easy to kid yourself that you are relaxing your muscles.
Could it be that you're reacting to the type of B12 being used?
After about two dozen SI's, I've only had one that was painful upon insertion. I gathered I'd hit a blood vessell so removed the needle immediately, changed the needle and reinserted into another spot. The initial site bled more than usual, was sore for the remainder of the day, and was bruised the following day.
The most "discomfort" is when I depress the syringe, I'll persevere with the brand I bought but if it doesn't improve I'll look into other types. Thanks for commenting.
Try a new syringe. The last bunch of syringes I had almost always made a small surge of b12 inject before i could slowly depress it. The syringe would get stuck. That small surge hurt. I purchased a different type of syringe from a different place and have not had that problem. It is painful if it goes in to fast especially in the thigh.
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