Self Injecting

[Callysrainbow]

Hello my fellow P.A. sufferers

I am, like so many other people, experiencing difficulty in getting my injection. I tend to make my appointment and get my injection from the nurses at the practice as the doctors just seem so flippant about 'this P.A. malarkey ' as one said! So. My question is. Is there any reason at all why I can't self inject? I asked the nurse about it and she said I couldn't as it has to be put directly into the muscle. I just accepted the response as I don't know enough to ask questions. What I do know though is so many other lovely people on here self inject, and like everyone else I'm really starting to suffer not having them on a regular basis. Can anyone advise please?

Thankyou

[Nackapan]

Morning. Yes many self Inject.Some get instruction from a nurses and get b12 on prescription.

Normally you have to buy the needls as a problem with prescribing them for alot.

Some buy it as sold OTC in many countries.

More difficult at present ? Brexit/taxes but possible.

I chose to inject subcutaneously and it was eventually sanctioned by my Gp.

Problem was it's not licensed in the UK for SC . Lots is prescribed 'off licience

I still have an IM b12 injection at the surgery 6 weekly at present. (Was monthly but nurse mocked up mg notes)

I dud that ad was unsure how effective sc would be.

I've found not much fmdifferencecat all

The IM one may go into my system quicker. And af one point I thought might last longer.

I've concluded no difference. Ivr been doing them for s year now.

Shorter sharper needles ( like diabetics use several times a day) into your thigh stomach or places with subcutaneous fat.

IM goes into the muscle. The nurses uses an arm. Most find their thigh less painful.

If yih chooses to DIY wedgewood anx fbirder have made a shopping list and help with doing IM injection.

If you uses thd search tool.

Try with your doctor first. It's on your medical notes what you need then.

Write. As letters are scanned onto your notes.

It's not up to the nurses.

[Callysrainbow in reply to Nackapan]

Thankyou!

So it can be done if I can get my practice on board? I think I'd actually prefer being injected into my stomach or leg! Especially if I'm doing it myself.

What was the Wedgwood place you said to check out? Wedgwood and(?) fbirder(?)

Thankyou 😊☺

[Nackapan in reply to Callysrainbow]

Wedgewood is a forum member and has done many posts as fbirder has on this subject (I cant do links )

[Bonjourtristesse in reply to Nackapan]

It’s worth noting that the German boxes state for sub cutaneous administration. That is good enough for me. I do sub cutaneous in belly fat. I find it much easier than IM which I only did once.

[Callysrainbow in reply to Bonjourtristesse]

Thankyou. So do you order your own needles, b12 etc? Do you need a prescription from your surgery for them?

[Bonjourtristesse in reply to Callysrainbow]

Yes, b12 from Germany and needles and syringes from U.K. from medisave. I probably have more chance of winning the lottery than getting my GP to agree I have a b12 deficiency. I gave up.

[Callysrainbow in reply to Nackapan]

Thankyou. Fbirder has responded. I'm rubbish with these things!

[fbirder]

When I started my loading doses I asked the nurse if I could do it myself, to save myself the hassle of traveling to the surgery and save the NHS some money. She thought it a great idea and showed me how to do it. For my final loading dose she even had me demonstrate to a student nurse.

During the pandemic the British Society for Haematology released guidelines on injections during lockdown. They included this bit - b-s-h.org.uk/media/18259/bs...

Patients who are already self-administering IM hydroxocobalamin should continue to do so but we do not recommend a patient switching to self-administration during the COVID-19 pandemic since instruction is likely to be difficult.

So the BSH acknowledge that some patients do self-administer once they've been trained to do so.

I suggest you print this out and show it to the nurse.

[Callysrainbow in reply to fbirder]

I spoke to a different nurse yesterday and she insisted I couldn't because it had to go into the muscle in my arm!

So this information you've just given me is so helpful.

I live in the middle of nowhere and it's a pain to get to the surgery because of travel and, they only do morning appointments for 2 hours, so work commitments make it even more difficult.

I'll try again and keep trying 😊😬

Thankyou

[fbirder in reply to Callysrainbow]

I would suggest that idiot nurse reads this item from Nursing Times - nursingtimes.net/clinical-a...

Site selection

Four muscle sites are recommended for IM administration (Fig 1, Table 1):

Vastus lateralis;

Rectus femoris

Deltoid;

Ventrogluteal

Two of those (Vastus lateralis and Rectus femoris) are in the thigh.

[Hidden]

I self inject into my thigh and have done for a year (without gp knowing) , and last month said to my nurse can you train me to inject at home, to save you time as you're busy with Covid! She watched me inject and said you're very good and gave me needles and vial, no longer have to visit surgery now. It us do easy! Please do ask again and good luck

[Callysrainbow in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou! I tried explaining that people had said they inject into thigh and stomach too but she wouldn't have it.....🤨

I'm definitely going to persist, it's so frustrating!

[Nackapan in reply to Callysrainbow]

She woukdnt' have it' as into the stomach is subcutaneous and nurses arnt allowed to give b12 this way as it's not licenced in the UK.

On the box j buy it states for sc or IM.

You need to ask a doctor not a nurse.

Their hands are 'tied '

In the district and hospital they do give b12 in the thigh.

Less can go wrong kn the arm ivr been told ref, sciatica nerve.

Also protocol written j think as dont need chaperone when given in the arm.

Doctors can get information from PAS too

[Callysrainbow in reply to Nackapan]

Well that makes a bit more sense. I'm going armed with all of this new information and if that fails I will definitely be ordering my own things anyway 😌

[Olivia2812]

Hi i was having my b12 jabs at my drs, it was every three months which was awful I just couldn’t manage. They moved them to every two months, which still wasn’t enough but better than 12 weekly. But they made me feel like i shouldn’t be having it !Then last year beginning of lockdown they said no more jabs only tablet form ?? So at that point I’d had enough. So did my research and bought the steret wipes , 2ml syringes,and sharps box from a uk supplier, and the b12 1ml ampules from Germany. I did my first one fine then My daughter was happy to do them. But It’s just nothing , she can pinch my arm as it’s less stingy ( as I obviously can’t lol) , I’ve had 11 so far so just onto my second box. Brilliant wish I’d done it sooner. I have them every four weeks, because some months have five weeks. Definitely go for it you can google the syringe bit, but seriously to anyone who’s considering it. I did it for my own health and well being and I feel so much better. Sorry to drone on but hope it helps. X

[fbirder in reply to Olivia2812]

Drone away.

I'm sure there are many people wary of taking their health into their own hands. Every success story, like yours, makes it easier for others.

[Callysrainbow in reply to Olivia2812]

Morning! Thankyou!!

I have mine every 2 months, I have done for years, like you I couldn't cope with every 3 month but I still struggle towards the end. When I first moved to this practice my doctor said I didn't need it that often....he was the one who put me on the tablets at the beginning of the pandemic, it was actually the nurse who flagged up the tablets and said they aren't any good for PA sufferers. The nurses are lovely, don't get me wrong, but it's just this one wall I'm hitting with them and my health and mental health is suffering. 🤯

Sorry for babbling.....

So can you say which company in Germany you get your b12 ampules from?

Thankyou so much for helping! 😁😽 x

[Olivia2812]

Thank you