Needles to administer b12

[caroash]

Hi I've bought the vitamin b12 depot from panpharma 1ml ,they are small glass ampoules,I haven't done this before.Does anyone know what I need to buy to I next them do I need a needle with syringe or separate ones.and where do I buy these.Thanks in advance.

[Nackapan]

I used medisave to buy . Depends on whether you are doing IM or Sc.

You need say a green needle yo get the b12 put of the ampoule. Another yo inject.

IM blue 23 G was used by the nurses today. Some uses finer 1" long.

SC 27-30G

I uses 30G 1/2 "

Syringe has tk be compatible to needkes bought. A 2ml syringe

Sharps box.

Wedgewood and fbirder have find 'shopping lists.

You will also need a sharps box. I got mine from the pharmacy in Morrisons £1.75 . I'm sure they alm sell them.

Akso got a snapit device to take the top of the ampoule off . Not wssentisj as yoh csn uses a pices of kitchen roll and dndk away from you. I just coukdnt seem to find the knack of doing it.

If youvr not had knjectikbd before you mist hsvevthr first kne in a surgery setting incase of a reactikn. Aldk br shown how to inject Online there are demonstrations if you've had injections already. .

[caroash in reply to Nackapan]

Hi thanks gonna do IM ,if I get a green needle I don't still need an ampoule opener.Can I get this stuff off Amazon and do I need as many green needles as ampoules?

[Nackapan in reply to caroash]

Yes singke uses sterile individual needles sold in boxes of 100 you can buf them several places online

[caroash in reply to Nackapan]

Thanks so much for the information.

[Pixielula in reply to caroash]

I prob wouldn’t use a green needle to do your IM injection, I would draw with a green then switch the needle to a blue for the injection. I order from medisave all come in boxes of 100 2ml syringes blue needle green needles and alcohol swabs

[caroash in reply to Pixielula]

Great I've ordered the blue and green needles too. Not sure how often to inject,Unread every other day for two weeks then once a month.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to caroash]

We are all different. Keep a symptoms chart- and see what happens with your symptoms relating to when you injected last. This will really help you to work out when you need an injection.

The aim is eventually to pre-empt your symptoms, so that you can have the best quality of life available -and not to keep allowing yourself to deteriorate as a reminder that you need another injection !

The reason for the 2ml syringe with 1ml of B12 is so you can easily draw up every last drop: plenty of room.

You will still need to snap the top part of the ampoule off, for which I just use the syringe wrapper around it to stop myself from getting a cut. Use the dot on the ampoule facing you as a guide; break away from you cleanly without squeezing top.

The reason for the two needles: the green one is good for drawing up all the B12 from the bottom of the ampoule, but in so doing will become blunted. For injecting, you want a finer needle that will reach into the muscle (if intramuscular injections are your intention) without being so fine/long that it will bend or so brittle that it will break. That is what the blue one is for.

Totally relaxed muscles make it easy- but hard to do that at first, especially if a bit anxious (who wouldn't be ?). Depressing the syringe plunger slowly when injecting helps too.

I use 21g x 1 1/2" green and 23g x 1 1/4" blue - as suggested to me when I first started to self inject. If you are considering subcutaneous injections, the needle would need to be smaller- don't know the details, but there are plenty of people here who use this method.

Nackapan is right: a medical professional should be present for the first one, to ensure no adverse reaction. Better still if they can give you a lesson or two.

[caroash in reply to Cherylclaire]

Hi thanks for all this.Is Might there be a reaction due to Incorrect insertion of needle or because of b12 itself What might be the adverse reaction,not sure if I know anyone medical that can.be present

[caroash in reply to Cherylclaire]

My husband is a type 1 diabetic so he is good with a needle.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to caroash]

Think it is in case of anaphylactic shock, but I'm not a medically trained person. If you have had B12 injections previously at a GP surgery, and are using the same type yourself, you already know you won't react badly.

When I told my GP that I was going to self inject, she told me to ask the nurses to help me get started. Their reaction ? Pure horror at the thought of it !

So I ended up watching videos on Youtube in the library- I didn't have a computer then- and working out which ones were giving sensible advice (a few clowns in the circus!) - then jotted down notes, got advice from the lovely people here - and just went home and did it. I wouldn't advise it though, my powers of concentration were much diminished, I wasn't at my cognitive best and short-term memory a little awry - unsurprisingly, I was a bit rubbish at first. Too ill, I suppose, to help myself.

If you are going to keep it in the fridge, the liquid gets very thick -so warm it up first !

Is your husband going to do your injections for you ? Easier.

I try to alternate legs, but find left one more difficult to do as I'm right-handed,

Good luck.

[caroash in reply to Cherylclaire]

Hi thanks I'm a bit worried about doing it if there is a risk of anaphylactic shock.How common is this,I haven't reacted to anything before.I haven't had one at the doctor's either.Would maybe injecting a small amount be advisable.Im guessing the more likely the body recognises something,the less likely for a reaction.Would I need an epi pen on hand.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to caroash]

If you Google it, you will see that there is a risk but that it is rare. You will also see that B12 is discussed as a potential anti-anaphylaxis treatment !The more common causes of anaphylactic shock are anaesthetic, aspirin, antibiotics, wasp/bee stings and foods- eg nuts, seafood, milk.

However, I would imagine that any substance being injected into the body for the first time could carry a certain amount of risk that the body will not tolerate it. This is why Nackapan suggested having the first one in a surgery setting.

I had had many B12 injections given by nurses at my local GP surgery before I started self-injecting.

I am not medically trained myself, so I'm not able to give you medical advice.

Have you got a sympathetic GP/ nurse at your local practice who could help initially ?

[caroash in reply to Cherylclaire]

Hi thanks I've just found a pharmacy chain called Vitajab and there is one 6 miles from me they offer b12 for £27.00 ,you buy a voucher then book a slot online .It doesn't say you need anything from GP it looks legitimate I could take my own b12 and ask if they can use this. I also read that people react to the alcohol in the b12.Ill have to see ingredients in this one it's the German b12 depot. I will ask GP first though.