I was pleased with myself after second SI. Third one though into my left thigh seemed different. I put needle in but found it a bit awkward getting right hand fingers in place and pressing the plunger. I think I may have moved the needle as my skin was a bit stretched near the entry. I did press serum into leg, but it was stinging a good bit as i did so.
Usually it hurts as serum goes into my arm when nurse does it but, it's a heavy feeling, not stinging like this third SI.
Will it have worked, should it sting so, might I have moved needle out of the muscle?
Hope this message is understandable.
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3rdNettydoon
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Thanks for replying. I put it in my diary. I try to keep my symptoms up to date. I was considering asking one of my neighbours, a retired nurse, to draw onto my thighs, the correct area for injecting. I know its OTT but I've had no luck asking to be shown by health centre staff. Only thing stopping me asking is because I dont want to put her on the spot. If my surgery is not sanctioning SI then she may feel awkward.
There are sone good drawings on the internet , showing exactly where to inject into the Vastus Lateralis muscle in the Middle outside Third of the thigh where the muscle comes nearest to the surface . Much easier to inject into than the arm , Also 2 thighs, and a much larger area . I never have any stinging at all . So can’t help you on that . Try using a numbing cream?
I've done over 2 and a half thousand SI jabs and can promise you, if it's in the outer side of your thigh muscle it's fine! So long as it's in there somewhere, somehow, it will be OK.If it hurts when you press the needle point to your skin, try a different spot or the other leg. Some bits sometimes hurt insanely and another bit half an inch away is fine... And yet the spot that moans one day will be fine another day.
I don't know why, it just does. Something to do with the nerves but what, I don't know: I do know it's not worth it hurting or being worried about it, just move the needle and somewhere else will be less sensitive!
Well done you for doing your jabs and getting yourself better. It's a slow process but slowly and surely!
3rdNettydoon - as someone who had to go it alone with self injection, and wasn't all that good at it, I can hopefully help.
It always felt easier, as a right-handed person, to inject right leg.
The middle third of outer side of thigh on both legs should give you enough area. If you first tense your muscles, you will see exactly where your muscle is. Then relax, then relax a bit more. Difficult when just about to stick a needle into your leg. Make sure you don't feel rushed.
If using pre-injection swabs, allow it to dry on the skin completely first. You can find that injecting before it dries can cause stinging just under the surface of the skin.
If there is a droplet of B12 left on the tip of the needle, when you ensured that you had got rid of air-bubbles, flick the syringe to get rid of that too. That can also cause stinging.
I don't self inject after a bath, as I found that skin is more sensitive then.
The heavy feeling you mentioned when nurse injected your arm is usually due to injecting B12 too fast with plunger, but can also be not warmed up enough -so liquid still quite thick.
It should not be a fight. I now think most of my initial ineptitude was because of being anxious and tensing up. I have over time found the best way for me is to insert the needle slower (it's not like darting a rhino !), keep it as straight as possible, and when ready, press plunger smoothly and slowly.
It never stings or hurts now. Something I have said here might make it easier for you- I hope so. Looking at an anatomy book so you can see the muscles of the thigh can also give you a better picture of what you are attempting to do.
Another fantastic reply from you! I found myself reading it avidly in case I could get any extra tips, despite all my practice. I hadn't noticed whether it's worse or not after a bath, but now you come to mention it... maybe?
A good one to signpost people too. Would you consider putting it up as a post in its own right, please? There may be lots of others who would benefit from such clearly written, detailed instructions.
Why not ? Others can add tips. I only recently learned by reading post replies here that stretching skin at injection point out between two fingers while injecting makes injecting easier !
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