needle size

[Rayburn]

The needle My husband injects me with b12 is 23G x 1 1/4” Is this the right size as painful injecting plus when the liquid goes in.

[wedgewood]

unless you are quite overweight , you do not need a needle that long . 1 inch would be fine . A finer needle would also be less painful say 25 G or 26 G . I suggest self -injecting as a good solution . It so good to be in control . Injecting into the outer middle 1/3 of your thigh . ( Vastus Lateralis muscle) This is the intramuscular method ( I.M. )

Using the sub-cutaneous method is also a possibility . For sub -cut an even finer and shorter needle can be used eg 30G x 1/2 inch , or even shorter . Injecting into the fat layer , across the whole of the front of the thigh , or the fat layer of the tummy .

If you are sensitive , a numbing cream is obtainable from Amazon.They also have needles .

[Rayburn in reply to wedgewood]

Thanks for advice.Been injecting for a year or two always painful.But not when first started

I am slim and my husband always inject into my upper arm

Cannot understand why it hurts so much when the liquid is being injected into my arm ,Hurts less if itis injected very slowly .

I have the B12 vials that have a lot more liquid in .These were all,that I could get last year.

I wondered if the needle size might be wrong.

[wedgewood in reply to Rayburn]

As B12 is water-based you can use a finer needle than 23G . As you are slim a 1 inch needle is long enough ( 25mm) Amazon have a 27G x 25 mm injection needle made by Antonmove . You seem to be using the 2ml ampoule, which might make injecting more painful . 1 ml woukd be better ..Panpharma or Pascoe . . And numbing cream . Also consider sub-cutaneous injections . with a 30G x 1/2 inch or less. needle

[Sailinglady]

Injections into the arm is more painful than the leg as the muscle is smaller. It hurts less if you inject in different places each time (i divide the middle of the leg into 3 areas and rotate injections between these 6 places). If it all gets too much i inject subcut into my tummy for a few doses then go back to IM in my legs again. I don't find SC as effective as IM.

I agree, smaller needles are less painful. I use orange needles for that reason (not sure what the size is in numbers)

[Cherylclaire Forum Support]

Useful to ensure that B12 ampules are warmed up for a couple of minutes first so B12 liquid isn't cold. Some tuck the ampule into their bra for a while.

Also useful always to inject the liquid slowly. Can feel a bit heavy and leaden otherwise.

I say this as if I'm some sort of expert yet this morning, I thought my muscles were relaxed enough, started to inject and only got halfway before thigh muscle did a massive involuntary protest-twitch (like a horse ) - and rejected the invading needle.

This is after 7 years of self-injecting and now a rare occurrence - but always catches me by surprise.

[Wwwdot]

Hi Rayburn

It brought tears to me eyes just reading that RHINO needle size!

I use 30g (very fine) and 13mm (half inch) into my tum. Sub-cutaneous is less painful than intra muscular.

So two options to relieve pain - change from a RHINO to FAIRY needle and consider sub-cutaneous rather than intra-muscular.

🤗🤗🤗

[Judithdalston]

I have an aversion to self injecting, took me a number of years to do my own insulin in my tum with a pen, so could not try it for B12. Got my husband to do it in my bottom…it was so painful , though followed the recommendations here re needle size, warming up ampoule etc… after about 10 jabs I had not noticed any difference in symptoms, so sadly gave up and went back to pills. Yes it wasn’t just the shock of the entry of the needle ( I had no idea where it was going as couldn’t see) but each bit of liquid injected had me screaming and biting a cushion!

[MKB001]

For what it is worth I use the small needle used by diabetes sufferers - the box I get in Australia is made by Becton Dickson made in Spain called 'BD Microlance 3' (has a 100 needles in it). But any manufacturer with the dimensions below should be absolutely fine!

Size:

25G x 5/8" (0.5 x 16mm).

I only inject in the buttocks alternating (I do it myself with ease, slowly and carefully - and if I hit a nerve I just withdraw it slightly and change the angle - until the full needle length is firmly entrenched. Needle is thin and short. I inject slowly, zero pain, only the skin piecing brings discomfort). On the rare occasion I might hit a little blood vessel and upon withdrawal there is a little blood that oozes out, which soon stops even though I am on blood thinners. My GP suggested I inject subcutaneously into a skin fold on my stomach - but I much prefer intramuscular path. You soon learn which 1/3 of the buttock to target through trial and error (can Google this too). Definitely move away from larger needles - not needed.

[Rayburn in reply to MKB001]

Thank you all for your advice re needle size I knew something wrong but was advised in past to use this needle size.Can’t remember who or when.

I will send off for smaller needles and try self injecting into my stomach.

Once again thank you for all the helpful advice