Started Clexane today- any tips

[CaptainHoratioWragge]

I'm once a day injections for a clotting issue- any tips/ drawbacks etc about using it appreciated

[Plattymum]

I'd love to chat about the ELCS with you. I'm considering one and everything I read is about VB

[Petitefeet2]

I am a needle phobic and have had tremendous problems getting my head around these injections - I nearly gave up after the first one. However I have found an almost pain free way of doing them. Here are my top tips:

1. Heat up the syringe to body temperature. I normally do this by holding it in my hand or popping it under my arm pit for 10 mins.
   

1. Find the least sensitive part of your tummy (this is usually in the fatty bits just above my hip joint).
   

1. Use 2 or 3 ice cubes to numb the whole area. So the ice almost hurts the skin.
   

1. This is the most important tip. Spray LOADS of deep freeze spray (Boots own brand) on that area and around. Be generous. This makes a huge difference to pain levels during and after the injection.
   

1. Pinch the skin, then quickly inset the needle at 90 degrees.
   

1. Very, very, very slowly press the plunger. If it hurts, pause, before carrying on.
   

1. Do not rub afterwards. If the deep freeze spay hasn't completely numbed everything and you have a little pain, rub another ice cube gently over it.
   

1. Make sure you do your injections last thing at night, so you can sleep off the dull ache. Initially I tried to do it in the morning and found it very stressful.
   

I hope the tips help you. Good luck! Xxx

[Petitefeet2]

Hi, I am currently doing clexane injections as part of my IVF treatment. I am a needle phobic and have had terrible problems getting my head around them. However, I have found an almost pain free technique I wanted to share. The first few injections hurt that much I almost refused further treatment., so I am now over the moon I have discovered this method. Here are my top tips to reduce pain:

1. Make sure you warm up the syringe to body temperature. I do this by holding it in my hand or popping it under my arm pit for ten minutes prior to injection.
   

1. Tap your tummy to find the least sensitive part. Experience now tells me this is the fatty parts just above my hip joint.
   

1. Use several ice cubes to freeze the area. I normally spend 5 minutes doing this. Getting it to the point where the ice almost hurts!
   

1. Apply LOADS of deep freeze sports injury spray. (Boots own brand). This helps immeasurably, both for the injection and the stinging afterwards. This is my most important tip.
   

1. Push the needle in at a 90 degree angle - fast. You will barely feel it going in.
   

1. Then push the plunger super, super, super slow. Imagine the fluid is dripping out of the end. If it hurts, pause before carrying on as this reduces the pain. Although with lots of freeze spray, you should barely feel it.
   

1. If you have any pain after pulling out the needle, freeze it with another ice cube.
   

1. Make sure you do you injections last thing at night, so you can sleep off the dull ache it leaves. I initially tried to do it I the morning to get it out of the way, but found this very stressful and resulted in broken sleep through worry.
   

This combination of techniques has resulted in an almost consistent pain free injection. I hope this advice is useful to you! Good luck! Xxx

[Thailaprom11]

Hi all. I'm currently 6 weeks pregnant. Had a dvt 19 months ago. Been advised that I need clexan injections throughout this pregnancy gp has told me to mention it at my 12 week booking. when should I be starting the injections ?

[VickyU]

Hi there,

I am also on clexane and probably can't be of any more help than everyone has been already but just wanted to say that I was petrified at the beginning but it actually is fine and you do get used to it. I don't have any bruises at all (not sure why) and I inject in my tummy. I don't have a lot of fat on my tummy but tend to do it quite high up, kind of just below the rib cage if that makes sense. I find it much less painful to go in at 90 degrees even though it looks more gruesome and I alo think its easier to take the needle out more cleanly that way and perhaps avoid bruising. I totally agree with everyone who has said pinch for a while first so the area goes a bit numb! Good luck!

[efeslight]

i injected clexane throughout last(second) pregnancy, due to problems with placenta in my first pregnancy. I injected up to about 36 weeks, then went into hospital, and stopped injecting. My daughter was born a few days later by C-section, and all was well, as someone else said, it only stays in your system about 12 hours.

[BagofHolly]

It shouldn't make any difference to the birth if you have a straightforward vb but it may restrict your pain relief choices as you're not supposed to have an epidural within 12 hours of the injection, and my anaesthetist preferred 24 hours. I had an ELCS so knew when I had to stop the clexane. If I'd wanted a vb I was told I'd be encouraged to consider induction as it could be planned with the clexane taken into account.

[CaptainHoratioWragge]

Hello all, well i've had two days of injecting now so i feel less scared about it all.

The tips really helped, especially not to rub the area, the first days injection i did with the doc has a massive bruise, the two i've done with MN advice are much better!

[hzgreen]

according to my consultant it shouldn't make any difference to the the birth, i just need to not inject once labor starts. apparently the clexane only stays in your system for about 12 hours so by the time delivery happens it should be ok but i really haven't researched it much. can you try to get an earlier appointment with your consultant?

it took me a while to get to grips with the injections and found that if i was too tentative when sticking the needle in it really bloody hurt so now i just take a deep breath and plunge the needle in quick and mostly it's fine. after two mc's i couldn't risk missing an injection.

[4kidsplusbump]

Hi everyone - I'm also on clexane. 30 weeks now, and have been on them for about 4 weeks. Haven't been doing very well with these injections and there have been some mornings when I just can't seem to get the needle in and have have to admit I have given up a couple of times

Does anyone know if being on these makes any differences to the actual birth? I didn't think to ask the consultant when I was put on them, and not seeing them again until I'm 36 weeks!

[Loislane78]

The main issue for me was having to repeatedly explain the bruising to MWs if I saw a different one (usually the case) and they hadn't read my notes; "how have you done this, is everything ok at home", although I realise they ask everyone :)

[PicaK]

I started clexane this week and whilst I found the injections a doddle (cos doing ivf and they were v fiddly) I have been a bit fed up about it.

Thinking about horrified midwives and demanding sympathy from DH being an integral part of the process has made me smile! Thank you.

[BagofHolly]

You don't have to do anything for 5 seconds - once it's in, it's in, and that's why the plunger springs back out once youve pushed it down. And it should be done at 90 degrees to the skin.

[HaveALittleFaith]

I'm trying to think what I do! I keep my thumb on the plunger, the clexane is delivered then the spring releases and I pull it back (I think)!

[CaptainHoratioWragge]

Thanks everyone,
OK sorry if this is a stupid question but...

My syringes are the ones with the springy release thing....

Do i put the needle in, press the plunger down, wait 5 seconds whilst pushing it down and then pull the needle out

OR put the needle in, press the plunger down, release my hold on the plunger and then wait 5 second before pulling away

When i tried to pull mine out the needle was still in me, so i'm wondering if its because i was still holding down the plunger for those 5 seconds, so it didn't retract itself, or if you have to hold the plunger for the 5 seconds to make sure all the medicine goes in

[hzgreen]

after 6 months i still haven't mastered the techinque but i will forge on with advice anyway;

Stay at least 5 cms from your belly button because it is way sensitive around that area.
pinch the skin for at least 45 seconds and pinch hard.
go in quick with the needle, if you're too tentative it hurts more.
i inject just before bed so that if i mess it up and it hurts i can have a little lie down
get/demand sympathy from from OH, show bruises if necessary
forward midwife that you are on Clexane so that when she examines you she doesn't get a shock and become immediatley suspicious of OH

i've botched a couple of injections but mostly it has been ok, interestingly i seem to bruise worse with injections that don't hurt...

[Thumbwitch]

Fatty areas above the groin but below the waist = best place for me. I've been using Clexane since got the +ve preg test (had to) and am utterly sick of it now, but have got better at it, mostly.

For me, now at 33w, there is less loose flesh around my belly so I can't pick a roll of it up any more. I prod the area first to see how reactive it is - the numb-er the better. I then free up the plunger, by pushing it just enough to move it while the cap is still on the needle, then bringing it back to its start point. Make sure the bubble is at the top of the syringe.
The needle goes in at 90 degrees, up to the shank - depress plunger slowly and then I ease the needle out. Mostly this results in a small purple dot.

If, however, on entry, it starts to REALLY hurt, I stop, take it out and go elsewhere - I've either hit a blood vessel (messy) or something other than fatty tissue (bruisey).

If you don't push the needle all the way in, it hurts FAR FUCKING WORSE - DH used to only put it halfway in, apparently (I couldn't watch) and do the plunger quickly - I used to get the 5-10second afterburn, that had me hopping around sometimes. SO much better now I've taken control of it myself, some days it doesn't even hurt at all.

Some syringes are blunt as fuck. I tend to persevere but some people just dump these ones and use a sharper one.

[CornishKK]

Inject in the fattest bit you have, I thought stomach would be awful (especially towards the end of my pregnancy) but it was fine - first time I've appreciated my pot belly/spare tyres.

If possible get the self contained units for injecting but if you get given the others they are not as bad as they look. If you are using the self contained units make sure the needle has automatically withdrawn before moving it (ouchy!).

My sister used a can of spray, sorry can't remember the name, to numb the area. She passed it on to me but TBH I didn't need to use it - I think her being extra skinny made it more painful for her.

Most importantly - it's not that bad honest!

Oh, I forgot it's also essential to big it up to your DH so that you can lie on the sofa and get given biscuits afterwards.

[PineapplePol]

PS. Just thought of something - be careful if you are injecting where your waist band will sit as the pressure of waist band can make bruising worse in same way that rubbing injection site will. Be prepared for every midwife and doctor to ask why you are so bruised!

[PineapplePol]

It will sting and bruise but its not that bad really - or perhaps I have just got used to it. I'm on clexane now but have had fragmin in the past. My experience is fragmin is best in thighs. Clexane is best in fatty tissue around stomach. I tried clexane in thighs but bruises were awful and painful, especially when 4yr old DD wanted to sit on my lap! I find best place for clexane is the out towards the sides of abdomen as it bruises less (where love handles are - they have to have some use!). Good luck. It really isn't difficult and you soon get used to it.

[CaptainHoratioWragge]

I like your thinking, Holly

I'm slightly worried that eating a lolly a day for the next 7 months might not go down with the consultant, though :)

[BagofHolly]

Here's my patented method, after approx 700 clexane injections!

1. buy ice lolly
   
2. sit down
   
3. slide lolly under bit of tummy above hip, which would touch your thigh if you leant forward. (The overhang, for the more portly of us!)
   
4. leave for a good 4 mins
   
5. roll syringe between fingers to warm it a bit
   
6. grab big chilled lump of flesh and stick needle in firmly
   
7. press plunger briskly
   
8. needle will retract automatically with new delivery device, otherwise pull out quick
   
9. eat lolly.
   
   

[amybelle1990]

Try not to rub it afterwards

[CaptainHoratioWragge]

Isn't MN great!
Thanks so much, everyone.
I did the first one today with the doc at the hosp, so I don't actually have to do one by myself until tomorrow....gulp :)

[MikeLitorisRings]

I had syringes that had weird springy things on them. I found them so much easier to use.

I still bruised like hell though.