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Original poster

Injecting myself - how to get the hang of it

27 replies

Daisy2990 · 10/10/2018 19:31

I'm on blood thinning injections. I did my first one today on a shallow angle like the midwife showed me. I ended up with a lump under the skin which stung for quite a while afterwards. Not mega painful but still quite sore. Does anyone have any tips on how to avoid the lump/ pain?

Also, I need to change the time of the injection - first one was at 3pm which is no good due to the school run. I'm thinking about just doing it slightly earlier each day to work it back to a more convenient time. Is this the right way to do it or should I just skip half a day and then start again at the time I want them?

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physicskate · 10/10/2018 19:35

I found icing the area first to be a bit helpful with the stinging. I was not sad to see the last of those injections!!!

Original poster

Daisy2990 · 10/10/2018 19:40

Thanks for the tip. Yeah I'm on them for 7 months now :(

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HoleyCoMoley · 10/10/2018 19:44

Is it a ready filled syringe. I would look at the instruction.leaflet that will tell you how to.give it.and at what angle. Do they have to be given in your tummy.

PetuliaBlavatsky · 10/10/2018 19:45

I inject myself for a different reason and when I started out I'd use ice to numb the area, it works really well.

For me, I've never got the hang of jabbing the needle in quickly, I prefer to slide it in slowly but of course some people may hate that! Try injecting while counting to 10 to do it slowly- I'm assuming it's a small amount injected sub-cutaneously? And finally, watch some YouTube videos, there are loads of people demonstrating different injections.

Lauren83 · 10/10/2018 19:47

I did fragmin/clexane for 40 weeks, you get used to it, some do bruise badly so don't panic if that happens. Just go in quite firm and don't hesitate as if you don't break the skin first time it blunts the needle so commit to it and go fast

Bootsuit · 10/10/2018 19:48

Nurse here. Depends on the medication but if you're on clexane you can jump 4 hours forward. Any other creep it forward by an hour each day and then stick at that time for the duration of the course.

If you're getting a lump under the skin it normally means you're not going deep enough into the skin, you need to be injecting into the sub cutaneous skin , not just under the skin surface if that makes sense. Grab an inch of skin, put the needle in at 45 degrees and then inject. Don't rub the skin afterwards.

I think you should get the midwife back out and show you how to do it or go to the practice nurse and get her to observe your technique.

SuperVeggie · 10/10/2018 19:51

I'm on clexane and I was shown to do it at a right angle rather than 45 degrees. The info leaflet I was given by the hospital also says this. Also make sure you get a really good chunk of fat - I carry my weight on my thighs more than my stomach so I I have been doing it there. I've been on it for about 3 months now and only got a lump a couple of times so think I have got the hang of it now. Try not to hesitate too much and be confident when you do it - hurts more otherwise!

Original poster

Daisy2990 · 10/10/2018 19:59

Its pre filled and its Innohep so a slanted angle is correct AFAIK.
I didn't know about the needle blunting so that's a good tip, thank you

@bootsuit if I go forward by an hour how does that work overnight? Ideally I want to do them in the morning rather than 3pm. I did it a bit earlier today as I had no choice, it was that or do it outside school/ at someone's house.

Final Q - I wasnt given a sharps bin and my pharmacist said I have to buy them, is this true? My son is 5 so I really don't want a store of brightly coloured needles in the house but it seems odd that I have to pay to dispose of them?

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Original poster

Daisy2990 · 10/10/2018 20:02

Thank you all for the tips btw, I'm not great with needles but determined to try do this independently if I can

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Mathbat · 10/10/2018 20:04

I got given a free sharps bin by the hospital. Agree with what everyone else says about injecting. Also try swapping sites every day. I got a lump on my tummy from too many injections close together so after that I swapped between left tummy / right tummy / left thigh / right thigh and that seemed to work. I started before I was pregnant, due to my medical history, and injected up until six weeks after the birth. I was so glad to see the back of those needles!

mothertominibeasts · 10/10/2018 20:10

I put the pins of my insulin needles in an empty water bottle and screw the lid back on. I am in a child free household though. When it's full I take it to the chemist and they dispose of it.

HoleyCoMoley · 10/10/2018 20:19

I thought you.got hold of a piece.of.fat in your tummy.and injected them straight down at 90 degrees. that's what my instruction leaflet says. I got a sharps.bin from the doctors who had to write a prescription for the chemist.

Original poster

Daisy2990 · 10/10/2018 20:25

I've just Googled it and you're right, it says 90 degrees. The midwife in the ante natal department told me to do it at around 45 degrees. Guess I should call my regular midwife and ask for some clarification.

OP posts:

HoleyCoMoley · 10/10/2018 20:37

Yes do. Don't rub it afterwards and ask for a sharps bin. Its not safe to have them disposed of any other way and then take them to the chemist for safe destruction.

Tortycat · 10/10/2018 20:43

i was on innohep and did it at 90 degrees but yes ask for further advice. I also found that some sites on my stomach hurt like hell when i tried it, while other places i barely felt. Presumably to do with nerve endings? i found doing tiny test pricks first let me find the less painful places.. 2 pregnancies with 10 months of injections and i was sick of them by the end! but keep your eyes on the prize...

Original poster

Daisy2990 · 10/10/2018 20:53

Thank you so much. Glad I asked the questions (although I should have double checked on the leaflet!)

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SuperVeggie · 10/10/2018 21:02

I have also had conflicting messages about the angle. But the info sheet says 90 degrees and it has hurt far less this way and I'm not getting lumps. So I think it's better as it allows you to really get into the subcutaneous fat so you can't feel it.

SuperVeggie · 10/10/2018 21:05

Oh also I was also not great with needles and the thought of having to do it every day for the whole of pregnancy filled me with dread. I'd shake and feel sick before doing it! But I got used to it very quickly and within 2 weeks it became normal. I don't even think about it now. It has also had the added benefit of making me a lot less anxious before blood tests, vaccinations etc (and hopefully the big needles if I have a section or epidural!)

Noboozeforme · 10/10/2018 21:14

Straight in .. don't hesitate. 90 degree angle. Don't rub afterwards as seemed to cause the most bruising.

I could never face doing it in my belly so did it in the fleshy part where bum meets hips.

Bootsuit · 10/10/2018 21:18

I really think you need to get your midwife to show you. For my patients they need to have done at least 3 injections by themselves before we deem them safe to continue to self administer.

You seem confused about what time you can inject too. Your midwife should clarify this for you.

I'm saying as a nurse that I always give at 45 degrees, but I've never administered your medication.

Honestly, call your midwife! Or get to your practice nurse. You need to speak to them to collect a sharps bin too!

Pomfluff · 11/10/2018 19:38

This Youtube video is great!!
Basically ice the area well beforehand, inject incredibly slowly and pull needle out slowly. Then ice the area again for a bit and if you're lucky there won't be any bruising. The needle doesn't hurt at all going in if you do it slow enough. The liquid burns slightly but I found it helped to watch something or keep yourself distracted.

I was too nervous with my first injection and asked a nurse to do it for me. She was very efficient but it hurt like crazy afterwards!! Then my husband took over for a bit but I ended up with grapefruit-sized bruises after just one week. So the right technique really makes a world of a difference...on a pain level of 10 the nurse's injection was 8/10, my husband's was 5/10 and when I did it myself using that video tutorial it was a 2/10 at most!

FruitCider · 11/10/2018 20:39

Innohep is definitely 90 degree angle aka straight in.

SadTrombone · 11/10/2018 20:42

The hospital midwife showed me at an angle just under the skin (like almost parallel!!) - lots of pain and lumps for days before I spoke to community midwife who said 45° angle is the way to go. Had no problems since.
As a PP said - grab a good chunk of fat. I use my thighs as carry more there than my stomach. Been doing it 3 weeks and got it down to an art - doesn't even hurt now.

Wiggler1 · 11/10/2018 20:48

45 degrees or 90 depends on the amount of subcutaneous fat you have, it’s nothing to do with the drug itself. Generally 90 degrees is ok for most people but if you have very little fat you might be advised to do do it at 45 degrees to avoid inadvertent intramuscular injection. I personally find 90 degree injections easier, 45 tends to be too shallow and occasionally results in an intradermal injection, which is what gives you the lumps.

FruitCider · 11/10/2018 22:29

45 degrees or 90 depends on the amount of subcutaneous fat you have

All of my patients are 6 stone nothing and still have enough tissue to administer at 90 degrees if you scoop up the flesh to create a mound x

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