First Mounjaro jab - needle came out slightly bent

[CrazyGoatLady]

I did my first MJ (2.5mg) dose today in my upper arm. It took a bit more pressure than I thought to fully push down the dose knob and my hand was a little bit shaky (the whole injecting myself for the first time thing!) When I took it out, the needle was at an angle, it wasn't straight any more. It's such a fine needle (finer than I thought) - I guess easy for this to happen, but has this happened to anyone else? The only time I've ever used an injector pen before this was an epi pen (on someone else, in a first aid context) and those are auto injectors which feel very different.

Hopefully I haven't done it terribly wrong!

Probably being silly worrying, just need a hand hold!

A bent needle isn't a problem as long as no liquid came out around it (you would know).

It’ll be fine but in future maybe inject in your tummy or leg as you can then use your other hand to steady the pen

@CesarSoubreyon thanks, no there was no liquid coming out of the injection site

What made you choose your arm? It's an odd choice for your first time. If you read the instruction leaflet, it says someone else needs to inject your arm for you - I'm not surprised it went wrong doing it yourself

I've injected myself so many times - IVF, blood thinners and 10 weeks of MJ.

Wouldn't cross my mind to inject in my arm!

Please follow the instructions going forwards🙈

Stomach is so much easier. I did read somewhere if doing the arm it is worth asking for help. Sometimes the plunger does need a bit of effort to push down which is also why stomach is easier as you can keep it at 90 degrees as you push towards yourself.

If the pen looks like a full dose is out and you didn't have excessive liquid on your arm after you'll be ok.

I haven't tried my thigh yet, something about the thought of it gives me the wobbles so I stick with my stomach where is plenty of spare flesh to pinch!

I pinch flesh with one hand to keep it steady and use the other to grab the whole pen firmly with the dose window upward and my thumb to depress the plunger. If the plunger is a bit stiff I can lift my thumb off for a rest then finish it.

Good luck next week, the injection does get easier as the weeks progress.

I think it was just that automatic thinking of my arm being the usual place I've had jabs.

The snarky tone of your post doesn't really feel necessary or helpful. Have you never done something for the first time before and got it wrong?

Thanks @WeAllHaveWings I am going to try the stomach next time. Thank you for the tips about how to do it that were actually helpful and useful - more than I can say for some replies here 🙄

You need to make sure you pinch your skin to inject into the sub cutaneous fat rather than into the muscle in your arm. It may have bent because it hit harder muscle which it won't have been strong enough for. Theres no way to pinch your arm skin and inject yourself at the same time. Definitely try upper thigh or tummy next time and read all the instructions properly!

Yy, the arm is the usual place that vaccinations are given as they need to go into the muscle.
Weight loss injections need to go into the fleshy bit under the skin so they are best given in areas with more padding, like the abdomen. Good luck for next time 🙂

Definitely right to go for stomach next time around and just pop the needle all the way in first before you press the end - of that makes sense!

You're right, it takes a little bit more effort that you might imagine

The other good thing about injecting in your stomach is that there are fewer nerve receptors there, so for me it’s almost always pretty painless. I have once or twice hit firmer tissue, and had to push, but when you’re going into fat it’s nice and easy. So choose a squishy bit. It gets easier as you get used to doing it.

Did you read the instructions? Because mine say that if you inject into your arm it should be in the BACK of your arm and that 'another person should give you the injection in the back of your upper arm'.

Maybe yours says something different but if you missed reading the full leaflet this please go back and read all the information you received with it as it's a prescription medication and needs to be used properly.

If you did inject into a muscle rather than fat you may find it finds its' way into your body faster or slower than if injected into fat so it may not work as expected. You may also experience muscle pain. So be prepared.

I'm very sorry if you found my reply 'snarky' but it's the truth, even if it's not what you want to hear. Ive been around here long enough to see the harm that people have done to themselves by not following the instructions.

But, you do you, it's your body after all.

@Choux I followed the instructions I got from MedExpress via email. It said you "may" need someone to help you if you inject into your arm. Not that you definitely do need someone else to do it. I'm autistic and will a) take instructions literally and b) will go with what's most familiar - if it had said what yours say, I would have either chosen a different site or asked DH to help, but it was ambiguous. But if I do decide to use my arm again I will get help! (I know you are meant to vary the injection sites).

The MedExpress instructions also didn't say about pinching your flesh, but I've since Googled after seeing that here and I can see some other providers recommend doing that.

@NewLifter perhaps my reply to Choux above may help you understand why I did something you seem to think is unfathomable. I'm autistic, I did read the instructions, but there may be differences in how autistic people interpret and operationalise them if they're not clear. Might be worth keeping that in mind the next time you feel the need to tell someone off online for not doing something exactly correct the first time.

You are also clearly quite experienced with giving yourself injections, I am not.

I have learnt from the experience and will do things differently next time. But I have definitely learnt more from posters who have shared useful advice rather than "hard truths" given in a somewhat shaming way.

My photo was from the instructions that are produced by Eli Lilly and should be in the box your pen came in. As they are from the manufacturer they are the gold standard instructions.

Other suppliers may have things worded slightly differently on their websites but the official instructions are in the box. Check that you have them and take a look. It was the first injection I have ever given myself so I read everything in the box, watched a video and read the thread that was on here at the time as I was nervous. I like to use my thigh now although I did the first 2 injections in my stomach.

Anyway live and learn. Hopefully your arm isn't sore and you are getting some suppression.

Word of warning - people tend to find, anecdotally, that side effects are higher from stomach injections of MJ. I would go with a thigh next time if you can, unless you have no side effects this time.

I have autism too which is why I follow instructions carefully - so please don't assume anything 🫣 the instructions shared above come in the MJ box from the manufacturer. Good luck with the rest of your journey 😊

Yes it's fascinating isn't it! Apparently arm in the worst, then stomach, then thigh. So I'm sticking with thigh 😂😂😂

My DH does it in his arm as the idea of stomach/thigh gives him the heebie jeebies, but I have to do it for him to get the right place/angle. It’s hard to get the fleshy part underneath yourself.

Oo I bet that hurt you.
Next time go for a flabby bit of your tum. You won't have to push very much at all if you lie down, the weight of the pen gets it in!
Much better xx

I know you are meant to vary the injection sites

Not sure what info you got from MedExpress, but FYI you can also do that while staying on your stomach (see top right picture). You don't need to switch between stomach/thighs/arms.

As far as I am aware the main reason for doing this is just to give the previous injection sites time to heal/prevent issues being repeatedly injected in the same place. A big problem for diabetics, but with MJ only being injected once a week hopefully we won't hit any problems like that. I keep a note of where I inject now every week as 11 injections in I forget week to week where I last did it! (I blame my menopausal brain fog!)

It didn't hurt at all - no pain during or after! I'll definitely try stomach next time.

@NewLifter apologies, you're right, I did assume. I guess I'm used to non-autistic folks not always understanding that I may have a different process. But it's a good example of how two autistic brains might not be the same too. I also have ADHD, so I figured that because I'd read the MedExpress instructions and it said to follow those, that there wouldn't be any other ones to take into account. Probably my inexperience with medicines. Aside from ADHD meds and the pill, and the odd course of antibiotics, I haven't much to go on. Certainly not as much experience as you do. I appreciate your intention was probably to share that experience.

However, now I know the leaflet doesn't just contain lots of horrors about side effects, I will also read those as well. DH knows my anxiety too well and he encouraged me not to read them closely as I was already anxious about side effects and put off taking it for a week because I was worried, and was also anxious about taking it on a work trip and having no fridge 😳 again, MedExpress say to keep it refrigerated at all times but the leaflet said it was ok out of the fridge up to 21 days!

Conflicting information is the absolute worst thing for my brain 😬😬😬

I'm sorry too!!!!

Just to warm you, my obsessive brain is completely obsessed with all things MJ, I bet you end up the same 😂😂😂😂😂