LymeNet Flash: I'm going ti be givin my OWN B12 shots......OUCH

This is topic I'm going ti be givin my OWN B12 shots......OUCH in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by guiney (Member # 4550) on :

Hi everyone. I just got my ins. approval today on the IM vitamin B12 shot for 3x's a
week and very scared that I won't beable to.

Does anyone have experience in doing this?

Maybe you could send some of your own experiences to me...with some hints

Thank you, Jamie

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Posted by achey (Member # 6284) on :

Jamie
I have been giving myself B-12 shots for over a year. I find it much less uncomfortable than having someone else do it. But, the first time, I cried!

Make sure you have your medical provider give you talked through as well as written instructions...Better yet, you write them down and re-read them to your teacher for confirmation.

My Naturopath instructed me to trust my body to pick the correct exact spot for injection, and to proceed with a very gradual needle insertion, waiting for the tissue to yield under gentle steady pressure.

After the insertion of the needle, I dispense the B-12 into the tissue in a gradual manner also, giving the tissue time to recognize and absorb.

I also remove the needle gradually, and gently compress the underlying skin until it feels calmed down.

This for me makes me feel like I'm involved in the process of giving myself a gift of necessary nutrients.

And, even with all this preparation, I still dread the process!
But I'd still rather do it than give my arm or rump to someone else!

Good Luck Jamie

Posted by lymemomtooo (Member # 5396) on :

Jamie, what a coincidence..My daughter's psychologist is dealing with 3 very ill children that may all have neuro toxin problems..With my daughter it is lyme, bartonella, mold, etc..

The psychologist heard about some healer in Indiana, I think and she called her on the phone and asked for help for her 3 clients..The lady said she does not do it over the phone but she tried and she came up with a B-12 deficientcy on my daughter and something that the psych..may have gotten wrong, universal er...Not sure if it exists.

So there may be some B-12 thing to this. Perhaps the immune system needs it to recover..??

Posted by riversinger (Member # 4851) on :

I gave myself B-12 shots daily for almost six months. Contrary to the instructions achey got, I was told a quicker insertion of the needle was less painful. I found this to be true.

The injections were so painless, I didn't even use the procaine that was supposed to numb the area.

My doctors nurse gave me very thorough instructions on how and where to give the injections. I used my thighs. I marked the spot I was going to use with a pen, cause I wanted to miss any blood vessels.

The B-12 doesn't cause pain, unlike magnesium, which I also did in injections for a long time.

I was told to practice my injection technique on an orange, which has a similar resistance to human skin. It gives you a chance to feel how much pressure to apply. Pressing too slowly actaully creates more resistance, and I had more pain that way, and more likelyhood of bruising.

Just make sure you get good instructions, and ask any questions that come up. Its really not bad at all.

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Sonoma County Lyme Support
[email protected]

Posted by marblenose (Member # 6477) on :

hi Guiney,
I've been doing B12 IM for many years. I also recommend lots of instruction and I ice the sight B4 the shot. My doc got me the smallest needles possible to insure less pain. They really help me.
Blessings,
Marblenose

Posted by tickedntx (Member # 5660) on :

I gave myself B-12 injections for many months also and found them to be relatively painless. For me, the best method was to place the needle against the skin and push without hesitation. Sometimes I felt a bit of pressure as the needle went in but often I felt nothing. I guess it depended on the site.