I was mailed prefilled high dose methlycobalamin shots to take 3 times a weeks today. It states to inject it under the skin.
I injected on my thigh since it was easier as this was my first time giving myself and injections. Right after my skin started burning so badly that I had to hold a cold cloth on it for 20 minutes.
I fell asleep for an hour and woke up with a 5 inch size bright red round ring around the area where I injected? This may be normal but it is scary to look at.
Had anyone used these compound injections and had this effect? I left my LD an email about it but I wont hear back from him right away.
Also the box of only 12 injections was 105 dollars!!! Does anyone know of a reputable inexpensive site to order them from?
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
You might try a local compounding pharmacy...most hospitals have such a place.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Under the skin??? like as in subcutaneous??? OUCH!
Doesn't sound normal at all. I find the thigh to be a very sensitive area for me. I use my arm instead.
But I inject about 1/2 inch.
Posted by stillwater (Member # 30312) on :
I do 5mg each day of methlycobalamin. Never had it hurt, but I've had little red marks after. Sort of like it had leaked into the skin.
I always do them in my stomach though. They are supposed go into the fat so it gets absorbed slowly.
Sometimes though I notice my urine is a little pink a few hours later. Not blood colored, but B12 color.
I get mine from a compounding pharmacy. I get a vial and 30 insulin syringes for about $35.
Posted by Abxnomore (Member # 18936) on :
methlycobalamin is expensive, but it's the kind you need.
Annier are you supposed to inject it into your muscle or subcutaneously? I never hear of doing it under the skin.
I always injected mine into the muscle and you have to be shown how and where, which muscles. Usually in the thigh, thou other places can be used.
If it's going under the skin, of course you will get a huge round ring.
See what they say when they email you back. Didn't any one show you how to do it?
Pink urine is normal.
Posted by annier1071 (Member # 28977) on :
abx, THey showed me nothing at all and I even aksed..all he said was its a small needle.
I read the directions and it states under the skin. It burned so bad that I was jumping around. So you think I should inject straight in and then push the meds? I went on a slant since it said under the skin...
MY GP could not get any blood from me today. I have one vein and they used it at the LLMD on thurs for another western blot! I am so poked and hurting it horrible.
Posted by Abxnomore (Member # 18936) on :
Oh if it's an insulin needle it's meant to be used subcutaneously. IM needles are much longer. I never did it that way but hey I did it years ago. I always did intramuscular may be things have changed.
B12 does sting. Often they give some lidocaine to dull the sting but I think since you must be using a small amount and are doing it subcutaneously you can't inject too much substance under the skin.
How much are you injecting in terms of cc's.
See what they tell you tomorrow. I did subcutaneous shots years ago and if I recall correctly they told me to put them straight in, not on an angle.
I'm sure some others will chime in with their experiences.
I understand the vein thing. Always had good ones but after using them non stop I have very few choices left.
Posted by smckibben (Member # 27878) on :
I give myself an injection of 1 cc each morning in the stomach. Sometimes some will leak out and I'll have a red spot near the injection spot. I do not go in at an angle. It rarely hurts to inject and always make sure you cleanse with alcohol first. My insurance pays for all but $25 of mine every 2 weeks, but I have it shipped to my home from Connecticut and that costs $30 every 2 wks. My dr. lives an hr away, so it's just as cheap to have it shipped to my home. Can't believe your dr or nurse didn't show you how to do it. Good grief...
Posted by annier1071 (Member # 28977) on :
Smck, I cant believe so much of what is happening to me lately either. Are you using methlyc? I am also 1CC the syringes are very thin and prefilled.
PLEASE PM me with teh address where you get yours shipped if it is the mehtylcobalamin. THe other types of B12 are not absorbed into my body.
So you go straight into the stomach and then push? That sounds easier and better. Thanx
Posted by Abxnomore (Member # 18936) on :
Annier make sure to do it where there are fattier areas. Stay away from the area around the naval.
Also, talk to your LLMD office too. Not every place is a good place to inject. See what they say.
Yes, good grief but I'm not surprised. I hear this all too often that things of this nature are not explained.
I had one doc years ago prescribe me bicilian shots and didn't show me how to do them! She said you just inject it in the thigh. Now that's a pretty big needle and you need to know what you are doing. I ended up having a local doctor do it for me.
Posted by Dawn in VA (Member # 9693) on :
I agree with others in that I've never heard of methylB12 being subQ. My needles are very, very tiny as well, so I don't think needle size has anything to do with it in this case- I've had other pharms send me larger needles before.
Regardless, definitely always IM. Like Abxnomore said above, into your fattiest areas- I do it near the butt/hip area. Navel doesn't sound like a great idea to me either...
It might be best to have someone else do it for you at first- or ask a doc's nurse to show you perhaps- b/c you do need to take some caution that you're not going to hit a nerve or blood vessel.
Posted by stillwater (Member # 30312) on :
Methycobolamin is now given subQ in a fatty area because it absorbs more slowly and evenly.
IM gives you a big rush of B12, then flattens out.
SubQ is a piece of cake. Just go straight in. Can't even feel the needle go in most of the time.
Posted by annier1071 (Member # 28977) on :
The needle doesnt hurt Stillwater but I am not sure where to stick myself. Am I looking for amuscle in my stomach. (no six pack here!!) I left a message yesterday at my LD but no answer yet.
I still have a BIG pink/red spot on my thigh from yesterdays shot...looks like a tatoo!
The needles are very fine but not that short so dont know how far to go in with it. Guess I better wait till he gets back to me on it. He may want something different than the pharmacy wrote on directions? Thanx all
Posted by merrygirl (Member # 12041) on :
I didnt read all the replies but try infuserve america. They have super concentratec methyl and its only 0.1 ml that you have to inject. Its about 30$ for 30 injections, or at least it was a few months ago. They will ship it to you. They said they made the injections smaller because the larget amount 1ml, stings. But the red ring does not sound normal
Posted by stillwater (Member # 30312) on :
You're looking to stick it in a big pad of fat if you have one.
And Infuserve America is a great company to deal with. I get my IV Glutathione from them. And I know they have one of the best deal on IV Rocephin. Super nice people to deal with. They cater to the Lyme community.
One thing to remember about Methycobolamin, is that the cc's don't matter as it can be different concentrations. What matters is how many milligrams are in each dose. I do 5 mg per day. For me that works out to .2cc