posted
I am getting methylcobalamin (spelling!?) in a few days and I have to give myself a daily intramuscular shot. The dr. said to do it in the thigh. The needles are 1 inch.
I haven't done this before and was wondering if anyone could give me advice regarding the best way to do this? How far in should the needle go, for example? Is this very painful?
Thanks for any help!
-David
-------------------- Same nightmare, different day! Posts: 401 | From East Coast | Registered: Nov 2005
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Andie333
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7370
posted
David,
I don't have answers, but I just wanted to thank you for the question. My LLMD gave me IM Vitamin B complex.
Hopefully, you'll get some good guidance.
Here's to success and easy sticking for us both!
Andie
Posts: 2549 | From never never land | Registered: May 2005
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SForsgren
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7686
posted
I did it for a couple years. It isn't that bad. The real trick is not instinctively pulling the needle out the minute you get it in.... From what I have heard, it isn't nearly as painful as Bicillin (which I will be starting soon)...
-------------------- Be well, Scott Posts: 4617 | From San Jose, CA | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
5/8" depth at 30 degree angle. Short needles are fine. Be clean. Smile.
quai
-------------------- "In spite of the ever increasing cost of living, it remains quite popular" S. Shackel Posts: 87 | From walla walla wa | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
I shall try to smile! Tell me though, do you mean that the 1 inch needle should go in about 5/8 of an inch? Also where on the thigh is the best place to do this? And how quickly/slowly do you put the needle in?
I know it's a lot of questions but my instinct tells me never to put needles into my muscles on purpose!
-David
-------------------- Same nightmare, different day! Posts: 401 | From East Coast | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
>>do you mean that the 1 inch needle should go in about 5/8 of an inch?
==yes. Under the skin and into the muscle os req'd. Next time buy the short needles for insulin.
>>Also where on the thigh is the best place to do this?
==Where it hurts the least.
>>And how quickly/slowly do you put the needle in?
==Only the needle operator knows for sure. If that's you, go easy.
>>I know it's a lot of questions but my instinct tells me never to put needles into my muscles on purpose!
==This needle will bring your muscle the food that our Lyme bellies cannot see fit to digest and absorb properly.
Just stick it in already.
quai
-------------------- "In spite of the ever increasing cost of living, it remains quite popular" S. Shackel Posts: 87 | From walla walla wa | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Here's my experience with the glutathoine/B-12 shots.
I reach around and give it to myself in the hip. I can't stand doing the thigh. The way you do it (in case the thigh doesn't work out) is you find your hip bone, make an upside down V with your fingers, the spot the needle goes in is in the middle of the V. I pinch a good bit of the skin and then quickly jab the needle in.
Its so hard at first. I'll bet I sat there one day for an hour telling myself I can do it.
You can't just gently push the needle in -- you have to give it a quick, firm jab. Actually, the needle doesn't really hurt, its the serum that hurts --- do it slowly, if it starts to sting, wait a few seconds and then push some more. You're in no hurry like the nurse always is at the doctor's office.
It's getting past that first try, usually they make you do it once at the doctor's office so they will know you can do it at home.
posted
I don't know from personal experience (yet) if it actually is more effective that oral B12 but Dr B's guidelines for treatment discusses using IM methylcobalamin (spelling?) rather than oral B12. The neurologist I am seeing is actually the one who recommended it to me.
At this point I am ready to do almost anything to alleviate the symptoms and since this has some probability of actually helping I am going to try it!
-David
-------------------- Same nightmare, different day! Posts: 401 | From East Coast | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
Some additional tips my nurse neighbor shared with me on the shots.
Practice on an orange. It's a quick motion to insert the needle and the orange is close to your muscle.
Pull the syringe back (the plunger thing) just a little bit to ensure you are not in a vein and then push it in quickly to inject the B12.
Before you insert the needle grab a chunk of the top of your thigh and squeeze hard. I find it distracts me from the needle going in.
Once the needle is out shake your leg and/or massage it. That hurts the worse for me if I don't move around the B12 stuff.
If you want to do the hip instead of the top of the thigh, draw an imaginary cross on one side of you backside with four equal quadrants. The shot goes in the upper outside quadrant. Follow the same instructions....squeeze hard! MA
I also take methycoba...whatever kind. MA
Posts: 58 | From SC | Registered: May 2004
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posted
B-12 injections area very easy, and not painful. Once you have done your first one, your apprehension will disappear.
I used 1 1/4" needles, 27 guage I think, becuase the shorter needles caused staining because the liquid was too close to the surface.
I stuck the needle straight in, all the way. Aspirated (pulled the plunger back to see if there was any blood, though I don't know how you tell this with methylcobalamin since it's the samae color), and injected.
Piece of cake, really.
Scott: I have found the Bicillin injections not to be painful. It's the soreness that starts a couple hours later that can get you when you roll over in bed.
One thing I have found that helps a lot is to feel the area (I inject outer upper quadrant of my butt) to make sure that there are no knots from previous injections. I press pretty hard since they can be deep. When I find a spot in the injectable area, I draw a circle around it with a pen. Then I have a target for which to aim.
You might want to search for previous discussions about how to inject Bicillin. Alternatively, I saved some other instructions posted here previously in a Word doc. Send me a private message with your email address if you want them.
-------------------- Suzanne Shaps STAND UP FOR LYME Texas (www.standupforlyme.org) (Please email all correspondence related to protecting Texas LLMDs to [email protected] with copy to [email protected]) Posts: 977 | From Austin, TX, USA | Registered: May 2004
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Finally my oldest son said he would do it. He put the needle in and then I opened my eyes pulled it back to see clear (no blood) and injected it and pulled it out. That was easy.
He just did it again today. I keep teasing him calling him Gaylord. (As in the male nurse Gaylord Focker.)
So far 3 injections how long does it take to work. Shouldn't I feel more energy? I am doing 25 mgs. I have read that people do it in the morning because it gives them energy. So far nothing.....
Posts: 399 | From Texas | Registered: Apr 2005
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It is just a mental block to get over...that's all! I know it's easier said then done but I did it myself (the nurse had me practice on an orange first!)
I inject 1 cc daily into my thigh. I have a 30 day prescription but the neurologist who prescribed it gave me 2 refills and would like me to try it for at least 3 months.
The shot is basically painless...as you probably know and it goes in SO easily! The nurse said I dont have to pull back after I put the needle in although she did say there is are some who teach you to do that. But I tell you this in all honesty...it is really easy to do!
I don't know how long it takes to work. I have neuropathy type symptoms (skin sensitivity, burning) so I hope this helps.
Let me know if you start to have any benefits. Where are you taking the shot?
Just out of curiousity, how much did it cost you for a month supply?
-David
-------------------- Same nightmare, different day! Posts: 401 | From East Coast | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
My urine has been pink 3 times after each injection. Is that normal?
I had read that it should be 1X????
My kidneys have been really sore. Has anyone else experienced that? It could be from something else I guess. It has happened before, but just started again the day after I started these injections.
Posts: 399 | From Texas | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
I'm taking it in the thigh.
Posts: 399 | From Texas | Registered: Apr 2005
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Andie333
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7370
posted
I just wanted to update this with some things I've found from my B-complex injections over the past month:
First, the B-complex is really helping me, much more so than the IM B-12, which I had tried first.
Although it says to keep the vitamin refrigerated, I found that it made the injection almost painless if I first brought the little vial up to something close to room temperature or even a bit warmer.
I inject in my upper thigh. Most of my Lyme symptoms (numbness, burning pain) have been on my right side. That thigh is too painful for the injections and bruises horribly.
On my other thigh, I was getting nasty bruises and also hard lumps just under the skin at the injection sites. I found that both those things were eliminated if I simply hold the cotton ball with alcohol with firm pressure on the site for at least 5 minutes after the shot.
For the existing lumps, I'm finding I can massage them out gradually using arnica oil.
The B-complex injection helps me much more than the oral B-complex I had been taking.
Hope this helps someone else.
Andie
Posts: 2549 | From never never land | Registered: May 2005
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WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
Have a doctor or nurse instruct you on how to do the injections. You can do them in the butt or thigh, but you must be instructed properly. You must learn to aspirate. The methyl B12 shots dont hurt, I do them every morning.
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