Self-administered daily injections - your experience

fiona-f

My doctor has advised I'm likely to need several months of daily injections if a diagnosis is confirmed. I am completely daunted by this idea, I don't do pain, I don't even have my ears pierced! I am worried that I'll get it wrong, scared at the thoughts of pain, scared I'll end up wussing out and trying to skip my treatment if it's a bad day. So I'd be really keen to hear from anyone who has done this - do you get used to it? Were you scared in the beginning? How do you fit it into your daily life? Does it get easier or more painful as time goes on? Do you ever get used to it? Thanks.

cocker5

fiona-f wrote: »

My doctor has advised I'm likely to need several months of daily injections if a diagnosis is confirmed. I am completely daunted by this idea, I don't do pain, I don't even have my ears pierced! I am worried that I'll get it wrong, scared at the thoughts of pain, scared I'll end up wussing out and trying to skip my treatment if it's a bad day. So I'd be really keen to hear from anyone who has done this - do you get used to it? Were you scared in the beginning? How do you fit it into your daily life? Does it get easier or more painful as time goes on? Do you ever get used to it? Thanks.

OP, type 1 diabetecs inject 5 times a day if not more, the use injections pens, so unlike the injections you see n the hospital.

Do you know if you will be using a "pen" or traditional injection?

My husband is Type 1 Diabetic and finds them annoying but not too bad really.... he injects into his stomach area / or tigh... most of the times they are ok, but they can be a little sore at times. But over time like anything you do get used to it. he just pinches his sking and injects straight in.... pushes the top of the pen down etc... its quiet quick so to speak.

if you will be using a "normal injection", its a liitle more difficult, I used to inject my mum when she was ill due to a blood clot she had. She hated injections... i would suggest you inject slighly slanted, if you know what i mean, there may be a slight pinch but nothing major... you may bleed a tiny amount after but you should be ok.

you can get a spray that numbs the area first which is great you can get it in any pharmacy, cost around €20 oer can but last ages. its freezes the entire area so theres no pain etc.... my mum found it great.

also get some alcohol wipes to to clean the area before and after!

dont worry the hospital / doctor will show you everything and will help you wth your technique.. dont forget to get them to give you a sharps bin as they have yo be disposed of safely etc... best of luck.

locum-motion

cocker5 wrote: »

... i would suggest you inject slighly slanted, if you know what i mean...

I would suggest that you inject in precisely the manner that your doctor or nurse trains you to, and not in the manner that some internet randomer suggests. Of course, maybe that's what they'll train you to do, and if so... great. But if not, go with what the professional says!

Turtwig

As above don't deviate from anything your doctors/nurses say. Last thing you want is enduring the pain and horror only for the injected fluid to not go into your body.

The worst thing about injections is getting yourself to "harm" yourself. There's a natural apprehension that you must overcome. In time, you'll probably get used to it. Try to relax as much as possible. I find having music playing in a really quiet room with no distractions helps. Most important of all is not to lose patience or be annoyed with yourself over the fact you are nervous. It might also help to have a close friend or family present the first few times you try self administering. Don't worry nurses will have dealt with people who are apprehensive about injections before. One thing I discovered with time was that the frequency of sorer injections diminished as I got more used to stabbing myself with proficiency. Like everything it takes a bit of practice.

Best of luck and I hope the treatments works for you.

lisalights

I had to do insulin injections for about four months and like another poster was using a pen which I didn't find too bad. A.friend with MS has more serious daily injection to do with a bigger needle and had to have heat pack and cool packs ready to prep herself for before and after so she was given this routine to make the process as painless as possible so I'm sure you'll be given advice to make it easier and it'll soon become part of your life, best of luck

orchidsrpretty

Not really long term but on two separate occasions I was injecting myself twice/ three times a day for just over one month each time. One of the injections was a pen type thing so was grand. The others were a lot more daunting. I freaked the first time I had to do and thought it was going to be absolute hell but after 1 day or so it became normal and I could do it with my eyes closed. One of the injections though was painful as it was oil based but again, when it's something you HAVE to do you just get along with it.

I found the hardest part was I had to them at the same time every day so it was tricky to fit it in I ended up doing them in the evening around 8 and it worked pretty well.

Best of luck, it's defiantly more stressful thinking about it, then actually doing it.

cocker5

locum-motion wrote: »

I would suggest that you inject in precisely the manner that your doctor or nurse trains you to, and not in the manner that some internet randomer suggests. Of course, maybe that's what they'll train you to do, and if so... great. But if not, go with what the professional says!

No need to be sooo rude... I only gave advise from my experience.... Like the op requested!

PLUS

Like I said in my post if you read it in full to the op not to worry as the doctors / hospital would help them with their technique... And not too worry...

Signed

Some internet randomer

lila1

Hi a few years ago i had to inject myself each morning this went on for about two years. the difference with this injection was that i had to keep the needle in my abdomen until that evening when i then had to remove it. This was one of the mediications that I was using for my parkinsons. OP do not worry about injecting yourself you will probably find it awkward at the start and you probably will get it wrong a few times but practice makes perfect. Anything that helps make you better can only be a good thing. The doctor or nurse will show you exactly what to do and the nurse will probably be there when you do it the first few times. The best of luck and dont worry

lila1

cocker5 wrote: »

No need to be sooo rude... I only gave advise from my experience.... Like the op requested!

PLUS

Like I said in my post if you read it in full to the op not to worry as the doctors / hospital would help them with their technique... And not too worry...

Signed

Some internet randomer

Just for the record cocker5 I used to have to put the needle in at an angle as well

PS some internet randomer would be a great uses name i wonder is anyone using it ha ha

macsauce

Hi OP, I had to inject myself everyday for 6 months (Clexane, to break down a clot). Like yourself, I was apprehensive about "harming" myself as It goes against all your natural instincts (and I'm also a wuss with needles)

In reality, it wasn't that bad. You'll tense before the needle goes in which makes it a little sore a first but you'll soon relax and it'll be out before you know it. I definitely recommend sticking to what the doctor / nurse tells you. If they don't go through this with you then ask for it! I was given a box of Clexane and told to just inject myself in my stomach. I wasn't given any practical instruction or told the areas into which I could inject. Had I been told this, I could have avoided bruising and also found new sites to avoid re-injecting into bruised ones.

Best of luck with this.

locum-motion

cocker5 wrote: »

No need to be sooo rude... I only gave advise from my experience.... Like the op requested!

PLUS

Like I said in my post if you read it in full to the op not to worry as the doctors / hospital would help them with their technique... And not too worry...

Signed

Some internet randomer

While I am reluctant to enter into a "I-said-you-said" with you on this, let me just point something out; You suggested one thing, I suggested a different thing. This is called 'disagreeing' or 'contradicting'. It happens on the internet from time to time. It is not 'being rude'.

You absolutely positively should not be suggesting to people how they should inject their medicine. I mean, you do not even know whether the injection is to be administered intra-muscularly or sub-cutaneously, but yet you presume to tell them to stick the needle in at a slant. How do you know that that's what's going to be right for the OP's medication?

I am a healthcare professional who has been trained to administer medicines by injection as part of my job. I was trained to do this by professional educators/trainers. But I was not trained to train others how to do it, and so therefore I don't (even when I know what the medication is). That is the preserve of the doctors and nurses whose job it is. Please leave it to them.

cocker5

locum-motion wrote: »

While I am reluctant to enter into a "I-said-you-said" with you on this, let me just point something out; You suggested one thing, I suggested a different thing. This is called 'disagreeing' or 'contradicting'. It happens on the internet from time to time. It is not 'being rude'.

You absolutely positively should not be suggesting to people how they should inject their medicine. I mean, you do not even know whether the injection is to be administered intra-muscularly or sub-cutaneously, but yet you presume to tell them to stick the needle in at a slant. How do you know that that's what's going to be right for the OP's medication?

I am a healthcare professional who has been trained to administer medicines by injection as part of my job. I was trained to do this by professional educators/trainers. But I was not trained to train others how to do it, and so therefore I don't (even when I know what the medication is). That is the preserve of the doctors and nurses whose job it is. Please leave it to them.

Snore snore... I'm sure your high horse has a great view from up there!!

Op asked for opinions I gave her my experience and also told her not to worry her doctors would show her etc.

Good luck op.. I hope the healthcare professional you deal with isn't the one in the above post!

Over and out!

locum-motion

cocker5 wrote: »

Snore snore... I'm sure your high horse has a great view from up there!!

Op asked for opinions I gave her my experience and also told her not to worry her doctors would show her etc.

Good luck op.. I hope the healthcare professional you deal with isn't the one in the above post!

Over and out!

I won't dignify your first and third sentences with a response, but as to your second: Yes, you're quite right. And I did not take issue with those parts of your post. I took issue with one specific part of your post*. That is why I quoted that part of your post.

In that part of your post, You.Were.Wrong.

Now, rather than insulting people, would you ever just be mature enough to admit that you were wrong to suggest this to the OP?


* In case you've forgotten, it was

cocker5 wrote: »

... i would suggest you inject slighly slanted, if you know what i mean...

Turtwig

Quoted like that it could mean anything.

embee

I have MS and I'm on Copaxone, which is a daily injection. Only been on it since June but it's going well so far. From my point of view, I've had four years of midwifery training so I am used to the injection technique, still initially it was weird to think of sticking a needle into myself (have given literally hundreds of injections to mums and babies and that bothers me too, there is something in you that naturally doesn't want to go around sticking needles into people). It's just part of my routine now, I have forgotten it twice as I was busy with other things, but it's no biggie. It can be a bit sore some days and I have a couple of injection site lumps which can stay permanently but I am feeling good in myself and that's spurring me on! Good luck with it! My biggest hurdle with it was going on holidays and the airport palaver that ensued. They thought the ice brick thing that I was carrying with my needles was suspicious and they x-rayed it three times. That was more annoying to me than the thought of injecting myself to be honest!

sam34

cocker 5 and locum motion, quit it. Take it to pm if ye wish to continue.

byhookorbycrook

I did every second day injections for MS. I was taught using an orange! I don't ears pierced either. Have you heard of emla cream? I don't use it but a friend swears by it.

fiona-f

Thanks everyone for this. I have begun the treatment but so far I have gotten my partner to do it rather than myself. I will give it a go when I am more used to being injected in a week or so. Just need to work up the courage first.