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how NOT to hit a vein when injecting T?

Started by quinn, July 12, 2011, 08:00:26 PM

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quinn

Hey guys,

So, as you'll know if you read my post in the ARGHHH!! section, I've been having some trouble trying to do my injections. Last week it took me more than 7 tries to do my injection, because I kept hitting a vein even though I tried in several different places. This week I hit a vein three times and still haven't successfully done my injection, and I feel really anxious even just thinking about trying to do my injection again. I've only been on T since the middle of June, and spent over $100 on it so I don't want to switch to patches or gel or whatever. But, now I'm semi-phobic of needles, and totally worried it'll take me a ridiculous amount of tries to do my injection correctly.

I don't know how it is that the first two injections (mine are weekly) were really easy to do and virtually painless in comparison, and now all the sudden I either have really bad luck with this or I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Anyone have any advice, tips, or thoughts on what I can do to just get my injection over with, without turning my thighs into pin-cushions? How frequently, if ever, do you hit a vein when injecting? Is it better to try in a completely different spot after you hit a vein, or should you try again a few centimeters to the side of it?
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Bahzi

I hit a vein for the first time on my last shot day.  It was also the first time I did my shot without a lot of light.  The skin on my thighs is so white that I can see many of the veins well enough to avoid them, but for some reason I wasn't thinking of that when doing my shot, and what do you know, I hit a vein.   I know what you mean about it giving you a semi-phobia for needles, I hesitated on redoing the injection after that for half a minute or so.  I just used the other leg after that, and 10 days later, the bruise from the vein I hit is still visible on the other leg, although it never hurt much after I pulled the needle out, it was just painful for a minute and then freaky watching that much blood run down my leg, ick. 

You might just have a lot of veins in your legs.  I'd ask your doctor about switching to hip or butt injections after hitting a vein that many times consecutively.
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Sean

I'm sorry you've been having so much trouble. I don't know what size needles (gauge or length) you are using or about your anatomy, so I am speaking generally.

I do not mean to make light of your frustration, because it is genuine. Sounds like you've had sucky experiences. However, I am EXTREMELY skeptical that you hit a vein 7 times in a row and then hit a vein 3 more times unless you are doing something very very wrong OR you are misunderstanding what it means to hit a vein. It's almost statistically impossible to do this "by accident" if you're injecting in the right space of your body and with the right size/gauge needle.

By hitting a vein - do you mean that you are aspirating (pulling back on the plunger) and seeing blood drawn into the needle? That is what it means to hit a vein. If you have done so - 10 times you have stuck a needle into your body, pulled back on the plunger, and seen new blood enter the syringe - then, OUCH. That sucks. AND - that's a lot of wasted needles/syringes AND T - because once you aspirate blood into your needle, you should be starting all over with a new one!

But please be aware, that you have not necessarily hit a vein just because: you feel pain, you see blood when you remove the needle OR your leg bruises afterwards.

If you are aspirating and having blood enter into your needle 10 times out of 10 tries, then you are doing something very very wrong, and you should probably visit a doctor to see about how this can be avoided - whether it means injecting in a different part of your body, using different size/gauge needles or something. This is something that should not happen. If it has happened, please see a doctor to talk about what you can do differently.

If you are not aspirating & seeing blood enter the needle, and you are just experiencing pain or seeing some blood when you withdraw the needle, then you are NOT hitting a vein directly, as you think you are. You may be sideways nicking one (is your needle entering your body at a 90 degree angle?). More likely, you are experiencing pain & trauma to the area from being tense when you inject (which is understandable - I'd be tense if I thought I was hitting veins!) and from re-using the same needle after withdrawing it from your body. Each skin piercing dulls your needle, so the repetition makes it more likely that you are causing trauma to yourself that will bleed.

If this is the case, then I think you need some way of relaxing yourself adn starting with a clean slate. If you're switching sides (which you should be), do the side that you're better at. When injecting across the body, many people don't enter the injection site at the appropriate angle, for example. Beyond that, I don't know what method of preparing to inject calms you, but you really just need one positive experience to build on & to keep building each time from there. Whatever relaxes you and keeps that muscle relaxed, you'll have to find that. It may hurt a little or bleed a little, but remind yourself -that's ok. THat happens. That is NOT what it means to hit a vein. You'll be fine. Each time, it'll get easier. If you can't do this alone, you may need to have someone do your next injection for you or watch you do it, to give you confidence that you're doing it "right."
In Soviet Russa, Zero Divides by You!
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quinn

Oh man, thanks for telling me all that, Sean! Here I was, all freaking out over nothing (well, almost nothing. From what you're saying, it sounds like I've actually hit a vein three times). This morning I tried again, and actually forgot to aspirate so I don't know if I hit a vein or what happened, but there was more blood that time than ever before, but none of the T leaked out so it probably was fine. I don't know though.

Yeah, I was definitely thinking there was no way I was hitting a vein that many times. It's just, I get through the layer of skin, and then the layer of fat or whatever's right under the skin, and then I can feel the density change when I get to the muscle, but once I get about half or three-quarters of the needle (they're 1 1/2" ones, 22 gauge) it feels different and it really hurts, I don't know how to describe it really but it feels like I'm puncturing something instead of just sliding the needle in smoothly. So, I'm probably just tensing up at that moment. I try to do it at a 90 degree angle, sometimes it's a little bit slanted but not by more than a few degrees or so. Next time I go to my endocrinologist, I'm going to make sure he shows me how to do the injections, just to be sure I'm doing it right. He was going to have me come back a few days after my first appointment to show me how to do it, but I wasn't able to rearrange my work schedule so I never ended up going. Anyway, thanks for your help.  :) I'm a lot less worried about this whole thing now.
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Jigsaw

Quinn,  Just something I did not see mentioned.  Make sure you don't have pressure on the leg you are injecting.  So if you are injecting in the left leg, put your body weight on the right side of your body.  It helps a lot and could be a reason you get blood?  Not sure, but just a suggestion.

Hopefully I can post this here to help out, and not sure if this will help you at all, but MN Shot Clinic has a pamphlet you can look at to help with injecting.  Just look on facebook for"ClinicaDe Shot" and look under Flyers and Pamphlets in the albums (Photo Album area)
"I've just lived my life. I always feel that if you live your life and you live it honestly and are good to people around you that everything will be OK." ~John Barrowman
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quinn

Ah, I didn't know that made a difference. Thanks  :)

Cool, I'll check it out
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Jigsaw

Ohh, I forgot a tip I was given by a nurse that volunteers at the clinic.  When you give the shot, stretch the skin in that area just before and during the puncture of the needle.  For me it makes it go in smoother and less of a prick pain.   Has nothing to do with the vein, but thought I would share since it makes things a bit more pleasant.

I also just noticed the flyer I told you about says to inject on the side of the thigh.  I have seen people do that before, but not sure why the flyer says that when they teach injecting on the top (if you are looking down basically).  I will have to ask about that next time I stop by to swap out needles unless somebody here can say given input.
"I've just lived my life. I always feel that if you live your life and you live it honestly and are good to people around you that everything will be OK." ~John Barrowman
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