leaking T

[wkly1269]

So the last 2 T shots i gave myself, i had some of the T leak back out when i went to pull out the needle. Today when I did my shot it like gushed out way more than it did the last two times.. I never had this issue previously. It was usually just a little bit of blood and that it. I havent done anything different as far as giving myself the shot. I even leave the needle for like like 10 seconds after injectiing to get the bandaid ready. Any of you guys have this issue?

Skott

[LordKAT]

Rarely, but it happens. You can look up z track injections. I'm told it helps. I usually put immediate pressure on it and rub it for a while. That seems to work.

[sam1234]

Both of LordKat's suggestions are helpful in stopping leakage. You may not be getting deep enough into the muscle as well. Large gauge needles are more apt to leak than smaller gauge needles, but T is usually in either a cotton seed oil or sesame seed oil and the mixture can be quite thick.

Make an appointment with your Dr. so he can show you how to do a z track injection and voice your concerns. Its normal to want to get every last drop of the drug to stay in.

Another thing you can do is to massage the injection area after you remove the needle. Sometimes that helps. Ask you Dr. though. He may want to change the size of the needle or may find something in the way you are injecting the T.

sam1234

[Dex]

I never had much problem with leaking anyway, but I did start using the z track method. Basically, you move the skin so when you withdraw the needle and let go of the skin, it's not a straight hole back to the surface, unpunctured skin covers the hole. I do have a little bit of bleeding (like a tiny spot) sometimes but most often, I don't even need a bandaid. I do also put pressure and massage on to help absorption and minimize scar tissue and that helps as well.

With that being said, sometimes you may hit a spot that just bleeds more, that is normal. If the issue is T leakage though, the z track method should help minimize that.

[HeyTrace19]

Any of you guys have this issue?

Yes, it has happened now and then, usually if I have felt rushed and injected too quickly.  It was concerning at first, because I thought I was not getting my full dose, but in the grand scheme of things...it LOOKS like far more is escaping than actually is.  I inject intramuscularly, making sure my needle is pretty much submerged, push the plunger quite slowly, and massage the site immediately to disperse the oil.  For me, the z-tracking seems a little more painful, but I still use it sometimes.  Overall, when I slow down and relax, things seem to work out better   

[CursedFireDean]

I get a little leaking almost every time too, putting pressure usually helps. I can't do the z-track method because I have to pinch the fat for my subq shots, and if I don't pinch the fat, it hurts a lot.

[ridleysw]

I had that happen a couple times, too, so I started prepping the band-aid ahead of time so I could affix it quickly.  Even leaving the needle in while you  do that can either tear a little bit more or just give enough time for more blood to be pumped to the area and then push the T up.  Also, I finally learned to place the band-aid perpendicular to my leg because otherwise, a bed in the leg takes the tension away, which is needed until the epidermis seals.

[Tysilio]

Overall, when I slow down and relax, things seem to work out better

This and the Z-track method are the key, at least for IM injections, I think. I work a lot on relaxing my body before I inject (in the winter, it helps to ensure that I'm warm, also), and I visualize the needle going in very smoothly and easily. It does help.

[sam1234]

This and the Z-track method are the key, at least for IM injections, I think. I work a lot on relaxing my body before I inject (in the winter, it helps to ensure that I'm warm, also), and I visualize the needle going in very smoothly and easily. It does help.

IM injections in general are less painful if you relax as Tysillio recommended. You will also get less leakage that way.

When you pinch fat, you are giving a SQ injection, which generally hurts less anyway unless what you are putting in is a medication that stings. The reason it hurts more when you don't pinch fat is because you are not going into the muscle. Muscles are rich with nerve receptors, and IM injections are just more painful than injections that go into fat or sub Q.

sam1234

[AndrewB]

I was worried about this kind of thing too, so after my 2nd or 3rd shot I self-taught myself z-track and I haven't had a worry since. No leakage, only occasional (and light) bleeding, and just an overall ease of mind, knowing that I've decreased my chances for losing precious T. Everyone else has had good suggestions too—relax, keep warm, take it slow. Although, some people said they combined z-track with massaging afterward, which kind of defeats the purpose of z-track, I believe, to some extent. From what I've read, z-track injection sites should be left alone unless it needs a band-aid, because the point of it is to trap the injection in the muscle. By wiggling the "track," you risk giving the T someplace else to go that isn't your injection site, such as further up your track into fat, tissue, etc.