Injection problems

[nbnik]

Every other Thursday, I give myself my shot of testosterone. I know, no dosage talk is allowed in the forum, but I hope it's all right to say that the volume I inject is 1 ml while leaving out the concentration. I hope that's okay.

So, tonight, I was getting down to it, and so I stuck the needle in my thigh, as I always do, and aspirated the syringe. The plunger lifted more easily than usual, and insertion of the needle was somewhat more painful than usual, and so I pulled the needle out of my leg without pressing down on the plunger. There were little bits of blood in my syringe. Curious, right? That's never happened to me before, but I've only been on T since December, so it might not be v curious at all. Anyway, from what I can tell, no one seems to know what would happen if you didn't aspirate and accidentally injected directly into a blood vessel.

So that was weird, but weirder still, after getting the air bubbles out of my syringe again and trying a second time, after I pressed on the plunger and passed all the liquid into the muscle, or so I thought, I pulled the needle out of my leg again, and a large volume of clear liquid, which I can only assume to be the T cypionate I had just injected, fell back out of the injection site. I wiped it up with a cotton swab. Before I could clean the area, which I tend to do after an injection, as well as before, even more fell out. Then a very small amount of blood fell out.

My concern is that I just lost my entire dose, because I'm not sure what other clear looking liquid could have fallen out of my injection site just then. I guess what I'm wanting to ask you all is this: should I try to go back to my pharmacy, tell them what happened, and try to get a new 1 ml vial?

I also wanted to mention, I use a generic testosterone cypionate, manufactured by some company called Perrigo. I get it from Walmart, because it's $13.88 for a vial there. When I started in December, and when I took my first few doses after that, I got it at CVS for about $14 a vial, but then the price more than doubled, so I went elsewhere. CVS carries a different brand, and I'm not sure the name, but I do feel like there's a difference. I actually feel like the one I got from CVS, the non Perrigo doses, were somehow more potent and effective. I have no evidence of other people having similar experiences, and so I can't say if it's all in my head, but that has been my experience. I'm just wanting to ask, for those of you who use generics, what brand do you use, and do you have any notably positive or negative experiences with any particular brand?

[Tossu-sama]

I'm no medical expert in any level but I think what happens if you accidentally inject T into the bloodstream is that it gets filtered out of your system much faster compared to if it's injected into a muscle. I've tried finding info on what happens if T ends up in the bloodstream as well but with no luck. It's just something that shouldn't happen.

Having blood come out of the injection site isn't too uncommon. I've had it happen few times (or so I was told, my fiancée does my shots) but apparently it's always been because the needle scraped one the tiny blood vessels that are all over. Or something.
Can't say much about how much stuff seeped out, though. My shots have never been that frequent so I can't say how much it would effect if you lost a portion of the T.

I have a feeling the pharmacy wouldn't sell you another vial even if you told them what happened. Testosterone is still quite effective steroid and I bet they don't want to risk any kind of misuse.

[nbnik]

Well, I'm really bad at estimating sizes, volumes, distances, etc, but this felt like a lot. It seemed like close to the entire volume was lost. I thought briefly about trying to draw it back into the syringe and try again, or at least just to see approximately what the volume was, but that seemed like kind of a crummy idea.

Anyway, I've had a little of the oil drip back out of the injection site before, but nothing like this. I also p much always bleed a little, likely for the reason you suggested, and it's never been enough to be a great concern for me. And it might be fine, long term, to inject into a blood vessel, but as I don't have insurance or any real financial resources to speak of, I decided I didn't want to find out. I have to admit, though, I'm curious.

But it was my thought, as well, that anabolic steroids are tightly controlled, so the pharmacy would probably be like "um, no." Even so, I might call back and ask to speak with someone about it. I mean, if you look at me, you can just tell I'm not really one of those "I like to pick things up and put them down" sort of people. I do some weight training, but just little 15 pound dumbbells, nothing major. But I've got to say, I'm a little excited that my arms are showing some improvement. I'm not trying to be huge or anything, but it is neat. It kinda makes me want to get one of those cheesy anchor tattoos.

Anyway, thanks for replying! Do you know what brand/manufacturer of T you use? I'm just trying to collect more data on different ones.

[Tossu-sama]

Yeah, you really don't want to draw it in a syringe after it's oozed out. It's not sterile anymore and you have no idea what kinda germs you'd get into your system.

I've had some of the oil ooze back out but it's always been a very insignificant amount. But no matter how little you lose, it always feels like a lot because you know, it's the precious T so you want to get all of it.

I'm on Nebido (I'm from Finland) and according to the almighty Google it's manufactured by Bayer. We don't really have an abundance of choices here, I know only four possible choices; two for gel and two for injections. I've also been on Testogel and Sustanon before switching to Nebido.

[Laura_7]

Here are some hints on injecting:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,199138.0.html

Another hint is to try to relax ...
peculiar as it sounds try to relax all your muscles and the sphincter muscle.
If the sphincter muscle is relaxed other muscles should be relaxed too.

It sounds like you injected into a tense muscle and some of the liquid came back.

To make a comparison you might fill 1ml water and spill it, maybe in the bathtub.
Its possible its much more than you saw spilling out.

Well if really that much was lost you might talk to some people.
Either at the pharmacy or your doc.

If you use the outer area of the upper thigh for intramuscular there should not be much large blood vessels.
But muscles should be relaxed.

There are small differences in concentration etc. depending on manufacturers.


*hugs*

[JoanneB]

The whole purpose of aspirating is to assure that the needle is not in a blood vessel. If you suck in blood, NFG. Techniques for what next varies. The "safest" is to totally withdraw, install a new needle (just the sharp pointy part that is replaceable) and move on to another injection site.

I often(?) nick or pass through a vein when injecting in my thigh. Upon withdrawal blood can spurt a bit. Never stopped at a vein for an IM shot. On the way in I can feel the difference between skin, fat, and muscle layers.

[FTMax]

I think you're fine. I've had T come out before, and I've had blood shoot several feet out of my leg before. No negative effects whatsoever aside from those random bad happenings. Fluke, chance occurrences. And actually, since I stopped aspirating, I haven't had any bad experiences with anything coming out. As long as it doesn't happen to you again in two weeks, I wouldn't worry about it.

Brand makes no difference, it's all the same stuff no matter who makes it.

One thing to ask that hasn't been mentioned yet - are you using different needle tips to draw and inject? Is there a chance that you maybe didn't switch to an injecting needle tip and tried to inject with the larger drawing needle? That would definitely make a bigger hole and allow for liquids to come out.

[nbnik]

One thing to ask that hasn't been mentioned yet - are you using different needle tips to draw and inject? Is there a chance that you maybe didn't switch to an injecting needle tip and tried to inject with the larger drawing needle? That would definitely make a bigger hole and allow for liquids to come out.

I switch needle tips but that's because I use an 18 x 1.5 inch to draw, because it's much faster that way, and there's no way I would stick that into my leg. I used a 21 x 1 inch or possibly a 23 x 1 inch (I don't remember off hand) needle to inject after I discarded the 18 gauge needle I used to draw from the vial.

It sounds like you injected into a tense muscle and some of the liquid came back.

I think this is probably what happened. After I aspirated and got blood back in the syringe, what happened was, I was down to my last needle, so I had no choice but to reuse it. It had been less than about two minutes since I had aspirated and drawn blood, and I was using the needle on myself, otherwise I wouldn't have considered it. I've seen those pictures of what used needles look like and how they get all jagged and messed up, but in the moment, I was just thinking about getting it done.

Immediately after I pulled the needle out, some of the clear liquid flowed back out onto my skin at the injection site. I wiped it with a cotton swab, and I guess my pulse kind of elevated for a moment, because more of it came out. After that, just a little speck of blood. Like I said, I usually get some blood, so that didn't concern me very much.

I did call the pharmacy yesterday and explained to the pharmacist what had happened, and he was cool about it, but because it's a controlled substance, he wouldn't give me another vial. That's what I expected, but I still thought it better to call and ask than to just assume. He said to talk to my doctor about it but tbh I think I'll just wait and do my next injection on schedule, in two weeks. I see a GP at the health department who, to put it mildly, is inexperienced when it comes to trans folks. I'm not even remotely comfortable with him or the place as an institution, but I can't afford to go anywhere else, and he writes my prescription, so I deal with it.

[Laura_7]

Have you tried to spill the amount of 1 ml ?

Usually its much more than guessed.

So it might be a possibility that fewer liquid was spilled than you assume.

Spilled liquid usually looks more than it is in a syringe.

If you are on biweekly injections you might think about switching to weekly.
Here were a few reasons:
  https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,80762.0.html


*hugs*

[nbnik]

Have you tried to spill the amount of 1 ml ?

Usually its much more than guessed.

So it might be a possibility that fewer liquid was spilled than you assume.

Spilled liquid usually looks more than it is in a syringe.

If you are on biweekly injections you might think about switching to weekly.
Here were a few reasons:
  https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,80762.0.html

*hugs*

I haven't yet measured and spilled the amount of 1 ml, but I plan on it. I just am out of needles and syringes at the moment, so that's why I haven't tried that. It's a good idea since, like I said, I'm bad with estimating things.

I have been thinking of switching to a weekly injection for many of the same reasons in the thread at that link, because after about day 10 or 12 I do notice some issues with my mood and energy levels, so I may try to do half on day one and half on day seven or eight and see if there is any change.

I'm waiting on a court date because I'm applying for disability. My understanding is that I'll get a date in the next couple of weeks. But I'm hoping that, if that goes through and I do get approved, I can go see a doctor who actually knows what he's doing when it comes to HRT for trans people. I live in Florida, which is one of the states that chose not to expand Medicaid, so it turns out I can't get in on that. And I don't know that it would even pay for this sort of thing.

[Laura_7]

Its really not only you. Spilled liquids look like much more than in any kind of casings.

Yes ... with weekly levels do not rise that much the first days and do not fall to such low levels the last days.

Well testosterone is not that much ... here was a thread :
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,206087.msg1829070.html#msg1829070


and you might ask at lgbt centers how other people cope ...
plannedparenthood could be another resource ...
and you could look up a few other resurces ...


*hugs*