I gave myself my 3rd shot today but I screwed it up. I had my foot on the tip of my toes which had my muscle tense so I pushed the injection in a tense muscle. It's bleeding a lil and I know it's gonna hurt.

I need to feel better about my folly. What are some mistakes you guys made when you first started out?











Vulgarity modified.

I stuck the needle in the vial, then in my leg, then in the vial again, and one last time in my leg—effectively "contaminating" the entire vial! :-D

And a week or so ago, I nicked a vein and bled for the first time. That was kind of terrifying.

Quote from: democration on April 28, 2013, 10:36:24 PM
I stuck the needle in the vial, then in my leg, then in the vial again, and one last time in my leg—effectively "contaminating" the entire vial! :-D

And a week or so ago, I nicked a vein and bled for the first time. That was kind of terrifying.

If you cleaned the first injection site with an alcohol pad, you did not likely "contaminate" the vial.  I don't suggest you do it on a regular basis, but you probably aren't going to have a problem.

Quote from: Jamie D on April 28, 2013, 11:05:52 PM
If you cleaned the first injection site with an alcohol pad, you did not likely "contaminate" the vial.  I don't suggest you do it on a regular basis, but you probably aren't going to have a problem.

Oh, I called my doctor and asked. She said that technically it was now a contaminated substance and that it might be a good idea to replace the vial. However, since T is so expensive and all, she said -- "just between you and me" -- that I could keep using it and just be sure that the testosterone didn't get cloudy or anything weird. I've been using the same vial since then because it happened the day before I was going out of town for a month, so I couldn't have gotten new T if I'd wanted to. And everything's been fine! :-)

My last injection was very strange.  I must have hit a nerve or something, because after I got the needle into my leg, my quad started spasming uncontrollably.  I pulled the syringe out, replaced the needle with a new one, swabbed another spot an inch away and injected like normal.  It was the weirdest thing...

I've been doing my own injections for nine months now, and that is the first time it happened.  I'm not too concerned, as I vaguely remember someone on this forum mentioning it happening to them a while ago.

I've only had two mishaps thus far. First has been forgetting to wipe the top of the vial off before drawing out the T. The other thing has been hitting a vein in my right glute. Bled like a stuck hog.

I nicked a vein once and when I pulled the needle out the blood spurted out in a little fountain.  Fortunately I'm not scared of blood, I was more concerned about losing some of my T.

Quote from: democration on April 28, 2013, 11:19:49 PM
Oh, I called my doctor and asked. She said that technically it was now a contaminated substance and that it might be a good idea to replace the vial. However, since T is so expensive and all, she said -- "just between you and me" -- that I could keep using it and just be sure that the testosterone didn't get cloudy or anything weird. I've been using the same vial since then because it happened the day before I was going out of town for a month, so I couldn't have gotten new T if I'd wanted to. And everything's been fine! :-)

I inject insulin twice a day.  I don't always change the needles or use the most sterile protocols.  (Yeah, I'm bad that way.)  But if I have cleaned the injection site, what am I contaminating the medications with?  Me!  Unless I am growing some cultures in the medication, I should be able to handle it.  And my stuff is refrigerated, so that lessens any chance of growth.

The medical personnel here are going to be shocked! 

Quote from: Jamie D on April 29, 2013, 02:33:43 AMBut if I have cleaned the injection site, what am I contaminating the medications with?  Me!  Unless I am growing some cultures in the medication, I should be able to handle it.

Yeah! That's sort of what I told myself at first, but my boyfriend freaked out about it. I thought, 'What could possibly be inside my leg that would affect this stuff, if it doesn't happen when I inject it?' I guess it just seems like if the testosterone going in my leg doesn't get weird, there can't be anything that dangerous in my leg, you know?

I don't know if I explained that in a comprehensible way, lol. It's a weird thought to try and articulate.

One of my earliest self-injections didn't go well. I used to inject on Fridays, and it was sort of personal--I didn't want to do it while my ex was in the house. He had the day off and was out running errands or something, and I told him that I would be doing my injection while he was gone and PLEASE call right before he came home.

He didn't. He opened the front door just as I was ramming the needle in. I tensed up big time, my muscle hurt like hell for a couple of hours afterward, and I chewed him out but good. He was contrite, but I was a bit paranoid about the next couple of injections.

These are great. Thanks for sharing, friends.  Keep em coming. We need to stand together in good, bad and foolish times.

Then there was the time I hit a nerve...that was bad enough, but then I sort of LOST my nerve for the next few weeks.

So the first time I injected after that mishap, I was supposed to inject on the left side. I'm not as adroit on that side, so I did the right side again. I twisted around, saw the needle, hesitated, stabbed, hesitated midway...POINK.

I poked myself just enough to draw a bright red stream of blood. And it hurt. AUGH.

I tried again with the same needle. Took a deep breath, told myself, "Nothing has changed. You were just unlucky last week. Just ram it in like you usually do."

Wobble, quiver, POINK.

Another ineffectual puncture; the needle practically bounced off me. More blood, and the first puncture was still dribbling. I was shaking pretty badly by now, and my butt looked as if a vampire had made a serious miscalculation. I mopped up the mess and contemplated never injecting again, which, of course, would mean reverting to my former state. No, that was unacceptable. I had to have my T.

I finally got it on the third or fourth try, grimacing the whole time. But my supply of little spot Band-Aids was considerably depleted that day.

Arch, I promise I am laughing with you and not at you, lol. 

I give props to every guy who injects themselves. I've never done it and I don't know if I could bring myself to do it. My thing isn't the pain. Heck, I've had hundreds upon hundreds of needles in my life with all of the surgeries and junk I've dealt with. The thing is not once have I ever watched them put a needle in. Just something about seeing the needle go in makes me nauseated. I'd probably pass out.

Quote from: Simon on May 02, 2013, 05:55:59 PM
Arch, I promise I am laughing with you and not at you, lol. 

I'll forgive you this once, but only since you've been so forgiving to me.

Quote from: Simon on May 02, 2013, 05:55:59 PM
The thing is not once have I ever watched them put a needle in. Just something about seeing the needle go in makes me nauseated. I'd probably pass out.

It's surprising how many men are squeamish about needles--even when someone else injects--even big, burly guys, six feet tall and two hundred, with a five o'clock shadow at nine a.m. But then, when I think about it, it's only natural because needles are quite unnatural.

I did my second shot a day early - this Wednesday - because that's the day of the week I want to do it on in the future. I'm glad I did, because my second shot was in my right leg and I had complications.

First I stuck myself and it felt like someone had stabbed me. Not only did I hit a nerve, but I also hit a vein and blood was running down my thigh. I changed needles and tried again a bit higher up from the first stick.

Second stick it hurt like a capital B but no blood. I let go of the syringe to see if it'd stand up straight or flop over (I've been told that if it stands up straight it's in the muscle, if it flops, it's in the fat). My hands were shaking hard so I pushed the plunger faster than I did at the DR office in my left leg. I was so glad to get the needle out of me because the entire ordeal was painful.

Fast forward to Thursday and my thigh was killing me but the pain is in a rough circle about 2 inches in diameter about three inches BELOW the second injection site and no where near the first botched one. A quick google search suggested I injected too fast which can cause muscles to do small tears.

The muscle soreness is mostly gone today when I move my leg, but if I touch the spot it's still painful. At least I can walk and not feel a constant ache.

Are butt injections just naturally less painful than thigh injections?

Quote from: Arch on May 03, 2013, 03:42:12 PM
Are butt injections just naturally less painful than thigh injections?

I've yet to have a thigh injection. My gf (who is an EMT) does mine and I've asked her to do the thigh...just to see what it feels like. She says no because she doesn't feel comfortable doing it there. The thigh is the one place they didn't train them for (and she doesn't want to hear me yell if it hurts, lol). She asked her instructor and he says it's going to hurt there.

I've never put T in my arm either but I've seen some do it. I barely feel it in my butt. Reminds me of an ant bite or something. It's painless.

QuoteReminds me of an ant bite or something. It's painless.

You've clearly never been bitten by a fire ant. The bite is painful, the resulting burn is painful, and the itching is painful.

Quote from: randomroads on May 03, 2013, 04:59:09 PM
You've clearly never been bitten by a fire ant. The bite is painful, the resulting burn is painful, and the itching is painful.

Seriously...ok, well let me clarify what species of ant. I am referring to The "Little Black Ant", Monomorium Minimum. 

LOL! When I think of ants, I do think of the little black ones...

Do they give you the same needles to inject with for the thigh and the glute? I would have assumed they did for any injection, but I saw a guy using a very short needle to inject into his stomach. I suppose the difference might lie in the fact that in the stomach, you're injecting into fat; but the thigh and glute are both muscular, right?

I've got a 25g needle and do it in the thigh, have from the very start, and it really doesn't hurt. I've got a little bit of a needle phobia though so I have to zone out and get it over with, and get really anxious the whole day before a shot. I used to get pretty dizzy right after them, but I've gotten past that now. Mostly. :-D