When i begin hormones soon i want to ask the doc can i inject instead of using the pills...moreso because i heard it was safer?? Im just scared i will freak out and miss a couple of shots! But...theres always mom to do it

Horrifyingly so.  I'd never be able to do needles.

Hey gals sorry for jumping in just wanted to mention that I'm terribly afraid of needles but have managed three shots so far. There are some threads around here for suggestions of staying calm for shots. It gets a little easier each time though. Good luck when you start

Tyy !

I'm very afraid of needles too, I'm still not used to them even though I've had to get blood taken every few months since starting HRT!

Chrissi

I did injections for the first year or so, and if it wasn't for my ex being an medical assistant I would have given up on injections in the first month or so. I could do the first couple and then found that suddenly I couldn't do it any more on my own.

No, not when someone else does the jabbing for me. If I were ever to jab myself, I don't think I could do it. I am not on injectables since they cannot be prescribed in Canada, so I guess I dodged a bullet here.

I use to be afraid of needles and I'm glad... It was that fear that kept me from becoming a junkie...

But needles are also used for running tests and other good things such as saving peoples lives... Donating blood, the plasma gig (Both very needed at this time) I have a somewhat rare blood type and am very thankful to someone(s)

Now at my age after so many I.V.s and blood tests... A needle just means another poke... No big

But if you are planning to shoot yourself up with hormones...

MAKE SURE TO LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT

Lmaoo! Virginia, yea hun..ill try!. I hope i can do it! im going to try it out first if not, ill talk to my doctor. I imagined myself sticking it in just a little then it accidently come out before i ACTUALLY inject!! i would cry!

Unfortunatly ive had really bad stomech issues ever since ive been born, and I have ALOT of needles haha....

Sad thing is, i will never ever get used to them!!! haha Only ones that I don't really mind are blood tests, but thats probs cause, in the last 2 weeks ive had about 10 blood tests....   But anything else.... creeps me out 

I'm not scared of them.
Just finished a 5 year anti-allergy course of monthly shots, but I do have full-on needle phobia, so can't watch anyone including me getting jabbed without feeling queasy, blood pressure drop and all the rest of it.

Quote from: justmeinoz on January 29, 2011, 06:30:36 AM
I'm not scared of them.
Just finished a 5 year anti-allergy course of monthly shots, but I do have full-on needle phobia, so can't watch anyone including me getting jabbed without feeling queasy, blood pressure drop and all the rest of it.

I'm not scared of escalators either. I just can't get on one.

Quote from: RoseBlossom on January 28, 2011, 08:44:25 PM
When i begin hormones soon i want to ask the doc can i inject instead of using the pills...moreso because i heard it was safer?? Im just scared i will freak out and miss a couple of shots! But...theres always mom to do it

Roseblossom - You have that slightly wrong. Injecting is NOT any safer than takig Siblingual or indeed any transdermal method.

It is only marginally better than swallowing pills because it places less strain on the liver - which if the pill is absorbed through the gut has to process the whole dose in one pass. However if you do not swallow but instead take sublingual the dose goes into the blood bypassing the liver and that does not cause any risk.

People get confused about this. Sublingual IS NOT the same as taking orally, because you do not SWALLOW the pill, and thus it is absorbed through the mouth skin, and not the stomach.

I've was on HRT for 30 years - I have suffered no ill effects, even though it recently came to light that for at least some of that time I have been on far too high a dosage. I personally would never consider injection. Injection has risks too, particularly if it is done incorrectly.

besides which to answer your question - yes I am completely needle phobic.

Without being offensive to any one there are a lot of ill informed silly scare stories that people will tell you. Injectables do have one advantage in that it has to be done less frequently but I suggest you do research into transdermal and/or sublingual methods before you assume that it is the only "safe" method, because it isn't.

Also if you happen to be in the UK you will find injectables are very difficult to obtain, because they are not licensed in this country as our doctors consider that they offer NO increase in safety or effectiveness over transdermal and sublingal methods of delivery. (which should tell you something)

1: Transdermal or gel isn't dangerous to you but if you have pets or kids it can be slightly risky to them if you get it on them... it's expensive

2: Sublingual is where you hold it under your tongue it's pretty good can take awhile to be absorbed tho and cause problems if your prone to mouth ulcers. It's expensive too

3: Oral pills are cheap, but carry a thrombotic risk and cause mild liver damage intake rates are variable on the acidity of your stomach.
4: Injectables are cheap and effective  but they involve intramuscular injections and can cause elevated prolactin.


I myself go with the injections partly due to my unique situation... oddly enough my relationship with the needle has changed.
at first I was fine with it. "Meh stab myself with a needle either I do this or I slice myself with a razorblade"
after 6 months I wasn't depressed anymore but I was like "Gotta do this to keep changing come on be brave"
Now after a year. "Ugh I'm mighty sick of this ¬.¬"

I'm also sick of the pills after a year. v.v necessity I suppose

Sooo... What is safer? The pills or injections?? I understand that injections also come with risk also...but wouldnt it be slightly mild? What does injections strain? 

Both have their pluses and minuses and indeed transdermal GEL is NOT the only transdermal system

There are also patches - and a nasal spray.

Of the transdermal methods that I tried the nasal spray worked best for me.

Sublingual was/is my preferred method and I did not have any problems with ulcers.

There are two formulations available - the special ones are indeed more expensive - but the standard pills do work - they just dissolve slower because the milling is not so fine.

So sorry rose but no one can give you a definitive on that. We all have a method which we find suits us, it's a very individual thing so you will just have to try and find out what works for you.

All I can tell you is that after nearly 30 years of first oral and then later on sublingual my liver function is A1 good - so no damage.

I started with sublingual but have considered injections... I'm not afraid of needles any more, but I feel like I'm in more control of what's going on and also my sublingual cycle has become somewhat of a habit and I feel a bit awkward and maybe a bit grouchy on those few days in between when I don't take any... LOL... Some guys even joked about it being "that time of month" awhile back