Two questions for guys who inject:

Where do you buy needles and syringes online? Right now I'm using ones the pharmacy sends me but they'll only send one size/length, which leads me to my next question...

What size needles do you use? The ones I use are 22.5 gauge and 1 and half inch, but in videos I've watched people say to use 25 gauge.  I usually have a little bit of pain the next day at the injection site, and I'm thinking a thinner needle would make it hurt less. I wondering what you guys' experience is.

I've used 22g, 23g, and 25g to inject.  The only difference in pain I've noticed is at the time of injection, the smaller needles tend to hurt less going in, but the discomfort in the days following is comparable once your technique is good.  The length doesn't really matter as you can control how much of the length you use.  I can't imagine anyone who doesn't have a ton of extra body fat needing a whole inch and a half for a thigh injection (although possibly for an arse one), I don't even use a whole inch and it's still reaching muscle.  I'm currently using 22g, because that's what Strohecker's sent.  I'd rather have 25's, but it's not worth it to me to pay for different needles.

As for where to order sharps online, I'm afraid I have no clue, hopefully some other guys here know some cost effective places for you.

I get mine with my prescription.  I'm not sure where to order them offline.  Amazon.com would be a good place to start.  Google shopping could give you some good results as well.

I use a 21 g, 1" needle.  Never used anything else (except for when I accidentally used an 18 gauge).  Smaller needles are difficult to inject through because T is thick.  Personally, I'd switch from using the 22.5 g, 1.5" needle to a 22 or 23 g, 1" needle unless you had a lot of adipose tissue to go through.

I get mine from CVS and I use 25g 1" needles. I have used 23g but prefer the 25 even though it takes longer. I've got a fear of needles though so that's why.

Your state could require that you have a prescription for syringes/needles so check that first. In VA you don't so I got mine from drug supply store (online). I got a box of 100 18g (for drawing) and 100 23g 1 1/2in with 3ml syringes for around 40 dollars. The 23g have been fine for me but I usually only have pain during the injection not after. My doc recommended massaging of the injection site for about 5 minutes after my shot and so far I haven't had pain the next day unless I tensed up while injecting.   

i would contact your local pharmacy and see if they have the needles you want.

I've always bought from the internet (via imed) because the syringes target and walgreens offers tends to be BD which I consider inferior quality to my preferred brand (Covidien-Kendall)

I used to use 22gauge but had some problems so switched to 23gauge and had much easier time injecting.

The biggest problem shopping online was cost of shipping (since it was sold as whole boxes only making it minimum about $10 via ups ground).

Reviving the thread because I'm just now getting experience with needle sizes. I'd been getting my shots at the doctor's office, and now I'm learning to inject myself. I still go in to the office (it's a 5 minute walk and doesn't cost anything) because the nurse asked me to let her watch me until I was more comfortable with it.

Today I went in and they didn't realize I had my own gear, so they had the T all drawn up and ready. I said it was fine and saves me a few dollars anyway, and didn't realize until I put it in that OMG it's 18g and it HURTS. Haha. I panicked and pulled it back out. I switched to the 22g needle I'd brought with me, and that hurt so much less. Both were 1 and a half inches.

Before then I was using 25g at the office.

I got my needles from Strohecker's with my T, and it didn't look on the receipt like they charged extra for them.

I draw my T with 18 guage and inject with a 25g 1 in needle ---- when I got my first script filled the pharmacy asked what did i like using -- I told them I didn't know and they gave me a variety to experiment with. 

Ask your doctor to write your script for whatever needle size you want.  My physican wrote my script that I need one set to draw the T with and one to inject so I get sets of needles.  My insurance covers it so I can't comment on cost.

Quote from: Felix on January 19, 2012, 12:56:23 PM
Reviving the thread because I'm just now getting experience with needle sizes. I'd been getting my shots at the doctor's office, and now I'm learning to inject myself. I still go in to the office (it's a 5 minute walk and doesn't cost anything) because the nurse asked me to let her watch me until I was more comfortable with it.

Today I went in and they didn't realize I had my own gear, so they had the T all drawn up and ready. I said it was fine and saves me a few dollars anyway, and didn't realize until I put it in that OMG it's 18g and it HURTS. Haha. I panicked and pulled it back out. I switched to the 22g needle I'd brought with me, and that hurt so much less. Both were 1 and a half inches.

Before then I was using 25g at the office.

I got my needles from Strohecker's with my T, and it didn't look on the receipt like they charged extra for them.

The 18g sounds like a mistake.  I accidentally injected with one before.  I had previously been given only 21g needles to draw/inject with so I didn't realize that I should have drawn up with the 18g and switched to the 21g lol  That sounds like what happened in this case.  The nurse may have drawn it up with the 18g and forgot to give you the 22g (or whatever) as well.  If they actually intended for you to inject with an 18g, I'd question their sanity. 

I don't buy them online. I go around to pharmacies until one has the correct size (why are they always out of different sizes?)

I use 20g to withdraw from the vial and 23 (1 inch) to inject. I have never done anything else. That's what the nurse used for my first shot so I stuck with it. Never had pain in the injection site. I think 25 would be more difficult to inject through and take longer but that's just speculation.

18 would hurt like hell.

Yeah it was an accident. They usually give me a 25g to switch to after drawing, so I didn't really think to double check when they said they had it already ready. It made me laugh though. Stupid giant monster needle.

And Robert needles aren't prescription where I'm at. The pharmacy asked what size I wanted, and the doctor had told me I could figure out what I liked but thought I should start with 22g, so I asked for that. My syringes have 18g attached in the package, and there's a bunch of tubes of the smaller ones for injecting.

Can't your pharmacy order in the ones you need? Mine never has the ones I need in stock, but it takes them a couple of days to special order them. I just give them the reference numbers, or they are clueless and order the wrong thing every time.

I use BD Integra Syringe 3ml, 23G x 1" (REF 305271).
If you prefer a finer needle, I used to use BD SafteyGlide 3ml 25G x 1" (REF 305924), with a BD Needle 18G x 1.5" (REF 305196) to draw out.

I don't feel a difference in pain between the two sizes. I inject in my thigh. If you inject in your glute, you may need 1.5"

I didn't feel much difference between 22 and 25, but when I used the 25 it was one inch, which I liked better than the 1.5 inch. I use my thigh.