I have a debilitating fear of needles and had to have my partner do it for me but I did it!

Unrelated picture of Ripley using his only brain cell

  • isleepinahammock@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    1·
    2 hours ago

    For needle anxiety, there are two things you could try. First, an autoinjector can help. These are basically little spring loaded devices that turn your regular syringe into something more like an epipen, where it just quickly forces the needle in before you can even feel it. Plus it creates a bit of disconnect which can help. Second, try an ice pack! It’s such a simple thing, but it helps me immensely with pain. Just a few ice cubes in a plastic bag, numb the injection site immediately before injection.

    Also, if you want to practice injections to try and get passed your anxiety, there’s a way to do it without using your actual E vials. You can order bacteriostatic water. This is literally just sterilized water with a little bit of preservative in it. It has no active ingredients. It’s usually used for reconstituting dried peptides, but it would work just as well for injection practice.

    • isleepinahammock@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      1·
      2 hours ago

      I use 31g 5/16" long needles. Docs usually prescribe hormones as intramuscular injections, but they work just as well as subcutaneous injections. These little guys here. Unless you’re injecting something really thick and viscous like castor oil, injecting with anything else is just an exercise in needless masochism.

      • Entertainmeonly@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        1·
        2 hours ago

        My perscription is for subcutaneous. I’ve been using 20g because they were cheap. The pharmacy tried gaslighting me that the 3ml syringes would be just fine to measure my 0.15ml dose. I opted to buy my own.

        I’ve been using 20g but i just ordered 29g as they were cheaper than the 30 or 31. Thanks 😊

  • Berengaria_of_Navarre@lemmy.worldEnglish
    6·
    7 hours ago

    I just shut off the part of my brain that would have a problem with it and go into cognitive autopilot.

    Although I think my autopilot’s technique might be off because I keep getting hard red patches. They go eventually.

    • Entertainmeonly@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      4·
      7 hours ago

      Same. Like i put my brain on task mode and think ofbmy shot as just a simple task that needs to be done. It does help for me a lot. Also get a nice red bump that seems to set under the skin for a few days. Sometimes it takes a week or so before it goes away. I’ve just made the assumption this is just what happens with shots.

        • Entertainmeonly@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
          2·
          6 hours ago

          Mines supposed to be subcutaneous but I’ve definitely gone too deep a few times. Those tend to really hurt for an hour or so when i go a little too deep.

          Edit to add: I now pull the skin up and “pinch” a good bit to stick. That has helped with keeping the skin tight and helps with the correct depth. Not sure if that’s the proper way.

          • TheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            1·
            3 hours ago

            Yeah you do get bumps with subcutaneous, if you mind them, then you could try intramuscular - if you get the right point in the outer thigh it isn’t supposed to hurt