I know this may sound silly but those of you that are on shots how hard is it to do. And how bad does it hurt? I hate needles but the dr said today that I have to start taking shot twice a week.
I know this may sound silly but those of you that are on shots how hard is it to do. And how bad does it hurt? I hate needles but the dr said today that I have to start taking shot twice a week.
How hard is it to do? Not hard at all, it’s an intermuscular injection into the largest muscle in the leg. Prep surface, insert needle at 90 degrees, check to see your not in an artery or vein, inject....
As for how much it hurts, most of the time it does not hurt at all, sometimes a little discomfort, rarely it hurts a lot (hit a nerve)...
I have not heard of doing it twice a week, i do mine weekly, commonly i hear of bi weekly.... but never twice a week. Did the MD discuss why? This seems strange and excessive.
Sunday morning ritual for me. It doesnt hurt, i use an ice pack to numb the area before the shot. I dont like "shots" in general, but it has been sooooo helpful for me.
Since the needle tip can blunt a little bit entering the vial, I use one needle to do the draw, then swap it out for the injection. Once a week in my rump. The first time I did it I was a little nervous but after I got past the first one, the rest seem like nothing at all.
Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I.
First, ask your doctor for a longer acting estrogen so you can avoid twice a week. Second, challenge the need for injections compared to patches or oral medications. Your estrogen levels will be the best guide for which route to use. If you are given the “liver sparing” argument, point out that in a person with normal liver functions, the route really doesn’t matter. Third, consider the costs involved in each route. Lastly, if you get too much push back from the doctor, change doctors.
Jaye, your point about the needle point is really not a major concern in these days of disposable needles. If you always insert the needle into the vial through the small circle in the rubber top, you can use one needle. But, you could use a larger needle, say 18 or 20 gauge for the draw, then a smaller needle, maybe 27, for the injection depending on the viscosity of the liquid.
When doing the injection, rest your wrist on your thigh while holding the syringe with thumb and third finger with number two finger on the plunger. Quickly flex your wrist for the injection. Best way is to find a good nurse and get him or her to teach you how.
Honestly, I love needles. I used to be scared of them but I began as a blood donor (that's really thick needle and, in those days, they leave it for around 15 minutes.
I was a paramedic and the best form of lear IV is in one self or exchange with other students the practice.
After a while it's just a mith.
One important thing nobody has mention, the place to inject on the butt is located in the upper external quart. You make a vertical line in the middle of the gluteus and other horizontal at the center too. It divides in 4 quarters, use the upper external one. This is very important to don't damage the sciatic nerve.
Don't push slow, do it fast to 3/4 of the needle and slowly push the liquid, if you do fast is going to hurt a lot...
Good luck, btw I've been in patches and now pills.
HRT 042018; Full time 032019
Orchiectomy 062020; gender& name legal changed 102020
Electrolysis face begins 082019, in genitals for GCS 062021
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GCS 072022; BBL 022023; GCS revision 04203;END TRANSITION
Hi Laura,Originally Posted by Laura912
I just posted my an update in my thread Transition with Estrogen only before seeing you mention this. I don't want to change the discussion of this thread and would appreciate if you could comment (maybe in my thread) on the subject of route vs. E level. I have been on patches from the start (about 15 months in), and based on my past 2 bloodwork results, my endo suggested potentially switching from patches to injections and I didn't know it makes a difference.
Thanks in advance,
Katya
I am also one that hates needles, so I understand where you are coming from. For me, I am not able to give myself an injection, which caused me to switch to pills for awhile. Last June I found a physician locally who allowed me to get the shots in her office, given by one of her staff. I now receive a shot once every 2 weeks. Sometimes the shots do hurt and other times I hardly feel them.
I do injections because I feel it is the safest and most effective way to receive hormones. This is only my opinion, and many will disagree with me.
Grace
I can fully relate to you, Mikayla.
I started off with the patches. When I moved to another State, the VA here used a different patch that did not work as well for me. SO, I switched to injections.
What everyone has said about the injections is completely true. My injections were once every two weeks and they are for the most part very painless.
However, I have had a bad phobia with injection needles since I was very young. I figured I could conquer this fear by doing self injections.
Much to my dismay, it only got worse and I had to switch to the pills after not having E for about a Month and a half. Phone tag with my Endo slowed things greatly for the switch to the pills.
My suggestion to you would be to give it some serious thought and seriously discuss it with your Dr.
DO NOT hold back ANY of your concerns about the regimen your Dr. is recommending and make sure you are comfortable with everything. In my opinion; that in this situation, YOU are the one in charge and your Doctor works for YOU. If you are not comfortable with any aspect of what your Dr. is suggesting, you need to be a little assertive about what you are comfortable with and that which you are not comfortable with doing.
The source of fear is in the future
And a person freed of the future
Has nothing to fear
"That's life. It's not always rainbows and farts. Sometimes the farts have a little something extra." -Emma
Rock meet Hard Place.
Catching up again on some threads. This one is interesting as I've had my own such experiences, but I'd like to hear how things are going with Mikayla. Otherwise, I'll just tend to blather endlessly on something which is no longer an issue.
And I like to save my endless blathering for special occasions.
Jinny
If you are doing weekly injections alternate right and left side. I went into my right glute like 2 months straight and it started to become a problem (I am right handed and doing the left side even left handed is very awkward.
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