Re: B-12, morning or evening

[Guest guest]

Carol (or anybody)

I did try to get my husband to give me nightly shots of hydroxycobalamine

(B12) for a while, but I had such bruising on both sides of my butt that it

became monstruous. We switched to 3x week, then to once a week but the

bruising and the pain was still amazing, so I stopped the shots. I am now

taking the content of the vials and using it sublingually. Does anybody know

whether I am getting any benefits from it or whether I should donate the

remaining vials to somebody who can tolerate the shots?

Nelly (in France)

>

[Guest guest]

Have you been using diabetic needles. You shouldn't be getting that kind of

bruising if your using diabetic needles. Also, try to inject yourself in

the thigh. It might help.

Re: B-12, morning or evening

> Carol (or anybody)

> I did try to get my husband to give me nightly shots of hydroxycobalamine

> (B12) for a while, but I had such bruising on both sides of my butt that

it

> became monstruous. We switched to 3x week, then to once a week but the

> bruising and the pain was still amazing, so I stopped the shots. I am now

> taking the content of the vials and using it sublingually. Does anybody

know

> whether I am getting any benefits from it or whether I should donate the

> remaining vials to somebody who can tolerate the shots?

>

> Nelly (in France)

>

> >

>

>

>

>

> This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

discussed here, please consult your doctor.

>

[Guest guest]

on 8/21/00 6:18 AM, Jacques & Nelly at nelly.pointis@... wrote:

> Carol (or anybody)

> I did try to get my husband to give me nightly shots of hydroxycobalamine

> (B12) for a while, but I had such bruising on both sides of my butt that it

> became monstruous. We switched to 3x week, then to once a week but the

> bruising and the pain was still amazing, so I stopped the shots. I am now

> taking the content of the vials and using it sublingually. Does anybody know

> whether I am getting any benefits from it or whether I should donate the

> remaining vials to somebody who can tolerate the shots?

>

>

Nelly,

The B12 shots should not hurt. Or I should say, they need not hurt. It

sounds as if you were getting the injections intramuscularly, yes? B12 can

be given intramuscularly or subcutaneously. The latter method is a lot

easier to self-administer. I find it much less painful than IM.

The best place to give yourself a subcutaneous (Subq) shot is in the abdomen

area, at least 2 inches away from your navel. There you can pinch up some

skin and inject painlessly. It is important to use a syringe that is meant

for subq injections. The best one is an insulin syringe with a needle that

is 1/2 inch long, 29 gauge. 29 gauge is really fine. I switched to the 29

gauge from 25 gauge (common) and found that I no longer experienced any

pain.

It's best to learn to self-administer, because then you can be in control of

where the needle goes. Occasionally, I'll poke the needle into a spot which

hurts, so I'll retract it immediately, before it can cause any serious pain.

I think certain areas hurt more than others because they contain a lot of

little nerve endings.

Well, there's my suggestion. take it for what it's worth.

Hud

[Guest guest]

Carol,

For years I was too afraid of giving myself shots, but it became

impossible to always find someone to give me the shots when I needed

them. For me, it wasn't the pain of the injection, but I had always

looked away since it was hard for me not to flinch as I watched the

needle go into the skin.

However, I got the thinner, shorter needles that Hud was talking about

and they instructed me that I could also pinch up the fatty portions

of the upper thighs(center-not far right or far left) as well as the

areas Hud mentioned. One thing that was emphasized to me was after

disinfecting the area with alcohol swab-BE SURE AND LET THE ALCOHOL

FULLY DRY BEFORE INJECTING AT THAT SPOT. They said if you inject the

needle while the alcohol is still wet, that it will sting more.

I never thought I could ever give myself a shot, but once I did it

once and saw how easy it was, I didn't have a problem after that and

it was very freeing not to have to wait for someone else to do it

for me. I also rubbed the area alot right after the injection to

spread out the injected substance to avoid swelling and bruising.

You could try putting ice on the site after rubbing the area a bit

to see if this helps stop the bruising. Above all, take these

suggestions and ask your doc for his opinion, since we're all novices

here.

If you try areas like the " fatty " portions of the thighs/abdomen and

you still bruise abnormally, then I ask someone about it.

One of the questions my doc asked me when we were discussing whether

or not I may have the low blood volume, poor circulation problem,

my doc asked me if I bruised very easily(which I do). So, this

might be a possible side issue.

Another thing I'd do is take your husband with you to your doc and

have your husband give you your shot as usual and ask them if they

see anything that could be causing your problems. Maybe, by accident,

he's giving the shots in the wrong area that is more prone to easy

bruising??

Don't know the answers, but if these shots really help you, I'd keep

asking questions until you come up with a satisfactory solution.

Sorry this has been a problem for you. I know that when I was taking

B-12 shots they really helped me, in fact, I may be going back to

either sublingual or injections again.

Good luck finding a solution! Better health to you!

LK

>

> > Carol (or anybody)

> > I did try to get my husband to give me nightly shots of

hydroxycobalamine

> > (B12) for a while, but I had such bruising on both sides of my

butt that it

> > became monstruous. We switched to 3x week, then to once a week

but the

> > bruising and the pain was still amazing, so I stopped the shots.

I am now

> > taking the content of the vials and using it sublingually. Does

anybody know

> > whether I am getting any benefits from it or whether I should

donate the

> > remaining vials to somebody who can tolerate the shots?

> >

> >

> Nelly,

>

> The B12 shots should not hurt. Or I should say, they need not

hurt. It

> sounds as if you were getting the injections intramuscularly, yes?

B12 can

> be given intramuscularly or subcutaneously. The latter method is a

lot

> easier to self-administer. I find it much less painful than IM.

>

> The best place to give yourself a subcutaneous (Subq) shot is in

the abdomen

> area, at least 2 inches away from your navel. There you can pinch

up some

> skin and inject painlessly. It is important to use a syringe that

is meant

> for subq injections. The best one is an insulin syringe with a

needle that

> is 1/2 inch long, 29 gauge. 29 gauge is really fine. I switched

to the 29

> gauge from 25 gauge (common) and found that I no longer experienced

any

> pain.

>

> It's best to learn to self-administer, because then you can be in

control of

> where the needle goes. Occasionally, I'll poke the needle into a

spot which

> hurts, so I'll retract it immediately, before it can cause any

serious pain.

> I think certain areas hurt more than others because they contain a

lot of

> little nerve endings.

>

> Well, there's my suggestion. take it for what it's worth.

>

> Hud

[Guest guest]

Make sure your using insulin needles and also try injecting into your thigh.

S. Bullock

Re: B-12, morning or evening

> on 8/21/00 6:18 AM, Jacques & Nelly at nelly.pointis@... wrote:

>

> > Carol (or anybody)

> > I did try to get my husband to give me nightly shots of

hydroxycobalamine

> > (B12) for a while, but I had such bruising on both sides of my butt that

it

> > became monstruous. We switched to 3x week, then to once a week but the

> > bruising and the pain was still amazing, so I stopped the shots. I am

now

> > taking the content of the vials and using it sublingually. Does anybody

know

> > whether I am getting any benefits from it or whether I should donate the

> > remaining vials to somebody who can tolerate the shots?

> >

> >

> Nelly,

>

> The B12 shots should not hurt. Or I should say, they need not hurt. It

> sounds as if you were getting the injections intramuscularly, yes? B12

can

> be given intramuscularly or subcutaneously. The latter method is a lot

> easier to self-administer. I find it much less painful than IM.

>

> The best place to give yourself a subcutaneous (Subq) shot is in the

abdomen

> area, at least 2 inches away from your navel. There you can pinch up some

> skin and inject painlessly. It is important to use a syringe that is

meant

> for subq injections. The best one is an insulin syringe with a needle

that

> is 1/2 inch long, 29 gauge. 29 gauge is really fine. I switched to the

29

> gauge from 25 gauge (common) and found that I no longer experienced any

> pain.

>

> It's best to learn to self-administer, because then you can be in control

of

> where the needle goes. Occasionally, I'll poke the needle into a spot

which

> hurts, so I'll retract it immediately, before it can cause any serious

pain.

> I think certain areas hurt more than others because they contain a lot of

> little nerve endings.

>

> Well, there's my suggestion. take it for what it's worth.

>

> Hud

>

>

>

>

> This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

discussed here, please consult your doctor.

>