People Who Use Syringes

[Shellbelly]

If you are alone how do you give yourself shots in your arm...like how do you squeeze it to give the shot. I am alon most of the time and it hurts worse in your leg and takes longer when given in the leg. I read the stomach is the fastest but there is no way in **** I can do that. It hurts so bad when I had to do it there. Think being the flabbies part on me that it wouldnt hurt so bad but it does???

[lgvincent]

You've got two muscle groups in the upper arm and there is a small, "fatty" area in back of where they meet (sorry, don't know the proper terms for any of them). I inject at an angle into that spot. I used to lean against a door but rarely do any longer.

[lgvincent]

Perhaps at the back of the arm where the biceps and triceps meet is the small fatty area?

[Aftiel]

As mentioned, I lean against a door which causes my tricep area to move so I can reach it easily.

- Aftiel

[Penny]

I just put my elbow on a table or chair and the fatty part hangs down. It hurts worst on my arm than anyplace, I alternate though, because I am doing MDI, now and I was getting crusty sore spots on my tummy. It helps if you use lots of lotion on the stomach while still damp from the shower.

[jeggeman31]

When I was on injections I used my stomach 100% of the time. Not a ounce of pain. I was told to always stay at least 4 inchs from the belly button in all directions.

[lgvincent]

For me, the arm is the least painful place to take an injection. Sure, sometimes I'll miss and hit a muscle and that hurts, but it doesn't happen too often.

[Mister Q]

I was told to always stay at least 4 inchs from the belly button in all directions.

Dont head too far south!!

[jen_slc]

I cross my legs, bend over and put the arm opposite from the leg that's crossed across the knee to bunch up some fat. Cross right over left, bend over slightly, lay left upper arm over right knee so that the knee sort of pushes up the back/side of the fat on the arm there and then inject with your right hand.... I hope that makes sense! Or I just put my foot up on something and bend over that knee (same leg, same arm in this case). The area of the arm you should be injecting is right there in the middle towards the side and back, the fat that lays on top of the tricep, that's where the fleshiest part normally is. Anything higher up and you'll hit the deltoid muscle (where they give vaccinations and it's less fleshy) and that hurts! Usually my arm shots are the least painful compared to stomach, leg and butt. Though I do tend to hit more blood there.

[liz32]

With some practise I've learned to pinch up my chub with my pinky and ring finger, and then uing my thumb and forefinger I stick the needle in. I then slide down to the plunger and push. A little complicated I know but when I'm out in public and can't or won't push up my shirt for a belly shot or if I have jeans on and can't pull'm down (again public) it works for me and never hurts. The only time it hurts is when I stick it in near a vessel and it usually hurts almost immediately so I just take it out and try again. I hope this helps inspite of being a bit complicated.
Liz

[Cinnabon]

Up against the wall and push up the fatty.

[Starlight]

I do it in my tummy. Pinch and..in it goes. Although there are times where it just gives me sooo much pain. Other times its virtually painless. :****mate:

[Ailsa]

Similar to Jen, I sit on the bed & bend my knee upwards & push my arm against that.
Have you tried using a shorter needle? If it's painful you may be going too deep & hitting the tissue under the fat layer. If you are getting bruising this is almost certainly the case.

[Fred&CharlesFan]

When I was still injecting, there was this fabulous rubber-band clamp that I had. It was designed for that purpose, to pinch the fat around the tricep muscle area, to assist with an upper arm injection. The rubber band supplied the required tension, and stretched accross your bicep, to clamp the two metal arms that were pinching the fat at the back of your arm. Can you picture it?
I wonder does such a device still exist; certainly the need still exists.

[Gangrel]

I used to be on syringes but still do the same with my pen....

I stick the needle in my arm, unpinched, and use a door or wall to push in the plunger........ unconventional I know, but I've gotten used to it! I've never minded the needle in my arm without a pinch, especially now that i use the short ones in my pen.....

[Shellbelly]

If you are getting bruising this is almost certainly the case.


All I remember is when I went to diabetic camp back in the day they made you at least once do it in the stomach and every time it hurt like **** and I got a little bump that came up kinda like a pimple looking thing????

[Shellbelly]

With some practise I've learned to pinch up my chub with my pinky and ring finger, and then uing my thumb and forefinger I stick the needle in. I then slide down to the plunger and push. A little complicated I know but when I'm out in public and can't or won't push up my shirt for a belly shot or if I have jeans on and can't pull'm down (again public) it works for me and never hurts. The only time it hurts is when I stick it in near a vessel and it usually hurts almost immediately so I just take it out and try again. I hope this helps inspite of being a bit complicated.
Liz


Yea I did it all by myself in my arm thanks to your idea!!
Does anyone else have like well my arm looks like way musclie where I do my shots in my arm like tissue build up something, it makes my arms look so huge???

[Mick]

After 41 years of injections, I must use every bit of real estate left on my body. I use the door-frame technique with my arms, and can inject with either hand into either arm. I also sometimes use the edge of my desk at work to pinck up a bit of arm. If i'm too cramped to take off my sport coat at lunch, I'll inject right thru my coat and shirt. I inject thru pants into my thighs at restaurants tables, or thru my shirt into my abdomen, from navel to hip. I can also--this took a lot of practice--inject my own butt--it's done blind, obviously, but with grit and guts you can do that, and I've found that it hurts not at all ever in the butt. So, arms, legs, tummy, hips, butt, with 3-6 shots a day, 41 years now...

Michael