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Avatar universal

I need to give myself an IM progesterone shot. Help?

I'm 5 days past retrieval in my first IVF cycle.  MDH has been giving me my progesterone shots at night and he's about to go out of town for three weeks Unfortunately, I don't have friends or relatives closeby to give me my shot.  I can go to a clinic across town every night to have someone there give it to me, but I'm thinking about trying to give the shots to myself so I don't have to do that every night for three weeks.

The nurse at my RE's office says that she's heard of patients doing that, so I know it's possible.  Has anyone ever done this and have some advice to give?  My plan is to sit on the bathroom countertop and look in the mirror to do it.  :-P  
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Avatar universal
To all the single mothers by choice,

To those of you who have to give yourself all your own fertility shots (self administered). Don't be afraid, take control and use some very easy tricks that make you feel safe, reduce fear, and reduce the pain of injecting your fertility meds yourself.

1) When giving yourself shots in your deltoid (upper arm) my nurse taught me to take my left arm and press it up against a corner of the wall (if you are right handed. If you are left handed then press your right upper arm). This simulates how another person would pinch deeply the deltoid muscle prior to injection. If you vigorously rub the area with alcohol pads immediately prior it numbs the nerves in the skin. This really works very well with the HCG shots and was not painful at all until the next day when the site was sore.

2) When giving yourself shots in your gluteal muscles (butt) my nurse taught me to take my right leg and cross it over my left leg (I sat on the bed with a bunch of pillows behind me for comfort - no mirror) and twist my torso to the left. Then take the muscle and fat in your left hand (the designated site) and pinch it largely. Using your right hand you then inject the needle, aspirate back to check for blood, and if no blood then inject slowly. Ice the site just prior for about five minutes (I used a flat marble cheese plate that I put in the freezer all day) and then again vigorously rub the site with your alcohol pad immediately prior to the injection.

The subcutaneous shots were really no big deal for me. If you are fearful of those as well, then remember to use your alcohol pad to numb the skin by rubbing it vigorously first, then pinch the skin and fat so the top layer of skin is taught. Remember to inject the larger volume shots slowly and they will hurt less.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the advice!  My husband is leaving town and we have just moved to a new city.  You have motivated me to try it on my own!
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Avatar universal
I gave them to myself.  No big deal you can do it!  Use a mirror and ice.  In fact, I rather give myself the shots because I could manage the reaction to the pain much better.  Good Luck!
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205230 tn?1237405193
Is this shot similar to the one we use for follistim?  I will start new meds (shots) on the 13th.  It's been a while since we took 3 months off from shots.  Luckily I live a few blocks away from the nurse at the RE office.  She said she'd come help us if my DH couldn't do it.
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Avatar universal
Hi!  i had to give them to myself as well...  dh was heading to denver for work for a week.    i was completely pshyced out by the needle.  took me almost an hour.  i finally did it and realized it hurt less when i did it myself!!!!!
I laid on my side and reached back.   its easier if you mark it in the mirror first.  
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Avatar universal
Hello,

Well I have to say I do not blame you about being hesitant about IM injections.  I am a Labor and Delivery Nurse and start IV's and do injections almost everyday, but when it comes to sticking myself I find it difficult to inflict pain on myself.  I have done my own injections and right now my husband is out of town and I do my injections.  Just sit on your bed and tell yourself, this is going to hurt less than childbirth and I want a child bad enough that I can do it.  It only hurts with the initial stick and really it's not that bad.  Once you have done it once you will see it really isn't that bad.............you can do it.  Try not to think about it being your leg and say, 1,2,3 and go straight in at a 90 degree angle straight up and down.  Best of Luck, let me know how it turns out for you.  YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!
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Avatar universal
I gave them to myself.  The nurse showed me an easy way to do it.  Sit down and cross your right leg over your left (if you are right handed) and then sort of lean your body to the left so that right flank is raised a bit and you can see it.  Swab the site with the alcohol, pinch your skin so there is about an inch or two of skin pulled up, and then inject yourself.  The secret (at least for me) was frozen peas.  I would put a bag of frozen peas on my hip/butt for 5 minutes before and then I couldn't feel a thing.  Also, after a few days I was able to give myself shots in both sides.  Hope this helps.  
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189192 tn?1261341628
I was going out of town for work and RE told me I couldn't give them to myself.. instead he put me on cronine suppositories.. They really aren't bad.  Kind of expensive tho. Even after insurance..

If you are going to give yourself the shot, you might try to google it.

Good luck..
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186627 tn?1257877774
I gave it to myself.
is not a big deal.A mirror helps a lot and I was giving it to myself on alternate sides (using also my left hand).
Its not difficult if you get over the initial fear....
Good luck!!!
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Avatar universal
A friend of mine, always gave them to herself... I think what she did was ice the spot and then sit down, and turn your waist to the side and aim in the spot you are to give PIO....A mirror would be great and also if you could have your RE draw circles in the area where you give the PIO, you could do this by yourself!!! Give it a try....good luck to you...let us know how it goes...oh, you should practice this when DH is home so you are not nervous when DH is out of town.....Good Luck to you!!!  Jacquie
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Avatar universal
Here's a few suggestions:  Do you know anyone who's a nurse?  My dh was gone one night, fortunately I work in the medical field, and one of the nurses I work with gave my shot to me.  Even if you know someone that might know a nurse, that way, if it did become difficult, you'd have a backup.  What about one of the nurses at the clinic you go to?  I know the office would probably be closed, but they might not mind meeting you.  Also, the clinic I go to lists several local pharmacies for drug teaching and help with injections, that might be an option as well.  

I don't think it's a bad idea you gave them yourself, but if you had a backup in case it did become hard for you.  It seems like one hip would be harder than the other, depending what hand is dominant for you.  But, I'm sure you'd do what you had to do!

Good luck to you.  :)
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