Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Who gave 1st injection?

Hi Everyone,  

Am new to this site, but have been reading posts for a few weeks now...  Just received my Pegasys and Ribavirin yesterday to start treatment.

My question is:  How many of you injected the first time by yourself and how many of you did it in the doctor's office?  Any other experiences with your 1st injection?

Thanks!
16 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
My thanks to you for being a human guinea pig so all of us that followed may have a chance at success...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
This is a type of heads up from a 1996 interferon/riba clinical trial participant....ALTERNATE your injection sites. I could have been a better patient - I knew the rules. But it was just easier to hit the liver side of my abdomen with injection....lazy, I guess. Anyway its about 12 years later and my last biopsy came out in 1/16th inch pieces....shoulda been like a piece of spaghetti !! Don't think that you can "modify" your treatment with no impact. These pros spent a lot of time developing protocol - it shouldnt be messed with. Good luck to everybody..................
Helpful - 0
238417 tn?1203707410
I just did my last shot (number 48). Did all of them myself. I was no stranger to the needle (unfortunately). Did all my injections around the waist area, alternating each week. Also did Procrit shot for 30 wks. I used the syringe for for the first 30 wks, then was switched to the redi-pen for 12 wks, then back to the syringe. I was in a study group and some folks complained about the redi-pen. I preferred the redi-pen. It was easier to inject and the needle was smaller. But beggars can't be choosers when the pharmo-company was calling the shots (no pun intended).
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, Thanks for all of your comments!  You are all really kind and thoughtful... I'm not sure when I'll do my first injection, maybe tonight or tomorrow night -- I am meeting friends for lunch tomorrow and am unsure how I'll be feeling... I have an appt. with my gastro this afternoon to go over blood work that was done last week, i.e. viral load, liver and thyroid functions, platelet count, etc.  I'm not really afraid at all of using the syringe -- it's just so foreign and weird... and I'm female and my doctor is male (and I really like and respect him.)  He wanted me to do the injection with him watching which really freaks me out.  Not only do I not want him to see my flabby thighs and stomach, I know my hands will be shaking...  and where I see him is a satellite office so there is no nurse on staff there.  A friend of mine is an RN -- she does my "beauty" injections :-) and she's offered to give me the shots.  Her office is right down the street, but I'd rather just do them myself right before bedtime.  I asked my doctor if it's ok for her to supervise my 1st injection and he said yes.  I did watch the Pegasys video and thought how am I gonna do the pull back thing, and  it seems awkward to inject with that crazy needle guard thing... and how can you ever SEE the beveled edge??  I have a call into my friend to see if she can help me tomorrow afternoon... I was contemplating just doing my first injection all by myself...  Another quesiton if you don't mind, for those who injected all alone for first time, who used the syringe and who used the redi-pen?  I would think the redi-pen might be easier to use, but seems like it would hurt...  Thanks again!!
Helpful - 0
179856 tn?1333547362
I too did my first one in the doctors office with the nurse to show me how. I was so sure I couldn't do it - that whole redipen was just alien to me...I wish I'd started out with regular old syringes they turned out to be so much EASIER!

by the way - I did 72 peg shots and was on Epogen since week 3 two times a week until week 46 then once a week so...........it got REALLY easy to do it believe me.

Make sure you have the instructions in front of you and follow along the first few months - that way when a kid interupts you or the phone rings.........you won't forget what you are doing or where you were in the process (happend to me the time I didn't take out the stupid piece of paper!) It was really good advice.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Isn't it funny how, if you have a burning question, but are hesitant to ask, there's always someone else out there with the same one?lol...Thanks for asking...i just got my peg and riba yesterday and they are staring at me from the fridge...My first shot day is the 25th at my doc's office...I'm not as squeamish about poking myself, but you'd have laughed when I first had to start checking my blood sugars with a finger poke...I swear I chased my blasted finger all over the place before I could get it stuck...And I'm a Paramedic...I'd much rather be the poker than the pokee...lol  No worries about the shot's needle...it's a teeny little thing...By the way, when is you first shot?  Good luck! Keep posting! I'll be looking for you...
p.s. Did you ever, as a kid, get a really big dare to do something that you scared poo less to do, but did it anyway?  Doesn't this kind of feel like that?lol
Helpful - 0
338734 tn?1377160168
My docs are slackers! I did my own.

The pharmacist at the clinic showed me the drill, but I didn't actually start the treatment until a few weeks later, so I googled pegysys and found their instructional video on the web as I did the shot.

I think it would be good to do the first one yourself, but with supervision from a nurse.

I never could figure out the "pull back" thing. It just doesnt work using one hand (I use the other to grab a handfull of flesh. Maybe if the syring had something on the sides to get a grip, it would be easier.

Best of luck :)

W
Helpful - 0
250084 tn?1303307435
Bad Dream,
Welcome here! Starting tx, you'll have many more questions along the way. You found a good place!

It is suggested to rotate injection sites.

I did 1st one with NP. But I've only done 2 others myself. Acupunturist does them or a nurse friend of mine. Some say pull back for blood, some say don't have to, I HAVE to...just me! And my syrings are too 'tight' to do myself. Screwed up a shot trying to pull back! Ask them for help if your worried.

Pleasant dreams :}

LL
Helpful - 0
167203 tn?1280692080
Did it at home after watching the video you get with the groovy little bag they give you. I put an ice pack on injection site for a few minutes after I'm done and this seems to help with the purple blotch that tends to appear. Also I rotate sites from belly to thighs.
Helpful - 0
298631 tn?1210625430
First one on my own at home with instruction from NP in the office beforehand. I also watched the Pegasys video tape that came with my kit. I think it's online also but I highly recommend NOT watching it! Guy was shaking like a palm tree in a hurricane which is NOT inspiring. It is pretty funny in hindsight but kind of freaked me out at the time. Ya think they could find someone who would look comfortable!

Here's a few things I learned also -

belly was best place for me also but I have fat on belly so it was pretty painless. Don't go within a few inches of belly button area (more blood vessels maybe?). I would switch sides but that was just to give myself a psychological "option" more than anything. ;-)

I would just warm the syringe by holding it in my hand for a minute or two. It says roll gently between palms but I didn't find that to be necessary. You just want to warm it up from fridge so the air bubbles surface easier when you expel them from syringe.

I would pull back on syringe to make sure there wasn't blood, but in belly, there wasn't ever any. Once or twice I would get more blood than usual after I would pull needle out but NP said it was just surface capillary. Nothing ever in syringe. They say discard if you do, but not what happens if you have to throw one out. FYI, I dropped a syringe once and it broke...Roche replaced it for free.

Good luck!

Robin
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
first shot at home by me no instruction just looked at instructions with package!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My gastro man at the Mayo Clinic knew that I was "home schooled" and he tossed a bag of syringes at me and said "Your in the study".
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
trying to remember,  I think in Docs office with water.  
this time around I have husband do them.  i am a coward and it takes me forever to stick them in.
I am with jd, belly, even with out a lot of fat it is easier.  Legs get mottly

Helpful - 0
206807 tn?1331936184
I did my first shot at my Gastro's office under a nurse's guidance
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I took my first injection at the doctor's office.  I injected in my thighs for the first 3 weeks but developed injection site reactions that were unsightly (didn't itch or hurt or anything but big ugly purple blotch.  Then I switched to injecting in my abdomen and the site reactions are much less and take much less time to go away.  You need some belly fat for this but that's not a problem for me.  At first I thought I'd never get over being creeped out by injecting myself, but I got used to it, fast.  I get the pre-loaded pens so the injection is pretty simple to do.

Good luck.  Post again and let us know how it went.
Helpful - 0
172336 tn?1202254641
I am being treated at a learning hospital and their SOP was to have a session w/ an educater to teach you how to do the injection.
Some doctors' want you to do the first shot in their office.
I am sure that if you are unsure of what you're doing they will set up a time for you to go in and do with a nurse.

OMG.... THAT didn't come out right!!! teehee!!!

Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Hepatitis Social Community

Top Hepatitis Answerers
317787 tn?1473358451
DC
683231 tn?1467323017
Auburn, WA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.