T Nation

Question about SC Injections

T Replacement
#1

I am currently injecting my Test Cyp Subcutaneously via 29g Monoject insulin pins into my love handles. Alternating from side to side with each injection.

At the moment I pull back the air ( = to my dose ) and inject the air into the vial. Then I turn the vial upside down and pull the plunger back to my dose and wait ( 2-3 minutes ).

Firstly, is that the correct way to do it? Secondly…

I have found it almost impossible to get ALL of the air out with such a small needle. I can tap to get it all into a single air bubble and can get MOST of it out but the last little bit always wastes some test by having the air bubble force out whatever was in the needle itself.

So basically I am asking this…

  1. Am I injecting correctly?
  2. I am not aspirating with SC like I did with IM. Is this also correct?

And most importantly…

  1. How do I get ALL of the air out ( this was not a problem with larger IM needles) without wasting 10% or more of every dose?

Thanks guys!

#2

Yes you’re doing it correctly, provided you are swabbing the rubber stopper with alcohol to let dry. Small amounts of air are fine even intravenously. IM and subcutaneously small air bubbles are fairly harmless. Adjust your dose before withdrawing the needle so you don’t waste so much. If it’s difficult to prevent bending the needle or touching the sides maybe not, it depends on your coordination. Draw more than you need and expel as much of the foam as you can as you adjust to the correct increment. Inject whatever you can’t get out.

#3

Agreed. I extract double or triple of the dose I need. Then I flick the syringe a few times to get all the air bubbles to the top. Then I inject the solution and extra air bubbles back into the vial until I get the plunger to the correct dosage line. This technique should help you get all the air bubbles out without wasting any solution.

#4

Thanks guys. Feel better about things now.