Anyone else doing daily injections?

silverlining8d · December 2013

I found out this week I have MTHFR deficiancy and Homocystinuria. I started daily injections of Lovenox on Wednesday. Today is the third day I've done them and I could really use some advice from anyone who is going through this...I can't grip enough skin on my belly to see a white spot like the website describes. The nurse at my OB's office didn't seem to think it mattered but I think it must. I've stood up, layed down, sat leaned forward, I just don't know if my skin is different because I'm a little overweight or what. The medicine going in hurts and I start to cry after every time I do it and it's not that I can't take the pain (I delivered my son stillborn with no pain meds) it's just that I can't imagine having to do this to myself every day. I tried ice today and that seemed to make it hurt worse after.

Also, can you buy alcohol swabs? I've been using rubbing alcohol and Q-tips but I think it's be a lot easier if I had some swabs.

TGager · December 2013

I don't know about the shots, sorry -- but I can answer the alcohol swabs part (I am diabetic). You can get a box at Walmart or Walgreens. Look near the diabetic supplies.

Also, if the shots are the type that you dispose of after each dose, you can get a sharps container there as well. It is safer than just throwing the needle in the garbage.

pantherRN · December 2013

If you can't get alcohol swabs at the store, you can order from Amazon.

You should be able to pinch some skin. But enough to make a white spot? I don't even know how to do that and I'm a nurse. The "rule" they tell us in nursing school is to "pinch an inch". You may have to go more to the outside of your belly to do let. Let me see if I can find you a picture.

wmcalister · December 2013

Nurse here also. Never heard of the white spot either and I've given hundreds and hundreds of lovenox injections. I agree with Both PP. Also, I did a quick google search and it pulled up the lovenox website. Check out the instructions for injections and do's and don'ts section! I don't know how to link them on my phone or else I would for you!

Hels · December 2013

There's a bunch of IVF ladies on here (myself included) that have done more subQ and IM shots than I can even count. Never heard of the white thing.

Just pinch the skin and dart that puppy on in.

Hels · December 2013

Ohhhh. And it make it hurt less, wait for the alcohol to dry before you inject. Night and day, I tell ya

Ylvelill · December 2013

Have had to do the lovanox injections. They hurt, not much to be done about it

Never heard about the white spot, I just pinch as the ladies say an inch or so.

How long is your ob saying you have to be on this? I was on it during ivf, but not since I got pregnant. I have a clotting disorder as well.

pantherRN · December 2013

OP, I can't really find a good diagram online of injection sites. If you don't have a squeamish stomach, Google image it. Warning: there are some nasty pictures. But the first few are of possible injection sites.

meggielou23 · December 2013

I am currently on lovenox injections twice daily. I have never heard of pinching until you see a white spot. I just try and pinch as much skin as I can. This is my second pregnancy on the shots and no matter what they have always hurt for me. I still cry after most injections. I bought a syringe disposal bin and alcohol swabs on amazon for pretty cheap.

PregsMcSnoozalot · December 2013

here's the self-injection instruction page, along with injection site diagram:https://www.lovenox.com/hcp/dosing/lovenox-administration.aspx

i did 3 months of nightly lovenox injections and am so glad to finally be done. sorry you're having to do them

they were ok for me at first (in fact, i told the nurse i put the "love" in lovenox!) because i'd switched from heparin and hated it so much--heparin made me bruise terribly...but then in the last week or two of my 3 months on lovenox, it started making me bruise too.

anyway, here's what i learned: the ice only makes the initial puncture through the skin less painful. have you noticed how the needles are weirdly not sharp and you really have to push it in there?! the ice did not help me with the stinging or with bruising. the NUMBER ONE TIP i have for you is to inject the medicine slowly. I took like 15-20 seconds to slowly push the plunger. it made it so the experience often didn't sting at all, instead of that terrible wasp-sting feeling i would often get after the injection. i also liked to sit still for a while after the injection. i noticed that if i got up and walked around, it would sting.

i had the issue of not feeling like i had enough to pinch either! i am pretty thin, and i only had enough flab to grab in a narrow band of my "love handles" area. i had to be really careful to space them out properly so i could fit them all in. don't worry about that "white spot" thing, i've never heard of that and i would say the consensus of the thread with all these nurses is "don't worry about it"

and now, for shits and giggles, and maybe a little sympathy

, here's a photo of my lovenox belly. the good news is these bruises don't really hurt, and the doc is totally nonchalant about them, so don't freak out if you get something like this (but fingers crossed you won't!!). **please note: the giant bruise was because one night the injection site started bleeding after the shot and i stupidly put pressure on the site to try to stop the bleeding. NEVER put pressure on the site

silverlining8d · December 2013

Thanks for all the tips, ladies.
I think the "white spot" tip came from a forum I was reading with tips on self injecting. It said if you stab in the white spot it hurts less because it's fat...I don't know where it was. I read a lot of pages of tips after my painful shot yesterday and thought I had a good idea of what to do today...lol
I have been saving my needles, I was told to go to the pharmacy and get a sharps container when I need to I just haven't made it up there yet. I got the box of Lovenox from the office, they had it delivered.

Ylvelill I will be on Lovenox until I am 35 weeks when I will be switched to another anti-coagulant that doesn't last as long as this one does. (I was told probably heparin) Without treatment my MTHFR mutation and Homocystinuria will cause clots to clog the placenta preventing it from providing adequate blood flow to the baby and is *probably* the reason I lost my son.

Ylvelill · December 2013

Hmm guess I should double check. I have factor V and pai

Thanks for the info!

pantherRN · December 2013

@silverlining8d

Another tip...rotate sites. Right upper, right lower, left upper, left lower. Make a circle around your belly. It'll help reduce the bruising and at least you aren't stabbing the same place every day.

futuremrsgorski · December 2013

@silverlining8d First, I want to say I also have the mutation, but am on the shots because of a DVT with DS one. If you ever want to talk feel free to message. The shots suck. I don't think they will ever be easy, so I try to do them while distracted and actually have SO give them because it takes a lot of the pressure off you to have to see what's going on -it gets difficult when you can't see your lower abdomen. Secondly, are you injecting the bubble? I find it helps to stop beforehand as the bubble causes quite a bit of pain and is not necessary to inject.

I know the daily injections are exhausting, and downright hard, but stay focused on knowing you are helping to keep baby and you healthy and trust me that if they prevent a blood clot then they are by far worth every bit of the burn. Hugs Mama!

Ylvelill · December 2013

Went back to the doctor today, sure enough I am back on nightly lovanox injections

thank god my husband does them for me, I am such a wimp!

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