Administering Meds
You will likely be dealing with many different types of medications, and some are likely to be in different forms than others. Some may be oral; others may be injected. In fact, some medications may be injectable but come in powdered form. This means that you must reconstitute them into a liquid form in order to prepare them for injection.
Your medications will come with specific and detailed instructions on how to prepare and administer them. But it can be useful to get an overview of what the process is like.
Mixing Powdered MedicationsTo actually draw up or mix your medications you will want to follow the specific directions for each medication. This will be given to you before you start your medication therapy. It may be gone over in a class setting as well.
Some medications like Cetrotide require that you take a solvent from one vial and put it into another vial to dissolve the medication into it. When doing so you may not be able to retrieve every drop from the vial. This is fine; do not panic.
Start with a clean surface and clean hands. Wipe off the tops of any vials of medication with alcohol swabs. Inject the vial with your needle, and invert the vial so that it is upside down. With the needle completely covered in the fluid, draw up the exact amount of medication you need. Remove the needle from the vial, with needle pointed in the air, flick the syringe to move air bubbles to the top, and squeeze slightly on the plunge to remove excess air. Now you'll recap your needle in preparation to inject the medications.
A Pain in the Rear, Hip, Belly …Learning to give yourself injections can be one of the most daunting tasks of the whole infertility treatment process. Most fertility clinics will give you and your partner one-on-one classes in giving injections. You will be given time to practice and have your questions answered. During these classes you can also go over questions about storing and keeping medications. You will be given information on how to mix medications, if required.
Intramuscular (IM) Injection
An intramuscular (IM) injection means that you will be giving an injection into a muscle. This is used for a variety of medications, including Progesterone and Pregnyl.
You should always begin by washing your hands. Choose a location to give your injection where you have plenty of room and quiet time. Be sure that the location is clean as well. Then gather your supplies. You will need:
Alcohol wipes
Medications
Syringes
Sharps container
You will choose a spot for the injection to be given. The upper quadrant of your buttocks is a very common location to choose, though it is easier to give yourself an injection in the thigh. If you choose the buttocks, you might want someone else to help you. Pinch a hunk of the muscle between your thumb and forefinger to test your location, making certain the spot isn't already sore from a previous injection.
Once you have decided on a spot, open your alcohol wipe and cleanse the area to be injected, as well as the top of the vial. Allow this area to dry, or the injection will be more painful.
When the area is dry, take your weight off the side you've chosen as your injection site by either lying down or taking the weight off that foot. This makes it easier to give the injection. Stretch the area of skin between your fingers, and hold it tightly enough that it doesn't move.
Take your needle and insert it all the way until none of the needle is showing. Pull back slightly on the plunger of the syringe. You should not see blood. If you do see blood, you have hit a blood vessel and must remove the needle entirely.
If there is no blood returned in the syringe, depress the plunger and inject the medications. When you are done, pull the needle straight out. If you experience a bit of bleeding, use the alcohol pad to put a bit of pressure on the spot until the bleeding has stopped. There should not be much bleeding. You can also massage the injection site gently for pain relief.
You should rotate which side you use for injections. This will help prevent you from getting too sore from the daily injections. You should also rotate the spot where the needle enters. This is easier to do if someone else is helping you with the injections.
When you are done with the needle it needs to go into a Sharps container. This is a special plastic container that prevents the needles from poking out of the container, thereby preventing accidental punctures from used needles. Your fertility clinic or pharmacy may provide one for you, or you can purchase one yourself. You might also use something handy from home, like a detergent bottle with a screw cap lid or other heavy plastic bottle or container. Return any sharps containers or other used needles to your doctor or pharmacy for proper disposal.
Subcutaneous Injection
A subcutaneous injection is given just under the surface of the skin. These can be given in the thigh or abdomen. Because of this, these are easier to give yourself than intramuscular injections.
Again, you should always begin by washing your hands. Choose a location to give your injection where you have plenty of room and quiet time. Then gather your supplies. You will need:
Alcohol wipes
Medications
Syringes
Sharps container
Once you have your medications ready and drawn up, you will select a site. The best bets for subcutaneous injection sites are the abdomen (belly) and thigh. These work well for most people. You can also give yourself these injections easily.
Select a site and wipe it with the alcohol swab. Remember not to get closer than two inches around the belly button or navel. Pinch the area of skin you intend to use. Holding the syringe like a pencil, press the needle quickly into your skin. Hold the syringe firmly to prevent the needle from bouncing off your skin. Depress the plunger and administer all of the medication. Remember to always discard your used needles into your Sharps container. Hold or massage the site for pain relief.
You should always mix your medications before cleansing your medication site. Have the syringe ready to give the injection so that you have that part out of way.
Remember that different medications, while administered with the same technique, will feel differently when you inject them. The same may be said of other medications given by someone else, like your partner. Practicing will help with fear and anxiety you or your partner may have.
Remember to put the needle in — long or short — quickly. This will make the injection portion nearly painless if you do it rapidly enough. Also, depress the plunger slowly. If you are nervous this can be difficult to do, but the more slowly you inject the liquids the less pain you will feel. By doing it slowly you are allowing time for the tissues to stretch.
