epo shots

[Ohio Buckeye]

I take epo shots and iron iv to try to keep my blood count up.
I have not got the nerve or courage or whatever it is I need to give
myself the shots.  I have a friend who is a nurse and I depend on her
to give them to me.  I just can't bring myself to do this.  do you give
yourself these shots and how did you get over the fear of it?  I am
such a chicken I guess. 

[tamara]

Before my Mum died when I was 20 in 1995, before all this kidney failure stuff, my mum had cancer and I used to give her the morphine injections because my Dad was too scared..................

Never thought it would come to the time I would give myself injections.

I used to have to give myself the epo shots (6 needles a week because of the dose I'm on) now we just put it in the lines of the machine.

This may sound scary in the end when i was injecting myself, took a deep breathe, had a hold of some of my stomache, and thru it like a dart, bullseye!

No really, before I used to do it like this  it really hurt. So fast and quick is my method!

The fear, well u just have to learn to control it, it like when I 1st started dialysis I couldn't even look at getting those needles inserted without crying, now Hey I do it all myself.Pretty happy with that...

Just be Brave.............................YOU CAN DO IT ! I WAS ONCE A SOOKY LA LA TOO !

[Ohio Buckeye]

wow, you have certainly come a long way.
good for you. 

[jbeany]

Yup, don't go slow - it hurts more.  And warm it up to body temp, too.  It stings more if it's still cold.

I had to learn to give myself shots at 13, or they wouldn't let me out of the hospital after I was diagnosed with juv. diabeties.  I practiced on an orange with a syringe and vial of saline.

[Epoman]

I take epo shots and iron iv to try to keep my blood count up.
I have not got the nerve or courage or whatever it is I need to give
myself the shots.  I have a friend who is a nurse and I depend on her
to give them to me.  I just can't bring myself to do this.  do you give
yourself these shots and how did you get over the fear of it?  I am
such a chicken I guess. 

I use insulin needles to inject my Epogen, the needle is like 1/4 of an inch, it's super small. I don't feel a thing. It's just a Phobia you have. It is PAINLESS. In the past Epogen contained additives that made it sting when given and it wasn't concentrated, so you needed to inject more. I inject 5,000 units and it takes litterally 2 seconds. I too was afraid because of how I had it given to me in the past, but things have changed.

- Epoman

[goofynina]

Same here, while training for my PD and all was said and done, they broke the news that i was going to have to give me my own shots WTF    I sat there for about 30 minutes and finally did it, now i do it with no problem, it help so much more if you do it in your stomach, just put the needle up to it and push it in,  easy peasy lemon squeezy   Good Luck,  let us know how it goes k...

[boxman55]

you tell someone that you inject yourself everyday in the stomach and most of them lose it but if you have to give yourself a shot the area around the belly button about an inch away and in a circle is painless. there are no nerves in that area so stab away you can do it!!!

[jedimaster]

I was in the same boat where you are now. Fear was my signature. Don't worry...you can do it. I warm up the syringe before doing it (with my hands)...and I used to do it on my stomach or on my legs...legs were less painfull to me. Now I do it through the machine....Practice makes perfect. If a chicken like me was able to do it...you will for sure. One day at the time...

[scyankee]

Buckeye,
   I know how hard it is to do the shots.  I have a terrible phobia of needles since I was 3. The first time I tried
to give myself epo I had to laydown after or pass out.  Anyway, this is how I got "better" at it (never got over it):
   First prepare syringe with epo. I liked it alittle room temp.
   Take a ice pack and FREEZE either side of your navel. I had to alternate between. When you feel it is good and
cold, wipe with alcohol wipe and slowly insert needle a little at a time. You don't need to go deep. I did it slowly
rather than quickly like a nurse does it.  I would watch TV and just slowly distract myself and before I knew it is
was it.  Hold one hand near the needle so it does not move and slowly push the plunger with the other hand.
In the beginning it took me 30 minutes but at the end I was doing it in 10.  I now have it done during my hemo
so now I don't have to deal with that at all.
  Good luck. I know that it is tough but you will be able to do it.
  SCYankee

[BigSky]

They have always given us our epo, now Aranesp shots at the unit.

However it wouldn't bother me to give myself shots as needles have never bothered me.

[gizmar]

It's quite different in Canada - Epo is always administered through dialysis lines.  Even when I travel and take the Epo with me - it's been done the same way.  Interesting.

[Jaybird]

I self dialize and i put epo in after I dialize in the line. I gave it via my Butt cheeks before. 
I could have done it in my arm, but then i would not have had the excuse to tell my wife i need her to look at my butt! 

I got her to do it, to make her more involved.

-Jaybird

[Ohio Buckeye]

My dose is 20,000.
sounds like a huge amount to me.

[tubes]

i was never able to give myself the epo shot.  i always went to the hospital once a week and my nurse would give it to me.
then i moved, so my grams gave me the shot.  then she moved, so my grandpa gave me the shot.
now im on hemo so i get the epo while on dialysis.  i do have to give myself lovanox shots every other day to keep my fistula from clotting.  at first i couldnt do it.  i went to the hospital everyday to get the lovanox shot.  when i first started hemo i had to have the shot everyday.
finally they told me i had to do the shot myself.  i trained on an orange.  the first time i tried to shoot myself in the stomach, i freaked out and accidentally stuck the nurse in the hand. (whoops, my bad) honest, i didnt do it on purpose.  i tried to hand her the needle and jabbed her in the hand.  a couple days later i tried again.  i stuck myself, but as i pushed the med in i was also pulling the needle out.    to this day i still close my eyes when i stick myself.
good luck, i hope you do better then i did.

[Epoman]

My dose is 20,000.
sounds like a huge amount to me.

Yes it is, but I used to be on 26,000 units 3 times a week, so it's not unusual. How is your BP? Because the much EPO can cause your BP to rise.

- Epoman

[AlasdairUK]

I use Arenesp and I'm on 30 micrograms every second week. I self inject into my leg. It is the smallest needle I have ever seen so I don't mind doing it, but I do it very slowly. The part that I find that hurts more is when I inject the Arenesp when the needle is in my leg.

[Hawkeye]

I use insulin needles to inject my Epogen, the needle is like 1/4 of an inch, it's super small.

Our PD uses the TB Syringes.  Same basic concept as the insulin syringes, the needles are smaller and hurt less.

[Epoman]

Here is a image of the Insulin Syringe I use for Epogen. 

[mallory]

Ohio Buckeye, I don't think you're a chicken.  I give myself Aranesp injections, but it really scared me the first few times.  It doesn't hurt, the needles are very small, but, somehow, sticking myself was very difficult for me.  You can do it, there are a lot of good tips here, good luck!

[kitkatz]

I am a big chicken!  That needle looks huge to me in the picture!

[BigSteve]

I am currently getting Aranesp every two weeks at the doctor's office except when my
Hemoglobin get to 12 or above as it did two weeks ago. If the needles are that
small I could probably do it myself, but I am not in a hurry. Does anyone else get a
strange sensation of the medication pushing into your body? I don't feel the
needle insertion, but I can definately feel the medication especially since the nurse
pushes it in slowly.

[jbeany]

I am a big chicken!  That needle looks huge to me in the picture!

I use microfines - 31 gauge.  The needle is as fine as a cat hair.

I am currently getting Aranesp every two weeks at the doctor's office except when my
Hemoglobin get to 12 or above as it did two weeks ago. If the needles are that
small I could probably do it myself, but I am not in a hurry. Does anyone else get a
strange sensation of the medication pushing into your body? I don't feel the
needle insertion, but I can definately feel the medication especially since the nurse
pushes it in slowly.

Do they warm it up, or just stick you with it?  I can always tell when I haven't let it get warm enough - then you can feel the liquid pushing in.

[BigSteve]

That's probably it. They take the medication straight out of the fridge!

[jedimaster]

Warm it up with your hands!...if not...brrrrr

[goofynina]

Warm it up with your hands!...if not...brrrrr

I thought the whole point of keeping it in the fridge was to always keep it cold,  they would give me ice packs to bring it home with so it wouldnt "warm up"  so whats that all about??