The Avonex OUCH

[kewi1976]

Hey guys quick question. Has anyone had issues with injecting Avonex. The most comfortable place for me is my right thigh due to my hands etc. But a few weeks ago I had difficulty getting the needle in.

Do you think injecting in one location primarily could cause some kind of hardening in that area? Now i am having anxiety about injecting. I have been comfortable since Aug but now I dont feel so confident and I now dread doing the injections.

I think Iam also allergic to the bandages or something bc now I have littel squres on that legt from all the injections AND bandages UUGGHHHH

[techie]

Are you rotating sites? If you are doing the exact same site each time maybe you are building up scar tissue there.
Just take an extra couple of minutes to hold the gauze tight over the needle hole.
techie

[BigA]

You can inject in the side and top of the thigh. Also, I use one of the ice packs that come with the avonex to make the area completly numb.

[TLC_31]

Unfortunately, I’ve had many issues with injecting Avonex, but more than 400 shots later I’m still playing pincushion. My anxiety about self-injection won out, however … it’s been 30 or so since I’ve done it myself.

The top of my right thigh is also my most comfortable location, but I rotated the tops and sides of the thighs as well as the arms, now just the arms and backside, because I have largely unfounded concerns about beating on one particular muscle. That said, I know many people that use only one or two sites, and they experience no problems. The muscle does get a week to heal, and even if you’re always in the right thigh you’re not likely hitting the same exact point with precision every week.

I think it’s nice to rotate, but I think it’s much more important that you’re comfortable, so just keep going into the top of your right thigh. Go in fast, and at a 90-degree angle, to minimize any damage. And of course, you wouldn’t want to inject where there had been a bruise, visible or not, in the previous few days.

I have a little clip called the Avonex Grip, which I would put on the syringe before self-injection. They will send you one for free. That should help mitigate the shaky hands.

Previously, when I’ve gone into periods of anxiety, I’ve pulled out an orange and practiced. I still have my practice syringe from training, but I think you could pull a used one out of the sharps container. I suspect you will appreciate the Avonex Pen autoinjector that is expected to come to market in May. That might be only eight injections away.

As for the bandages, in the past I’ve had squares on the skin, sometimes mildly itchy. There’s no trend to that. I suspect that’s dependent on if I’d shaved the spot recently (I used to shave spots on my leg for navigation and ease of bandage removal), if there was moisture trapped under the bandage (maybe I was sweating a lot while still wearing it), or if I just left it on too long. The reality is, like techie says, you should normally need only a couple of minutes for the site to heal.

[akafearless]

When I have a hard time getting the needle in I turn the needle around 180 degrees. It's kinda like its dull.

[Justsayyes]

What is it with those bandages? They turn my skin red and itchy, and so I stopped using them years ago. I don't really need one even if I have a bleeder of an injection. I apply pressure with the gauze, wait a bit and it stops. Forget those bandages!

[Nanobaby]

You can inject anywhere in the left or right thighs and it's best to rotate sites. Like go higher or lower than the previous week. I use my hip and knees as reference points and mark it down in the Avonex journal that they sent.

Are you premedicating with ibuprofen or acetaminophen? I've found that helps a lot and like what someone else suggested - icing the area prior to injection also helps. There are also topical, over the counter local anesthetics that you can buy to completely numb the area so that you won't feel the injection at all.

As for the bandages causing a problem, just hold the gauze down over the injection site with a little pressure to stop the bleeding. And if anything you can always put on a cartoon bandage over that. Those make me laugh.

Hope your next injection goes easier

[RoyalOne]

Sometimes, but not always, I experience some resistance when injecting. Not when entering the skin, but deeper in the muscle. I just push the plunger in a little harder. No pain or anything, maybe just a little discomfort. Maybe that's what you're experiencing

[seeuinct]

I had that happen once and couldn't get the needle in all the way in my muscle. I freaked out and then I realized I was flexing my muscle. Once I realxed it went right in.
Also- the bandaids leave squares on my legs too- but I'd rather have that than have the hole I just put in my body open to the air and get an infection.

[KatieDidNOT]

Yes, you have to rotate.

When I was taking Avonex, the band-aid got thrown in the trash. I used a cotton ball to stop any bleeding (if any), waited a few minutes and reapplied alcohol. That hole closes up almost immediately once the blood stops. Never had an infection.

If you are worried about infection, talk to your pharmacist about the bandaids that don't have the "gooey" stuff on them and are hypoallergenic.

Cheers--Katie

[kmallory1]

Go buy a box of the regular band-aid "spots". Those Avonex band-aids are horrid. They did make it easy to remember where your last shot was, just look for the big red patch.

[Nanobaby]

Go buy a box of the regular band-aid "spots". Those Avonex band-aids are horrid. They did make it easy to remember where your last shot was, just look for the big red patch.

Agree. I didn't start having problems with the adhesive bandage until my last injection and because I didn't stick it on straight it left a mark that itched derp.

[dpmich]

This one made me laugh. Last night when my DH did my left arm injection, I thought he was using a Slurpee straw instead of a needle! That one hurt just a weeeeee tiny bit!

We have discussed the fact that he thinks I should go and get a tattoo on each arm (and the areas on my thighs for me) showing the clock positions for my injections. lol

[saywhat]

I have found that my skin feels "thicker" to get through when I haven't drinken enough water that day. I try to stay super hydrated on the days I do my injection because that always seems to help it go in easier and with less pain.