Injection Information
Injections 101:

*** Notice, Mike originally posted this injection FAQ. With his permission, I have edited and added some of my own personal experiences.


*** The #1 thing is to BE SAFE. Infection is always possible if you do not follow strict sanitary guidelines.


Injection FAQ:

*Where can I get pins?

If you are luck enough, you may be able to obtain them locally from a pharmacy, if not check the following places.

www.androusa.com

www.pharmtools.com

www.carecenter.com


*What size do I need?

The smaller the gauge the larger the needle.

22 or 23 Gauge, 3 CC, 1.5 Inch is ideal for injections into the glutes.

22 or 23 Gauge, 3 CC, 1.0 inch is ideal for injections into the delts/quads.


*Will it hurt much?

It hurts about as much as a good pinch, but that is all. After the first couple of times you poke, you get used to it.



+For drawing from a vial:

***ALWAYS wash hands before injecting

Wipe the top of the vial with an alcohol swab before the needle enters - do this every time you pull the bottle out from storage (do not blow on the top of the vial. Let the alcohol evaporate)

Pull back on the syringe approximately as much as you are going to fill it (i.e. - if you are going to draw one cc then first load one cc of air) poke the needle into the vial.

Inject the air into the bottle so that you have created a vacuum effect and drawing will be easier

*Pull back on the plunger until the desired amount is achieved (you may do this with the bottle upside down so that you can 'flick' the syringe to get the bubbles to settle while you are still in penetration

*Once you have the amount you are looking for you will either (A). be ready to switch needles or (B). you may leave the needle on for pulling from another vial if you are going to mix

*So (A). you will pull back on the plunger once you are out of the vial to get the remaining liquid out from the drawing needle's base

*Poking the needle in to the vial dulls it. At this point you may want to switch to a fresh (sharp) needle. You don’t have to, but the fresh needle will penetrate easier.

You have now drawn from the vial.


+Injecting:

***Be careful not to touch the needle to ANYTHING. Think about it, you are injecting deep in to your body. Any foreign particles will be transferred deep in your tissue and you risk a nasty infection.

*Get all bubbles out of the needle - flick it until they rise to the top and then push them through the needle - make sure you get them completely out of the needle as well - don’t worry about the juice dripping down the needle and don’t even wipe it as it makes for great lubrication

*In the injection spot - for glute you will look down on the 'cheek' and imagine splitting it into 4 quadrants, you would inject into the upper most outer quadrant. For the leg, if you were sitting down you will inject into the outer part of the leg (but more on top, not on the side) where you have the most 'meat'

*Clean the site with alcohol and you are ready to inject

*Quickly pierce the skin and steadily push the needle into the muscle. Push in smoothly until you have but a couple centimeters left of the needle (you never inject all the way in as you want to make sure some is still visible in case the needle should break off and you need to retrieve it)

*Aspirate the syringe - pull back slightly on the plunger - you will see one of two things. (A). You will see a couple small air bubbles that when you stop applying pressure upward on the plunger will readily go back into the muscle or (B). Droplets of blood. (A) being the obviously favorable one. If there is blood you must pull out, switch needles and start over.

*** People ask “how much blood will I see??” There will be no doubt about it. If you are using oil based gear, it will be suspended in the oil and will appear very dark maroon. You will know if you have hit a vein. If you do, pull out the needle, switch it and poke again.

*If all is well you may begin injecting. Push in slowly - you will come to find that you can 'listen' to your body and it will let you know how much it is willing to receive at once - when I inject myself I apply consistent pressure to the plunger but I go in only as fast or slow as my muscle wants to at that time. Going too fast will potentially result in an abscess. When you have completed this, wait a few seconds and then pull out and take your alcohol swab and firmly press down and ** lightly ** massage the site to make sure everything stays in the muscle and the massage will also prevent soreness in the morning. You will bleed just a little bit, so it helps to tape the alcohol soaked cotton ball to your injection site.


Miscellaneous Tips:

*If you are self-injecting, it helps to stretch out first. If you are poking yourself on the right cheek, use your right hand to poke, and support (under) the needle with your left hand. It is not the easiest thing to do, but it can be done.

*Never inject more than 3ccs at a time

*Never mix your water and oil based gear

*With the winny shake well and you can inject water based with a slightly smaller gauge but in either case a 22-23g will work fine.

*Rotate injection spots. This will keep your receptors fresh. So right glute, right delt, right leg, left leg, left delt left glute - this will give you ample time off in between - it is up to you how much of the winny you want to inject versus take orally - but you could potentially be taking quite a few shots - make sure you dont hit an injection spot more than once per wk - you are using 6 sites so you should be fine

*Injections are great after a shower so the muscle is relaxed and it also helps to roll the syringe in your hand or run under hot water to heat the liquid to make it easier on you.

***ALWAYS wash hand before injecting


Be safe!


XBiker (and Mike)