Injection Site Bruising and Pain with Short Needles

I have never heard that. Four millimeters works fine for me.

Yes, I am using a pen and picked the shortest needles I could find. I pinch the skin and have someone else inject so I can wear headphones and look away. The others have no problem, only me. I might be low on iron; I have been in the past, though recent blood work was normal. I do bruise easily in general and have hypermobile fingers, knees, and elbows.

I was wondering if low iron might explain the bruising. I have never used a pen myself, but I thought you were not supposed to pinch with one, just insert it straight. That is why the shorter needles exist, so you do not reach muscle. Someone will probably correct me if that is wrong.

Bruising usually comes from nicking a capillary or small vessel with the needle, not from the substance itself.

I thought you were supposed to pinch with every injection.

I was using one compound then switched to another, neither of which is known for causing irritation, so I do not think it is the substance. At 5 units it barely happened, just a tiny bit of blood. At 10 units both times I felt pain and got more bruising and bleeding.

I am not taking anything else. All the injections have been in the thighs. One time the middle front of the right thigh hurt. This time it was the upper outer left thigh. I am nervous about trying the stomach. I have heard side effects are lower and absorption is slower in the thighs. Thanks for the tips. I will have him inject more slowly and press afterward.

I do not know why I said faster. I meant slower.

With plenty of fat around the stomach area I prefer the longer needles since the shorter ones can sometimes create a tiny red bump on my skin.

Sorry!

I honestly do not notice any difference in side effects or how well the medication works between thighs and stomach. I rarely get bleeding or bruising anymore; it mostly happened at the start. When I use the stomach I avoid stretch marks. One change I made is that I now just jab quickly instead of hesitating. A little forward motion helps the needle go in easier and leads to less pain and fewer reactions.

Yes, thank you. I do pinch, but my husband does the injection for me.

Did you bleed more in any particular area? I am not sure why, but the 10-unit dose definitely causes more reaction than 5 units. I do have stretch marks on both stomach and thighs. Were you nervous about needles before and now you are comfortable? What do you mean by forward motion? Thanks!

My doctor ran a full blood workup. I have a bruise on my upper back under the shoulder that has been there for years with no explanation. They checked for hemophilia and everything else, and a dermatologist did a punch biopsy, but no one knows why. It is still visible two or three years later. I do not get nosebleeds or blood in the eyes either. I have no idea what is going on. Nothing at all for supplements, just magnesium. We cook with garlic and ginger sometimes, but that is it. Has that happened to you?

No, bruising and bleeding are not normal. Bruising might be acceptable if it is mild, but bleeding is not usual. I checked the forum rules and it seems other languages are allowed in some sections, though English is preferred for the main areas. It was nice of you to translate anyway. I tried thighs early on because one compound stung, but it hurt much worse there so I switched back to lower abdomen. For everything else I do not even feel the needle in the abdomen. I am about to try the back of the arm with a hair clip to pinch the skin, since someone mentioned it.

Update: ow, that hurt. The hair clip itself was painful and the needle was too. I am staying with the abdomen.

I must have really thin skin or lots of capillaries in my legs. I bleed a little every time, and the 10-unit dose left a very dark though not huge bruise. My friends use the stomach and say it does not hurt them. The back of my arms is the most sensitive area I have; even a light grab hurts, so I probably will not try there. Hope it works well for you with no pain. Let us know how it goes.

Sorry to hear it hurt. Hope the soreness fades quickly.

It was worth it for the experiment. The lower abdomen, a couple inches left or right and below the navel, was the first place I ever injected and I felt nothing at all. I actually wondered if I had nerve damage because I could see the needle was in but felt zero sensation.

That is why the lower stomach often produces different sensations. It relies more on the autonomic nervous system, so feelings tend to be diffuse, dull, and internal rather than sharp and localized like regular skin sensations.

My arm is still really sore. Why did I decide to test the back of the arm for science? This makes me wonder again if that person is just really bored.

Really? I would have expected more nerves and pain there.

Hope you are feeling better today. Do you normally have sensitivity in the back of your arms?

Still surprisingly sore. I have never injected there before. I am sure I did not hit muscle with the clip pinching the skin, a 5 mm needle, and fat still present on my arms. It just is not a good site for me.

Ever get a tattoo on the back of the arms? That area makes you clench the chair pretty hard. It is tender.

This week I'm planning on using the stomach spot instead. My leg has developed a larger darker mark now even though it's still fairly small. Since that was for the ten and I want to repeat soon I should pick a different spot so it doesn't look like I've been in some kind of scuffle. I put on numbing cream first then apply a cold pack followed by headphones with soothing tracks while I focus on other thoughts during the process. Those longer needles come across as far more daunting. I've come across plenty of good comments about that one but I'm not set for anything stronger yet.

Hope it is better today. Did you get any bruising, especially from the clip? You were brave to try it.

No thanks. Yes, it is my most tender spot. I have some stretch marks but not there. Hopefully it was quick and your artist was good.

Even the pen outline hurt.

Definitely not a good experience.

Maybe it is just me or it was a bad spot. Ten units is not much volume. I have always bruised easily. I chose 4 mm because they are the smallest. Since those are available I would never bother with 8 mm, though I am not lean either.

It is probably not the amount but accidentally hitting a capillary. I bruise like a peach.

I saw 8 mm suggested on another site to reduce bruising and it helped someone who had the same issue. I was researching because my wife bruises easily and I was leaving marks that upset us both. I was also inserting at an angle and learned that 90 degrees with a pinch is what pen makers recommend. I got a good auto-injector pen and 31 g 8 mm needles, go straight in, and we have not had problems since.

It is better, thank you. No bruising, just very sore for a day. I blame a certain celebrity. I never considered the back of the arm until I saw her do it in a commercial and thought maybe it would be more comfortable. She lied.

Never trust celebrities.

I am not sure exactly what you mean, but that celebrity's husband is a big investor in the company she promotes.

The performer got a jab into the rear area of her limb for the ad yet kept on grinning without pausing to shout about the sudden sharp agony right then. Now I feel betrayed.