Hematoma following subQ injection

[lakecoder]

My last T injection, using a 25G x 5/8, was not a normal experience. Pulling the needle out gave a wee shot of bright red blood and then within minutes I had a nice big hematoma, at least 1.5" in diameter. Now the area is way bruised. The injection site was about an inch to the side of my navel.

I'm by no means ripped but I'm not at all overweight. In the past I've angled my injections to be sure to keep it in my (modest) belly fat. The past handful of injections I've been inserting straight in. Previous perpendicular injections were fine. This one definitely hurt more than usual.

Any clues to what happened?

 

[Kaliman911]

That happened to me a couple of times going Sub Q on my belly. It happened only when I injected straight into the fat using a 27ga 5/8” needle. After that I started going at a 45 degree angle and have had no more issues. Not sure if going 90 degrees is what the problem is, but it seemed to help in my situation. I’m at 15% BF, so I still have a bit of belly fat there. Try going 45 degrees again and see. Let the hematoma go away before injecting there again. I think both 90 or 45 degree angle is just as good according to what I saw on Dr John Chrisler’s Sub Q video. Good luck.

 

[Vince Carter]

There's no reason to be using a 25g needle for SQ, everyone pretty much across the board uses a 29g 1/2". Try that.

 

[lakecoder]

Interesting. I'm just using what Defy recommended. Is there a good cheap source for 29g 1/2" Luer Lock syringes?

 

[Vince]

I've always used easytouch 27g 1/2" or a 29g 1/2" syringe, they always work great for me either Sub-Q or IM. But shallow IM is my preferred way to inject.

 

[lakecoder]

I've always used easytouch 27g 1/2" or a 29g 1/2" syringe, they always work great for me either Sub-Q or IM. But shallow IM is my preferred way to inject.

Thanks - just ordered a box of easytouch 29g 1/2", 1/2cc. I wonder how bad it'll be to draw the T into that...

 

[Vince]

Thanks - just ordered a box of easytouch 29g 1/2", 1/2cc. I wonder how bad it'll be to draw the T into that...

If you use a cotton seed oil I would go with the 27 gauge, I'm using grapeseed oil and the 29 gauge works good for me. But I'm doing daily injections and drawing in 16 mg, a small amount.

 

[Saul]

Interesting. I'm just using what Defy recommended. Is there a good cheap source for 29g 1/2" Luer Lock syringes?

IMO, with Luer Lock syringes you will have high deadspace. Insulin syringes will have low to no dead space. As Vince mentioned, Easy Touch is a popular, inexpensive brand - for SubQ - 28 or 29 G is good. I like 28G personally as it is a balance a between draw speed and size. You can also use them for shallow IM. I found that I had less pain if I stayed further way from belly button. At least 2 inches. You probably hit a vessel and it caused the bruise.

 

[Systemlord]

I've been using the EasyTouch 27 gauge 1/2 inch insulin syringes suggested on this forum since October and love them compared to the Luer Lock 25 gauge 1 inch syringes I was using. I'll never go back to anything larger.

 

[FeelingLost]

I will also recommend the EasyTouch 27 gauge 1/2 inch insulin syringes even with grapeseed oil.

I have a box of 100 Monojects 28ga 1/2" it took forever to draw and I gave up during the injection. I back filled an EasyTouch 27 gauge to finish.

 

[madman]

My last T injection, using a 25G x 5/8, was not a normal experience. Pulling the needle out gave a wee shot of bright red blood and then within minutes I had a nice big hematoma, at least 1.5" in diameter. Now the area is way bruised. The injection site was about an inch to the side of my navel.

I'm by no means ripped but I'm not at all overweight. In the past I've angled my injections to be sure to keep it in my (modest) belly fat. The past handful of injections I've been inserting straight in. Previous perpendicular injections were fine. This one definitely hurt more than usual.

Any clues to what happened?

Definitely switch to 1/2 inch or 5/16 inch needle length for sub-q when injecting at a 90 degree angle. Using 5/8 inch straight in at 90 degrees you may have hit the fascia of the abdominal muscle wall or the muscle itself and nicked a blood vessel.

1 inch from the navel would be a little too close as it would be better to be 2 inches or more away from the navel (whether above/below or to the outsides).

When I first started trt I was using 25 gauge 5/8 inch and was injecting sub-q into abdominal fat at 90 degrees and most injections went smooth but I would not stick the needle all the way in. One time I stuck the needle all the way in and injected and the full depth must have hit the muscle as it stung and the area was sore/tender/bruised for a few days.

After that I switched to BD U-100 insulin syringes 28 gauge 1/2 inch and have always injected straight in at 90 degrees - pulling skin/fat up before I poke and than letting skin go before injecting. Never experienced any lumps/bruising/tenderness.

As far as drawing testosterone using a 28 gauge as long as oil in vial is room temperature and you inject air into the vial before drawing ( inject .25 ml air/pull .25ml oil from vial as example) should be a fairly quick procedure.

 

[ERO]

Thanks - just ordered a box of easytouch 29g 1/2", 1/2cc. I wonder how bad it'll be to draw the T into that...

You can draw with a larger needle and then backfill fill the 29 gauge one.

 

[lukdiver]

You can draw with a larger needle and then backfill fill the 29 gauge one.

After 6 SubQ injections I ended up with a bruise/nodule so thinking I injected at too shallow a angle?. This is with a 1/2" 27ga insulin syringe (I backfill 7 of them stored in a plastic case I got off eBay with a different syringe and 20g drawing needle, pretty convenient).

 

[Vince Carter]

Assuming youre talking about belly SQ some of us find Cyp in that spot intolerable and move to the upper/outer thigh. You're still just wasting supplies and time by drawing with one and then other, there's no reason to use anything but a 29g 1/2" to draw and shoot.

 

[S1W]

For belly injections, I (and have read of several others) stopped using the area around the navel. Love handles are better.

General opinions on SubQ injection technique:

- Everyone so far has given you good advice about ditching the Luer Locks - pick up some 1ml EasyTouch insulin syringes, 28g or 29g, 1/2".

- I never go 90 degrees for SubQ - I hold the needle at 45 degrees.

- I pinch a fold of skin/fat and insert the needle a bit below the peak/pinched area into the fold. Inject, remove needle, then release the pinched skin/fat. Seems to virtually eliminate the chances of me going to deep and hitting something I don't want to hit.

- My favorite injection site for SubQ is ventrogluteal. For some reason, I'm in the habit of injecting while sitting on the toilet. My supplies are stored in the bathroom, and the toilet has the added advantage of being a seat that doesn't move. I find that when sitting, if I follow the crease from my crotch up towards my hip and keep going in that general direction, I get to the area of the "upper side butt" (technical term). There is a fatty fleshy area between the upper femur and the hip bone. Pinch a bit of fat/skin there and inject. Painless.

- Other sites I use for SubQ are love handles and quads, with quads being my least favorite because its harder to pinch skin/fat there. With quads though, use the same general injection locations you would for IM. Yes, it's easier to pinch fat on top or even inner thigh, but don't inject there.

I'm a relative newbie but with the above techniques, which didn't take me that long to figure out, I have had no issues whatsoever. Best of luck!