I have never experienced any sort of lumping from HCG, which I inject Sub-Q. However, I also am prescribed CALM which specifies a Sub-Q injection, but I do get a little lumping after that particular injection Sub-Q. I have switched to intramuscular for this injection and no longer experience any sort of lumping.
With the CALM therapy, you probably also inject higher amounts > 1/2 cc? I usually suggest keeping SubQ 1/2cc or under. I have also done CALM at 1cc via SubQ, but broke it up into 2 injection sites, and I have also done it IM, where 1cc works great by just one injection.
Also, going SubQ, after wiping the injection site, I will "prod" the needle a few times, just slightly letting the needle head push slightly onto the surface of the injections site. For me, I can kind of get a quick sense if there's a nerve ending directly in that line of injection or not.
We're talking over the space of fractions of the cutaneous surface (1/4" to 7/16") withing a 2 or 3 seconds ... After feeling confident that the pin location should be seamless, and doesn't appear to have scar tissue from previous injections (happens over the years) then I prod, hold, and sensitivity is minimal, I hold the syringe at the base (thumb & index finger), penetrate the pin, inject at a moderate pace ... I'm in no hurry to get it blasted in my body! That goes for IM or SubQ!
Now, I'm sure everyone has opinions on this, and maybe some medical professionals might disagree on how some of us go about this (might be some of the same ones that inject 22g into the middle of your glutes!). However, I'd say at least 9 out of 10 SubQ injections for me go virtually without noticing the pin, and without rash, red marks, burning, lumbs, etc.. Every now and then you get one that has a little sting, but it usually is down to nothing within an hour or two. No infections to boot, ever! (use the wipes on everything!).
Prior to this method, and just hitting the first area that I pulled, yeah, it seemed like 1/2 of them were sore going in, sore sticking around, left a lump sometimes for days. I've been doing it my other way for over 3 years now! Alcohol wipes are always crucial, regardless when and where you do it, and I'm a firm believer of aspirating properly "WHEN" injecting IM. Just my take ...
