Injection Site Bruising Lasting More Than 2 Weeks

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Linoleumfloor

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I wasn’t sure where this belonged. A bruise appeared on each side where I had pinned the time before last, 2 weeks back. On the side where I injected MT2 there’s a small one, and on the Reta side there’s a large one. They didn’t come from the week they appeared — they came from the week prior. During the week they appeared, I was already rotating to new sites. Over these past 2 weeks I’ve rotated again to different spots, and nothing has shown up. Whether I actually used the site with the larger bruise for MT2, I can’t say for certain, and my hope is that these aren’t hyperpigmentation. Has anyone else dealt with bruises that stuck around this long?
 
During my first pin 2 weeks back, I nicked a small blood vessel, and a fairly large bruise is still visible in that spot. Whether it showed up right away or only after a few days, I can't say for certain.

That said, when you injected at the sites where those bruises are, did you see any blood at all?
 
I've dealt with these before, though nothing this size. This doesn't seem right. Does it hurt or feel hot to the touch? In that case, get medical attention.

You need to avoid going too deep with the needle. A capillary can get nicked now and then, which might leave a little blood, but it shouldn't produce a bruise of this scale.

I don't know which part of your body we're talking about. Was the injection done close to your navel?
 
When I inject a 'large' dose (more than 30units), I end up with bruising - so I aim to keep each shot at 20 or below.

My photo shows that I'm a bit of a delicate flower!
 
Are 5/16"-8mm needles what you're using? They actually lead to fewer injection site reactions compared to the 6mm, which might surprise you. I also stick to 25IU or under and aim to avoid hitting any capillaries where I inject.
 
In my case, the problem came from not putting the needle in at a steep enough angle. After I switched to gripping it the way you'd hold a pencil and maintained that slant while injecting — basically the motion of sketching — the marks quit appearing. It has to do with the number of skin layers you pass through when you go in at a slant rather than straight in on your test subject. Hope it helps.

For speeding up recovery, I read that you should apply ice as soon as you spot the bruise, then follow with hot showers later to help the discoloration fade.
 
The cause was repeatedly pinning the same spot. It appeared after I bumped up my Reta dosage. What makes me figure it isn't seriously out of the ordinary is that the opposite side carries a comparable yet noticeably tinier mark, and that side was where I'd been injecting much lower amounts of MT2 along with cagri for a short while. Nothing bled during the shot.
 
Honestly, the way the light hits it exaggerates how bad it actually looks. There’s no discomfort, no warmth, and it sits totally flat. It’s close to my navel.
 
Linoleumfloor said:

Honestly, the way the light hits it exaggerates how bad it actually looks. There’s no discomfort, no warmth, and it sits totally flat. It’s close to my navel.
Click to expand...

Avoid placing a subcutaneous shot anywhere within roughly 2 inches (5 cm) around the navel.

Look up nursing education websites for thorough guidance.

The most detailed video I have come across is in French, with English subtitles provided.

It demonstrates every current method, movement and safety measure.

View: https://youtu.be/diSfcs2bKks?si=ojzqjZ0UvG6O9ZN5

A pdf guide from UK:

(https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...57/1710361413577/FIT+UK+Guidelines+5th+Ed.pdf)
 
Letting peps warm up to room temperature prior to injecting appears to have reduced my bruising. On top of that, I've started applying an ice pack to the spot right after, keeping it there for 1 minute.
 
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