You're the first person to explain how to properly align the stopper with the markings on the syringe. Extremely helpful tutorial. After watching this, I gave myself my first B12 injection and everything went perfectly. Thank you!
I’ve just been prescribed B-12 injections and I’m so glad I found this video! I’m not sure where Ms. Cindy is today, but if someone can find her and give her a hug for me, I’d greatly appreciate it 🩵! Nurses are Heaven sent!
This is a life saver for me today. I have to do my first B12 injection at home. Thank you for very specific, clear and concise verbal instruction as this caters to my learning style.
If you have B12 symptoms but your first test back normal or low, get these additional tests: 1. The Full Blood Count (or FBC) but remember only around 60% of patients with a B12 deficiency will have enlarged red blood cells (macrocytosis). Another problem with relying on the MCV to indicate a B12 Deficiency is that if the patient also has an iron deficiency that deficiency will lead to a reduction in the MCV - an iron deficiency and a B12 deficiency will in effect cancel out each deficiency’s effect on the size of the red blood cell 2. Serum Holotranscobalamin (HoloTC) - The ‘Active’ B12 Test 3. Plasma Methylmalonic Acid (MMA) 4. Plasma Total Homocysteine (tHcy) 5. Red Blood Cell Folate (RBC folate) and Serum Folate KEEP IN MIND with Folate test: The current test does not distinguish between the active and inactive forms of B12 and so if a patient is deficient in folic acid, he or she will not be converting the inactive forms of B12 into the active forms. The result will be that the patient’s B12 status will show normal or high, but very little of this B12 will be in the active form. If the patient has been supplementing using folic acid tablets (as pregnant women are advised to do) then the increase in folic acid will prevent the red blood cells from becoming enlarged (megaloblastic) as discussed above. Therefore, high folic acid levels mean that one of the indicators of low B12 (enlarged red blood cells) will not be present when doctors interpret the results of any full blood count.Also, low level of folic acid has the surprising effect of increasing the amount of B12 loss in urine. The lower the patient’s folic acid, the more B12 will be excreted via urine6. And finally, a healthy level of folic acid is needed to enable the patient to convert any cyanocobalamin (a form of injectable B12) to convert to Hydroxocobalamin and then to the biologically ‘active’ forms of B12 - Methylcobalamin and Adenosylcobalamin. If you have been supplementing your diet using folic acid tablets you should tell your doctor this before or after you have given blood to be analyzed 6. Ferritin (iron stores) Iron plays an important part in the formation of healthy red blood cells and so it is useful to ascertain the patient’s iron stores. Low iron can be the result of hemorrhaging following an accident or from heavy menstruation among other causes THEN, IF YOU HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS HAVING A B-12 YOU SHOULD THEN TEST FOR "PERNICIOUS ANEMIA" Tests for Pernicious Anemia When a patient is identified as having a deficiency in vitamin B12 the cause of that deficiency should be investigated. These are the tests used to determine whether the deficiency is caused by the patient having developed Pernicious Anemia 1. Anti-intrinsic Factor Antibody Test 2. Parietal Cell Antibodies 3. Serum Gastrine All of the above can be found on the pernicious anaemia society .org website. In the end, if you suffer from neurological symptoms and you've done an extensive B12 blood work up and you were not found B-12 deficient, read up on Celiac Disease as well as Gluten Insensitivity. Quote: While celiac disease symptoms are often associated with the gut, they can actually go well beyond that. Some scientists now suspect that the autoimmune firestorm ignited in the gut may descend on other organs, including the brain. According to the article, around 10 percent of people with celiac disease, and possibly more, are thought to suffer neurological symptoms, ranging from headache and nerve pain, to ataxia and to epilepsy. Multiple Sclerosis and other types of illnesses can also be a cause. Best of luck.
Thank you! I took screenshots of your comment. I have Graves’ disease and my daughter and I both have the MTHFR Gene mutation. We feel like trash all the time. Especially myself. Been getting B12 and D vitamin shots. Seems to help for a couple days but wears off. Maybe because I don’t have folic acid die to the gene mutation?
Thank you for this, it was very helpful. My doctor showed me this but I needed to refresh my memory of how to do it once I got to actually giving myself the injection.
I've done this three times so far and every time I've watched this video just to be sure I've it right. I hate needles but this video has helped me tremendously! Thanks!
It has been since I was 32 years old , since I have had to do this, and here I am, 54, because I can't remember how. It has been too long. Lol thank you so much for the video. Have a blessed and beautiful day.
Cindy, dahling! You're a lifesaver! Thank you so much for the super comprehensive video! With your help, I just administered my very first vitamin B12 shot to myself and I feel like a pro! Thanks for helping me get on the road to taking control of my health!
Thanks for this. I have to give this to my grandma tomorrow. My sister, an RN usually does it but she has Covid 19 and my grandma is 93 years old so I’ve been volunteered to give the injection.
As a teacher myself, I must say, "Very well taught!" I already knew how to do the shot, but I used the internet to search dosage amounts in an attempt to recall what my neurologist recommended. That said, your video proved so informative and well recorded visually (the whole point of video that many people miss) I still learned new things that will improve my personal practice when giving myself a shot.
I've been giving myself shots for the past three years and I know what I did wrong and you do too. 1) You didn't even check whether you hit some vessel. Good luck if you shoot the shot into it :) 2) That was really fast and would hurt for a week. The slower, the better. Just avoid shaking the needle in the muscle and go slow. 3) Room temperature is not enough. Its better to warm up in your palm or under warm water for a while. Your body is 36 degrees Celsius, why would you inject 20 degrees compound.... If you hit vessel, take the needle out, change it, go few cm next to the first shot. Yeah and I've been taking steroids disposed in oil which was way more viscous than the one used for vit B shots, so every step counts twice for me, bcz if done wrong, the pain is enormous.
Just gave my mom her B12 injection and there’s a reason she didn’t aspirate bc by aspirating there’s too much air in the bottle for this type of vial vs the dosage of B12. She had 1mL ... I aspirated it took FOREVER TO DRAW BACK...
After watching so many videos I finally built the confidence with your. I just gave myself a b12 injection and I didn't faint :D Thank you Big bear hug and many bright moons!
I've been giving myself these B-12 injections once a month for about 4 years; but I never knew about pulling back the syringe before you stick the needle in the vial. I've always just stuck the needle in and then drew back to get the liquid out, and I usually will have some air in there also. not knowing how to get the air out, I just went ahead and stuck the needle in my thigh, and injected. (air bubble and all). nobody really told me much on how to do it when I first started. thanks, think i'll try it your way from now on.
American Academy of Neurology: People with inflammatory bowel disease may also be at risk for developing nerve damage and other neurological problems, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 - May 5, 2007. Inflammatory bowel disease includes digestive disorders such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease that cause swelling and/or bleeding in the intestines. For the study, researchers compared 103 people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis to 51 people with other digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis and chronic heartburn. The researchers found that those with inflammatory bowel disease were about four times more likely to develop neuromuscular conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome and small fiber neuropathy, which causes pain and lack of feeling in the feet. Those with bowel disease were also more than six times more likely to also have a disorder called sensorimotor polyneuropathy, a nerve disease that can cause weakness, pain, and numbness. These diseases were more common in women with bowel disease than men. “Inflammatory bowel disease patients commonly suffer from several other medical conditions, like B12 deficiency and glucose intolerance. These nerve conditions we have reported are often not diagnosed by their primary care physicians,” said lead study author Francisco De Assis Gondim, MD, MSc, PhD, Professor of the Federal University of Ceará in Ceará, Brazil, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “People with inflammatory bowel disease who develop new symptoms, such as pain or numbness in the feet, should see a doctor.”
So far so good I wish you would show the correct amount of the fluid that goes into the syringe I can't see well and I would have liked to seen just how much cuz it looks like I have very little does the vial only hold one Whatever It Is
Thanks, good video just gave myself my first shot...was terrified, did not get it all and broke the needle but I was successful at doing it. Hopefully will do better the next time.
Great explanation. What I’m looking for is how to administer a B Complex injection to self. I know I’m late to this party, but praying someone can link a site or give a proper explanation.
I got the b12 from my doctor..but not the needle. She said son not inject yourself as its best administered in gluteal area and you must be careful with nerves etc. So..ignoring that I asked pharmacy FIR needles so I COUKD do myself and they ALSO advised against. Despite having good knowledge etc of anatomy n what is where so to speak I'm not sure this is the cleverest suggestion or video. Plus for ppl who are going to go ahead and do it themselves anyway....please make your video more clear..open. For first timers there may be problems..air ...hit a nerve n cause all sorts if problems....you mean well but I'm not so sure this is the best way. I am with my doctor now a lot so I will ask her to do. I can administer to others but injecting suggested safest area as muscles larger. Its too awkward to do safely. But thank you. Your intentions are good and also your professionalism.
Why would you need/want to change the needle? A 3ml syringe that comes with a 25g needle gets the job done. The old process of multiple needles is wasteful; it's why manufacturers started putting thick medication into standard dose pre-drawn syringes so you only need to connect the proper gauge syringe (that most often comes with it in my experience) and proceed to prep the skin. Having done B12 and Penicillin as self injections into the leg, I can't imagine the waste and frustration of the old mentality of multiple needles and aspirating. Plus, all of the doctors and nurses I've worked with have said aspiration can actually cause damage (don't ask me to explain it because it's been a while), and doesn't really indicate if you're in an artery which is unlikely to begin with if you're taught where to inject. That said, a less careful nurse practitioner failed to properly explain location site when injecting around the belly button, and I knicked an artery that bled subcutaneously for about a day and took another a month for the resulting bruise to begin to fade. So, if you're self injecting, demand they show you in office where exactly it is safe to inject, the angle to hold the needle, where to avoid when rotating locations, and warning signs to be aware of if something should go wrong and what to do in those situations. Have someone you trust with you to video record the instruction in addition to getting a detailed written instruction. If your doctor complains or tries to keep you from using a video recording device, contact a Patient Advocate and explain that the medication is new and you want to be sure you're able to administer it properly but can't be sure you'll remember everything due to nerves about the whole process. Advocates exist for a reason; don't be afraid to ask for help.
@@KatieCottingham If you stick a needle and syringe into an artery it will fill itself with blood with no assistance due to the pressure. That is the way you obtain an arterial blood sample.
