A.J. Walker

Multiple Sclerosis etc

Leg's Up

Since starting on the Copaxone I have just been injecting either side of my belly. I am aware though that you should rotate the positions of the injection sites to reduce the damage done to areas of the skin and below. Many of the suggested areas are out of question if you live on your own: back or back of the arms etc. And while the guidance is probably conservative - and includes the people who are injecting on a daily basis as opposed to three times a week like I am - it was definitely worth getting into trying new places to inject. So for the first time today I injected into my leg. I have read how some people find it more painful and I thought it could be. After all there is a lot less fat to inject into than in your mid regions.

The first thing to do (once you’ve psyched yourself up to do it) is to change the setting on the auto inject pen. On my stomach injections it is set to “8” which I think equates - or thereabouts - to millimetres. With the reduced depth available to you in the front top of your leg I halved the setting to “4”. Then it is a question of pinching up the skin on your leg and pressing the auto inject pen as per the norm.

LegStab
Ready for the leg

In actuality the pain was no more or less than it has been with the belly injections. So far, a few hours later, I have not noticed any more pain or swelling either. There is obviously a slightly raised area a couple of inches across due to fluid going in there. But there is no discolouration of the skin or background pain (by that I mean discomfort before I touch the area). Assuming nothing changes in the coming day then I will happily use my left leg for my next jab then continue to rotate the sites as left side of belly, right belly, right leg, left leg. Doubling the injection sites can only be a good thing.

I have read that some people do get problems with the injection sites after long term use and go away from using the auto inject to self injecting using the syringe and thereby controlling the speed you push the fluid in. I’m not sure about that at all. But I guess you cross the bridges you come to. So far so good though.

Onwards and Upwards,
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