Injection Stories

The T-Male Presents:

Craig, Nick & Jonathan's Injection Scare Stories and Lessons Learned

It could happen to you!

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Craig's scare:

I had been self-injecting T for over 2 years with no problem. I'm diligent about cleaning and disinfecting the site, alternated between left and right thigh.

One evening, 48 hours after an injection, I got a dull pain in that muscle, not unusual. But over the next 3-4 hours it rapidly got worse. I convinced myself nothing could be wrong until I went out to grab food and could barely get myself across the street. I mean this was excruciating and I have a high tolerance for pain.

I called a local health hotline. The nurse there told me it wasn't an infection because a) I had no fever and b) it wasn't red or itchy. In fact my leg looked totally normal.

So I took some painkillers and tried to sleep, but woke up an hour later in unbearable pain. My thigh muscle was rock-hard to the touch and I couldn't straighten or bend it. So I got myself to a hospital.

After 8 hours of waiting and explaining my situation a dozen times, an ultrasound showed that the muscle was severely inflamed and there was the beginning of an abscess. The diagnosis was "Fat Necrosis" which I had never heard of so I asked a ton of questions and now I will try to explain it.

When you inject repeatedly in the same place over time, the fat cells that are just under the skin die. These dead fat cells can cause a muscular infection. So two weeks was not enough time to recover especially if, by force of habit, I was injecting in exactly the same spot. Lucky for me a course of antibiotics stopped the abscess. I now alternate between four muscles but I honestly have no idea how easy or uncommon it is to get what I had.

My point is that surface bacteria is not the only danger and we can't always rely on doctors to know what the possibilities are so if this happens to you don't wait too long and tell them what you heard.

Nick's Scare

I recently ended up in the ER the day after Christmas with this very complaint. What happened with me was, I was using a needle that was not long enough and the testosterone solution backed out of the deltoid muscle and pooled in the subcutaneous tissue causing a knot the size of a silver dollar.

I had been getting my injections in my delts for at least 4-5 years, alternating sides. I had had small knots before but nothing like this.

On Friday, Dec. 24, 2004, my former girlfriend came over to give me my weekly (actually every 7-10 days) injection. All seemed well until about 3-4 hours after she left and I notice the area had a good sized knot. That evening it became very painful so I put hot packs on it anticipating the next day, Saturday, that the egg sized knot would be gone or at least smaller. No such luck. It hurt even worse and my bicep and tricep started aching. By Sunday, it had not changed and my arm felt strange. The knot was not red but there was heat coming from it. My temp was 98.2

I called the ER asking how busy they were and if I could speak with a nurse. I was given the number to the nurses hotline and spoke with them describing my symptoms, remembering what had happened to Craig. Like Craig, no fever, no redness.

She told me that if it didn't improve within 4 hours, to come in as it sounded like an infection was setting in. I decided to not take any chances and went to Deaconess ER. Needless to say, I was not comfortable - one guy was squatted in the corner near the triage room throwing up into a bowl while his wife and kids registered him. I felt for the guy - he looked miserable and just kept dry heaving.

The triage nurse came and got me, looked at it, made the same assessment that it looked like an infection may be setting in. We talked while she took my BP, not a good idea, as my Diastolic was 94, which freaked me out. When told about my SCN, she made sure I had a room right away and was away from the crowd of sick people. For more information about what SCN is: Nick's Illness

Long story short, my experience turned out to not be an infection, which was a huge relief. I was sent home with instructions to use a 1 inch needle from now on, apply moist heat and take Tylenol and to follow up with my doctor if the swelling did not subside within another 24 hours.

My arm looked a lot better Monday morning but it's still damn sore. I will not use a 5/8th needle again.

Addendum: Cheryl has injected me 2 times now with a 1" 25g needle. It's been a blessing! No soreness and the knots are gone!

Jonathan's Scare

Nick,

Thanks for posting this info on your site....as always I learn things each time I read things on here. This was particularly timely however. I gave myself a shot last Weds as always. I alternate legs & shoot into the outer thigh muscles. Occasionally I'll have a small sore "knot" but it goes away in a day or so & it helps to massage it also. This past week there was a small knot so I massaged it as usual. It didn't help & in fact got larger & began to be warm to the touch. I didn't think much about it until it got very sore & started itching deep under the skin. Nothing made the knot get any smaller. I just happened to be reading your site the other night & saw these injection stories. I called my Dr. today & he saw me right away. He gave me a script for an antibiotic & said that it felt as if there was a hematoma that had formed. He said use heat if I want but that the antibiotic should clear it up. He wanted to have me on the meds because sometimes a hematoma can develop into something worse.

So, as I said..thanks for the story & info....I'll start shooting into my hip or butt as well as my thighs from now on. The Dr. also said sometimes you can shoot into the muscle TOO deeply & maybe that's what happened. He wasn't sure but I look forward to the knot & the itch being gone!

Thanks again as always my friend.

Jonathan

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