re: Hitting artery during intramuscular injection

This is for weight lifting?

I'll lift a few weights but when you start casually talking about blasting through veins to inject stuff I'm way out.


What are you looking to accomplish exactly?

An 18 gauge harpoon is insane for injecting anything IM. You really shouldn't be using anything larger than a 25 gauge for any medication. I personally use 27 or 30 gauge needles for IM injections on my patients.

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The difference between an 18 and 22 gauge is large. An 18 gauge is used for very viscous medication. What are you injecting? This is unreal

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Yes it is.

But.. I live in a smaller town. the local rite aids, Walmarts and Walgreens run out of 22-23 quicker than one would think.

So the feed store is the only option. They do not always have 22, so started doing 18 on days where a stack can be mixed without crystalizing. Gets it over fast, Pulls quicker.

I use 18 ga 1 1/2 " needles for deep IM injections on horses and other livestock if the medication is thick.
Don't particularly want them stuck in my own muscles unless absolutely necessary.

Next thread we'll hear up him embolizing his foot.

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So the feed store is the only option. They do not always have 22, so started doing 18 on days where a stack can be mixed without crystallizing. Gets it over fast, Pulls quicker.

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So due to the unavailability of the proper size needle at the drugstore you go pickup a larger needle intended for use on animals at the feed store?

Dude, it might be time to take a serious introspective look at your priorities and goals.

Have you addressed exactly what you're injecting yourself with?

No he hasn't addressed what it is he is injecting. I suspect it is something he purchases over the Internet, so in reality, he may not really know what it is he is injecting. Crazy!!!

If you are injecting into large muscles and you are hypertensive for any reason the blood can spray.

The OP mentioned it being "brighter red" or lighter. That does not nesessarily mean an artery. It could be the medication also coming out and this clear medication dilutes the blood making it appears lighter and brighter red.

Always aspirate before injection.

Also, there is no reason that you can't put needles in the freezer. I've read that this can ease pain of injection. Also keep rubbing alcohol in the freezer. To my knowledge rubbing alcohol will not freeze. Cotton ball of ice cold alcohol will cleanse injection site and vasoconstrict the area to a degree. This can help with bleeding.

All provided you are not re-using needles. Some medications and blood will freeze in the lumen of the needle. Also needles are cheap now. The razor edg of that bevel is immediately taken down after spiking the rubber stopper on most medication vials. Having given a few thousand shots I have forgotten a couple times and injected with the same needle I withdrew meds with. It is VERY noticeable.