Question: How Can I Make the Intramuscular Injections of Progesterone In Oil Easier?
Answer:
Taking daily progesterone injections are a reality for many women undergoing In Vitro Fertilization. Not every practice still uses this form of progesterone, having their patients take a vaginal progesterone insert instead. For women who do need to take daily progesterone in oil intramuscular injections, the process can be arduous and tiring. Here are a few tips to lessen the discomfort.
- 1. Change the needle after drawing the medication into the syringe. A sharp needle (not dulled after passing through the rubber stopper on top of the vial) will actually make the injection itself a little less painful.
- 2. Use ice to numb the skin before cleaning it with the alcohol.
- 3. Use heat or a heating pad on the site after the injection. Because the progesterone is in an oil, absorption into the muscle tissue can be slow. Heat warms and thins the oil, helping boost absorption.
- 4. Massage the area after the injection. Stimulating the muscle can also help it be absorbed.
- 5. Monitor for injection side effects. Promptly report anything concerning to the doctor.
- 6. Keep the oil in a warm place, not in the refrigerator. The oil can congeal when in a cold environment and make it more difficult to draw up or inject.
- 7. Understand why you are taking this medication. Progesterone is the primary hormone of pregnancy, and the daily injections are helping your body prepare for a pregnancy. Knowing that you may be helping your chances at success can make the discomfort a little easier to bear. And remember, it’s only temporary.
- 8. Have the person performing the injection palpate the muscle before choosing a site. Sometimes progesterone in oil can accumulate in the muscle and cause little knots or bumps. The injection should not go into one of these bumps and should actually be about an inch away. Besides causing pain, the progesterone will not be absorbed properly.
- 9. Rotate your sites. Never inject the medication into the same spot repeatedly. This can increase your chances of tissues damage.
- 10. The oil that the progesterone is compounded in is usually sesame oil. If you have any allergies to peanuts or sesame, make sure to mention it to your doctor so he can prescribe progesterone in olive oil instead.
