Starting lovenox tomorrow AM...

any helpful tips?

Can I inject it anywhere on my belly, as long as it is under my belly button? The youube video I just watched says to inject into love handles.

Re: Starting lovenox tomorrow AM...

first note - lovenox burns as it goes in. its not the syringe that hurts, its the med itself that burns. dont be surprised. there are ways to minimize the burn, below is how i do it although everyone is a little different.

#1 tip of lovenox - INJECT SLOWLLLLLY!! the first time i did it i thought it was like any other inject, i stuck the needle in and plunged away. for the next half hour my belly was ON FIRE. i even emailed dr. B cause i was NOT expecting that!! after reading up online, the first thing i read was to inject slowly, it makes such a difference!!

that being said - here is my daily lovenox routine.

1. ice the area directly with an ice cube for at least 5 minutes or until you can no longer feel the ice cube. the skin should be white and you wont be able to feel anything. you can select a spot anywhere below your belly button. i find that areas that are either more bloated or fatter tend to hurt less.

2. squeeze the area like any other inject. some people disagree with this and say it causes bruising more, but for me the bruising is a complete crapshoot so the squeezing works for me.

3. stick the needle in at a 45 degree angle. INJECT SLOOOOOWLY. i mean SUPER slow. i usually inject a tiny bit, then as soon as i feel it burn i stop, wait for the burn to fade, then inject a little more and repeat until its done. sometimes i have to go so slow that im literally just tapping the top if the syringe. it DOES take longer but its so much more tolerable. also note that the air bubble in the syringe is supposed to be there and youre supposed to inject it. it makes a weird sound sometimes when you inject it, but thats normal. i dont know why, but that's just how it is.

4. after you remove the syringe try not to touch the area if you dont have to, that makes the bruising worse. sometimes ill touch the site with ice for just a moment, but i dont press down on it at all.

overall is an annoying inject but tolerable and you will get the hang of doing it after a few tries. good luck!

Message edited 1/5/2011 9:11:37 PM.

Re: Starting lovenox tomorrow AM...

Thanks! I was a little worried about the burning part, but hopefully it'll all be worth it!

Re: Starting lovenox tomorrow AM...

Like PP said it stings so inject slowly.
I have found that when I pinch the skin I get huge bruises. What I have been doing is sit down, do not pinch the area and inject in the belly. Since I have been doing this I have not bruised.
Good luck!