What Is It Like to Self-Inject Your Medication?
Key takeaways:
Self-injecting medication — or giving yourself a shot — is daunting for many people.
Despite their initial fears, some people say time and practice gave them more confidence and made the process more comfortable.
Here are tips from three people about how to make the self-injection process easier.
Many diseases and conditions are treated by medication that’s injected with a syringe. And it often falls to the person who needs the medication to administer it.
People inject their own medication for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), asthma, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, and fertility issues, among other medical needs.
While no one looks forward to self-injecting medication, people who do say the sticks get easier with practice. Here, three people describe what self-injecting is like for them and give their tips for making the process easier.
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Self-injecting medication for her RA and asthma
Christy Vaal, a 53-year-old psychotherapist who lives in Jasper, Indiana, was diagnosed with RA in 2003. She injects etanercept (Enbrel) once a week for her RA. And 3 years ago, she started injecting tezepelumab-ekko (Tezspire) once a month for asthma, so she now self-injects five times a month in total.
Christy says her training as a therapist may have helped with her attitude toward needles. Instead of focusing on the needle, she focuses on how her medications decrease her RA pain and help her asthma.
“That just puts me in a better psychological space: to think, ‘I want this shot, because this is going to make me feel better,’” Christy says.
Auto-injectors are available for Christy’s medications, as they are for many medications. For some people, using an auto-injector is easier, she says, because you just stick yourself with the injector and it automatically releases. But she likes to control the flow of the medication with a standard injector.
Both of Christy’s medications need to be injected under the skin where there’s fat. She likes to pinch her belly fat and inject herself in the abdomen, rather than at the back of her arm or thigh.
“I do not like the thigh. I do not like the arm. To me, they’re very painful. About 75% of the time, I don’t even feel the injection in my abdomen,” she says.
After 20 years of self-injecting, she adds, “I’m comfortable with it, but I would not say that I’ve found a way to make it consistently painless.”
Christy has a few tips for people who have to self-inject medication:
Make sure the medication is room temperature, as cold liquid can cause pain. She leaves etanercept out for 30 minutes and her asthma medication out for 1 hour before injecting them, per the directions.
Fear of needles (called trypanophobia) is real. If you are affected by trypanophobia, consult a therapist about treatment options.
Instead of focusing on needle pain, center your mind on the thought that “this is my opportunity to feel better.”
Having diabetes and self-injecting at least 3 times a day
Carol Gee, a 73-year-old freelance writer who lives in Atlanta, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2009. When she was diagnosed, her nurse educators told her she would need to inject her own insulin.
Carol had served in the Air Force and was used to getting injections. “When you serve in the military, you get a lot of shots because you’re going overseas,” she says. But doing it herself was a different story.
The first time she self-injected, she says, she was trembling so badly she nearly dropped the insulin vial. But confidence came with practice. And her medication now comes in individual-dose pens, which has helped even more.
Because she takes two types of insulin — one long-acting and one short-acting — she self-injects at least three times a day. Like Christy, Carol also prefers to inject her medication in her abdomen, rather than in her thighs or arms. She alternates sides to avoid too many sticks in one area.
After she was diagnosed, she quickly learned that needles come in different sizes, and you can ask for the finest, shortest needle recommended for the type of medication you are injecting to help lessen the pain.
“I was so proud of having injected myself and not passing out,” Carol says, remembering when she started self-injecting her insulin. “Fourteen years later, it is no big deal.”
Self-injecting as part of a journey to become pregnant
Gennifer Rose, a 37-year-old content creator who lives in Sacramento, California, is taking shots to prepare her body for surrogacy.
Gennifer started the first of many cycles of injections in July 2023.
“In the beginning, I was very nervous and had anxiety as it approached the time of day for shots,” she says. “I have since outgrown my fear.”
She self-injected leuprolide (Lupron) for a month before starting shots of a female sex hormone called progesterone. While she injects leuprolide in her abdomen, she injects progesterone in her upper buttocks area. For that, she uses a mirror to help her direct the needle or asks her husband to help.
The leuprolide shots require smaller needles and a smaller amount of medication. While she no longer finds those shots painful, the progesterone shots are a different story. The progesterone is mixed with oil to make absorption easier in the body, but that means the liquid is thicker coming out of the needle, Gennifer explains.
“The medicine going in as you push the syringe in, that’s actually more painful than the needle itself. It’s like a strong stinging, burning sensation,” she says.
The injection can also leave a painful hard knot under the skin. But Gennifer says she has learned some tips to relieve that pain, including using ice packs or heating pads. And she uses a tennis ball in a circular motion around the injection site to break up the oil, so it doesn’t stick in a lump.
She also keeps in mind that she only has to deal with the pain of self-injecting for a short period. It’s a matter of “getting over the hump and hopefully getting a viable pregnancy out of it,” Gennifer says.
What does the doctor say?
Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH
Medical Editor
Injectable medications have revolutionized the world. These treatments are helping people live longer, healthier lives. And, in the near future, certain complications and even illness expressions will be a distant memory because of them.
Being able to inject medications at home saves people from spending hours at infusion centers on a regular basis. But, yes, injections are uncomfortable. As these stories point out, it helps to focus on the positives and adjust your self-injection routine to minimize discomfort. Everyone has their own tips and tricks — like choosing the right location, having a rotation schedule, or using heat or cold therapy — so don’t be shy about asking others for advice.
It’s helpful to practice on objects (like oranges) to build your confidence before you start injecting yourself. It’s also a good idea to get feedback on your technique. Ask your healthcare team to watch you give yourself your medication until you have your technique perfected. The angle of the needle, how fast (or slow) you’re pushing the medication, and the injection location can affect how much discomfort you experience before and after a shot.
You can also ask your pharmacist for tips when it comes to equipment. Many pharmacies dispense a standard needle tip with all medications. But you may be able to use a much thinner and shorter needle, depending on your body size and the medication.
If you have a needle phobia, a therapist can help. There are many effective ways to overcome a needle phobia, so don’t let fear stop you from reaping the many benefits of injectable medications.
Remember, with the right routine and support, self-injecting can become less daunting and painful over time.
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