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Injecting steroids is a relatively simple procedure if you know what you are doing. The three main considerations are the correct injections site, the right injections and preventative hygiene.
There are two main types of injectable steroids, one being oil based that is generally thicker in consistency and harder to inject and water based injectables that are easy to inject because they are thin in consistency. In any event, both these types need to be injected in the muscle also referred to as an intramuscular injection. For this, a thicker and longer needle is required. Needles are measured in gauges and length, the lower the gauge, the thicker the needle. Typically, a 21-gauge 1 1/2 inch needle is most commonly used, but thinner injectable liquids will be fine with a 23-gauge needle. Some injection sites call for shorter needles so a 23-gauge 1-inch needle is sometimes used. A pre-packed needle and syringe is also available and quite handy, usually a 5ml and 1 1/2 inch 23 gauge needle.
As far as the actual syringe goes, most people use a standard 5ml injection, but a 2.5ml syringe also works fine. The key consideration is how much you are injecting. Always use a syringe that will give you at least 1ml leeway so you can suck up the solution. If you are injecting 1ml, use a 2.5ml syringe, and if you are injection 2ml use a 5ml and so on. Many people prefer using a 5ml syringe all the time because the larger injection is easier to work with and hold on to.
There are numerous injection sites for intramuscular injections, but the most common and safest is the buttocks. Some care must be taken however because of the sciatic nerve that runs down the spine. Many people end up hitting the nerve with a needle and this can cause anything from a twitch to serious damage resulting in immobility for several weeks. The rule of thumb is dividing the buttock up into four quadrants form the center line down and in two from where the crack of the buttocks begin at the to the crease formed with the hamstring at the bottom. The injection site is always in the top quadrants at least 2 inches from the center line outward.
Another consideration is the speed at which you inject the solution. It is important to inject slowly and consistently so that the oil or solution can disperse. Fast injection rates sometimes leads to lumps of unabsorbed solution. A rule of thumb here is 5 to 10 seconds per ml solution being injected. Always use a preptic swab on the skin at the injection site before inserting the needle. This simple hygiene habit can go a long way to avoiding infection at the injection site. In general you should be very careful with the needles, making sure thy stay sterile until they are inserted.
When injecting solution drawn up from a single ampoule, take care not to touch the needle tip to the bottom of the glass vials. Any contact on the needle tip will cause it to become blunt and this can lead to difficulty and painful injections. If you are sucking the solution up from a reusable vial or bottle, make sure you discard the needle used to break through the seal and suck up the solution. The seal makes the needle blunt instantly. Rather use a new needle for the actual injection. In the case of insulin needles, you won’t have that luxury.
The actual injecting procedure is most often best accomplished by having a competent person inject you. That way the muscle can stay relaxed and accurate injections are possible. The best position is lying down on your stomach allowing the gluteus muscle to relax fully. The person injecting should take care in swiping the site and the injection should be “darted” into the skin allowing it to fully penetrate immediately. The solution should then be slowly injected. Keep the swab that was used handy because one the needle is removed some bleeding can occur. In some cases you may be unlucky at hitting a blood vessel and quite profuse bleed will follow once the needle is removed, another reason why it is better to lie down.
Injecting yourself can be tricky but sometimes unavoidable. The best position for this is lying on your side with your top legs knee slightly bent. This will expose the injection site a t the top of your gluteus. Grasp the syringe so that “hammer” the needle into the injection site. By aligning the lower part of your fist with the needle, you can get full penetration. Follow the same procedure as above for injecting.
Other injection sites include the top of the quads and the shoulders. In some extreme cases people will inject the lats, chest and even the calves. I suggest you stick to the gluteus because theses injections can be painful at the injection site for days and sore shoulders are very uncomfortable compared to buttocks.
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