progesterone pain help

[NY4thtry]

this is my 4th cycle. The first 2 the clinic let me take pills and my levels were fine, when i switched Cornell insists on the shots.


last time i dont remember it being so bad. This time its excruciating.

i am thin and very muscular which probably doesnt help but noth sides of my bum ache so much i cant sleep .

I have been lvivng sitting on a heating pad which gives temporary relief but not much.

Any ideas?

[amysbabies]

I'm sorry you're in so much pain.... what size needle are you using to inject?

Although most clinics tell you to use the 22.5g needle....the much thinner 25.5g needle works just fine. Another thing is progesterone in sesame oil is supposed to be the thinnest oil therefore being the easiest to inject.

Make sure you inject straight in and not an angle, sometimes the angle will make you bruise.

For both my cycles I used PIO sesame oil with a 25.5g needle and didn't have any bruising at all.

[NY4thtry]

i am using a 22 g 1 inch needle.. they let me off the hook about 1 1/2 as i am thin .. my P is in olive oil as i have sensitivity to certain nuts..

i am not bruised on the surface just underneath i think . throbbing soreness..

ill ask about switching to 25.5 gauge.. Thanks!! you sound like you were lucky

[amysbabies]

oh another thing... make sure you stay away from the sciatic nerve.... inject closer to the outer side of the upper buttocks and not the inner.

once I either hit or went very close to the sciatic nerve and my muscle just locked and everything felt really hot.....i could barely walk on that leg for like 2 days.

[kimmysq]

I think it helps to ice the area first.
I am sorry you are in so much pain. That is not fun.
Kim

[Xo'Phoeah]

I'll second the ice suggestion. That's a life saver. Other than that, I don't have any help. We can only do the shots on one side; anytime my husband does it on the left, I end up hurting for days.

[Dakota]

There is a shot you can do right before the PIO. Its small, like the stim meds and it numbs the area. You can ask for that prescription OR you can by oral numbing meds and apply. They also have that freeze in a can you can spray on there and of course ice always works.

Make sure you RUB, RUB, RUB after the shot. At least for 15 mins and heat as long as you can.

[suzhan]

I agree with all the PP...

I'd also add that holding the shot in your hand for 5-10 mins before injecting it slightly warms it and helps it go in easier....

Otherwise, I can only say that this is one of the more painful parts of this process that I too am not looking forward to...

Good luck!

[NY4thtry]

thanks guys al this is helpful.. but its not when i get the shot that is so bad.. its after...
But i will try the ice tonight

[ivfnurse]

I don't recommend icing. It actually will interfere with the oil dispersing in the muscle. Warm compresses before, rub right after and warm compress again. Put the syringe with the PIO into a ziplock bag and run it under warm water for 30 secs prior to injection and that will change the consistency not the concentration.

[Hopeful in SD]

Hi NY4thtry,

This is my second time around and I also use the heating pad following the shot. In my first cycle I only used it for about 15-20 minutes and I was very sore. Now, I sit with the heating pad for about an hour after and I have much less pain.

Have any of you had trouble with the progesterone oozing back out following the shot? We told the nurse and she said to count to five after all the oil was injected and then pull the needle out. It worked for a week but now it is oozing out again? I worry I'm not getting enough? Any suggestions?

[NY4thtry]

thanks IVF Nurse.. i have been sitting on warm compresses all day but warming the oil makes total sense!!!

Hopeful.. sorry i have not had that problem..

on another note...5 days into the 2ww and i am going stir crazy

[ivfnurse]

There is a injection method called z-track. I'm going to try to explain it so I hope I dont lose you. Before your hubby injects he is going to pull the skin tight to the side. Then he injects with the skin still pulled tight to the side. After he takes the needle out he will release the skin and it will fall back over the hole in the muscle preventing the oil from escaping. We use this method with injections that are caustic to the skin. I hope this helps. If you need further instructions let me know.

[Hopeful in SD]

Thank you Ivfnurse, we will try that tonight and I'll let you know how it works! You are so awesome for giving us all advice on here.

[riogirl71]

I had tons of trouble with progesterone shots. Holding the vial between your legs or arms for 10 min before the shot (don't ice!) then sitting on a heating pad helped. My butt got so sore and so hard that the needle would just pop right back out, my RE put me with Progesterone capsules and that was a huge relief! So if it is really bad, don't be afraid to ask for the vaginal suppositories, I used Crinone gel.
Good luck!