You can inject over bruising or in the same place twice. It doesn't matter. During my second pregnancy, I did 9 shots of Heparin a day for the first month, while my insurance sorted out issues with the Lovenox injections. It's not possible to find "new" injection sites when you're shooting up 9 times a day, lol. I just went off Lovenox a couple months ago. I always bridge with that when I have surgeries. I prefer injecting on my inner thighs, and I use my right leg much more often than my left. I was often injecting in the same place over and over, and it never caused any problems.

I am on day 38 of injections and my left side is sorer than the right. Not sure why. I am covered in bruises too - I have recently started injecting further back like almost on my sides. So long as you have an inch of fat I think? It feels way better. If I can't reach I get my daughter to do it. I started keeping track of where I was injecting but quit. I just alternate sides. I have never done my thighs. Might be doing it forever so I guess I have to get use to it.....

The inch of fat sounds right. You can technically give the shot anywhere you have a good fat base to absorb it. It's a subcutaneous shot, so you might google pictures of where all that includes. Just avoid your arms or places where you don't have fat. My mom's a nurse, and she says the bruising is pretty bad if you try it somewhere without fat.

I'm a lifer on Lovenox and while it hurts a little worse if you inject over a bruised site, you can do it. I save my love handle area for times when I am bruised and have knots. One piece of advice that I have for you, is do your morning shot right after a shower while your skin is softer. I seem to have less issues after my shower than when I am going to bed. Others advise icing before, but my body hates ice and I tense up.

While never a great solution, Lovenox is a life saver for some us, so I just grin and bear it, and wear yoga pants!

I've gone around my belly in a circle and injected like the time on a clock, ie 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock etc. Then there are times I just zig zag back and forth from left to right.

Make sure the need is injected all the way, that you're not putting it in on an angle, and that you keep the needle all the way in when pushing on the plunger. I bruise far less, get less knots and it hurts less when I am making sure my technique is good. Also, don't rub the area. That seems to make it both hurt more and I think bruise more. Frankly, I'd just leave the entire area alone, no ice, no rubbing nothing.

Like luckymommy said, you can inject in your thighs, but for the short time you're on it, you're not going to run out of spots. Our bodies are a pretty big canvas to work with and it's resilient.

I just finished the lovenox injections and I found that it was helpful to inject in a zig zag pattern as well even if it was only by a little bit. Injecting over a bruise can be painful and make you tense up more.

I remember the first time I was on lovenox, the instruction kit that came with my shots recommended the zig zag thing.

Yes, been doing the zig-zag thing, but since bruises weren't going away, had a problem.

Fortunately, my INR is 2.8 now and they let me give up the injections just in time!

Can someone help me with needle phobia? I am OK with blood draws and situations where I don't have to look at the needle but this business of having to inject myself is beyond horrible. I am only on day 3 of trying to get my levels up to 2.0+ and today when my INR was only at 1.4 and I was told I'd have to continue the injections for a few more days, I just about lost it right in the waiting room.

I am waiting on a RX for anti anxiety meds and maybe those will help but I am completely overwhelmed by this experience. What was supposed to be a simple knee arthroscope has turned into the nightmare of a DVT. It was caught early but I am feeling like I've been hit by a train.

I'm not very good about asking for help and this just compounds the problem. DH has offered to do the injections for me and that scares me even more than the idea of doing them myself. I'm a total mess and could use a little encouragement.

I was super nervous about doing it myself initially but my complete fear of dropping dead from another PE outweighed my freakiness over injecting myself. So I just did it, and once you keep doing it, it gets easier. It's not pleasant, no, but in a way, you feel like you have control when you do it. So maybe it's a matter of trying to change your perception of it.

I don't like it when someone else gives me the shots. I find that worse. I generally stand when doing it, just grab some skin on my belly and inject. It's over before you know it.

I think if the anxiety meds help, then rely on them for a bit. It is over whelming, all of it, the diagnosis, the warfarin, the needles. But you are going to get through it.

@srs303

I can relate! With my first DVT, they told me I'd have to learn to inject myself and I told them I'd need a home health nurse. No way! Fortunately my then-boyfriend (now husband) volunteered to do it and he was quite good at it. (He had a couple years under his belt of giving a sick cat subcutaneous fluids on a daily basis, so he already had the technique down. I might not have trusted him otherwise.)

WIth my second DVT, hubby was out of town, so I had to give myself the shots. Took some real pacing around and cussing to get to it, but I managed and I was fine. You just have to do it and get it over with. For me, as with RMB, the fear of getting another DVT (or the current one getting worse or turning into PEs) propelled me into it. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

The few other times I've come off warfarin (for surgery, usually), I've had my husband do the shots because I just find it less traumatizing all around. But I could do them if I had to... knowledge which makes me feel like I have just a little more control over the whole situation.

My willingness to do it actually came from my husband. He's been injecting insulin into him self since childhood, so I thought ok if a kid could do this daily surely I can. Funny he can inject himself but I know he'd have a hard time injecting me. Our minds are a funny thing.

I'm with rmb. I prefer to do my own shots. It's a good thing, since dh is afraid of needles, lol. He did them for me occasionally while I was too pregnant to reach anywhere unbruised, but otherwise, I always do them myself. I have no fear of needles, but it's kind of hard to hurt yourself on purpose. During the first trimester of my second pregnancy, I had to do 9 shots of heparin a day, until insurance kicked in and covered the lovenox, so I got over the whole discomfort pretty quickly.

Yes, it sucks, but just grin and bear it and remind yourself that it's not forever. And if your dh is willing to do it, let him! A marriage is all about being strong when the other is weak. I'm sure you've supported him many times over the relationship, so just tell yourself he owes you one. :-)

Thanks everybody. It's been really helpful to talk about this whole thing. I know I will never be comfortable with needles but I'm dealing with it. Hopefully my INR will be good enough tomorrow and I can stop the injections. I would let DH do it but I know he is just as scared of it as I am. This whole ordeal has really shaken me but I know I can learn something from it.

Question how far around your waist can you inject yourself?