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Questions about auto-injector and needle safety

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Posted 8/3/2014 10:02 AM (GMT -5)
Does anyone use an auto-injector* for bimix/trimix injections?
What are the pros/cons of using one?
Is there a particular product that HW guys recommend?
How do you calibrate the device so the needle is inserted completely (so the tip of the syringe is touching the skin)?
Does the injector have enough precision so I can avoid surface veins?

I have a lot of difficulty inserting the needle quickly. Often, I experience quite a bit of pain when inserting the needle. I'd much rather press a button and have the needle insertion done quickly.

Because I have substantial Peyronie's scarring, I have a much smaller area that I can able to inject. Even when injecting in an area where I don't expect scar tissue, I fear hitting a dense spot and have the needle bend (or break!) in my penis. Is this a rational fear?

(*Auto-injector is a spring-loaded thing that holds the syringe and inserts the needle quickly into the body, then the user depresses the plunger to release the meds and withdraws the needle.)

Thanks,

-Gedman
Posted 8/3/2014 12:57 PM (GMT -5)
G,

I found that the auto injector which I tried don't have the force to push the needle completely through the penis sheath. I use a very short needle 5/16" so that may have been the issue for me. I went back the normal method of injecting (without the auto injector) using the stabbing motion.

FG
Posted 8/3/2014 2:34 PM (GMT -5)
I tried an auto-injector for the same reasons you did, but found it less precise at hitting the target. I had to use a longer needle with the auto-injector. In theory, the auto-injector is a good idea, but in practice, I found it less than satisfactory. Or, maybe I gave up too easily.
Posted 8/3/2014 4:35 PM (GMT -5)
Gedman -- Why do want to insert it "quickly"? I was always very deliberate about inserting it; neither quick nor slow - just deliberate. (i never used an auto-injector, so nothing to report). Do you stretch willy out keeping tension while you inject? Needles can bend or break, but i don't think it's very common. More likely with the smaller needles, like the 31g.

Fuelguy -- Yikes! I can't imagine anything normal about using a stabbing motion! But hey, if it works for you ... go for it.

-- Tigerfan
Posted 8/3/2014 7:24 PM (GMT -5)
Tigerfan-

I'd like to get it over with quickly, since more than half of the time I experience pretty significant pain when the needle is going in.

-Gedman
Posted 8/4/2014 6:59 AM (GMT -5)
Gedman,

Sometimes the needle does hurt a bit going in. I find that a slow, deliberate penetration along with some colorful profanity works best.

I tried an autoinjector for a while but eventually decided it wasn't much help. The problem, at least with my model is that is it designed to fit both a narrow insulin syringe -- the kind we all use with our trimix -- or a somewhat larger one designed to inject several ccs of meds. This means that the insulin syringe tends to rattle around in the cylinder a bit and the exact location where the needle hits the skin is somewhat probabilistic.
Posted 8/4/2014 2:17 PM (GMT -5)
Tiger,

When I said stabbing motion, I should have said two fingers holding syringe, like one was throwing a dart motion. This was the way my urologist showed and trained me in how to do the injections.

FG

Post Edited (Fuelguy51) : 8/5/2014 12:12:00 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/4/2014 7:32 PM (GMT -5)
FG,
I use the same stabbing motion ... actually I thought this was the correct method. When I get my annual flu shot that is what them nurse uses and it is pretty much what the auto injector does. I tried the auto injector, but for me, it seemed quite a bit easier to not use it ... each to their own.
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