Hi guys;
I'm new here and I have an unusual problem (I think). I have Pernicious Anemia and I need a B-12 injection once a month. I take care of my mother, who is an Alzheimer's patient. She's in the advanced stage, so I can't leave her alone at any time. My problem is that I can no longer get people to "sit" with her while I go to the doctor's office for my B-12 shot. I'm pretty much housebound now, because she is.
So here's a question for all you anemia sufferers out there: Do any of you inject yourselves instead of having to go to your doctor's office? I checked with my pharmacist, who insists that people have been know to do it, but when I talked to my doctor, he said that I'd have to find a "teaching" nurse who would show me how to inject myself. (His nurses aren't "teaching" nurses). I called my local VNA to see if I could get one of their nurses to come to my house and show me, but I was told I'd have to pay $150 out of pocket for the visit, which I don't have. So, I'm feeling kinda desperate now. Can anybody out there save me with some information? I'd really, really appreciate it! Thanks!

Does your mom have a visiting nurse who can help you? Do you have any friends who are nurses or trained medical professionals? My sister is a nurse practicioner and will do this for friends.

I self inject....Any nurse should be able to show you how to do it....And you can get the needles from any pharmacist...Your doctor will just have to write you a script for a vial of b12....I inject in my arms, switching arms every month...You can inject in the leg, but it requires a longer needle...

I self-inject in the stomach every few weeks. I thought that any nurse could show you how to the injection. The nurse at my doctor's office showed me how, and the doctor wrote out the prescription for the b12 and the needles.

There is now a B12 nose spray that might work for you. I was told about it recently. I think its called Nascobal. It's a prescription and is taken 1x a month instead of a shot. might be worth looking into.

I self inject every 2 weeks and have been since 1995 and sometimes my husband will do the arms so I can give the thighs a rest. I've had no problem getting the syringes at the pharmacy and the nurse showed hubby how to do it one time and he has no problem doing it for me. The nasal stuff didn't keep my B12 up so I had to go back on the injections after a month, but it may work for you if you can't do the self inject. I'm surprised or rather not actually that your Dr said you'd have to get a teaching nurse to show you, that's idiotic. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to give injections to yourself or anyone else, I did it all the time as a nurse and it was nothing. Of course if you start giving yourself injections then they won't get the office call money so tell them to have his nurse show you how the next time you need one and then all he has to do is write the prescription for the solution and syringes as a standing order, once a year I need to update the prescription and that's all.
They're just trying to keep you for the office call money. Once you get it you may feel apprehensive about sticking yourself with a needle for the first few times but after awhile it will be fine.