You’ll probably recall I had a lot of anxiety about the Progesterone in Oil (PIO) shots, so I thought it’d be good to provide an update on how those have been going.
As I expected, I was building up the shots in my head and making them scarier than they actually are. There are also a few tips/tricks I’ve picked up from my sister, clinic, and IVF support group on Facebook that help minimize the pain of the actual injection.
First, I ice the injection site for a good few minutes. This ensures my hip is completely numb. While I’m icing my hip, I also wrap the syringe in a heating pad for a couple of minutes to warm up the oil. My nurse recommended this and said it really helps reduce pain.
For the actual injection, I purchased an autoinjector a couple of months ago. It claims to make intramuscular (IM) injections painless. With the numbing effect of the ice, I have to agree.
I do tend to feel a tiny pinch during the shots (likely when the needle hits the first layer of fat or muscle the ice hasn’t numbed), but it doesn’t really hurt at all.
And while I was initially unhappy these shots would be in the morning, I think it’s actually for the best. Doing them first-thing when I wake up means I get it done and over with for the day. There’s no chance for me to build up anticipation/anxiety all day.
I’m also able to prep the shot the night before. All I have to do in the morning is ice my hip, warm the syringe, and load it into the autoinjector.
There was even the added bonus that my bloodwork appointments at the clinic can be walk-ins anytime before 10:30, so I don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn on those days to do the injections early. I’ll simply do my injection at the normal time and go in two hours later for my blood draw.
My expectations during this process have actually been turned around. I was expecting painful shots but no major side effects or issues after the shot. Turns out, I had that backward.
Our previous experience with IM shots has been from the trigger shots in both egg retrieval and FET procedures, but there’s never been much bleeding during those shots or pain afterward.
On our very first PIO shot, I completely forgot to have a gauze pad handy so Nick could add pressure to the site after he removed the needle. When he pulled out the injector, blood started spurting. (Kudos to Nick who doesn’t handle blood/needles very well for getting through this one!)
There were drops of blood on the floor and big splotches on my pajamas; it was definitely surprising! (Later that morning, I happened to notice the injection site was right next to a faint green vein under the surface of my skin. So I think it’s possible Nick might have nicked a vein, but I don’t think the medicine went in a vein thankfully.)
Interesting side note: Most people I’ve spoken with about the injections have been instructed to pull back on the stopper or “aspirate” the injection before giving it. If there’s blood when you pull back, it means you’ve hit a vein, and you need to restart the injection with new everything. When I received my instructions, I was told this is no longer necessary and to not do it. Now, I’m wondering if maybe we should.)
While subsequent shots have also bled, so far they haven’t been to the level of that very first shot.
In addition to the bleeding, the aftermath of the progesterone in oil leaves my hips pretty tender. Nick or I massage the injection sites after we’re done – both by hand and with a massage gun. I also walk around for a minute or two and then sit on a heating pad for a while.
These things both help, but my booty is sore and already bruised; I’ve also noticed hard lumps forming around the injection sites. Given how long I could potentially be on these shots, I feel like that doesn’t bode well.
If you’ve gone through this process and there are tips or tricks I’m missing, please let me know!
IVF That 