Instructions for first-timers.....
Step 1
Wash your hands.
Step 2
Wipe the top of the vial of medication for injection with an alcohol swab.
Step 3
Remove the needle guard from the needle and syringe, saving the needle guard. Be sure you are using a proper syringe for intramuscular injections. Pull back on the syringe plunger to draw up an amount of air equal to the amount of medication that your doctor has prescribed for injection. For example, if you want to inject 2ccs of oil, then pull back 2ccs of air.
Step 4
Holding the vial of medication in an upright position, insert the needle straight through the center of the rubber stopper in the vial. Then push the plunger to discharge all the air into the vial.
Step 5
With the needle in the vial, turn the vial upside down and hold it in one hand. The tip of the needle should be in the solution. Using your free hand, pull the plunger back in a slow, continuous motion until you have drawn into the syringe the amount of medication that your doctor has prescribed.
Step 6
If air bubbles have formed in the syringe, dislodge them by gently tapping the syringe with your free hand while continuing to hold the syringe and vial in the inverted position. Bubbles should rise to the top of the syringe, and then you can push them back into the vial by moving the plunger. Double check to make sure you have the correct amount of medication in the syringe. If necessary, draw more solution into the syringe.
Step 7
Remove the needle from the vial. With the needle pointing upwards, pull back on the plunger until all oil from the needle has been pulled back into the syringe. Unscrew needle from syringe and replace with a brand new, preferrably smaller needle. Replace needle guard.
Step 8
Prepare the injection site by cleaning the area with an alcohol swab. To do this start at the center, apply pressure, and cleanse in a circular motion working outward. Do not retrace your steps.
Step 9
Wait a few seconds until the alcohol has dried. This reduces the sting. Remove the needle guard from the needle and syringe. With the needle pointing upwards, tap the syringe to dislodge the air bubbles and push the air out of the needle until you see a tiny drop of oil start to form at the tip. Hold the syringe as you would a pencil.
Step 10
Holding the syringe at a right angle (perpendicular) to the prepared injection site and insert the needle.
Step 11
When the needle is in place, slowly pull back on the plunger to see if any blood flows into the syringe. If some blood does enter the syringe (a rare occurrence), remove the needle, replace the needle with a new one, find another area to inject. Repeat Step 8.
Step 12
If no blood enters the syringe, slowly inject the medication by gently pushing the plunger until the syringe is empty.
Step 13
Remove the needle quickly. Apply pressure to the injection site with your alcohol swab. You're done. Massage the area. Now go do the most important parts - eat and train!
Injecting Procedures
All oil based and water based anabolic steroids should be taken intramuscularly. This means the shot must penetrate the skin and subcutaneous tissue to enter the muscle itself. Intramuscular injections are used when prompt absorption is desired, when larger doses are needed than can be given cutaneously or when a drug is too irritating to be given subcutaneously. The common sites for intramuscular injectons include the buttock, lateral side of the thigh, and the deltoid region of the arm. Muscles in these areas, especially the gluteal muscles in the buttock, are fairly thick. Because of the large number of muscle fibers and extensive fascia, (fascia is a type of connective tissue that surrounds and separates muscles) the drug has a large surface area for absorption. Absorption is further promoted by the extensive blood supply to muscles. Ideally, intramuscular injections should be given deep within the muscle and away from major nerves and blood vessels.
The best site for steroid injections is in the gluteus medius muscle which is located in the upper outer quadrant of the buttock. The iliac crest serves as a landmark for this quadrant. The spot for an injection in an adult is usually to 7 1/2 centimeters (2 to 3 inches) below the iliac crest. The iliac crest is the top of the pelvic girdle on the posterior (back) side. You can find the iliac crest by feeling the uppermost bony area above each gluteal muscle. The upper outer quadrant is chosen because the muscle in this area is quite thick and has few nerves. The probability of injecting the drug into a blood vessel is remote in this area. Injecting here reduces the chance of injury to the sciatic nerve which runs through the lower and middle area of the buttock. It controls the posterior of each thigh and the entire leg from the knee down. If an injection is too close to this nerve or actually hits it, extreme pain and temporary paralysis can be felt in these areas. This is especially undesirable and warrants staying as far away from this area as possible.
