Posted by Jordi (212.163.221.77) on December 19, 2001 at 18:41:53:
Hi all,
I read the webmaster's "imitrex tip" and found it a great thing. Anyway, since I was a kid needles and I don't make good friends. I could not imagine myself manually pushing the syringe in to my arm, and the provided kit is so neat... so this is how I do it:
Take an auto-injection "pencil" from an used kit and for a half shot of 3 mg, cut off 5 mms of the white rod that appears at the bottom after a shot.
Just to make sure you have it right, You may want to use an used syringe refilled with water (nail a long screw on the rubber piston of the syringe to manipulate and refill).
In this way I use the modifyed "pencil" for a first half shot and then I use the regular provided pencil to finish it off with the second shot. Obviously I have to carry the spare modifyed "pencil" along with the kit, but it is a minor nuisance.
By the way, if you do not want to see the needle punching and then quickly retracting while it is spilling your first half dose over your arm, you need to disamble the capsule containing the syringe and remove the spring that is visible on the outside (it comes out very easy).
Now that the spring is out, the needle is floating free and can be seen out of the auto-injector. As you place the autoinjector on your skin, the needle will retract to ready position. You need to be careful to place the autoinjector over a point and do not move it arround otherwise the needle will scratch you. Also, while preparing for the shot, look out! you do not want the needle to catch cloth or whatever because it will bend.
Now you are ready to push the button.
After the shot you may replace the spring before storing everything back in to the kit. (But if you don't, nothing happens, except that for the second shot you will have to pay the due attention to the exposed tip of the needle).
In this way, those like me who are "allergic to needles" can enjoy the quick and neat injection system.
Happy shots!
Jordi